Results tagged “realtime”

At a press conference this morning, MTA executive Elliot Sander announced a "major initiative" that will enable the authority to let riders know how hard their commutes are going to suck with text messaging and email alerts in real time. The MTA has been working toward a real-time update system for several years now, starting out with weekly email updates and sporadic advisories on their website. In a statement, Sander said, "This is a revolutionary step that has the potential to transform the experience our customers have with us."

An attempt by NYC Transit to communicate accurate bus arrival times has been partially abandoned out of concerns that it just was not feasible to accomplish by the MTA. A pilot program has been in place on six separate bus lines, but those notification services have been scrapped because the digital displays at bus stops were just not capable of providing accurate information to riders. While in the planning for a dozen years, the actual equipment wasn't rolled out until this past October. NYC Transit doesn't know when its notification system could come back online.

There’s such a dizzying number of ways to throw money away on New Year’s Eve that it’s always tempting to just stay home and avoid the throngs of staggering amateurs altogether. But what to do about dinner? If you're not in the mood to cook, it's really not such a bad night to sample some of the New Year's Eve restaurant specials, as long as you're willing to a few extra bucks. Rather than deluge you with a mind-numbing list of restaurant recommendations, we’ve winnowed it down to a manageable number of not-outrageously-priced options, all things considered. As of last night all of them were still accepting reservations for the 31st.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a death investigation on Dekalb Ave. in Brooklyn, an unstable building on Cherry St. and Robinson Ave. in Queens, and a homicide on East 29th St. and 5th Ave. in Manhattan.
• Rudy Giuliani and John McCain have different views over torture.
• Texting and talking on the phone are about to be banned in the Garden State.
• It's possible that news of a sniper on the Saw Mill River Parkway was fake.
• Pakistani militants allegedly targeted NYC bridges in 2004.
• The shotgun wound victim from the illegal poker game hold-up died from his injuries.
• A wind advisory blows into the region thanks to Noel.
• Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight.

While hosting a live edition of "Real Time With Bill Maher," a number of 9/11 conspiracy theorists began to shout statements and questions at Bill Maher and guest Chris Matthews. When studio security was slow to respond, Maher left the set himself to remove the disruptive audience member. Other conspiracy theorists continued to interrupt the program by shouting from the audience. Maher yelled back, "This is not a debate. This is a debate between [him and his guests onstage]. You're in the audience. Audience comes from the Latin, 'to listen.'"

Mayor Bloomberg returned from London convinced more than ever that NYC needs to emulate the British capital's "Ring of Steel" surveillance system, which places cameras throughout the city to observe and help identify people in real time. He said that the danger of terrorism necessitated a similar system in New York, where plans are underfoot to install thousands of cameras and license plate readers in downtown Manhattan. "In London, they have two or three cameras on every single subway car, they have two or three cameras on every single bus."

Thousands of cameras, license plate readers, radiation detectors, and street barriers to be installed downtown won't just observe and record the activity of vehicles and individuals, but will be programmed to sound alarms if they spot suspicious activity. The Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, patterned after London's Ring of Steel surveillance system, will place 3,000 cameras below Canal St., install 100 license plate readers at bridges and tunnels and around downtown, locate an undisclosed number of radiation detectors, and embed automatic traffic barriers in city streets. The system will be programmed to detect suspicious behavior.

A look at some noteworthy television this week:

There must be something about the morning shift at WABC. After just four days on the job as the permanent replacement for Steve Bartelstein, Ken Rosato, overslept and was late for the 5 a.m. edition of Eyewitness News. We think it is pretty safe to assume that he just overslept, since he probably hasn’t adjusted his body clock fully to the new hours, and that he wasn’t spending the night out clubbing like his predecessor. We wonder if he brought bagels to smooth things over.

Yesterday, a suicidal man on he George Washington Bridge caused traffic delays up to two hours. Newsday reported that the man was "armed with a box-cutter razor climbed a bridge cable, slashed his arms and wrists repeatedly and threatened to jump," but police officers were able to talk him down. We wrote about New York bridge jumpers last month.

The search is already on to replace Rosie O'Donnell on The View. Rumors are that Rosanne Barr may be first choice to fill the seat. Though Barr was on "Larry King Live" recently and said that she was "not looking for the job," on KVVU-TV in Las Vegas Monday, she seemed to have a change of heart. She told the station, "I'd love it. Yeah, definitely. I think I would do a real good job," adding that she would "stir up some real good controversy." And undoubtedly, some crotch-grabbing.

Last Friday, crowds packed into Studio B to see the NYC return of laptop mashup extraordinaire Girl Talk deliver his most satisfying local set to date. 90 minutes of ADD jamz that kept the capacity crowd moving the entire time. This might sound odd, the best parts of a Girl Talk set are the mixes that don't work perfectly. They're few and far between, but sometimes two songs just don't work together. The remarkable feat is that Gillis is able to quickly realize this and seamlessly correct it right there. It's a reminder that he's not just pressing a button and letting the whole set roll, but is actually constructing these mashups on the fly. Nothing made this clearer than when after trying and failing to somehow successfully mix JT's 'My Love' with a variety of songs, finally hitting gold by matching it with the oh so timeless 'Whoop, There it is.' Ever so subtle, the trial and error made the end result that much more rewarding. Getting a peak inside how his head functions in real time gives an added sense of legitimacy to what is an already amazing performance. (Pic via Ben Shapiro's flickr)

A look at some noteworthy television this week:

10:20AM Rail fixedOf course, it's not clear why the rail was broken - the MTA is investigating. We suspect the C.H.U.D. have developed a taste for iron.

Those of you who are jealous of the real time information boards popping up along the L line, don't worry: The MTA will be rolling out the system to the numbered lines later this year. Which actually means 2008, but progress is progress, even if it's MTA style progress. And as the real time boards are finessed on the L platforms, it seems that the MTA is also bringing back the plans for the RoboTrain. The only thing is, how will the union react?

Reader Ryan sent this photograph of the real time information boards the Bedford stop. Yes, we know the boards are in a testing period and "may not be accurate" yet this forecast of when the L is coming seem all too-familiar. However, when the testing period is over, if people see this displayed, we expect a riot.

Where do the MTA's executive director and the TWU's president lunch? The Old Homestead! The NY Times reveals that Executive Director Elliot Sander ordered the rack of lamb while TWU President Roger Toussaint had the herb-rubbed roast chicken (what, no one ordered the Kobe Beef Hamburger?) and split the bill. If only we were a fly or a cow on the wall! We bet they discussed how much Pataki sucks, how the real time information boards will take forever to install, and how the new subway cars are pretty cool.

The Sun has some hilarious quotes about the new "real time" information signs the MTA has put up in L train stations. Our favorite is from designer Christian Rudder, who said, "If it were conceivable to walk when the wait was going to be long, I might leave. But in Brooklyn, there's no other option, so what's the point of even knowing?" Ha!

Blogs aren’t just for socially-awkward shut-ins anymore and we’ve got proof: many successful, outgoing theater types maintain weblogs. While they don't get as much glory (or contempt) as their influential music-blog counterparts, they do have their dignity. And there's sometimes drama!

This week at the movies, two actors known for their intensity on (and off) screen have new flicks coming out. The Oscar-winning over-reactor Russell Crowe goes the romantic comedy route with about an English businessman softened by life in Provence. With a script by Peter Mayle, a novelist well versed in the French countryside, and direction by Ridley Scott, Crowe as Max Skinner actually comes across as incredibly charming. He's sure to send many loins a fluttering as he woos French hottie, Marion Cotillard on his newly inherited chateau and vineyard. Albert Finney, as his beloved uncle, and Freddie Highmore, as the young Max, also have some very cute exchanges together. All of these elements make for a light but well-made movie, that surprisingly entertaining.

This week, New York focuses on moolah in a number of ways: The difficulties when friends make different amounts of money, five spending diaries of different New Yorkers, a story on a security guard who earns $10/hour, and more. But the real time-sucking feature is the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Cost-of-Living Calculator.

Comedian Dane Cook has a massive following, from his huge record sales to his zillions of MySpace friends. This weekend we'll see if he can extend the brand loyalty to the cineplex, as his first starring role in ). This flick isn't going to end world hunger or stop nuclear proliferation, but it's moderately amusing and worth $10.75 if you're in the mood for a light comedy.

Note from the publisher: today we're announcing a new experimental feature in our Gothamist Labs section: the Gothamist News Map. In nearly real time, it's mapping all the police, fire, and breaking news alerts that we receive from the various wire services. Check it out-- you'd be amazed by all the shootings, suicides, fires, and crane-collapses that you're not hearing about on the 6pm news. Some of the data that comes in is unmappable using our location algorithms-- so we've placed that data in a box at the bottom of the screen-- don't forget to glance at that, because often some of the most interesting stuff is down there.

Wired Magazine's yearly traveling technology shindig, NextFest, plants its roots in NYC this weekend. After starting in San Francisco in 2004 the show finally makes it to NYC. Billed as a WIRED's vision of a new world's fair, here you can

THEATER: P.S. 122’s Fall Season opens tonight with the U.S. premiere of “Tower of Babel” by Dutch artists Lidy Six and Robert Steijn. Running four nights only - for only 25 audience members at a time – the event is described as “a one-of-a kind, full immersion theatre experience”. Each audience member will be personally welcomed with tea and tucked into one of twenty-five individual beds (complete with nightstands). A live VJ and DJ will invoke a dreamlike atmosphere as twenty-five storytellers from around the world share their stories – from personal histories and secrets to myths and folktales – in their native tongues. The stated intent of “Tower of Babel” is to transcend language and “overcome barriers of ‘us and them’ while inventing a new vocabulary for understanding in real time.” The NYC cast includes graduate students, translators, tutors, writers, dancers, a spiritual healer, physical therapist, and a grandmother aged 78. Perhaps the best part is that for once you don’t have to feel guilty for dozing off at the theater.

, that it’s Myron Bolitar’s return, was lost on me since I haven’t read the prior seven books. But if I’ve learned something as a reader, it’s to always branch into genres you haven’t read, because you’ll often be surprised. This adventurous spirit brought me to John Le Carre and Connie Willis and my life – and bookshelves – are the richer for it.

The MTA officially announced that the L train will get "real time" information boards this July. While this is an exciting leap into the future (or recent past, as other subway stations around the world have been using this technology) for the MTA, could this be a way to make L train riders feel better, given all the crap they have to go through? The MTA is looking to bring the technology to 155 other stations - according to the Daily News, the numbered stations will get them (even the 7?) - by the end of 2007. Gothamist thinks that the message boards should also give people coping mechanisms when it says a rush hour train is coming in 5 minutes, as the platforms teems with more and more people. And a fun experiment we look forward to: Measuring the collective grans when the "real estimated arrival time" differs from the actual arrival times - get your digital/synchornizable watches ready.

Gawker is launching their new map feature today. It's a pretty simple concept: each day they'll have an intern manning an email address, and as "Gawker Stalker" missives come in, the intern will plot them on a map. This way, you can stalk your favorite celebrities in real time. Why you would want to stalk Lindsay Lohan is beyond us-- but that's an entirely different story. The new map feature brings up some obvious security and privacy issues. The Daily News gets the requisite PR flack quotes: