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Google brings NYC subway alerts to Maps, makes public transit a little more bearable
Google has offered up New York City subway information via Maps for some time now, but as anyone who's navigated the 100-plus-year-old transit system will happily tell / complain to you, such information is only so useful without info on the requisite service changes -- a lot of work goes into maintaining something that old. Google's upping its game by bringing services changes to Maps for Android and its web-based counterpart. Clicking on one of the 468 stations in Maps will bring up relevant maintenance information, as well as step-by-step instructions for navigating around it. Until Boingo rolls out WiFi to more stations, however, you might want to check your status before going underground.
Boingo, Google Offers bring free WiFi to select Manhattan subway stations, let you tweet the heat
Boingo has surely overestimated New York City's desire to "soa[k] up the warm weather" this summer, but when it comes to complaining about the heat, no one does it like the Big Apple. And now, thanks to the hotspot provider (with some promotional help from the folks at Google Offers), Manhattanites will be able to do just that all over Twitter from the convenience of a handful of subway stations on 14th and 23rd street. The promotion begins today and runs through September 7th. Including the hashtag #FreeNYCWiFi puts you in the running for Boingo rewards. We also recommend #wheresthatdamnEtrain, which will surely be trending for the next few months. For a full list of stations, check out the source link below.
Boingo to offer its WiFi services to New York City subway stations
Your dreams of WiFi connectivity from within NYC's subway stations will soon be a reality. Boingo has announced an agreement with Transit Wireless to offer wireless internet service inside the Big Apple's subway stations. The partnership will allow eager commuters the chance to connect via their smartphones, tablets, e-readers and other WiFi-equipped devices. One-click access will be available to those with a Boingo subscription as well as through the outfit's roaming partners: Skype, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. Right now, the plan is to roll out the new service to subway stations over the next five years. If you're jonesing for a few more details, hit the PR button below to read on. [Image credit: pspyro2009 / Flickr]
Visualized: giant 'metal moles' ready to chew through London's underground
The city of London will soon have a new underground train to climb aboard, dubbed the Crossrail. But, before anyone can ride the line, tunnels will have to be dug. That means its time to break out the TBM beasts. Over 490 feet long and topping 1,000 metric tons, these giant metal moles will slowly carve new tunnels under the city at about 330 feet per week. At that rate the Crossrail won't open until 2018 but, until then, we can all sleep soundly knowing that machines -- more than thrice as tall as a man -- are slowly eating away at the largest city in the British Isles from underneath. For more images of London's mayor, Boris Johnson, standing next to the German-made monstrosities, dressed in his daddy's suit hit up the source link.
Virgin Media wins London Underground WiFi contract, provides conduit for tube station tweets
Remember the ten dozen WiFi hotspots London's underground said it was prepping ahead of the 2012 Olympic games? Virgin Media says they'll be free -- at least to start. By the time July rolls around, 80 stations will be rocking that sweet, sweet internet, and an additional 40 tube stops will go live by the end of the year. The service will be gratis during the summer, Virgin's press release explains, but will eventually join the outfit's broadband and mobile subscription network -- doling out only basic travel information and a pay-as-you-go option to the unsubscribed. Just make sure you finish Facebooking before your train arrives -- the tubes themselves are as dark as ever. Read on for Virgin Media's official press release.
Yesterday's gritty, gutsy style makes us excited for tomorrow
Welcome to the Renaissance.The point-and-click adventure is back and it has nothing to do with Tim Schafer, Double Fine or Kickstarter. This particular revolution is being led by Pendulo Studios' gritty, stylized PC thriller, Yesterday, which marks a departure from the developer's previous title, The Next Big Thing, in a few crucial and exciting ways: Yesterday is not a comedy, though the dialogue retains a brilliant wit. It has nothing to do with the film industry. It involves the psychological analysis of a homeless man who believes his son, who was definitely killed in a tragic subway-tunnel collapse, is still alive.Maybe you have to be just as disturbed as Pendulo's fictional homeless man to really appreciate that last one, but if you are -- boy is it a treat.Pendulo has a solid track record in the point-and-click adventure genre -- they liked it before it was cool, even -- with the Runaway series and The Next Big Thing, but the studio had something to prove when it boldly announced that it was giving up comedy to offer an original, dark thriller with Yesterday. The game retains Pendulo's trademark art style, exaggerated features and colors that appear hand-painted over 3D models, and it is just as appealing as it was in 2003. This time around, however, not just the story is darker, but the palate is as well, with much of what I played taking place in a derelict, abandoned subway channel (I bet you can guess which one).
Robot uses semantic search to get a Subway sandwich, do Jared's evil bidding (video)
Old PR2 can already fold towels, play pool and grab an ice cold beer -- really, the Willow Garage robot is just one task of short of mastering the day-to-day activities of your average college student. What's that? It can get a sandwich, too? Never mind. And this isn't just any "get me a sandwich" command -- the stout white 'bot uses semantic search to infer possible locations for sandwich, using knowledge of similar objects and environmental models. In the below video, you'll see PR2 make its way to a refrigerator, in search of sustenance, only to come up empty-clawed. Undaunted, it hops on an elevator and makes its way to a Subway sandwich shop. The joint project from the University of Tokyo and University of Munich was recently shown off at recent robotics conference. No word on when PR2 will be programmed to hold the onions.
PSA: Uncharted 3's multiplayer available at Subway
As part of Subway and Naughty Dog's remarkably confusing partnership, the Taste for Adventure campaign, purchasing one of Subway's specially-marked 30 ounce soda-pops will earn thirsty sammich-seeking patrons One Free Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Mode. No, for real; buy a drink with Nathan Drake's rugged mug on the side, and you'll be given a PSN code for access to the "full competitive multiplayer experience" through the rest of October. As explained by the above video, participating in the event can earn you exclusive items and abilities like the "foot-long taunt," and multiplayer maps have also be sprinkled with "exclusive Subway items" that reveal additional content. Look, we're not going to pretend this isn't completely ridiculous, but it's also hilarious in a mind-boggling, non-sequitur way. In fact, stuff like this is probably the future of product placement, so don't be surprised when the Hamburglar turns up in SoulCalibur 5. [Thanks, CQ!]
New York City braces for Tuesday's arrival of mobile service on subway platforms
It's hardly a natural disaster, but the landscape of Manhattan is about to change once again with the arrival of cellular signal to a handful of the borough's subway platforms. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are taking part in the pilot program, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority expects the service to begin rolling on Tuesday at several stations along the 14th Street corridor, including A, C, E, F, L and M, along with stops 1, 2 and 3. The 23rd Street line will also see part of the action, as coverage is expected for the C and E stations. Of course, straphangers are unlikely to receive signal once on-board the trains, as the tunnels themselves aren't included in this rollout. Currently, the MTA expects all 277 underground platforms to be equipped for mobile chatter by 2016. Transit Wireless, the company responsible for the expansion, is said to be in talks with Sprint and Verizon for a similar introduction, although its customers must be content to listen in on the conversations other commuters for the time being. [Image from SeanPavonePhoto/Shutterstock]
Subway serves cold, hard Uncharted 3 promotion details -- not toasted
If you haven't eaten recently, we suggest you make some macaroni and cheese before reading this post. We'll wait. Macaronied? Good. Subway has announced the details for its Uncharted 3 promotion (Or Uncharted 3's Subway promotion), The Subway Taste for Adventure. The promo will run from September 29 - November 31 and includes bonuses for DCUO players as well as Uncharted 3 fans. Enter with the code from a Subway cup before November 11 and get early access to the Uncharted 3 multiplayer experience, or enter a cup code after October 31 for the chance to play DCUO at the premium level free for seven consecutive days. Cup codes also offer a choice of any of the voucher passcodes found on sandwiches and chips, which break down as follows: Voucher Passcode for an Uncharted 3 dynamic theme Voucher Passcode for Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunter Bounty Voucher Passcode for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Drake Character Skin Voucher Passcode for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Weapon Skin Voucher Passcode for Subway Taste For Adventure Cup and Subway Sandwich virtual costumes for PlayStation Home We'll keep all this in mind when we order our next foot-long Italian BMT on honey-wheat bread with pepperjack cheese, banana peppers, jalapenos, lettuce, onion, tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette, with a side of barbecue chips and a large Mr. Pibb. Mmmm. Enjoy your macaroni. [Thanks, Ray!]
Apple Store coming to Grand Central Terminal, travel disruptions guaranteed for next iPhone launch
It's one thing for Fifth Ave. to get clogged up each time a new iPhone or iPad gets released, but Grand Central Terminal? Avid NYC commuters best plan their vacation days accordingly, as one of the city's biggest transit hubs is about to get a heck of a lot more busy -- and not because White Plains is the new Southampton. The New York Post is reporting that Apple and the MTA have agreed on a decade-long deal that'll see a 23,000-square foot Apple Store take the place of Charlie Palmer's Metrazur restaurant, with Cupertino's rent to be set at $800,000 per year (rising to $1 million after ten years pass). For those curious, that's around $500,000 more than the eatery before it, and Apple's responsible for refurbishing the space. That cacophony of voices you hear? Touristy cheers drowning out local jeers.
No Comment: Inneract provides antidote to restrictive social norms
If you've ever felt the urge to chest-bump a stranger or dance the cha-cha on a city street, you're probably a fan of the antics of Improv Everywhere. The NYC-based 'prank collective' executes missions large and small, defying the expectations of passersby with group freezes, flash musicals and the occasional Imperial arrest on a subway. Of course, for most of us the logistical and artistic challenge of creating a surreal and transgressive experience for ourselves and others is... well... just too much darn work. Now, thanks to the efforts of artist Lauren McCarthy, there's Inneract. This free app lets you post your location and your desired interaction so that other users of the app can find you and do unto you as you would have them. Want to create a drum circle? Splash in a public fountain? Have a tickle battle? If you can imagine it, you can put it into Inneract and let the world fulfill your wildest need for novelty. See the video below for some relatively staid examples. Sure, we could point out all the ways this concept could go very, very wrong. We could ponder the possibility that an evil companion might put your picture into the app along with a rather personal request, and then sit next to you to watch the fun. We could suggest some ideas for in-app purchases ($0.99 to enable Fight Club Mode, "I want someone to come over and kick my ass"), or muse on the irony of a location-based app that exposes your deepest fetish to everyone around you. Instead, though, we'll let this app stand as today's truly wacky No Comment. Thanks to Wilson for the tip.
Earth Day: Lower your carbon output (and blood pressure) with Roadify
In this year's NYC Big Apps 2.0 competition, there was a lot at stake for the developers behind the 57 app submissions. Not only were they up for cash prizes, but the recognition of their efforts to leverage the city's data mine for the public good was certain to boost their profile in Silicon Alley, and possibly attract bigger investors (or customers!) to their offerings. For the grand prize winner, Roadify, the increased awareness of their commuter-support platform means big improvements: more people participating and more/better data. The service, which depends on crowdsourced reporting of available parking spaces, bus positioning and subway arrivals along with public data on transit schedules and privately-sourced data on gas or garage pricing, becomes more useful as more users are sending in their information. Roadify supports 'giving' and 'getting' parking spaces (or updating transit details) via SMS, but it's with the iPhone app that the service really shines. Users can share and check transit information, traffic conditions, gas pricing and more -- plus they can quickly find a parking spot in congested areas. Considering that New York City drivers sometimes find themselves circling and circling in the hopeless search for an open parking spot, any approach to cutting that time will save on gas, reduce pollution and make the Big Apple a happier place. If you're a frequent or occasional NYC commuter, check out the free Roadify app; you can also watch the Roadify demo video in the continuation of this post.
Subway riders subject to iPhone thefts
The WSJ's Andrew Grossman reports (subscription required) that New York City's subway riders may be a bit too openhanded with their digital devices. According to NYPD statistics, grand larceny* incidents on the subway were up 18 percent year-over-year from January to March of 2011 (311 reports in total). Transit police brass attribute the spike in pilferage to increased theft of smartphones, and of course, the most popular choice for thieves is the iPhone 4. The article quotes NYPD transit chief Raymond Diaz on the increase: "We've been seeing an incredible trend of young people snatching these cellphones." Diaz also noted that thefts are likelier during the evening rush hour, and that several train lines (Manhattan's Lexington Avenue lines, Brooklyn's J and L trains, and Queens' M, R and 7 lines) seem to be 'hot spots' for thefts. The city's commuter rail lines have also seen a mild spike in thefts. While subway crime in New York remains at an extremely low level compared to historical norms, there are a few tips that Chief Diaz suggests to keep that ride trouble-free. Don't stand near the train doors while using your phone since that would streamline a thief's getaway; be sure to record your iPhone and iPad serial number in your personal records; and, of course, if you have Find My iPhone turned on, you might even get your device back. Police efforts to track down phone-grabbing perps meet with some success; they make arrests in 30 percent of incidents of phones being swiped from owners' hands, and in 56 percent of incidents where force was used in a phone robbery. * While the New York State legal definition of 'grand larceny' is generally perceived to cover property worth $1,000 or more (which is pricier than an iPhone or iPad, unless it's in a very nice case), the definition also applies to about 12 other conditions (i.e., if the theft involves secret scientific formulas, credit cards, cars, guns, religious items, phone phreaking gear or ammonia for making meth), including when the property in question is taken directly from the person who owns it, rather than stolen from an apartment or office when the owner is not present. These subway thefts match that part of the grand larceny law, making them a class E felony. Thanks to our friend in the NYC district attorney's office for clarifying the rules.
London Underground to get 120 WiFi hotspots in advance of the 2012 Olympics
A big announcement arrived today if you live in or around London: to prepare to the onslaught of data-hungry visitors for the 2012 Olympic games that the city is hosting, 120 WiFi hotspots are being added to various locations along the Underground subway system's stations and platforms, in addition to other measures being taken to beef up tech. No WiFi will be in the actual tunnels, mind you, but it should definitely come in handy for all those tourists trying to find their way around the city. British Telecom has already tolled out a trial run at the Charing Cross station, with further installations expected in the lead up to the games.
Huawei offers to build out London Underground cellular coverage for free
No such thing as a free lunch, is there? China's Huawei has generously offered to pick up the roughly £50 million ($81 million) tab for equipment to line London's sprawling subway system with mobile phone reception, a package it says it's extending as a gift from Olympic host nation to another (London will host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and it has said in the past that it'd like the Tube wired in time). The official line is that Huawei would make its money back over time through maintenance contracts, but some politicians are raising red flags over the Chinese firm's potential control over a critical piece of London's wireless infrastructure -- a sentiment that seemed to help kill a potential Huawei deal with Sprint in the States. Of course, the over-connected nerd in us is tempted to brush off espionage concerns if it means we can stay on email all the way from the West End to the Docklands.
PSP-playing boy falls onto train tracks, saved by a real life hero (video)
Not the best news for Sony execs to be waking up to this morning, as the company's PSP has played a starring role in an unfortunate, though thankfully innocuous, incident. A 10-year old Milanese boy was recently so absorbed by his portable's make.believe world that he forgot the real one around him had boundaries with bright lines painted around them. A moment later the young gamer found himself next to the train tracks a few feet below the platform designed for human occupation, though he wasn't there long as an off-duty policeman by the name of Alessandro Micalizzi quickly leapt down and lifted him to safety. See it on video below and feel free to draw your own conclusions about your gaming habits.
New York subway schedule turned into a beautiful, musical visualization (video)
HTML5, JavaScript and a tiny pinch of Flash. Those are your ingredients for building one of the neatest, simplest websites we've come across in a long time. Conductor, as its maker Alexander Chen dubs it, is a visualization built on New York's publicly available subway schedule API. It shows the progress of the Big Apple's underground carriers throughout the day and garnishes the experience with a delightful musical trick every time two lines cross. You can see it on video after the break or just hit the source link and experience it for yourself.
BMW Designworks USA flexes its eco muscle with Siemens Inspiro subway concept
BMW Group's Designworks USA -- where have we heard about those folks before? Ah, yes, that's the crew that's responsible for Thermaltake's Level 10 PC case, and we're desperately hoping that this concept has an equal (or greater) level of success in the open market. The subway car you see above is purportedly 97.5 percent recyclable, with an aluminum chassis, vivacious hues and a ridiculously spacious interior. It's being labeled the Siemens Inspiro, and it's on track to show up in Warsaw's Metro Warszawskie just over a year from now. No word on where to sign up for conductor dutie, though.
Found Footage: iPhone concert on the B train
It's time for another installment of our favorite viral program, "Bands You've Never Heard Of Play A Song On Their iPhones." In this case, the band is Brooklyn's Atomic Tom, the song is the decidedly catchy Take Me Out, and the performance is live on the 6th Avenue line of the New York City subways, crossing the Manhattan Bridge on the B train. Add the degree of difficulty of shooting the video on iPhones, the noise and lighting challenges of the train, and the likelihood of an overeager "see something, say something" New Yorker getting the boys into trouble with the transit cops -- all in all, an impressive effort. Thanks Howdy! [via NYT Bits, Daily What and The Loop]
