Never be bikeless again, jort-wearers of the world. In conjunction with the city’s (er, Citi’s) upcoming bike share program, Belgian company WebComrades has released a new app creatively called NYC Bike Share that shows available bikes in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. It’s free on both iPhones and Android devices. Read More
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. Read More
If New York Tech Day event co-founder John Peterson had to summarize his event in one word, it would be “massive.” And it sounds like he’s not exaggerating, given these stats: there will be 400 startups sprawling across 75,000 square feet that will be judged, scrutinized and questioned by nearly 10,000 attendees.
That’s a big jump in space and number of attendees from last year, an excited Mr. Peterson told Betabeat by phone. The event sprouted from an idea conceived by his business partner Alec Hartman, who decided that there should be a business expo designed specifically for startups. “It came to the point we had to do it,” he said. Read More
Leave it to the NYPD to make an Android phone useful for more than countless Snapchats. More than 400 smartphones have been distributed to officers since last summer as part of a pilot program to make it easier for them to access police data on-the-go, reports the New York Times. Read More
If there’s one takeaway from last night’s New York Tech Meetup, it’s that people’s organizational skills are only as good as the apps they use.
The first app of note to present was TeuxDeux, a “simple, designy to-do app” that wants to disrupt the world of lists. Presented by creator Tina Roth-Eisenberg (a.k.a @swissmiss to her 350,000+ followers), the app is an elegant, responsive and minimalist approach to organizing your day. Just enter the tasks you want to accomplish and mark them off as you complete them. However, if you miss a task, like doing laundry, it’s automatically transferred to the next day and on and on until its completed. (One person near us remarked that it’s “beautiful.”) The subscription-based app is currently only available for iPhones. Read More
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. Read More
Senator Chuck Schumer dropped an interesting factoid this morning at a breakfast co-hosted by The Association for a Better New York and the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association. Mr. Schumer was there to discuss recently authorized recovery funding for Hurricane Sandy, but offered some remarks on the state of New York’s tech industry.
During the Q&A period, Dawn Barber, cofounder of the New York Tech Meetup, asked Mr. Schumer what he thought of the role of the technology community would play in the city’s future. Read More
After years of being besieged by useless infographics, we almost forgot how arresting data can be when displayed compellingly. Rich Block Poor Block has been around since at least last month, but we just discovered the site ourselves via Upworthy, the Chris Hughes-backed aggregator founded by Eli Pariser and Peter Koechley, alums from MoveOn and The Onion. Read More
The robot couldn’t get a permission slip to attend last night’s New York Tech Meetup, but the audience was still treated to some wow-factor technology. Read More
Hack of the month, or hack of all time? CouchCachet is a social app that scours your neighborhood for cool events, then lies to your friends and says you’re at all of them. “While you’re home on a Friday night,” Brian Fountain said last night at the New York Tech Meetup. “Couch Cachet will Read More
