Build me some apps to distract from the fact I've missed the train, again. (Photo: flickr.com/anniemole)

Your smartphone is useful for more than Bejeweled now that there's Wifi in many stations, and the MTA is trying to use that connectivity to make your commute better. (Just don't ask when your train is getting a countdown clock.)

This weekend, techies gathered in Brooklyn at NYU Poly's MetroTech Center campus for the first official, MTA-approved transit hackathon. Participants threw together a total of 17 submissions judged by authorities like Rachel Haot, General Assembly cofounder Matt Brimer and AT&T New York president Marissa Shorenstein.

The winner, taking home a not-too-shabby $5,000 (fronted by AT&T): SubCulture.FM, which would make it easier for you to find singles from your favorite subway buskers. Musicians who sign up for the program get QR codes that'll direct fans to a downloadable link.

Unfortunately, that woman who plays the Love Story theme on a recorder on the N train probably hasn't released a single, and as yet, there's no app for IRL muting your least favorite musicians.

Taking second place was MTA Sheriff, an app which would allow you to report subway problems like that one perpetually broken-down escalator, and third went to Accessway, which helps wheelchair-bound and visually-impaired folks get around the system.

This hackathon was actually just a kick-off. The winners are also now in the running for the App Quest competition, a virtual challenge that'll run until late August, also sponsored by NYU Poly, AT&T and the MTA. Anyone who's willing to work with an MTA data set or API can compete for an additional $40,000 in prize money.

Word to the wise: Anyone who hacked a way to block the urine smell would be idolized citywide as a hero.

Subtweeting, probably. (Photo: Flickr)

Now social media editors can finally afford to leave their desks and shower. The MTA is announcing later today that it's rolling out cell and Wifi service to 30 additional subway stops, including Times Square, Columbus Circle, and Rockefeller Center. Prior to today, the only stations that offered the free service included the C & E platform at 23rd Street, two stops on the L line, and several platforms at the 14th Street station.

Other stations that went online today include stops from 18th Street to 96th Street on the West Side. The rollout was expected to debut by the end of 2012, but it was delayed because of damage from Superstorm Sandy. The network is being built by Transit Wireless, which currently only has deals with AT&T and T-Mobile, so those using other telco networks are SOL for now. (There's always the Wifi to piggyback off!) (Update: Verizon Wireless emailed us writing that the company is working to "finalize an agreement" with the MTA to bring cell service to some stations.)

Today's announcement is phase one of the MTA's and Transit Wireless' grand plan. Stations in Queens and Midtown Manhattan are expected to be wired sometime in 2014, followed by the East Side and the Bronx the year after. It's part of the transit authority's promise to have all of its 400+ stations wired by 2016.

Now, if that "totally harmless" gas that the MTA is releasing soon is Bahama Breeze scented, then we might never complain again.

Photo: Fast Company

HopStop, Now With Complaints On Monday, transit app HopStop released its new social app HopStop Live!, which lets users update each other in real time on transit issues and changes. (Because the only thing more fun than dealing with transit issues is hearing other people complain about transit issues.) The app is also designed to create communities around specific subway and bus lines, which could help cities identify which lines need improvements or additions. Although this is great for HopStop users, we still prefer the simplistic istheltrainfucked.com.

The MTA Wants Next Generation Apps And in other transit news, the MTA is partnering with AT&T  for a hackathon and AppQuest challenge with NYU Poly and Challenge Post in order to develop the next-generation of public transportation apps. Some of the goals of the challenge include developing tech solutions to navigating time tables and alerts, helping travelers navigate inside stations, integrating with other apps, and developing user generated data. The hackathon will take place May 4 and 5 at NYU Poly in Downtown Brooklyn, with winners sharing $10,000 in prize money. They'll also be automatically entered in the AppQuest challenge, which is scheduled to conclude in early September. Hopefully the developers of istheltrainfucked will enter with an expanded site, "isthemtafucked.com."

Foursquare Version 6.0 Makes Stalking Your Friends Even Easier Today saw the release of Foursquare's newest update, version 6.0, which streamlines the geolocation service to more easily access the app’s core features. Now when you open Foursquare, the search function is at the top, while a map with your friends' most recent locations and personalized recommendations (based on a newly developed search algorithm) displays along with the signature check-in button at the bottom.

Jason Rapp Joins Science Inc. Digital business developer and technology studio (and owner of the most unoriginal company name ever) Science Inc. announced Monday the hiring of Jason Rapp as the company's Managing Director. Mr. Rapp previous experience includes time as president and member of the board of directors at educational app and video compnay Mahalo.com, senior executive in Barry Diller’s IAC corporation, where he served as CEO of Gifts.com, and as an executive at The New York Times Company. The Santa Monica-based company has more than 13 investments with companies such as DollarShaveClub, DogVacay, Ellie, Uncovet and others. Maybe the first thing Mr. Rapp should do at Science Inc. is work on a new company name.

People Like Reading Tech on Their Tech Mobile publishing developer OnSwipe released their most recent user data, and it looks like people can't get enough of reading about their technology. With 16 million unique iOS users per month, technology was the most popular topic on the OnSwipe platform both in terms of page views and average time spent on its apps. Other popular topics included men’s and women’s fashion and general news and politics. My, OnSwipe's users are a versatile bunch.

Barkbox, The Birchbox For Dogs (Really?) You know the monthly delivery craze is reaching its zenith when Barkbox, a Birchbox-style doggy treat and toy delivery service, not only has 35,000 subscribers, but just received $5 million in investments from venture firm RRE Ventures. The new funding is on top of the $1.7 million the startup recieved last year from a similar group of investors.Barkbox plans to expand its efforts after rebranding the company to Bark & Co., with BarkPost, a website which CEO Matt Meeker describes as “a dog-specific version of BuzzFeed’s 'animals' site,” according to allthingsd.com, and BarkCare, a $200 annual vet consultation service that  gives dog owners 24/7 access to vets by phone. Pet startups: the new tech bubble!

AppNexus Is All-In Today the adtech platform AppNexus announced an "all-in" commitment to mobile advertising by extending its technology to mobile platforms. “We built the technology foundation that unlocked unprecedented innovation and spend in display. Now we’re taking the same approach to mobile, allowing our customers to do business ‘full spectrum’ seamlessly across display and mobile,” said CEO Brian O' Kelly. The announcement comes after AppNexus raised $75 million in January in Series D round investments, led by Technology Crossover Ventures.

Don't lose this. (Photo: Hashgram)

Expect a marked drop in "running 15 late sorrrrrrryyyy don't hate meee :(" texts thanks to a new feature on Google Maps that shows real-time travel updates on its desktop and mobile products.

Google is getting timelier information by pulling from the MTA’s open data program. However the improved intel is only available for numbered lines (sans the 7) and the Times Square Shuttle thus far. If you are dependent on perpetually infuriating lettered trains like, for example, the C, you are out of luck.

Riders can now view when the next train will arrive, trip duration, and arguably the most servicey feature of all: telling users of any delays or cancellations.

The updated data on Google Maps is the same info riders see on the (occasionally accurate) countdown clocks on subway platforms. Before incorporating open data from the MTA, Google Maps based its estimates on scheduled departure times rather real-time information.

Of course, Google isn’t the first company to use the data (apps such as Roadify, and NextStop have used it for awhile), but the Wall Street Journal calls it "the biggest endorsement yet" for the agency's open data experiment.

Google Maps manager (and self-proclaimed subway rider) Soufi Esmaeilzadeh wrote in a blog post that they want you (personally!) to have “access to the most comprehensive, accurate, and useful information.” Thanks, girl!  Similar travel information is now available in Washington, D.C. and Salt Lake City, the post explained.

Now that our travel routine has been revolutionized, when is GOOG the Beneficent gonna gift us with more underground Wifi?

You missed the train; time to watch some Aereo! (Photo: flickr.com/anniemole)

Good to know the MTA is putting the increased cost of our metro cards to good use: Fast Company reports that several stations are getting a high-tech new amenity. The agency has hired a design firm, Control Group, to design and install 90 touchscreen map kiosks across the subway system, starting later this year.

Just like with the subway pole, however, it's a bring-your-own-Purel situation.

To use the kiosks, you'll simply click on your destination and point of origin then abracadabra, your route will appear. Not only will this leave many more maps for NYU freshmen looking to decorate their dorms, the touchscreens will also keep riders updated on delays. No longer will you have to interpret announcements that sound like, "The [mumble mumble] train isn't running; for alternatives, please take the [mumble mumble]."

Best of all: Each kiosk will produce a little halo of Wifi. Finally a way to watch Netflix while you wait for that 2 a.m. N train! (Maybe keep your eyes peeled for would-be muggers, though.)

These machines are also yet another chance for the MTA to make a buck off of ads, of course. Then again, the agency needs some sort of revenue stream for their upkeep, since everything underground is apparently treated as a urinal.

(h/t Gizmodo)

(Photo: IMGUR)

A billboard in the Union Square station is kind of like the Inception of Internet references, collecting every advertiser's notion of what is cool/hip on the web and slapping it onto one delightful subway ad.

First, the ad is for Seamless, a website popular with hipsters and shut-ins and hipster shut-ins that delivers food straight to your door. Secondly, the ad references not only Reddit, but sub-reddits, which is like--whoa, dude. These ad guys "get" me.

Last but not least, it references Seamless users' penchant for customized “special instructions" such as, "I smoked mad weed and I got a new video game so don't break your balls getting here." We're pretty sure that's a shout out to our post, The Most Glorious Special Instructions Customers Have Requested on Seamless. (Maybe not, but we'll take it!)

The only thing that could make this more acceptably Internetty is it was a GIF. Maybe better to save that for the Bedford L stop.

Who to blame? Banks, according to one transit official, who told The New York Times yesterday that lack of distribution of NFC-enabled cards means that the MetroCard won't go completely out of service until 2019:

“We originally thought that these contactless cards, distributed by banks, would be widely distributed and in wide use today,” Michael DeVitto, executive vice president in charge of fare collection for New York City Transit, told the authority’s committee on capital program oversight on Monday. “That’s not the case.”

And so we're all doomed to spend another six years calculating how many dollars to add to our regular MetroCards if we're ever going to run the balance down to zero.

Katie Couric in Warby Parker. (Photo: Facebook.com)

Rose-Colored Glasses Warby Parker just released its annual report for 2012, and it's a pretty fun slideshow to click through. The glasses empire now has 113 full-time employes and 42 part-time employees. Of those bespectacled folks, 108 have company-sponsored gym memberships. In other Warby Parker health news, 2,507 pounds of salad were eaten in the office this year. Although there are not too many exact sales figures in the package (besides the fact that 296 monocles were sold this year) a diagram on the last page shows that sales from the first quarter of the year to the last one have nearly tripled. Warby Parker says it gave out 250,000 pairs of glasses this year, some of which went to victims of Hurricane Sandy.

G Train Still Lost Forever If you take the Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 trains, you already know what time your train is coming based on the large signs that tell you. In December, the MTA released an iOS app to tell you the subway times. But now the MTA is providing a web app, as well as a native iPhone app, so that you can know what time your train is coming before you get to the station. The web app is located at onthego.mta.info and has real-time updating data for all of your arrival times. Most importantly, the MTA has decided to release the data behind the app to developers. Let's hope someone whips up something cooler than this thing.

Fund This Office Kickstarter will soon be moving to into its new Greenpoint offices in the former home of the Eberhard Faber Pencil Co. Renovations to the space began in the summer, and renderings of the new office were released yesterday and then swiftly taken down. The gorgeous plans show that the former factory will contain a lot of rooms, including a theater, an art gallery, a lounge, a library, a green roof and a cafeteria. Oh yeah, and offices too--have to do work at some point.

Thinkers Posthumously Fill in the Rap Deets Rap Genius is speeding right along on its quest to become the Talmud of the Internet. John Wesley, back from the grave, now has an account to comment on the teachings of the bible. And none other than Samuel Johnson is reading between the lines on some of Shakespeare's juiciest bits. Now if we could only get Heidegger to fill us in on some 2 Chainz lyrics, we'd be all set.

Whistle While You Cowork An article published yesterday on FastCompany has some interesting stats on coworking. The piece says that "50% of all coworkers access their work space around the clock" and that "71% report a boost in creativity since joining a coworking space." Secret Clubhouse, the coworking space originally established by The Barbarian Group cofounder Rick Webb, gets highlighted in the article as well. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the space served as a functional workplace for employees from all over the city.

LinkedIn for the Klout Enthusiast A new jobs site launched today that takes your personal connections into account when matching you up with jobs. CareerSonar is a site that matches the employment history of your friends with every job available online and shows you which jobs you could be connected to. In the "it's who you know" world, this might make the most sense for looking for a job online.

Girl Put Your Records On(line) Accessing your medical records online is an impossibility right now, but the NYC-based New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) and Health 2.0 are trying to fix that. Yesterday, the two organizations launched the Patient Portal for New Yorkers Design Challenge. They are looking for designers and developers to create a prototype for a website for patients to access their medical records online. This seems like something important!

Jerseylicious Accelerator Wants You TechLaunch, New Jersey’s premier Technology Accelerator, is now accepting applications for its 2013 class. The program is slated to begin in May and will culminate in mid-September with a Demo Day at Montclair State University. The teams that make it past the selection process will join the class and will each receive up to $25,000 of seed capital.

Be an Average Boyfriend The Netflix for fancy flowers, H.Bloom, has recently announced the launch of a special Valentine's Day service its calling "H.Bloom Hero." It allows men to become "heroes" by scheduling flowers to be delivered to their loved ones on Valentine's Day. Not sure if that makes a guy a hero or just a subpar boyfriend, but we're all just taking what we can get at this point, right?

Better Gets Better Betterment, the personal investing startup that helps users manage stocks-and-bonds portfolios from an online dashboard, hit a milestone last week, topping $100 million in assets under management. That was cause to celebrate and also for a minor redesign. "We have a dashboard screen on the wall that shows our assets under management and how they grow each day,” said CEO Jon Stein in an email. “We've finally had to adjust the font because the number wouldn't fit anymore."

Hipster Becomes the Man AOL is switching things up a bit and poaching one of its mobile employees for its venture fun. Doug Ludlow, the former CEO of the AOL-acquired photosharing startup Hipster, is leaving AOL's mobile side to become the first innovation partner at AOL Ventures. The title is extremely unclear, but it's understood that Ludlow will be spending a bit more time back in New York and getting out of AOL Ventures' Palo Alto headquarters.

Because Tweetdeck Popups Suck Rapportive, the add-on that replaces Gmail's ads with information about your contacts, has just launched an early version of Twitter integration to its service. The update lets you follow, reply and retweet your contacts from within Gmail.  You can request early access to the feature here.

Except, maybe not! Programmer Alex Barkan set out recently to study service disruptions on a handful of subway lines, culling two years of MTA announcements from Twitter, and expressing service disruptions in a data visualization.

What he found? That the G train compared favorably to the F, B, L and Q trains: less likely to suffer service disruptions, skip stations or run in segments. And before you argue that those numbers are skewed because the G services fewer stations: Stop it. Mr. Barkan factored the number of stops along each line into calculations.

So why is the change so often derided? Mr. Barkan has some theories, touching on the late-night lifestyles of G train-riders, lack of convenient alternatives and long wait times. Also, this:

Some of the G train stops are packed with rats. An extra minute there is more excruciating compared to a station that merely smells like piss, or is perhaps outdoors.

Or it could be our urbane friends in neighborhoods from Carroll Gardens to Fort Green, Williamsburg and beyond, simple need to grow up, and come to grips that in this life, sometimes you just have to wait.

(Mehreen Zama/Instagram)

Microsoft has chosen the Times Square-to-Grand Central shuttle to launch an advertising campaign for the Surface, and it's a full-on assault: not only did the company install video screens to loop an ad for the tablet computer, but it painted entire cars flamboyant pink, the same color, Mashable points out, as the double duty screen protectors/keyboards that Microsoft calls Touchcovers.

The sight of which can only recall an old Betabeat favorite: Steel Magnolias.