Tags: New York City

Amazon held its fall hardware showcase in New York City, unveiling a slate of new Kindle e‑readers, Echo speakers and potentially a television. The event followed CEO Andy Jassy’s earlier promise of “beautiful” hardware and highlighted the rollout of Alexa Plus, the company’s latest AI‑driven assistant. While the new devices aim to improve user experience, early impressions noted that Alexa Plus can still be sluggish and occasionally misinterpret commands. The live‑blogged event began at 10 a.m. Eastern, with no video feed provided, and emphasized Amazon’s push to strengthen its hardware ecosystem ahead of the holiday season. Lire la suite

Friend, a wearable AI startup, has poured more than $1 million into a massive subway advertising campaign across New York City. The effort features over 11,000 cards on train cars, 1,000 platform posters and 130 urban panels, creating a dominant visual presence in stations such as West 4th Street. CEO Avi Schiffman told Adweek the campaign is a high‑risk gamble aimed at sparking conversation about the device, which retails for $129. The ads have drawn mixed reactions, including vandalism and criticism from Wired, highlighting the tension between innovative AI products and public concerns about surveillance. Lire la suite

The U.S. Secret Service announced it has confiscated a sophisticated network of SIM servers that could jam cell towers, launch DDoS attacks, and enable encrypted communications across New York City. The operation uncovered more than 300 servers and 100,000 SIM cards, capable of sending 30 million anonymous texts per minute. While investigators have not linked the network to an imminent threat to the upcoming UN General Assembly, they suspect foreign involvement and possible ties to cartel members. The agency continues to probe the network’s purpose and origins. Lire la suite

Waymo is preparing to bring its autonomous robotaxis to Nashville, with initial testing slated for the coming months and full public service expected by 2026. Riders will be able to request rides through the Waymo app, and Lyft will eventually match its users with Waymo vehicles in the city. The company already operates driverless fleets in five U.S. markets and is expanding its footprint to include Denver, Seattle, Miami and Washington, D.C., while also securing test permissions in New York City and conducting early trials in Tokyo with human‑driven cars. Lire la suite

Waymo has received clearance to begin testing robotaxi (autonomous) rides at San Jose Mineta International Airport, marking its first airport service in California. The company plans to move from testing to commercial rides later this year. Waymo previously opened curbside service at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport and expanded to 24/7 operation, reporting hundreds of thousands of trips. Its fleet now exceeds 2,000 vehicles across multiple U.S. markets, and the firm continues to announce expansion to additional cities including Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Miami, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Lire la suite

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous‑driving unit, is rapidly extending its robotaxi service across the United States and abroad. The company announced upcoming operations in Denver and Seattle, early testing in Dallas, and a renewed presence in New York City with autonomous pilots in Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn. Waymo also outlined plans for Washington, DC, and Miami in 2026, while continuing its Tokyo pilot with local taxi partners. New vehicle partnerships—including Jaguar I‑Pace, Zeekr RT, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and a sixth‑generation driver system—are set to broaden the fleet’s capabilities, especially in challenging weather and freeway environments. Lire la suite