If you’re in New York City, pick up a copy of the NY Daily News today. I’ve done a nice little roundup on budget gadgets that are perfect for the holidays. Thanks to the NYDN for giving us a shout out. If you’d like to read it online, the link is below.
Ever since that damn Transformers movie, car manufacturers just can’t get enough of displaying their new cars as dancing robots. Of course, it’s hard to forget Citroen’s line of commercials, which began in 2004 (prior to Michael Bay’s film) and since then has multiplied.
The latest in Citroen’s line of cars-gone-robots is the C4. By C4, I don’t mean the New Look Citroen C4, I’m referring to its alter ego, the robot in the video dancing through New York City to a terribly remixed Bee Gees track. Why must people always taint the Bee Gees?
Technology helps prevent crime. That’s a no-brainer. London’s use of CCTV has turned the city into a near police state and GPS has led to more arrests for car theft. As of yesterday, New Yorkers will be able to send text messages, picture messages and video to 911 and 311. This will enable citizens to report crimes of all types, as well as provide evidence so the police ultimately have less work to do. By next year, images and video sent to 911 will be pushed to patrol cars and will be used as evidence in trial. All in all, the technology only took about 18 months to develop and cost $250,000.
While I find this to be a great improvement to public safety, it also makes me weary of my privacy. What if someone is drinking in public and they get snapped by an angry friend? Not good.
Tuesday night at the National Clean Energy Summit, Mayor Bloomberg of New York City expressed his vision of a cleaner more green New York. He urged the need for energy-efficient design and proposed alternative methods of obtaining power, whether it be by wind or solar means. He goes as far as suggesting to add wind turbines to both the Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building, a move that would dramatically change the NYC skyline.
But with good intentions, Bloomberg hopes to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the city by 30% before 2030 making New York the cleanest air of any large American city. Our hats are off to you Mr. Bloomberg, we wish more leaders cared about our well-being as much as you do.
How often do city dwellers get the chance to see a wonder of nature such as the waterfall? Not often enough. I live about 45 minutes from NYC, and I can tell you first hand that the city is magical. It has mostly everything someone could want, and then some. While Central Park provides tourists with a dose of greenery, there is something missing in the water department that can’t be solved by the surrounding Hudson River.
New York’s Public Art Fund has launched a product which will change the landscape of the city from July to October this year. They’ll be installing man-made waterfalls in three locations around the city; lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and on the north shore of Governors Island. These installations will include 90 to 120-feet tall cascading falls and will operate from 7 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, lit after sunset for an even more impressive and beautiful effect. (more…)
