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New York City rolls out its first WiFi-equipped buses
When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority promised that New York City's WiFi-packing buses would arrive sometime in the second or third quarter of this year, it was clearly being cautious -- the first wave of those buses is rolling out today. Visit Queens and you'll see seven internet-savvy people carriers roaming the streets, with a total of 75 in the borough this summer. That's still tiny next to the 2,042 planned buses for the entire city, but it'll be helpful if you just have to get your tablet online when you're in South Jamaica.
NYC's WiFi-equipped buses will debut in Queens this year
Looks like New Yorkers won't have to wait years before they see those high-tech buses state Governor Andrew Cuomo promised last month. Besides outfitting subway stations with WiFi connections, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is also gearing up to deploy the first 70 WiFi-equipped buses in Queens in the second or third quarter of 2016. The new vehicles will also have up to 55 USB charging ports on board, as well as three LCD screens that flash stop announcements, transfers and other information.
New York City won't let you take 'hoverboards' on the subway
Efforts might be underway to legalize "hoverboards" in New York City, but that doesn't mean that you'll get to take them everywhere you go even if they do get the all-clear. The Metropolitan Transportation Agency has banned the self-balancing scooters on buses, trains and stations over their well-publicized fire risks. Also, the MTA is quick to add that it already bans skateboards and other wheeled transport -- this is just a logical extension of that policy. In short, the chances of ever carrying that Swagway on the subway are pretty much zero. [Image credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images]
TfL is making it easier to beat traffic and find parking
With the majority of Brits now owning a smartphone or tablet, developers have jumped at the chance to deliver up-to-the-minute information on traffic and travel. Transport for London (TfL) has helped facilitate a number of these features by opening its data feeds, which let app makers display train departure times, ticket costs and even list which stations have toilet facilities.
Uber's latest app partnership helps you catch the bus
For many, the biggest problem with public transit is simply reaching it. A 15 minute bus ride isn't very fast if it'll take you 30 minutes to walk to the stop, after all. That's where Uber and TransLoc think they can help. They're teaming up to give you a mix of both ridesharing and public transit directions in TransLoc's Rider app. Ideally, you'll never have to hoof it longer than necessary, or hail a car for the entire journey -- you can take a relatively low-cost trip that will still get you to your destination in a timely fashion. The experimental feature will only be available in mid-February in the Memphis and Raleigh-Durham areas, but it won't be shocking if there are more cities before long.
New York City's whole subway system gets WiFi in 2016
Forget having to remember which New York City subway stations have WiFi -- by the end of this year, you won't have to pick and choose. State governor Andrew Cuomo has promised that every underground station will get WiFi by the end of the year, guaranteeing at least some kind of internet access while you're waiting for your train. Complete cellular service will come slightly later, with end-to-end access ready by early 2017. Either is heartening news if you regularly commute underground, since Transit Wireless (which is handling the service) had previously targeted late 2017 for full WiFi service.
ICYMI: Dark matter search, the personal plane and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The new Icon A5 personal aircraft is available for $189,000, shrinking middle class be damned. China's space agency launched a spacecraft to hunt for signs of dark matter's existence. And Netflix's latest Make It project is a cosy nod to what too many of us will likely be doing over holiday breaks: Going on prolonged Netflix binges. The company is giving instructions for how to construct socks that will pause your show if you should fall asleep.
Ford's 'Dynamic Shuttle' tests out a competitor for Uber
While Uber just announced that it's testing out some very familiar-looking group transportation options, its next competition could come from Ford. Today at an event in Dearborn, the carmaker showed off the Dynamic Shuttle service it's testing for employees, that it says could make Ford a "mobility service provider." On its campus, the Dynamic Shuttle people request a ride via the app, which determines an optimally located van to complete the trip. Reuters quotes VP of Research Ken Washington as saying "We see this as a business we want to be in," especially in a future where people who previously needed cars could potentially opt for ride sharing service instead.
Mastercard gifts Apple Pay users with free London travel
Everyone likes getting something for free, especially when you get to save money doing things you normally do on a daily basis. For the next four Mondays (including today), Mastercard is offering free travel across London's Tube, trains, buses and the DLR for all riders using Apple Pay. That right, as long as you own a iPhone capable of supporting Apple's NFC payment service or an Apple Watch with a Mastercard attached, you can commute to work or roam across the capital for nothing.
London's new Routemaster buses might not be as green as you think
London's Mayor Boris Johnson has long championed greener public transport, but his hybrid Routemaster buses are now being criticised for faulty batteries and an overdependence on diesel. According to MayorWatch's Christian Wolmar -- who hopes to be Labour's next Mayoral candidate -- 40 drivers from Holloway Garage have put together a dossier explaining the extent of the battery problems. They say the Routemaster buses are now relying on diesel for 90 per cent of their journeys, overworking the small, conventional engines that are only supposed to run while the batteries are charging.
London's getting the world's first all-electric double-decker bus
London's red double-decker buses are going green. No, we're not talking about a change to their iconic paint-jobs: Mayor Boris Johnson today announced plans to introduce an all-electric model in the capital. London is already served by hundreds of hybrid and eight all-electric single-decker buses, but the new double-decker variant is set to be a world first. That's not surprising, given such a large and heavy vehicle will require more, or higher capacity batteries to continue picking up passengers throughout the day. (Wireless charging can only help so much.) The new vehicle is being developed by BYD and will be trialled on route 16 between Cricklewood and Victoria Station from October.
Apple Transit maps could be coming to iOS 9
9to5Mac, citing unnamed sources, reports that Apple is potentially gearing up to release its updated Transit service -- the same one it nixed immediately before last year's WWDC event -- with iOS 9. Transit acts as an add-on layer to Apple's existing Maps program providing accurate navigation instructions for public transportation systems. This functionality hasn't been available as a part of the official built-in app ever since Apple switched to its own service instead of using Google's.
The speed record for poo-powered buses is 77mph, apparently
Britain has several players in the fledgeling poop-bus industry, including one that literally shows people pooing, but a gauntlet has just been thrown by the town of Reading. Its very own cow manure-powered model, dubbed "Bus Hound," ran the track at nearly 77mph -- shattering the previous world mark of zero mph, because poo-bus records were never actually a thing. The UK Timing Association confirmed the attempt, such as it is, describing the bus' presence on the Millbrook Proving Ground as "quite a sight."
Britain's first 'poo bus' hits the streets
Thanks to a range of new technologies, Britain's buses are steadily swapping traditional fuel for greener alternatives. Over in Bristol, however, Wessex Water believes more can be done with the brown stuff. That's why it's today put the UK's first bus powered entirely by human and food waste into service. The Bio-Bus, as it's known, is a 40-seater shuttle capable of travelling up to 186 miles on a full tank of bio-methane gas, which is generated via a process called anaerobic digestion.
London to start trialling wirelessly charged buses
While London's public transport network is getting more hi-tech by the minute, the city's buses and trains aren't as green as they could be -- at least not yet. Transport for London (TfL) has already deployed 800 hybrid and a handful of all-electric buses on the capital's streets, but keeping them charged isn't easy when they're miles from a depot. In a bid to keep them running as efficiently as possible, TfL has kicked off a new trial that will see inductive charging stations built into four east London bus stops, allowing its Enviro400H E400 hybrid buses to charge wirelessly while they pick up passengers.
London kicks off free bus WiFi trial on two routes
It's safe to say Transport for London (TfL) is pushing hard to equip London's bus and train networks with their fair share of tech. Not long after it announced the launch date for contactless payments on the Tube, it's just confirmed that two of the city's Routemasters are now offering free WiFi to passengers. As of today, if you find yourself travelling on a specific route 12 bus, which operates between Dulwich and Oxford Circus, or a route RV1 bus journeying between Covent Garden and Tower Hill, you'll be able to get online without eating into your data allowance.
EE's NFC payment app now works on London buses
Last week, EE said its Cash on Tap NFC wallet app would soon work with Tube barriers when they start accepting contactless payments next month. Today, the carrier's announced you don't have to wait to try travelling the NFC way, as Cash on Tap can now be used to pay fares on London buses. The capital's bus network has taking contactless payments from sources other than Oyster cards since December 2012, but EE's claiming it's the first to implement NFC support. Daily fare caps for multiple bus journeys work with any contactless payment method already, just like if you were using an Oyster card, but today Transport for London has introduced a new weekly fare cap for bus travel paid this way. A weekly fare cap will also be introduced on the Tube when contactless payments go live in September.
Cities use online ticket tracking to save you time on the subway
Many commuters know the agony of mass transit at rush hour; it's no fun to skip packed buses and subway cars when you're already desperate to get home. Urban Engines clearly shares in that pain as well, as it's rolling out an internet service that uses commuting patterns to spot choke points in public transportation. Ticket purchases, pass card swipes and similar behavior create an activity map that reveals just where and when the delays are; it's easy to tell that there need to be more buses at 6PM, or that the lines are too long at the subway turnstiles.
Google Glass update brings mass transit directions
Google Glass owners have long had walking directions; as of an update rolling out today, they're getting mass transit directions as well. Commuters who've paired Glass with an Android phone can now see both the stops they'll need and the time it will take to reach their destination. While mass transit navigation is the only major addition this month, it represents one of the practical updates in recent memory -- we know at least one subway-hopping Google executive who would approve.
Wirelessly-charged electric buses start public route in South Korea
Wireless charging might seem perfectly suited for smartphones and tablets, but the city of Gumi, South Korea is putting the tech to use with something a little larger: buses. A pair of Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) motorcoaches, which recharge by driving over specially-equipped asphalt, are now running a public transportation route in the city, and it's said to be the first network of its kind open for regular use. Rather than stopping periodically to jack in, coils on the coaches' underside pick up power through an electromagnetic field created by road-embedded wires. Currently, the vehicles have a roundtrip journey of 24km (roughly 15 miles) when completing their stops. Since the system operates so long as 5 to 15 percent of the path is electrified, there's no need to rely on a completely rigged-up highway. What's more, the solution is only triggered by passing OLEVs, which means that normal cars can share the same street. If this all sounds familiar, that's because the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has been hammering away at the technology for several years. Now that it's made it this far, the city has plans to add ten more buses to its fleet by 2015.
