On July 25, data fans rejoiced when New York City government opened up a gigantic amount geospatial data to the public. The dataset, PLUTO, is “a real-world version of SIm City” based on tax lot data (it sounds less interesting than it is). Now, maps based on PLUTP are hitting the web—and these are some of the coolest.
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You can tell from the construction
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Mayor Bloomberg’s government is often finding ways to keep The Big Apple as connected to the internet as can be. Today, in an effort to bring more connectivity options to its residents (and tourists), the City of New York announced that it’s teaming up with Cablevision and Time Warner Cable to add WiFi hotspots to 32 parks across the five boroughs. Of course, these will be available in addition to free services already provided by companies such as AT&T in select parts of the city.
Unlike with similar offerings, however, these new hotspots will require potential users to be Cablevision Optimum Online or Time Warner Cable broadband subscribers in order to get free access. Those who have the proper credentials will be able to connect gratis via a WiFi-enabled device anytime, while non-subscribers can do so at no cost for up to 30 minutes every 30 days, or for 99 cents per day. The full list of participating NYC parks can be found after the break, and fret not if your favorite didn’t make it — we’re told WiFi is “coming soon” to more locations.
Filed under: Wireless, Internet
Source: NYC Parks
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Solar Impulse has successfully hopped its way across the US, completing the final leg of its journey from Washington Dulles International Airport. While today marks the end of the effort at New York’s JFK airport as expected, the solar-powered aircraft landed a roughly three hours early — this, due to an eight-foot tear in its left wing discovered over Toms River, New Jersey. According to the crew, the breakage posed no significant threat to pilot André Borschberg, but it did mean a planned fly-by of the Statue of Liberty had to be nixed.
If you’ll recall, this was the first US-based trip for Solar Impulse, which the team used largely to raise further awareness about energy efficiency. Aside from that, you can bet some extra publicity can’t hurt before a future model is set to make a flight across the world in 2015. Relive Solar Impulse’s Across America start at Mountain View, CA here and get more info about the full endeavor at the source link. Livestream wrap-up embedded after the break.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Solar Impulse
New Yorkers are notoriously proud of their city, and what better way to show hometown love than with a .nyc address? According to Mayor Bloomberg’s official Twitter account, that will soon be possible for Big Apple residents. The just-launched website for the “ultimate New York City address” (har, har) says the top-level domain will help local businesses’ visibility in search results, in addition to eliminating all doubt as to where you reside. “Businesses, organizations and residents” will be eligible for the TLD, with registration beginning in late 2013. When it launches, .nyc will be the first city in the United States to receive a geography-based domain. Did you think New York would settle for anything less?
Filed under: Internet
Source: .NYC, @MikeBloomberg
Too good for the Jitney? Uber has a special one-time offer that might be up your diamond-strewn alley. From 12PM to 8PM this Wednesday, Uber will be providing $3,000 helicopter rides to the Hamptons to promote its new summertime service in the exclusive Long Island enclave. If you’re located in New York City, an SUV will whisk you to the most conveniently located helipad, where your flying chariot will await. Once you land, another SUV will be at the ready to complete your journey. If you miss out on the extremely limited-time offer, fear not. Uber’s new service, also launching on Wednesday, will provide $300 one way trips between NYC and the Hamptons. And when you get there, don’t forget to send Jay Gatsby our regards.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: The Verge
New York City’s Metro Transit Authority is still plugging away on its giant project to bring the 7 train into far west Manhattan, and the scope of the construction is just as awe-inspiring as ever. The MTA just put out a crop of new pictures on Flickr, and we just can’t help but see a slight comparison to a certain, classic Half-Life level of old.
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Bike sharing systems like New York’s Citi Bike may be taking off, but it’s doubtful that many participants can find every station without checking a map. Thankfully, Adafruit has unveiled a smart helmet project that could help at least a few of those riders get to their destinations while keeping their eyes on the road. The DIY effort feeds locations to an Arduino-based Flora board and its positioning add-ons, which in turn use a string of NeoPixel LEDs on the helmet as turn indicators. Commuters just have to watch for blinking lights to know where to go next. While the system isn’t easy to set up when cyclists have to manually enter coordinates, it is flexible: the open-source code lets it adapt to most any bike sharing system or headpiece. As long as you can get over looking like a Christmas tree on wheels while you navigate, you can build a smart helmet of your own using the instructions at the source link.
Filed under: GPS, Transportation, Alt
Source: Adafruit
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