by Bennat Berger | May 16, 2018 | Technology
A “smart city,” as we think of it now, is not a singular, centrally controlled entity but a whole collection of intelligently designed machines and functions. Essential aspects of city life like traffic flow, energy distribution, and pedestrian behavior will one day...
by Bennat Berger | Apr 10, 2018 | Technology
For an entertaining time that’s essentially NYC, you can do no better than a show on Broadway. While many other pre-internet forms of entertainment fall by the wayside, the Broadway box office is thriving, with the 2016-17 season (running from May to May) the highest...
by Bennat Berger | Mar 20, 2018 | Technology
When you mention the name Amazon, one of dozens of different ventures may come to mind. Of course, there’s the website that started it all, with convenient two-day shipping and a seemingly infinite selection of goods. Maybe you think of the high-quality content...
by Bennat Berger | Mar 20, 2018 | Technology
“Truth is stranger than fiction.” One would think Mark Twain’s famous rule would apply to New York City as much, if not more than, any place else in the world. But when it comes to science fiction, oddly it doesn’t. The internet is full of articles about sci-fi movies...
by Bennat Berger | Mar 12, 2018 | Culture, Current Events, Technology
If you’re anything like me, you’re equal parts fascinated and befuddled by the evolving world of cryptocurrency, and Bitcoin in particular. For those of us used to paper and plastic, the idea of a decentralized, digital payment can seem pretty pie in the sky. But many...
by Bennat Berger | Jan 19, 2018 | Technology
Electric vehicles (EVs) have been around for more than a century, but have only been recently adopted as the vehicle of the future. Their rise comes as more people become conscientious about the devastating effects of fuel emissions and seeking out alternative fuel...
by Bennat Berger | Jan 2, 2018 | Culture, Current Events, Technology, Urban Planning
Technology has brought us countless conveniences. Order an Uber with a few clicks. Tell Alexa you want a pizza. Let Google Assistant direct you to the nearest coffee shop. All that’s nice, isn’t it? But tech can (and is) doing much more important things. One crucial...
by Bennat Berger | Nov 16, 2017 | Culture, Current Events
New York City’s bizarre Cabaret Law was finally laid to rest on Halloween, at the ripe old age of 91. Cause of death? Common sense. The law, enacted in 1926 (i.e., at the height of Prohibition, as well as the Harlem Renaissance), infamously prohibited dancing in bars...
by Bennat Berger | Oct 2, 2017 | Culture, Urban Planning
There is no one way to think about a city. But one thing, until recently, has been certain: cities aren’t thinking about you. The idea of conscious cities challenges the assumption that cities are thoughtless spaces, or stationary backgrounds for busy urbanites to...
by Bennat Berger | Sep 19, 2017 | Technology
Seniors and disabled people have specific living space challenges. Luckily, technology makes things easier. When it comes to safety and accessibility, not all homes are created equal. In fact, a recent New York Times article highlights the difficulties of “aging in...
