On Gear Live: Circuit Breaker: The Tech Newsletter that Elevates Your Gadget Game

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Pod Hotel, Inexpensive Travelers Friend

Pod HotelEver get ticked off at the airport because of a delayed or canceled flight and have to crash there (no pun intended)? There is hope for travelers with the Pod Hotel. $89.00 buys you 7 x 12 feet of sleep space with climate control, an iPod docking station, wireless internet, and LCD TV with no remote. The down side is that you have to share bathrooms, you cannot smoke in them, and there is not much moving around space. Originating in Japan as far back as 1979, they are now available in London and Amsterdam, having been built early this year, as well as one in New York City that was built last year. There are now plans for expansion which sounds to us like a great idea for a budding entrepreneur.

Read More | the Pod Hotel

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‘Sex and the City’ Movie Books Big Guest Star

Sex & the City cast

Little by little, news on the upcoming Sex and the City movie has made its way into the press. The latest rumor mill suggests that not only will the much-anticipated flick contain Mr. Big (Chris Noth), but a truly big guest star as well.

New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, will play himself in the movie, which is set primarily in Manhattan. The mayor will appear at Bryant Park in Manhattan for a night scene, but the mayor’s camp isn’t releasing any more details than that. Filming on the movie began in September, and recent shots from the set show that at least some part of the movie will take place in winter. Former NYC mayor Ed Koch made an appearance on the HBO TV series during his New York reign.

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Rideamigos Saves Time and Money

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Internet, Transportation,

Rideamigos logo

Worried about a possible NYC tie-up with all the taxi problems of late? Rideamigos helps you carpool when in the big city once or 3 times a week, or for special occasions such as sporting events, airport transportation, or concerts. Pick your time and place online, then search for your amigo/amiga to share the ride. You can save time, money and reduce pollution at the same time. The service is also available in San Francisco, Chicago and LA.

 

Read More | Rideamigos

Federal Judge Okays NYC GSP

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: GPS, Transportation,

DescriptionFederal Judge Richard M. Berman has decided to go along with the new law in NYC that GPS must be installed in all taxis, effective today. We originally told you that the cabbies were not thrilled having to follow the ruling because they felt the tracking was too much of an invasion of their privacy. Some of the drivers went as far as a two day protest last month. Head of the city’s law office, Michael Cardozo, said the decision was a “satisfying legal victory and a victory for all taxi passengers who will enjoy the benefits of these service improvements.” Living in a state that almost shut down today, some of us hope that the problem is soon solved to satisfy both sides in the next go-round October 10.

Read More | ABC

NYC Cabbies Stage Strike

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: GPS, Misc. Tech, Transportation,

NYC CabLast month we told you about NY cabbies who were disgruntled about the new requirement that all taxis have GPS and touchscreen monitors that allow customers to pay by credit card. Yesterday began a two day strike that showed that the drivers were serious in their threats about suffering a lack of privacy with the new rule. Backed by The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, it wasn’t apparent how many took part in the strike and the ramifications of the opposition remain to be seen since other groups opposed the strike.

Read More | ABC

NYC Taxi GPS: More Income or Invasion of Privacy?

NYC TaxisBeginning October 1, 13,000 New York City taxi drivers must have GPS touch-screen monitors installed that allow passengers to check out the news, find entertainment and restaurant information, and pay their fare by credit card. However, the Taxi Workers Alliance claims that GPS devices, because they can track the cabbies, would be an invasion of drivers’ privacy. Taxi officials feel that the systems will boost ridership as well as drivers income since no cash is involved, but the TWA is considering a potential work stoppage in September if the city decides to go through with the it, unless there is a compromise with the GPS part of the plan.

Read More | CNN

New York Cabbies Get Touchy About Touch-Screens

Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: GPS, Transportation,

NYC Cab Touch ScreenLast week, New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a plan to install touch-screens in all 13,000 city cabs. The monitors not only let riders pay via credit card, but include GPS technology and info about bars and restaurants. However, many drivers oppose the plan, due to the cost of the screens, credit card fees, and time lost if the monitor needs repair. Some cabbies are even concerned about the GPS tracking their routes (the Taxi Commission states that only pickup and drop-off locations will be recorded). The vehicles will be upgraded starting October 1.

Read More | MSNBC

The End Score Report 005: Kentucky Derby, Alex Rodriguez, Keyshaun Johnson, Sydney Crosby

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Athletes, Editorial, Kudos, NBA, News, NFL, NHL, Videocasts,

In this edition of the End Score Report, Dan Devone gives his take on the latest news from the world of sports:

  • Kentucky Derby: Horses built and bred to run, what we feel about it. Dan is pulling for Scat Daddy.
  • April-Rod: Alex Rodriguez can’t be Mr. April in NY and have success. He has to be in it for the long haul.
  • Keyshaun Johnson, the Mouth of the South.
  • Sydney Crosby: The second coming of Wayne Gretzky, Crosby is going to bring attention back to the NHL and hockey.
  • Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks: Dirk needs to take the Mavs to the Promiseland, and start going to the hoop to start making moves. You can’t be a 7-foot tall jumper.

Agree or disagree? Let us know your thoughts on the End Score forums.


How President Bush Can Predict the Ending of “I Love New York”

I Love New York

Oh, yeah, I’m going to make this work.  Now, if you’re not familiar with the show, “I Love New York” is not a show wherein people from the South express their adoration for the city I call home while secretly hating it and using the term “Yankees” (the people, not the team) as a curse word.  No, it’s VH1’s “celebreality” (as they feel the need to call it) show about the search for love by Tiffany Pollard aka New York, the two time runner-up of “Flavor of Love,” the dating show staring rapper/timepiece enthusiast Flava Flav and a whole lot of rejects from your local strip clubs, street corners, and free clinics.  New York, who at times has been compared in appearance to a transvestite (in my apartment, anyway), has a gaggle of guys from which to choose, all of whom she has given helpful nicknames like “Pootie” and “12 Pack,” and each week she keeps some and lets the rest go.
At this point in the thrilling competition, our “girl” New York is down to just two dudes, “thuggish” Chance (whose band name is so dumb that I won’t repeat it here for fear of Google forever linking my name and it) and “ninja turtle lookalike” Tango (who, we learned this week, cannot do the tango well, which may mean he’s a fan of Sylvester Stallone when he costars with Kurt Russell).  Whom will she choose now, only to be broken up with at the time of the reunion?  We’ll all find out in two week when the show reaches it’s probably-not-that-thrilling conclusion.

Click to continue reading How President Bush Can Predict the Ending of “I Love New York”


Last Chance to Enter Google Code Jam 2006

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Google, Internet, PC / Laptop,

codejam

Can you beat 16,000 other competitors with your programming skills? Today is your last chance to enter the global Google Code Jam 2006 (registration closes 9:00 am tomorrow morning). The top 100 finalists get an all expense paid trip to the NYC engineering office and will compete in the October finals. Win that and you get $10,000 and “bragging rights”. So why are you still reading this?

Read More | Google Code Jam via GoogleBlog


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