Google Maps adds images for three historic parts of New York City (video)

Posted on 29/05/2013 by Jon Fingas

While Google has practically blanketed New York City with eye-level imagery, few would doubt that there's still ground left to cover. The search giant is filling in some of those gaps with new Google Maps galleries for a trio of historic areas. A collaboration with Historypin lets the curious glimpse photos and videos of regions affected by Hurricane Sandy; those who want to visit the 9/11 Memorial, meanwhile, can see Street View panoramas of both the North and South pools. Google is also expanding its Street View coverage of Central Park to include its many legendary trails, not just the roadways. If you've been meaning to pay a virtual tribute to any of these three spots, they're waiting for you at the source links.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Google, Historypin

This is the Modem World: When tech can’t save us from road rage

Posted on 10/04/2013 by Joshua Fruhlinger

Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.

So I'm driving home the other night after a decent day of work, looking forward to a little run, some dinner and maybe a movie. Taking my normal north-south route along Crescent Heights, I listen to Tame Impala to calm the nerves and enter another mental state.

I'm at one of those intersections in which two lanes become one because of a parked car in the right lane ahead. I, being in the right lane, gun it a bit at the start in order to get some distance from the guy on my left.

He's having none of this, apparently.

Turns out my car is faster, though, and I edge him out. I see him wave his arms frantically, shaking them and then applauding.

Filed under: Transportation

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Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile agree to collectively push text-to-911 capabilities by 2014

Posted on 07/12/2012 by Richard Lawler

Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and TMobile agree to collectively push textto911 capabilities by 2014

We've been hearing about new capabilities for emergency 911 services for years, but it looks like the industry is ready to move as one to make text-to-911 a reality across the US. The Big 4 wireless carriers, as well as The 911 Association and the Association for Public-Safety Communications Officials International has submitted an agreement to the FCC that outlines plans to work together on standards, procedures and technology deployments that will provide a "seamless introduction" of the tech across the US.

They're not guaranteeing it will be available everywhere in two years, but the specific signposts noted are support for bounce-back notifications by June 30th, 2013 that tell texters when the service isn't available in their area and a "commitment" to nationwide rollouts by May 15th 2014. So far, efforts to make your thumbs more useful in an emergency have been disjointed, but a concerted effort by industry giants should let you avoid busy signals and dropped calls at the worst possible time sooner rather than later. Check out a press release from the group, as well as a word from the FCC, which will consider the proposal on December 12th, after the break or the agreement itself in PDF form at the source link.

Continue reading Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile agree to collectively push text-to-911 capabilities by 2014

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile

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Source: Voluntary Text Commitment (PDF), FCC

AT&T teams up with the state of Tennessee to start text-to-911 trials

Posted on 06/09/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

Verizon's certainly at the forefront when it comes to involving text-based emergency services with mobile devices in the US, and thus it's natural for rival AT&T to have to keep up in this department -- much like with those Long Term Evolution rollouts. The good news is that AT&T has announced it's partnering with the Tennessee administration in hopes of taking advantage of the state's "next-generation" 911 IP infrastructure; one which has been in the works for a few years now. Naturally, the trials are limited to AT&T subscribers in The Volunteer State, and for those folks the text-to-911 process will be as self-explanatory as it sounds, with the Rethink Possible carrier taking care of all the backend work by sending such messages to emergency call services. While it's indeed only a small chunk of the country, it's definitely a step in the right direction -- that said, only time will tell how efficient this solution can be.

Continue reading AT&T teams up with the state of Tennessee to start text-to-911 trials

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T teams up with the state of Tennessee to start text-to-911 trials originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Porsche 911 Bicycle: Faster Than A Speeding Bullet?

Posted on 25/06/2012 by Range

I’ve never been a fan of those car company branded bikes, like BMW and Ferrari, but this design is kind of interesting since it’s supposed to be made not just for looks, but for speed. It was created by the Netherlands-based designer Bastiaan Kok and was inspired by the Porsche 911.

porsche 911 bicycle

The bodywork of this bike mimics the iconic lines of the famous sports car. It’s got an integrated headlight, as well as a curved top tube and a rear wheel fender that comes complete with a taillight. The handle bar is low, kind of like a time trial bike, and there’s even a place to store your helmet.

porsche 911 bicycle side

It’s supposed to be built from lightweight alloy, but I doubt that this would work well since most high-end bikes are made out of carbon fiber. The design has disc brakes, and that’s a good feature because as fast as this is supposed to go, you’ll need to stop quickly not to crash.

911 bike 3

For now, the 911 Bicycle is only a concept, so you probably won’t be seeing one on the road any time soon.

[via designboom]

Verizon takes the lead on text to 911 services

Posted on 05/05/2012 by James Trew

Verizon takes the lead on text to 911 services

The FCC first outlined its intention to allow texting to emergency services back in 2010, and since then despite more talk of accepting photo and video messages, nothing official came to be. This week, however, Verzion has taken the initiative, and announced its own plans to enable text to 911 for its customers. Working with TeleCommunication Systems, the big red hopes that it can facilitate the sending of SMS messages to emergency call-centers as soon as early 2013. Texting isn't just about adding communication options, it also provides a valuable tool to the deaf, hard of hearing and situations where talking is dangerous, or not possible. The service will use existing CDMA and SMS networks, and therefore should be available to all customers once finally rolled out.

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Verizon takes the lead on text to 911 services originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fanatec’s Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video)

Posted on 27/04/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Around these parts, we're generally suckers for all things related to racing simulators. As such, we're excited to learn that Fanatec has unveiled its next generation of the Clubsport pedals that we reviewed over a year ago. Dubbed as the Clubsport pedals V2, the company refers to the peripheral as an "evolutionary" update to original, offering a trio of improvements. The clutch has been retooled to have a "regressive feel" that's said to be similar to a real automobile, while the brake is now of the hydraulic variety, featuring user replaceable synthetic oil -- naturally, it still has an adjustable spring and load cell pressure sensor for the utmost customizability. The final touch is merely some visual spice in the way of black anodization. Notably, there won't be any tuning kit available initially, and V1 owners might be disappointed to know that the company has opted not to offer an upgrade kit, citing costs and potentially complicated installation. Fanatec is aiming to have the Clubsport pedals V2 out by June, bundled alongside its Clubsport wheel, with pricing set at $250 for the US (€250 in the UK). Pre-orders won't begin until May, so in the meantime, shift over to the source link below and the video past the break for all the details.

Gallery: Fanatec Clubsport pedals V2