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Uber's price cuts arrive for New York City passengers
Uber announced price cuts to encourage riders to use the service during the winter months a few weeks ago. Today, the price drop is hitting New York City. Passengers in the Big Apple can expect fares to drop by about 15 percent. For example, getting from Bay Ridge to Sunset park used to cost $10.54 with UberX, and now it'll set you back $8.96. The minimum fare is also reduced from $8 to $7 and other Uber options, like the SUVs on UberXL, are seeing a price drop as well.
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]
Explore New York's Guggenheim museum with Google's help
When it isn't capturing (tiny) city streets and picturesque locations, Google's Street View team also catalogs the collections of some of the world's most iconic cultural buildings. With help from the Google Cultural Institute, we've already explored the 4,500 artifacts inside the British Museum, but for its latest project, the organisation has hopped back across the Atlantic to New York and inside the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
LinkNYC's free gigabit WiFi is here, and it is glorious
I'm standing on the corner of 15th Street and Third Avenue in New York City, and I'm freezing. But my iPhone is on fire. After connecting to one of LinkNYC's gigabit wireless hotspots, the futuristic payphone replacements that went live for beta testing this morning, I'm seeing download speeds of 280 Mbps and upload speeds of 317 Mbps (based on Speedtest's benchmark). To put it in perspective, that's around ten times the speed of the average American home internet connection (which now sits at 31 Mbps). And to top it all off, LinkNYC doesn't cost you a thing.
NYC won't limit Uber surge pricing
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's war with Uber was all for naught. Today, the City Council voted not to limit Uber's surge pricing, which inflates prices during periods of peak demand, the Wall Street Journal reports. Additionally, the city released a long-awaited report (PDF) on Uber's impact on local traffic, which was notable for costing $2 million and taking months to complete. The result? Uber isn't adding to traffic congestion at all. Instead, construction, freight trucks and a larger population seem to be the bigger culprits.
Lyft takes you to the doctor even if you don't have a phone
People who don't have a cellphone need rides too, and Lyft is looking to lending a hand. The transportation service teamed up with National Medtrans Network in New York City to take folks to the doctor who can't hail a ride from the app. Instead, Lyft has a web-based Concierge tool that allows service providers to book rides for them. After the rider's name, pick-up and drop-off addresses are entered, a Lyft driver will be dispatched when the time comes. This NYC partnership is a pilot for the Concierge feature, so there's no word on when, or if, it'll make its debut in other cities. [Image credit: Lyft]
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.
Nintendo is renovating its one-of-a-kind New York store
Nintendo's headquarters may be in Kyoto, Japan, but the spiritual center, where most big US console launches happen, is the Nintendo World store at Rockefeller Plaza, New York. The only official Nintendo store in the world is about to undergo a major renovation and when it's over, it'll also have a new name -- Nintendo NY. The new look will include an updated interior design, new Wii U and 3DS demo units, a 15-foot gaming screen and a large bronze coin at the entrance with the tagline "Where everyone comes to play" (below).
Uber settles probe into 'God View' customer-tracking app
Uber has agreed to pay a fine and adopt more stringent privacy practices as part of its settlement with the New York Attorney General's office, according to BuzzFeed News. If you recall, the Attorney General's investigation was triggered by BuzzFeed reporter Johana Bhuiyan's interaction with Uber's New York general manager Josh Mohrer in 2014. Bhuiyan said Mohrer admitted to tracking her Uber ride and event sent her logs of her trips, which were collected without her express permission. During the course of her investigation, former employees revealed that Uber's corporate employees can all access those information using the company's "God View" app.
New York City's public WiFi hotspots are being installed
Back in November 2014, New York City announced plans to replace pay phones with gigabit WiFi hotspots in 2015. Well, the year's almost up, and today the installation began. The Verge caught a look at the process as the so-called LinkNYC access points began going up. Once the kiosks are up and running, you can expect to connect to WiFi within about 150 feet. However, you may have to wait a bit to give it a go, as a test phase is expected to follow once the equipment is in place.
Politician wants to give 200 NYC trees email addresses
You read that right: Upper West Side Councilmember Mark Levine plans to give 200 trees in New York City their own email addresses. His spokesperson, Tyrone Stevens, told Gothamist that the goal is to deepen "public engagement with the trees" -- we're guessing the politician believes residents can connect more personally with them that way. People, however, are welcome (encouraged, even) to report a tree's plight, such as broken branches, blight and rotting parts, by sending it an email. Levine himself told the publication that the project's only expense should be the creation of the signage that will display the chosen specimens' email addresses, prominently installed on or near them.
Time Warner Cable's Roku TV test starts in NYC for $10 per month
We've been telling you about Time Warner Cable's plan to test streaming TV for its internet-only customers since before it was officially announced, but now customers can actually sign up for it. If having a cable box is part of what you hated about cable TV, now internet customers can get access to the TWC TV app on a variety of devices without adding a box or having a tech come out. During the trial, testers will get a free Roku 3 player, and the cheapest plan (with channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and TBS among the 20+ included) starts at just $10 per month on a 12 month contract . Adding Showtime and Starz doubles the price, and testers can get a pretty healthy package with channels like Disney and ESPN for $50 per month. As we detailed when it announced, there's no DVR with this setup, but it is an easy way to get TV without some of the hassles. The main drawback here? Unlike something like Sling TV, this is only available to Time Warner Cable customers, and during the test it's only in NYC -- check out the site for all the details.
Watch a jetpack pilot fly past the Statue of Liberty for the first time
Forget taking a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty... how about visiting with a couple of jet engines strapped to your back? JetPack Aviation chief David Mayman did just that: the entrepreneur is the first person to fly around New York City's signature statue in a "controlled and sustained" way with a jetpack. He wasn't exactly brushing past Lady Liberty's nose, as you'll see in the video below, but it's still a noteworthy feat. Is this ultimately a publicity stunt meant to draw attention to the company's upcoming, mainstream-oriented JB-9 jetpack? You bet. However, there's no denying that this is also a childhood wish come true. It's not often that you can soar above the tourists and still get a good look at one of the US' best-known monuments.
Time Warner Cable tests the 'evolution' of streaming TV in NYC
Confirming plans Engadget exclusively revealed to you, Time Warner Cable is very close to publicly testing a way for its internet-only customers to get TV services. Fundamentally the big change is that until now, to get TV service and access to its streaming TWC TV app, you needed to be a "TV" customer and have a cable box. Soon, if you're a Time Warner Cable customer in New York City with just internet service, the company will also offer access to its TWC TV Roku Trial. CEO Rob Marcus told investors that the plan is an "evolution" of TWC TV, as customers eventually can get access to video without needing to rent any hardware at all. GVP & GM of Video Product Alix Cottrell told me that the focus for the test is making sure everything is "really easy and straightforward" before it's potentially rolled out to customers outside New York City.
Google reportedly abandons plan to open retail store in NYC
Remember those rumors about Google opening a chain of retail stores? Apparently, it isn't happening -- at least not in New York City. According to Crain's the retail space the company leased (and spent $6 million renovating) in NYC's SoHo district last year is back on the market. If the search giant is opening a retail location, it won't be at 131 Greene Street.
This NYC music venue uses springs to soundproof itself
National Sawdust is an event space that took five years (and a bunch of engineering magic) to realize. Based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the building is a nonprofit looking into the creative process behind making music. Which we're sure is fascinating, but it's the design that caught our attention. Early into the project designers conceived of a box-in-box arrangement, keeping the outers shell, but building something new inside it. While it solved several design issues, it also meant no sound traveled inside the performance space and no sound escaped. That said, being cited in the middle of NYC — that wasn't quite enough. With a subway running underneath the venue and heavy traffic outside, the designers decided to lift the new building's design above roughly 1,000 springs, dampening noise and converting that energy into heat.
Engadget Live's final stop this year is in New York City tonight!
After stops in Boston, LA and Austin the Engadget Live tour is coming to a close for 2015. Before we park the party bus for the year, we're making one last stop tonight: New York City. Join us at the Liberty Warehouse in Brooklyn starting at 7PM to hang with your fellow tech junkies and some of the companies you know and love. Ford will be showing off its SYNC 3 system and the new 2016 Ford Escape. And if you're 21 or over, Drizly will mix you up a cocktail -- so long as you're one of the first 250 folks to arrive. Tickets are still available (and they're free), so if you're in NYC stop by and join us!
Time Warner Cable will test internet-only TV in NYC next week
If you want cable TV without the cable box, Time Warner Cable may have something for you soon. Reliable sources tell Engadget that starting Monday, Time Warner Cable will beta test a version of its TWC TV service made available for the company's internet-only customers living in New York City. Similar to Sky's Now TV in the UK it will support a number of hardware platform but the plan is to focus on streaming TV through Roku's set-top boxes, and any participants will get a Roku 3 for free. On top of their internet service, customers can pick up a "Starter" TV package for an extra $10 per month. Another option that adds Showtime and Starz will be available for $20 per month, and for those who want all the usual channels but without a cable box, a Standard option with Showtime and Starz costs $50 per month. Judging by the usual cable packages, Starter customers should have about 20 channels, while the Standard package has more than 70.
NYC considering GPS-based meters for taxis, on top of nixing TVs
We've already heard that New York City is considering killing those annoying backseat Taxi TV screens, now it looks like the digital fare meter, along with the mechanical method for tracking ride distance, may also be on the way out. Regulators last night approved a pilot program for a new GPS-based distance tracking system for cabs, which would display fare information on a large tablet, the Wall Street Journal reports. That device would also house the cab's credit card reader and GPS system, and it could also deliver the same news and entertainment programming as the current cab TV sets. Ultimately, it would replace five separate pieces of gear cabs currently require. The year-long pilot program will only hit around 1,000 cabs, out of the city's 13,600 yellow taxis. Previously, regulators were considering testing it in around 4,000 cabs, but it scaled the program back after concerns from advocates for the visually impaired, who use the current TV sets for alerts. (Of course, that's also something a more modern tablet could eventually help with.)
Microsoft's flagship store in NYC opens October 26th
The Big Apple's very own flagship Microsoft store is opening soon. Today, the Windows maker announced that its massive five-story, 22,269 square foot retail space in the heart of New York City will open October 26th. This new shopping outlet, which has been in development for nearly a year, is located at 677 Fifth Avenue -- a few blocks away from Apple's iconic "Cube" store. In addition to NYC, Microsoft says it'll also be inaugurating another flagship store in Sydney, Australia, but that won't be until November 12th. Of course, if you happen to pay a visit to either, you can expect a grand showcase of all-things-Microsoft, including Windows 10 devices, the Xbox One and whole lot more.
