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Uber adds an advance booking option in NYC
Hailing an Uber is pretty straightforward. You launch the app, choose a pickup location and hit the "request" button. Easy. Uber's simplicity has been to the detriment of flexibility, however. For the longest time, you couldn't schedule a ride in advance -- say, if you were planning for an early flight, or an important work meeting. That's now changing, however. Following roll-outs in Seattle, London, and other parts of the UK, Uber is bringing its early booking system to New York City. Starting today, you can hail a ride anywhere between 15 minutes and 30 days in advance.
New York: Don't use your Galaxy Note 7 on the subway
Samsung just can't catch a break. On top of aviation regulators and safety officials warning against using pre-recall versions of the Galaxy Note 7, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority now says that Note 7 owners are "urged" against using or charging their phone on buses and trains. You should turn it off before entering the station, the MTA says. This isn't a formal ban, but it's safe to say that you'll be a persona non grata if the Authority catches you using the fire-prone handset on the subway.
NYC nixes kiosk browsers after homeless commandeer their use
NYC debuted its gigabit LinkNYC program in January of this year to great fanfare. These kiosks, 400 in total dot the city, offered free wi-fi for passing residents as well as dedicated tablets that anyone could use. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out quite as planned. On Wednesday, the LinkNYC program announced that it would be temporarily borking its tablets until officials can figure out how to ensure that they aren't bogarted by the city's homeless residents.
New York proposes online security rules for banks and insurers
New York state isn't happy that banks and insurers are falling prey to hackers with alarming frequency, and it's determined to do something about it. Governor Cuomo has unveiled proposed regulations that would set online security standards for those industries. All companies covered by the rules would have to establish online security programs and policies. They'd have to limit access to sensitive data (say, social security numbers) to only those people that need to know, and require multiple steps when checking user identities.
Websites settle with New York over online child tracking
Some of the biggest child-oriented websites are learning a hard lesson about the importance of respecting kids' privacy. New York state has reached settlements with Hasbro, JumpStart Games, Mattel and Viacom for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from kids under 13. They'll all have to reform their sites (such as those for Hot Wheels, Neopets and Nickelodeon) to honor COPPA's safeguards and screen third-party trackers. JumpStart, Mattel and Viacom will also have to pay a collective $835,000 in penalties and provide regular reports on their scan results. Hasbro is dodging those bullets only because it's part of an FTC-sanctioned safe harbor program.
Uber wants to be New York's L train shutdown savior
New York commuters are bracing for the 18 month closure of the L train that will disrupt the daily commute of 225,000 people. Scheduled to shut down in 2019, the artery between Manhattan and Brooklyn will be undergoing repairs for damage done by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Yeah, it's going to suck.
New York's smarter face recognition catches more ID thieves
Sometimes, behind-the-scenes tech upgrades can make a big difference. New York's Governor Cuomo reports that an overhaul of the state DMV's face recognition software in January has led to more than 100 arrests and 900 open investigations so far. The trick? The new system checks 128 points on a face instead of 64, dramatically increasing the chances that it'll match a photo against the DMV's database. Combine that with new comparison modes (like black-and-white and overlays) and it's easier to catch identity thieves and fraudsters, such as one man who tried to get a license with a stolen identity in order to evade a suspension.
VR will vie for awards at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival organizers have revealed that they will accept submissions from virtual reality producers In 2017. It's the first major festival that will allow the category (which includes VR, AR and 360 videos) to compete against mainstream films for awards. "As the technology and tools proliferate ... we feel it is the right time to expand and support artists on these growing platforms in a broader way," festival Director Genna Terranova said.
Sony is holding a PlayStation event on September 7th
It looks like we could finally see what Sony has up its sleeve for the future of PlayStation next month. Members of the press have begun receiving invites to a "PlayStation Meeting" scheduled for September 7th at 3pm Eastern. Where? The PlayStation Theater in New York, of course. This confirms reports that began floating around yesterday that Sony would finally show off the revamped PlayStation 4, codenamed "Neo."
New York bill would ban 'Pokémon Go' stops near sex offenders
New York state might not just ban sex offenders from playing games like Pokémon Go -- it may eliminate the incentives for them to play, too. A group of senators have introduced a bill that would prevent augmented reality game developers from placing objectives (such as pokéstops) within 100 feet of where a registered sex offender lives. Companies that don't heed the warning could face fines of up to $100 per day for every location that violates the legislation.
Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal will star in 'The Division'
Ubisoft's mission to bring another of its major franchises to the big screen has been given a boost after the company confirmed The Division movie's first big stars. As predicted last month, Jake Gyllenhaal has signed onto the project alongside Interstellar and Zero Dark Thirty actress Jessica Chastain. As agents, they'll combine to help restore a dystopian New York that has been decimated by a lethal strain of smallpox and has become host to powerful criminal gangs.
New York Governor bans sex offenders from 'Pokémon Go'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has forbidden registered sex offenders in his state from downloading and playing Pokémon Go and similar augmented reality games. According to a statement released Monday morning, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision will apply the governor's directive to "nearly 3,000 Level 1, 2 and 3 sex offenders currently on parole" in the state of New York.
A digital 'totem' leads the way in one of New York's oldest museums
Museums, for all the wonders they contain, have a reputation for being staid and musty. At their worst they've even been described as mausoleums. That's a problem when it comes to exhibits about an active, living culture like the Haida people of British Columbia. The American Museum of Natural History has taken it upon itself to change that perception of the native groups of the Pacific Northwest, implementing new technologies in its oldest hall to educate millions of visitors about these thousands of people living on the other side of the continent.
NYC's next subway cars have WiFi and USB ports built-in
The New York City subway system is gearing up for a major overhaul meant to bring a "modernized look and feel" to lighting, wayfinding and subway cars by the year 2020. At a press conference on Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $27 billion, five-year plan to add 1,025 new subway cars, more informative digital screens, better security features and -- most importantly for anyone who needs to get some work done underground – WiFi and USB charging ports in the cars and stations.
Lyft goes classy with new Premier service
Lyft has always played the more casual, laid-back ridesharing option to Uber's fleet of black cars and SUVs, but that vibe is about to grow up a little with today's launch of Lyft Premier. The new option, which is available now in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York City, is being billed as a "more stylish" ride for business trips or a special night out.
Amazon may open its first East Coast bookstore in NYC
Given how Amazon has done its best to put the brick-and-mortar bookstore out of business, it's still odd to see the company building retail locations of its own. But CEO Jeff Bezos said the company would keep doing it after opening a store in Seattle and announcing plans for one in San Diego, and now we're hearing rumors about the location for the next store. The New York Post says that Amazon will soon be going toe-to-toe with the many wonderful booksellers that can be found around NYC.
Become a Starfleet cadet at the Intrepid's new Star Trek exhibit
Star Trek turns 50 this September, and while fans will have to wait until next year for a taste of the new TV show, they can still have their own immersive Trek experience this summer at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. If you've ever wanted to helm a starship, sit in the captain's chair or try your hand at the infamously impossible Kobayashi Maru exam, the Starfleet Academy Experience will give you that chance. And while you're there, you can also take a little walk through the past half of a century of Star Trek history.
New York speeds up access to its train ticket mobile app
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially promised that smartphone-friendly train ticketing would roll out by the end of 2016, but (unlike some trains) it's ahead of schedule. Governor Cuomo has revealed that the MTA eTix app will be available to all Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad customers by the end of the summer. The rollout will happen in phases. You can already buy tickets for LIRR's Port Washington Branch and the Metro-North Hudson line. By August 22nd, there should be a "full system wide implementation" on both railways -- you usually won't have to worry about carrying physical tickets as long as you have an Android phone or iPhone.
Cities are collaborating on rules for Uber and Airbnb
The sharing economy,and the companies that embody it, have often waded into a fight wherever they set up shop. That's because local governments aren't nimble enough to cope with such radically new ideas, and the companies themselves often struggle with compromise. In order to smooth things over, a coalition of 10 cities across the globe are collaborating on a framework that'll provide these companies with ground rules to abide by. Bloomberg quotes New York official Wiley Norvell, who says that providing common rules will help both protect users and ensure that political voices are heard by famously regulation-averse startups.
New York criminalizes the use of ticket-buying bots
If you failed to get tickets for your favorite band, even though your finger was poised on the "buy" link the instant they went on sale, don't worry -- you never stood a chance. They were probably snapped up by bots that, in one case, bought 1,012 Madison Square Garden U2 tickets in less than a minute. The state of New York has declared that scalpers who use them could get fines and even jail time. "New Yorkers have been dealing with this frustrating ticket buying experience for too long," says state assembly member Marcos Crespie.
