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FiOS approved for New York City, launch expected in "weeks"
The NY Public Service Commission decided to approve Verizon's petition for a Certificate of Confirmation yesterday, removing the final hurdle to FiOS eventually becoming available in all five boroughs. Details from the PSC's release (warning: PDF link) indicate the franchise agreement is for 12 years, and grants Verizon waivers on a few usual requirements intended to give it time to build up service in the city. It could take up to six years to reach fiber to the entire city, and has also been granted 180 extra days to add public, educational and government channels. No word on exactly when New Yorkers expect that all digital, uncompressed competition for their local cable company (Verizon's PR indicates only "in the coming weeks"), but with the last hurdle out of the way it should be sooner rather than later.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - Verizon press releaseRead - State of New York Public service Commission Approval
NY Public Service Commission to debate FiOS TV approval tomorrow
We've never been ones to count our chickens before they hatch, but there's a very, very interesting tidbit snuck into the New York Public Service Commission's July 16th meeting agenda. The very last bullet points on the very last page of the notice reads as shown above, which leads us to believe that the carrier may receive the approval it needs in order to string FiOS TV to the entire Empire State, New York City included. Cross your fingers -- we have all ideas that Verizon will be trumpeting its success the moment this goes down (should it go down, of course). Our biggest fear? That everyone breaks for an extended lunch just after Page 10. [Warning: PDF read link][Thanks, Vin P]
Verizon gets one step closer to stringing FiOS TV to New York City
After Windexing our spectacles and finding that Verizon actually was on a mission to bring FiOS TV to New York City, we still yearned for more proof that a formidable opponent was indeed looking to take on TWC / Cablevision in the Big Apple. Announced today, NYC's Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) has "voted unanimously to approve a proposal by Verizon to provide TV service to all five boroughs of the city." From here, the proposed agreement "must be confirmed by the Mayor's Office of the City of New York and the New York State Public Service Commission." Mmm, so close you can taste it, can't you Manhattan?
Cablevision joins the wireless party, plans to cover NYC with WiFi
Comcast, Time Warner, and Bright House all threw down in the new Sprint-led Clearwire venture yesterday, but it looks like Cablevision wants in on the fun as well: the company announced today that it's spending $350M on a new wireless broadband network in New York. Unlike the Clearwire partnership, Cablevision is apparently going to use straight-up WiFi for the service, but it's not revealing any details at the moment, saying only that it'll run at 1.5Mbps and eventually handle voice as well. The plan is to get up and running in NYC within two years, and existing customers will be able to log on for free -- and if this really is straight-up WiFi, we'd bet a lot of other people will be joining the fun as well.
NYC reaches cable TV agreement on FiOS
While that 150 HD channel-future isn't yet guaranteed, Verizon's plans for expanding FiOS service throughout all of NYC took a big step forward, as the city has reached an agreement with the telco for a cable TV franchise contract. Pending approval by the city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee at a public hearing May 20, New York residents can expect full fiber coverage by 2014, with nearly a third of households receiving service by year end. Want some of that uncompressed HDTV? Head out and make your voice heard May 20.
Two more Apple Stores confirmed for New York City
Cheer up, New Yorkers! Sure, the Red Sox beat your Yankees last night and you're now in 3rd place in the AL East, but there's good news, too!ifoAppleStore is reporting that two new Apple Stores have been confirmed for The Big Apple. First, the borough of Brooklyn will host a store, either in the downtown area or in Williamsburg -- in other words, your guess is as good as ours.The location of the 2nd store is more certain. Earlier this week, it was all but confirmed that a store will be built at 23 Wall Street. And don't worry, the construction workers have promised not to bury a Big Papi jersey in the foundation.
Verizon files application to bring FiOS TV to "all" of New York City
While some have said that Verizon is tiptoeing around downtown Boston, the carrier has just made clear that said scenario definitely isn't happening in the Big Apple. Believe it or not, Verizon has just filed an application to bring its FiOS TV service to all five boroughs (yes, Manhattan too) of New York City. More amazingly, the provider says that it hopes to "reach every neighborhood" in the city within a six-year time frame, though the initial go-live date is expected to occur "later this year." Make no mistake -- Verizon is well aware of Time Warner Cable / Cablevision's grasp in the city, and launching a fiber-based alternative could certainly turn things upside-down. Beyond that, we also hear of plans to dish out 150 HD channels by the year's end, and if the proposal is approved, Verizon will too provide a fiber-optic institutional network (INET) to "support the City's public safety needs." Check out the read link for lots more details, and keep those fingers crossed.
Apple vs. NYC: What's really going on
So you might have heard that Apple and New York City are currently in a little scuffle over the city's apple-shaped GreeNYC logo -- NYC wants to trademark the logo, and Apple would prefer that didn't happen. The story's gotten pretty wild out there, and while it's not worth a full-blown Know Your Rights, we thought we'd try and clear up what's happening, since, you know, +10 lawyer.Unlike all those previous Apple trademark disputes, this isn't a true lawsuit, and Apple hasn't sued anyone -- the city of New York has filed a trademark application for the GreeNYC apple-shaped logo with the Patent and Trademark Office, and Apple has filed its opposition to that application. That's an important part of the trademark registration process, actually: every single trademark application has to go through a 30-day opposition period during which interested third parties can raise their objections. We'd say it's pretty obvious that Apple's got an interest in other apple-shaped trademarks, so it's not particularly surprising that it's taking the first available opportunity to speak up about this one.After the trademark applicant responds to the objection in writing (what some people have been wrongly calling NYC's "counterclaim"), the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board gathers evidence and makes a decision. We'd almost be willing to bet that never happens, though -- after all the lawyers are done strutting around and promising victory, it's likely that Apple and NYC simply come to an amicable licensing agreement. Bottom line? This is exactly how the system is supposed to work, and Apple is just protecting its billion-dollar brand as best it can -- thousands of these oppositions are filed by all sorts of companies each year. We know, not very fun at all -- anyone care to start a Jobs vs. Bloomberg slapboxing petition?Disclaimer: Nilay's a lawyer and a formidable slapboxer, but he's not your lawyer, and none of this is legal advice or analysis.
NYPD to trial all-electric scooters next month
New York's finest will also be some of New York's greenest next month, when the NYPD begins field testing four all-electric scooters from Rhode Island-based Vectrix USA. Although twice as expensive as the gas-powered Piaggio scooters that the department currently uses -- and with a fraction of their range -- the Vectrix offers police three attractive benefits: reduced fuel costs, lowered vehicle emissions, and, more practically, the element of surprise -- the scooters' nearly-silent engines should allow two-wheeled cops to approach suspects with more discretion. Sounds like a winner to us, as long as officers don't try pulling some eminent domain crap on our outlet at Starbucks when they need to juice up.[Via Autoblog Green]
New York City taxi drivers threaten to strike... again
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance is at it again! According to reports, the group that was responsible for the September 5th walkout of cab drivers in New York City is once again planning to call for a strike, slated for October 22nd, and this time around, the striking taxi drivers say they will "get in the face" of cabbies who choose to work. If you'll recall, the initial strike was over the installation of GPS units which would monitor pickup and drop-off points of the drivers (as well as provide credit card services, entertainment, and news for passengers), but the Alliance seems to be changing its tune. The group is now lobbying for city-funded health care, a pension fund, and official recognition as a union. "They have pushed us further and further up against the wall so that it's not just about the technology and economics," Executive Director Bhairavi Desai said. "It's about something even greater." Meanwhile, NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg seemed undisturbed by the news, saying that the city is ready. Coming soon: Taxi Strike, a movie of the week.
It's Guitar Hero Day in New York, apparently
The city of New York must have a lot of time on its hands. After all, they have enough time to spare to declare today, Sept. 26, 2007, as Guitar Hero day throughout the city.Never mind that Guitar Hero III doesn't actually come out until Oct. 28, or that the original game came out on Nov. 7, 2005. Never mind that publisher Activision is based in Santa Monica and developer Neversoft is from Westlake Village, CA. Never mind that the city saw a massive publicity blitz for another game as recently as yesterday.Forget all that... "fans are ready to rock the streets of Manhattan," according to the press Activision press release, with "thousands ... expected to gather in celebration of the day, with guitar controllers in hand." This is kind of surprising to us, seeing as we hadn't even heard about the event before today, but we suppose getting thousands of people together on short notice can't be too hard in a city of millions.Apparently, the day is just "one of many Guitar Hero events taking place in New York City this week," including an opportunity for members of the public to actually play Guitar Hero III at the DigitalLife festival starting tomorrow. So while we're generally against pointless publicity stunts like this, we suppose we can turn a blind eye given the public demo. Citizens of New York, do yourselves a favor and go check it out.
Emergency broadcast messaging coming to NYC
In a crisis situation, every moment is crucial in saving lives. Starting in early 2008, New York City will pilot a program that will deliver emergency notifications via text messaging alerts. "These messages could contain crucial information about the steam pipe explosion or subway flooding," says COO Paul Klein of Cellcast -- the company that will be providing the solution to the city -- "and these type of alerts can delivered even if wireless traffic had crashed the networks." [Via textually.org]
NYC taxi drivers take GPS fight to court
The Dynasty-esque drama of the New York City taxi / GPS saga doesn't seem to be petering out. Two weeks ago, thousands of New York City cabbies went on strike (albeit not very successfully) to protest the city's insistence on adding elaborate GPS / entertainment systems to driver's cars which are capable of tracking pick-up and drop-off points. Now it appears that a group of cabbies are taking the fight to court, filing a lawsuit against the city claiming that the mandate to include the GPS units was unconstitutional, and that the devices will give away "trade secrets" by revealing their driving patterns. "Each taxi driver regards his or her own pattern as proprietary," the suit states. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance -- the group that organized the strike -- is also behind this latest move, though not all drivers are united against the GPS units, which will also add credit card services, text messaging, and television to the cars.
NYC cabbies strike over GPS units
As we reported back in July, and then in August, a large number of taxi drivers in New York City have been planning a strike over GPS systems which the city wants installed in yellow cabs. Well, the strike is officially on, with the New York Times reporting that nearly 90-percent of cabs are off the road today (at least according to a cabbie representative). If you'll recall, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a quasi-union, has been threatening the strike over GPS / entertainment units the city demands be put into taxis. The new units have a number of functions -- not the least of which is tracking the cab's pickup and drop-off points -- and the drivers aren't having it. Currently, reports have come in concerning extended waits on airport pickups, and a new pricing scheme for cabs that are working, though from what we can tell, the strike hasn't put the hurt on commuters too badly. Of course, the litmus-test of a New York evening rush hour has yet to happen, so don't get too excited.
NYC cabbies will / will not strike September 5-6 over mandatory GPS
It looks like the contentious issue of GPS-equipped cabs in New York City is still far from being resolved, with one advocacy group saying that the planned strike over the matter is still on, while another is now saying that "there will be no strike." In the latter camp, according to The New York Times, is the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, which now finds itself at odds with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, who are apparently still ready to walk off the job on September 5th and 6th. At the heart of this brouhaha are new GPS-equipped cabs that the Taxi and Limousine Commission are insisting become standard issue by the end of January. While the GPS apparently won't be used for navigation, it will be used to track the cabs, which the driver's say amounts to an invasion of privacy. The cabbies also say that the GPS could cause problems if it breaks down, as it would be tied to the meter. No word on a next move by either party, but that September 5th deadline sure is fast approaching.
DVD-sniffing dogs awarded medals, returning to NYC
Lucky and Flo, the two danger-loving police dogs whose exploits as international crime fighters are well know to readers of this site, have just become the first non-humans to be awarded Malaysia's outstanding service award for their tireless work in trotting around and sitting down at the first whiff of plastic. Following several raids that led to 26 arrests and $6 million in seized counterfeit DVDs during their five month tour of duty -- as well as a contract on their young lives -- these real-life Underdogs will be returning home to a hero's welcome in New York later this week, although there will be no ticker tape parade for the courageous canines. Rather, they'll be put right back to work in the hopes that they "take a bite out of movie piracy in the Big Apple," according to the Motion Picture Association's Edward Neurbronner -- that is, when they're not busy putting on little, um, dog-and-pony shows at local events. Well we certainly wish you guys luck as you begin your new career battling piracy stateside (and later on in Canada, apparently another hotbed of IP theft), although we're still not sure why the cops need trained dogs to help them track down all those nefarious pirates hiding in plain sight on almost every avenue in Manhattan.Read - MedalsRead - Return to NYC
NYC cabbies plan September strike over GPS
As we told you in March, the technology-bucking drivers of New York City have put their collective foot down and said "no" to GPS systems in city taxis. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a non-unionized group with more than 8,400 members, claims it will call for its drivers to strike if city leaders don't retract plans to install GPS units in 13,000 cabs. No new information there, but recently the NYTWA announced that September would be its target month for the walkouts, putting a very real timetable on what would be a crippling move for the city. If you'll recall, the touchscreen devices would allow passengers to pay by credit card, check the news, and map their taxi's location. The systems would also track pickup and drop-off points (information taxi drivers already report), but cabbies fear their employers will use the information to keep tabs on their whereabouts. The NYTWA plans to specify the date and length of the strike next month, so you'll know more when we do.
New York City to get London-style "surveillance veil"
It looks like New York City will soon be seeing a slew of new ever-watchful eyes, as The New York Times reports that the city is set to get a London-style "surveillance veil" that would eventually consist of thousands of cameras monitoring vehicles and individuals alike. Dubbed the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, the system will initially include more than 100 cameras that are expected to be in place by the end of this year, each of which will be able to read license plates and send out alerts is suspect vehicles are detected. That appears to just be the tip of the iceberg, however, with some 3,000 public and privately-owned cameras set to be put into service by the end of 2008, along with a series of pivoting gates that'll be installed at critical intersections, giving authorities the ability to block off traffic at the push of a button. From there it'll apparently grow even further, with the entire operation expected to be up and running by 2010. No word on head-mounted cams as of yet though.
TaxiTech's interactive eTaxi system approved for NYC cabs
Despite cries of privacy invasion from the city's many drivers, interactive entertainment / advertising / navigation platforms are still being rolled out in New York's 13,000+ cabs, with major player TaxiTech's eTaxi solution the latest to receive approval from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. One of four companies certified by the TLC to fill a mandate requiring these rigs in all cabs by October, TaxiTech has teamed up with hardware partners Apriva, Ingenico, and Grey Island Systems to offer a very polished looking setup centered around a 15-inch touchscreen capable of delivering a whole slew of valuable infoswag. (Click here to check out a video of the eTaxi interface). Like Digital Dispatch's SmartCab system before it, eTaxi gives passengers the ability to track their route in real time (no more pricey "shortcuts" for unsuspecting tourists), kick back to some ad-supported video or music content, bone up on historical info about the city, and even pay their fare with a credit card, tacking on a pre-calculated tip with the push of a finger. Sounds pretty convenient to us; let's just hope we don't have to start eating part of the multi-thousand dollar per car annual fee it's costing cab companies to install these luxuries.
Nintendo stays in Redmond; sales, ad, and marketing moving to SF or NYC
Partially confirming last week's rumor, the Seattle Times is reporting that the sales, advertising and marketing divisions for Nintendo of America, totaling about 80 people, will be moved to either New York City or San Francisco. Meanwhile, the rest of NoA headquarters will remain in Redmond.The decision is being seen as a replacement for earlier plans to expand its Redmond, WA offices an additional 550,000 square feet. According to Jim Roberts, deputy planning director for the city of Redmond speaking to the Seattle Times, though NoA had the proposal ready to go before the city council for approval, executives said that they needed final approval from the company's Japanese headquarters. "For one reason or another, it's been well over a year that we've been waiting for them to proceed," he said.Nintendo is reportedly looking to sell the aforementioned 550,000 square feet of property; one real estate broker suggested that adjacent company Microsoft might consider purchasing the land. Now wouldn't that make for an interesting change of hands?
