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New York set to legalize e-scooters and e-bikes
New York lawmakers look set to legalize electric scooter and bike sharing services throughout the state. A vote on a Senate bill is likely to take place Wednesday, just before the end of the legislative session. Since Governor Andrew Cuomo seems to support the legalization of electric scooters and bikes, the bill looks likely to come into effect.
NYC will accept Google Pay on some subway and bus routes
If you have Google Pay, you might be able to tap your phone for subway or bus payments in NYC in the near future. The tech giant has teamed up with The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to conduct a pilot test for Google Pay covering select subway stations and Staten Island buses. Starting on May 31st, the MTA will switch on the "pay per ride" feature on your device, giving you a way to just tap your phone and ride. You don't even need to fire up the app itself.
US conducts criminal investigation into Facebook's data deals
Investigations into Facebook's data handling keep piling up. The New York Times has learned that federal prosecutors are in the midst of a criminal investigation into the data deals Facebook arranged with tech companies. It's not known when the investigation began or just what the focus is, but a New York grand jury reportedly used subpoenas to obtain records from two or more "prominent makers of smartphones." The deals included heavyweights like Apple, Microsoft and Sony.
Following backlash, Amazon might back out of New York-based HQ 2 plans
Amazon is said to be having second thoughts about its plan to set up a second headquarters in New York City following significant pushback from politicians and residents. Executives have considered alternative options, the Washington Post reports.
Lyft agrees to pay its drivers the minimum wage in New York
Following new laws introduced last year, Lyft has agreed to pay its drivers the minimum wage in New York, a union representing the drivers said. The law stipulates that ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft must pay chauffeurs at least $15 per hour, plus $2.22 to cover payroll taxes and paid time off. "The landmark rules ... are expected to raise driver pay by an average of $9,600 per year," said Machinists Union affiliate IDG.
New York investigates Apple's Group FaceTime privacy bug
You knew it was just a matter of time before Apple's Group FaceTime 'eavesdropping' bug drew the attention of politicians. New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the FaceTime flaw in hopes of understanding both its "failure to warn consumers" and reports of a "slow response" to the problem. Stated residents "need to know that their phones are safe," Governor Cuomo added.
Judge blocks NYC law requiring Airbnb to share host data
A federal judge has issued an injunction against a New York City law that would require home-sharing companies like Airbnb and HomeAway to provide detailed information to the city about those who rent spaces through the platforms. Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the law in August and it was set to take effect next month. As defined by the law, the information these companies would be required to share with city officials would include the names and addresses of hosts as well as whether whole apartments or individual rooms were being rented.
New York sets tougher standards for marketing internet speeds
New York isn't just asking Charter to clean up its act. The state has reached a settlement with Altice (Optimum's owner), Frontier, RCN and Engadget parent company Verizon that will have them adhere to stricter standards for advertising internet speeds. They'll have to back up their claims with regular speed testing, ensure they have enough network capacity to handle advertised third-party services and make clear that speeds on WiFi won't be the same as with a wired connection.
Sprint will pay New York $330 million over unpaid taxes
Sprint is about to write New York state a very, very large check. The carrier has agreed to pay New York $330 million in a settlement over claims it avoided collecting certain local and state taxes on cellular plans between 2005 and 2014. It's the largest ever false claims recovery by a single state, the Attorney General's office said. Allegedly, Sprint willfully misinterpreted a 2002 law to skip collecting a key sales tax based on the nature of its plans, leaving New York $100 million short.
Charter agrees to $174 million settlement for poor service in New York
The New York attorney general's office has reached a settlement with Charter Communications for providing its customers with insufficient internet services. Under the settlement, Charter and Spectrum Management Holding Company will be required to pay customers $62.5 million in refunds and provide $100 million worth of services for free. Further, the agreement calls for Charter to be more transparent about its services going forward.
Google puts $1 billion towards new NYC campus
Google announced today that it's investing more than $1 billion in New York City in order to establish a new campus. The move would create a 1.7 million square-foot campus and, over the next decade, double the number of employees the company has in the city, which currently stands at 7,000. The deal includes lease agreements at 315 and 345 Hudson Street as well as a signed letter of intent at 550 Washington Street, and it follows Google's $2.4 billion purchase of the Manhattan Chelsea Market earlier this year.
CBS launches streaming-only news service for New York City
CBS is acting on its promise to add a local flavor to its streaming news service. The broadcaster has launched CBSN New York, its first major local streaming service. The internet-only channel promises around-the-clock coverage of NYC's goings on, with CBS 2 and WLNY 10/55 providing both their usual live news broadcasts as well as hour-long live shows just for CBSN. It'll also provide continuous coverage of any breaking events as well as on-demand streams.
New York settles with Equifax and others over lax mobile app security
New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced that the state has reached settlements with five companies regarding a security vulnerability present on each of their mobile apps. Going forward, the companies -- Equifax, Western Union, Priceline, Spark Networks and Credit Sesame -- will be required to implement security programs aimed at protecting their customers' information.
After Math: Let's shake things up
As Anchorage, Alaska was being rocked by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake this week (which, as of the writing of this post, had thankfully only resulted in infrastructure damage and not any actual injuries), the tech industry was making major rumblings of its own. Tesco is teaming with VW to change how shoppers charge their cars, Lyft plans to triple the number of available CitiBikes, Fortnite continues to curbstomp its battle royale competition, and Microsoft (ever so briefly) stole the crown for "world's most valuable business" from Apple.
New York spurs EV sales with fast chargers and lower power rates
Federal electric car tax credits might disappear (if just due to strong sales), but that isn't preventing individual states from stepping up. New York has unveiled a string of programs that it hopes will incentivize EV purchases in the state. In addition to an existing Drive Clean Rebate knocking as much as $2,000 off EV purchases, the state is deploying as many as 200 150kW fast chargers in "more than two dozen" locations around major traffic corridors, JFK International Airport and five large cities outside of NYC (Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers). In theory, you can buy an EV knowing you'll always have enough battery life for an upstate jaunt.
Intel's stunt drones will join the Rockettes at Radio City
Fireworks? Pah. These days, it's all about armies of drones creating majestic aerial displays over national sporting events. Intel, which is making a name for itself in the space, is bringing an army of mini drones to New York for the holidays. Specifically, the UAVs will be the backing act for the Rockettes at this year's Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
How Dandelion is making geothermal heating affordable
Millions of US citizens still use oil and natural gas to heat their homes during the winter. Many would like to switch to geothermal, a cleaner and ultimately cheaper system that leverages the natural temperature of the earth. A few feet below the surface, the soil sits at a reliable 50- to 60-degree Fahrenheit all year round. Pipes known as 'ground loops' push round a special antifreeze solution that absorbs this constant temperature in winter and disperses unwanted warmth in the summer. A large indoor heat pump uses the mixture to boil a refrigerant fluid; the resulting gas is then compressed to higher temperatures and distributed around the home. Installing the necessary equipment is expensive, however. Dandelion, a company that started inside Alphabet's X division, is trying to make geothermal cheaper and easier to install. While not the most eye-catching technology, especially compared to electric cars and sea-cooled data centers, it's arguably one of the most important for the environment.
New York shines in Sony’s new ‘Spider-Man’ game
With its high rent, heavy traffic and unreliable subway system, New York can be a tough place to live. For many, it's a nonstop grind of work and sleep to make rent and pay the bills each month. It's also an exciting city full of diverse people and enormous skyscrapers. It's both aspects of Manhattan -- the hectic lifestyle and stunning architecture -- that make it a perfect fit for Spider-Man, a witty web-slinger who struggles to balance his work and love life with the responsibilities of a powerful superhero. The latest Spider-Man video game, developed by Ratchet & Clank studio Insomniac, treats New York as a character. A place that can pose real, relatable problems for Peter Parker and his alter-ego.
NYC will cap the number of Uber and Lyft vehicles on its streets
The New York City Council just passed legislation to temporarily cap ride-sharing vehicles in the city for a full year. They started considering the proposed bills weeks ago to freeze the amount of licenses granted in order to study the growing industry. New York will be the first major US city to limit the number of vehicles operating under Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing providers -- and, by passing another bill, let the city establish a minimum pay rate for app-based drivers.
New York kicks Spectrum out of the state for 'recurring failures'
Charter cable company acquired Time Warner Cable in a 2016 merger, becoming one of the largest TV providers in the country. Re-branded as Spectrum, the company introduced a streaming option last year. New York, however, hasn't been impressed with the company's performance, and has now kicked Spectrum out of the state and rescinded its approval for the merger.
