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New York Attorney General says most Airbnb rentals in NYC violate the law
The legality of Airbnb rentals in New York City have been under fire for awhile now, and the city just fired another volley: New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has released a report titled "Airbnb in the city," and it's not particularly favorable. The report claims that 72-percent of all private short-term rentals (read: Airbnb rentals) are illegal -- specifically because they were rentals for an "entire/home apartment" for terms of less than a month. The report explains that these kinds of rentals probably should be paying hotel occupancy taxes, and estimates that the city has lost $33 million in tax revenue as a result of the illegal Airbnb rentals. Worse, the report says, a small contingent of hosts seem to be using Airbnb to run illegal hotels.
NYC brings carrier and WiFi coverage to more subway stations
For the most part, New York City's underground transportation system is solid and reliable. It gets locals from point A to point B with ease, and that's the only thing which should matter -- never mind the strange things that occasionally transpire while commuting. Having said this, a large number of subway stations still lack any sort of network coverage, making it nearly impossible for people to do basic tasks on their mobile devices, like getting on a phone call or browsing the web. Thankfully, it's about to get better for residents of The Big Apple, plus the more than 50 million people who visit the city every year. Earlier today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said wireless connectivity is now available at 40 additional underground platforms, including 11 in Manhattan and 29 in Queens.
New York City residents can now get their own .nyc domain
NYC announced last year that its residents, including businesses and government entities, would be able to get a custom domain to match the place they call home -- something London has done as well. With the first two phases of the rollout now complete, which gave first dibs to city officials and trademark owners, it's finally time for the general availability of top-level domains for New York City. In order to qualify, you'll need to show proof that you live within one of the five boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, The Bronx and Queens). To make things easier, NYC teamed up with over 50 registrars, among which are GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Domain.com and Name.com, with prices per domain ranging anywhere from $25 to $50. They're on a first come, first served basis, however, so hurry if you're interested.
Why Uber's ridesharing revolution could be undone by archaic laws and aging industry
Like electric cars, the decentralization of broadcast television, renewable energy and other burgeoning technologies, the world of "ridesharing" -- largely embraced by consumers -- is facing tremendous pushback from entrenched players around the world. These entrenched players take archaic laws and employ them to keep new competition out. This concept isn't new to business, or even transportation business. The fight over Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing programs is the same fight that's played out across human history time after time: A new technology threatens to upend an existing technology, and the industry supported by the existing technology stands together to push back against the inevitable. Remember buying CDs at your local music store? Exactly.
Lyft gets the green light to operate in New York City
Nearly two weeks after New York's Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman, made a push to bar Lyft from offering its ridesharing service in New York City, both parties have finally come to an agreement. As a result, Lyft is now free to operate in all five boroughs of The Big Apple, after the company "agreed to operate in New York State in full compliance with existing laws and regulations." In addition, Lyft has also assured state officials it will operate with commercial drivers only. But it wasn't a complete win for the pink mustache company, as this agreement stipulates that Lyft must cease services in Buffalo and Rochester by next week, on August 1st.
Libraries will lend out WiFi hotspots to foster online learning
For the less fortunate, a library may be the only reliable way to get online. But what do they do after hours, or when they can't make the trek? That's where a pair of Knight Foundation grants may prove vital. Both the Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library are starting up large-scale projects that lend WiFi hotspots to households with little to no internet access, giving them a chance to pursue internet education programs that would otherwise be off-limits. Chicago's approach will let those in six broadband-deprived neighborhoods borrow a hotspot for up to three weeks; in New York, the library will offer mobile routers for up to a year as part of existing learning initiatives.
Uber introduces Uber Family in NYC, guarantees a child seat with your ride
As they so often are, the rumors were true: the smartphone-based taxi request app, Uber, is adding a new service today in New York City called "Uber Family." The company's calling it "uberFAMILY," but we're calling it Uber Family. Anyway, as the name implies, the new service takes what Uber already does and adds a guaranteed child seat. It also adds $10 to your ride: a small price to pay for the guarantee of a child seat, but it's also a $10 charge to guarantee the safety of child riders. There's no update to the existing app required; once you enter "FAMILY" in the promo code page, your next ride optionally becomes an Uber Family ride. Just like that!
New York's next big neighborhood is its smartest
"It was always going to be tomorrow's city today. A new heart of New York City; Midtown expanding west." -- Thad Sheely, SVP operations for Related Companies Tourists come to stop and stare, and sometimes throw pennies. This isn't a long-standing tradition. There are no wishes to make here. It's just a construction site they're filling with change; "the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center." Its 28 acres span west from 10th Avenue to 12th Avenue and the Hudson River, and north from 30th Street to 34th Street. The site is home to the final piece of the High Line park; an extension of the number 7 subway line; five office towers and nearly 5,000 residences; 14 acres of public space; a public school; and an active rail yard, from which it gets its name. This is Hudson Yards: New York City's first truly smart neighborhood. Or, it will be when New York University's Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP), a partner for the development, finishes outfitting it with sensors.
Microsoft is planning a Surface event for May 20th
It didn't seem that long ago that Microsoft held its last Surface tablet launch in New York City, but it's time again for yet another one. Yep, Microsoft has just sent us an invitation for a Surface-related event slated for May 20th in the Big Apple, imploring us to join them "for a small gathering." We really don't know much else aside from that, but we're guessing a new tablet -- possibly a mini Surface? -- could be unveiled. All we do know is that we'll be there live and in person to tell you all about it.
NYC inks deal to put train tickets on smartphones
Part of New York City's train system is set to get a 21st-century kick in the pants. Digital tickets that live on commuters' smartphones will soon be introduced thanks to a deal inked between the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Board and Masabi, one of eleven companies that offered to build such a system for the city. The pact follows a -- presumably successful -- trial conducted between Masabi and the MTA in 2012. Not every locomotive route will see paperless ticketing at first; only the Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Railroad are scheduled to be equipped with the new tech.
Uber is reportedly launching a family-friendly ridesharing service
Uber's ridesharing service has primarily catered to an adult crowd that rarely needs to bring more than a suitcase, but it may soon offer a solution for those whose kids have to tag along. VentureBeat hears from a source that the company is near launching Uber Family, a premium option for parents. Reportedly, you'd pay a $10 premium to guarantee both a trustworthy (that is, highly rated) driver and a pre-supplied child's car seat. We've reached out to verify the claims, but you may not have long to wait; Uber Family is supposed to be launching in New York "soon."
New York City looks to blanket the five boroughs with free WiFi thanks to next-gen payphones
Free public WiFi has been available in spots throughout NYC, but now the mayor's office is looking to cover all of its five boroughs with connectivity. In a press release today, the city's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) issued a request for proposals focused on "the creation of a robust, citywide network of internet hotspots." The project looks to transform aging payphone kiosks into around 10,000 "communication points" across the cityscape, funded by advertising. As you might expect, you'll be able to call 911 and 311 for free from the units too. With a target of launching by 2018 at the latest, the project is said to serve up $17.5 million in revenue for NYC each year at no extra expense to its taxpayers. In 2013, then Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced an effort to bring free WiFi to parts of the five boroughs by the end of that year. There's also the smattering of WiFi-enabled phone booths that launched back in 2012, but those few dozen are mostly scattered across Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. "By using a historic part of New York's street fabric, we can significantly enhance public availability of increasingly-vital broadband access,' said Mayor Bill de Blasio. [Image Credit: Sage and Coombe Architects]
New York City is cleaning its ancient Egyptian monument with lasers
A 69-foot, 3,500-year old granite obelisk has stood in New York City's Central Park for 130 years, and it's never, ever, been cleaned. The ancient pillar is deceptively fragile, and conservationists have been hesitant simply to hose it down. The solution? Blast it with lasers, of course. After careful testing, the Central Park Conservancy determined that a gentle bath of infrared lasers is both the most sensitive and environmentally friendly cleaning method available. The non-profit organization plans to slowly vaporize the monument's modest dust collection over the next several months. Project planners have also uncovered several particularly fragile areas on the obelisk's surface, which will be patched up with granite adhesives. Looking forward to seeing NYC's oldest landmark at its best? You'll have to wait until fall: the restoration is going to take awhile. [Image credit: Cal Vornberger / Alamy]
Airbnb pulls over 2,000 sketchy New York City rental listings
Airbnb is clearly tired of getting grief from cities that say its customers' short-term rentals are frequently illegal or otherwise a drain on the community. The company has revealed that it's in the midst of removing more than 2,000 New York City listings that aren't "providing a quality, local experience to guests." While Airbnb hasn't said exactly what that means, the move comes as the state Attorney General filed an affidavit in support of a subpoena for Airbnb customer info. The filing claims that two thirds of NYC rentals break the law by subletting an entire apartment without the official tenants being present, and it named and shamed 17 hosts that are allegedly the biggest abusers.
Ford put a Mustang on top of the Empire State Building, piece by piece
Ford is marking the launch of the 2015 Mustang in the same way it did for the original 50 years ago -- by putting one at the top of the Empire State Building. The company has partnered with auto supplier DST to cut its latest sports car into pieces and reassemble it on the building's observation deck, 86 floors up. You can check out the vehicle for yourself if you visit the New York City skyscraper no later than April 17th.
New York Public Library now lets you use 20,000 historical maps for free
Ever wanted to see what New York City's maps looked like before skyscrapers took over... or before Americans took over, for that matter? It's now easy as pie. The New York Public Library has published more than 20,000 of its historical maps under a Creative Commons public domain license. You can freely download, manipulate and publish cartography created between 1660 and 1922, a large chunk of which explores New York City's neighborhoods in detail. You'll also see thousands of maps covering the mid-Atlantic US and the Austro-Hungarian empire (yes, really). We can't imagine too many people wanting to remix Gangs of New York-era property charts, but it's hard to object to getting more geographic knowledge at no charge.
NYC's subway wireless will soon reach Grand Central Terminal and Queens
New Yorkers won't have to wait long to get internet access at some of the biggest commuting hubs in their fair city -- Transit Wireless has started the second phase of its subway wireless rollout. The initial construction will bring cellular and WiFi access to 11 subway stations in midtown Manhattan, including the all-important Grand Central Terminal. Those in the borough of Queens, meanwhile, should start seeing underground coverage in March. When the current phase wraps up in June, the expanded service should give internet access to about 250 million riders per year. That's no mean feat when even some of the bigger public WiFi projects have much smaller potential audiences.
NYC's first touchscreen subway maps are ready to guide you through the boroughs
It's been a long, long time since New York City revealed its plans to implement a smart maps solution across its subway system. But despite a few delays here and there, it looks as if the project, lead by design firm Control Group and the MTA, is finally beginning to bear fruit. As Gizmodo reports, the first batch of touchscreen subway maps are now ready to be used in some parts of The Big Apple. So far, MTA has installed 18 of these 47-inch panels within Grand Central Terminal, but the idea is to bring them to more underground platforms in the next few months. After spending time using one, Gizmodo describes the maps software as "sluggish" and "choppy," but that's not to say the kiosks don't do what they're expected to -- which is to be a helpful tool for commuters. For example, you can easily find how to get from point A to point B, as well as see when the next subway train is due to arrive at the station, among other things. And hey, even though this won't be for everyone, we have no doubt it'll come in handy for quite a few people.
Verizon LTE now available in 35 NYC subway stations
Many commuters around the world take underground connectivity for granted at this point, but New Yorkers are still disconnected more often than not while riding the subway, or even just waiting for a train. Now, thanks to Transit Wireless, Verizon customers can surf the web via LTE in 35 Manhattan subway stations. Platforms for select trains are now online, with most of the participating stations located on the city's west side, including Times Square and Columbus Circle. Service is notably absent at Penn Station and Grand Central, though that latter hub is slated to get LTE soon, when 40 additional stations come online as part of the next installation phase. Click through to the source link for the full list of 35 stations that offer LTE today. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
NYPD's cruiser of the future knows if you're on the lam, can detect radiation
New York City's Police Department is one of the most well-financed in the world, and the prototype for its next-generation patrol car clearly reflects that. A rear-mounted infrared sensor scans, records and checks license plates against a database (yes, in real-time), not too far from a new radiation detector in the rear window. An in-car, dashboard-mounted surveillance camera captures video, which can be livestreamed to headquarters via a modem and power supply sitting in the trunk. If this all sounds spookily like Demolition Man's future police (pictured above), that's because it's very similar. Only one such prototype is cruising the streets thus far (in Brooklyn Heights), though the Wall Street Journal's report says the data it gathers is being implemented city-wide. It's unclear how much (all?) of this tech will make its way to the rest of the NYPD's vehicle force, though a variety of components are already in place on other cars. It's all part of a 13-page report prepared for exiting New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly centered on the concept of "NYPD2020" -- the NYPD in 10 years' time. A variety of other projects from that report are also in the works, though many are distinctly less exciting (an online, public database of incident reports, for instance).
