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ICYMI: Rock-like smartphone, stomach tap and more
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The FDA has just approved a device for obese people that is first surgically inserted into the stomach, then used like a tap after meals to drain up to a third of the food inside. The Runcible 'anti-smartphone' is going up for sale for $300, designed to not make a single noise except to notify you of incoming calls. It includes a camera, bluetooth and touchscreen, but still clearly resembles a rock on the back. And finally, It is this show's first birthday, so we are touching on a few of our favorite stories from the last year. If you'd like to check out a brief clip of the pigeon video out of New York, that's here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Solar-powered aircraft completes its flight across the US
Solar Impulse 2 continues its slow creep around the globe, this time completing its journey across the US by landing in New York City. It first arrived in the continental US back in April when the solar-powered aircraft touched down in San Francisco, and now has completed its 14th leg since leaving Abu Dhabi in March of last year. It's not the fastest way to get around -- especially given delays due to battery damage -- but it is very green, which is the whole point. Next up is an Atlantic Ocean crossing, with a destination in either southern Europe or Northern Africa. Check below for video of the latest flight.
Uber's delivery service just went mainstream
You probably know Uber as a company that takes you places. Soon, you may know it as the company that brings you pizza. And groceries. And laundry. And... well, everything. Today, Uber took its on-demand delivery service out of beta, opening the UberRush courier program to any company that wants it. The downside? The delivery program's service area is still limited to just three cities: San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
A high-tech spin class took me from San Francisco to Wonderland
I enjoy stationary bikes because they offer the exercise benefits of cycling without annoyances like bad weather and dangerous traffic. But there are times when I miss some of the benefits of being outside, like a cool breeze and changing scenery. While a gym's AC unit can never really capture the magic scent of flowers and pine as you pass through a peaceful glade, workout designer company Les Mills has come up with a way to at least restore the sense of excursion with its new program, "The Trip."
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.
Fiber cut knocks out internet for some in the northeast
If your internet is or was out this evening and you live in the northeastern part of the US, you are not alone. Customers in New York City, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and other nearby areas are seeing outages, which can apparently be traced back to what Time Warner Cable has said are "multiple fiber cuts" at a network provider. Customers from Comcast and Cox have also reported problems, and the network provider in question, Level 3, says it is working on restoring service. In a statement, the company attributed the outage to third-party construction and said technicians are onsite. Time Warner Cable just updated us that repairs are "well under way" and it has restored service for customers in NYC, which matches what we're seeing on outage tracking websites like DownDetector. Update: As of 8:30AM, Level 3 reported service was restored, although most users were back online well before that. Additionally, Comcast contacted Engadget to say that it did not see any effects as a result of this fiber cut.
Google and AOL team up to stop tech talent leaving NYC
New York City may be the Big Apple, but it plays second fiddle to Silicon Valley when it comes to technology. That's why a number of companies located there including (Engadget's parent company) AOL, Bloomberg and, yes, California-based Google and Facebook have formed an advocate association called Tech:NYC. In a blog post, AOL's Tim Armstrong and New York venture capitalist Fred Wilson say "we feel that the NYC tech community deserves a more formal organization to represent itself before local and state governments and the business community and civic sector."
IMAX's in-theater spin class is sensory overload
I've never been particularly fond of spin classes, as they eschew all the things I enjoy about using a stationary bike: The ability to set my own pace, listen to my music and maybe even dip into a good book while I pedal. But I can understand the appeal of a spin class, as the presence of an instructor can push you out of your comfort zone and ensure that you get a real workout. So it would seem that IMAXShift sits somewhere in the middle, combining an intense audio and visual experience to entertain you while a dedicated instructor gives orders. The problem is, there might have been just little too much going on for me to enjoy any one aspect to the fullest.
Uber shuts down its Instant Delivery food service in NYC
Uber has pulled the plug on Instant Delivery in New York City. The UberEats feature, which offers pre-set lunch items to be delivered in 10 minutes or less, had been available to people in The Big Apple since last year. But, as of today, that's no longer the case. "In order to bring you the most exciting selection, the highest quality food, and the fastest delivery time, we've decided to narrow our focus," Uber said in an email to users, explaining its decision to move away from that service.
Postmates is set to launch 15-minute food deliveries in NYC
Even as Uber kills off its own rapid lunchtime delivery service in New York City, Postmates announced on Tuesday that it will launch its own version tomorrow starting at 11am EST. NYC deliveries will rely on Postmate's existing Pop program, which launched last October in San Francisco and last week in LA. A similar hour-long service should be launching in London later this year as well. With Pop, anyone on Manhattan between 34th street and the Bowery will get their orders in a quarter hour, at no additional delivery fee. Now you'll be able to get your 4/20 munchies tomorrow in record time without having to get off the couch.
IKEA is my favorite live action game
Last Friday I took my parents to IKEA for the first time. I've been wanting to drag them to the Brooklyn location ever since it opened in 2008, but we never managed to work out a schedule between the three of us. And they never went on their own, despite all my poking and prodding. It always made me sad they'd never been there, because IKEA is probably one of my favorite places in the world.
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.
Samsung has a new flagship store where you can't buy anything
Many people like to do their shopping online, but there's something to be said for going to a brick-and-mortar location and actually seeing something before you buy it. With that in mind, Samsung is joining companies like Apple, Microsoft and Nintendo in opening a physical shop to experience its product. But there's one key difference: Samsung won't actually be selling any devices at its new flagship location. Instead, you'll find art exhibits, cooking classes and musical performances in what the company is billing as a cultural center aimed at owners (and prospective owners) of Samsung devices.
Nintendo's flagship store reopens with a new name and new look
In the decade since Nintendo World opened, the store has become a tourist destination, a popular hangout for kids and a mecca for Nintendo fans across the globe. With that last audience in mind, it shut its doors last month so it could be remodeled into something more befitting its status as the world's only Nintendo retail location. And with that new design comes a new name: Nintendo NY.
Recommended Reading: Twitter's identity crisis
What Everyone's Got Wrong About Twitter (Including Twitter) Ian Schafer, Recode Twitter's earnings dropped this week, followed by a number of theories on the future of the company. Deep Focus founder and chairman Ian Schafer posted an op-ed on the matter to discuss the social network's identity crisis. Is it a media company? Is it a data company? Schafer makes the case that Twitter needs to decide soon, for it's own good.
NYPD used Stingrays over 1,000 times since 2008
Until now, New York City's police department hadn't disclosed any information about whether or not it used so-called Stingrays to monitor cell phone activity. In response to an NYCLU (NYCLU) request, the NYPD admitted that it used the devices over 1,000 times between 2008 and May 2015. What's more, NYPD doesn't have a written policy in place that guides how the tech should be used. As a refresher, Stingrays create a fake 2G cellular network that can be used to track the locations and monitor call or text activity in a certain area. Even when a specific mobile device is targeted, information from other phones in the area is still accessible.
Cops nab man for crashing a drone into the Empire State building
A New Jersey native's drone has recently crashed into the Empire State building, and unlike the person whose machine hit Seattle's Great Wheel, he didn't get away with it. Authorities have arrested the man an NBC affiliate identified as Sean Nivin Riddle after his drone struck the iconic building's 40th floor, ultimately landing on the 35th. While authorities didn't mention what the drone's purpose was in flying around NYC, a man with the same name tweeted that he was using the UAV to film until it hit the skyscraper.
NYC's parking meters are getting a big upgrade this year
Driving in New York City is stressful enough as it is and that's before you have to try finding a parking spot only to realize that you're out of quarters. Mayor Bill de Blasio has a plan in place for making the latter easier, however: upgrading Gotham's 85,000 parking meters so they all accept smartphone-based payment systems by year's end. Rather than printing out a slip and putting it on your dashboard, soon you'll be able to just flash your phone at the new Muni-Meters.
NYC mayor wants a streetcar to connect Brooklyn and Queens
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is once again trying to make an impact on transportation -- but this time it's with streetcars, not taxi apps. Later today during his State of the City speech, de Blasio plans to announce a $2.5 billion streetcar project that would run 16 miles from Brooklyn to Queens, the New York Times reports. The aptly named "Brooklyn Queens Connector" (BQX) would run aboveground, right alongside traffic, connecting the neighborhoods of Astoria and Sunset Park. For the most part, it would cover a route that isn't accessible by subways (though it does appear to encroach on the much-maligned G train's route a bit).
Farewell to the Ziegfeld, one of the last movie palaces
Last Thursday, New York City's majestic Ziegfeld Theater took its final bow with a screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It was, in many ways, a tragic end for Manhattan's last single-screen theater. After 47 years in business, we learned with little warning on January 20th that it would be shut down by the end of the month. The building will undergo a two-year renovation and be turned into the Ziegfeld Ballroom, a gala event space. The Ziegfeld's final screening was booked without much fanfare, but that didn't stop hundreds of New Yorkers from braving the cold for one last show. Engadget's Kris Naudus and Devindra Hardawar were there to reflect on the loss of yet another old-school theater.
