Waze Brings Beacon Tech to NYC to Clear Tunnel Congestion
*By Michael Teich*
Waze is rolling out its beacon technology in New York City to improve tunnel navigation and help drivers commute in and out of the Big Apple.
The company is teaming up with New York's MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to install beacons in bridges and tunnels that are used to journey in and out of Manhattan. The launch follows installations in nine other cities around the world, including U.S. cities Chicago, Boston, and Pittsburgh.
"This allows us to basically locate the users inside the tunnels," said head of Waze Beacons Gil Disatnik in an interview on Cheddar Tuesday.
"With the beacons, we are to provide this continuous location throughout the tunnel."
Waze Beacons were invented in-house at Waze, and installations began in 2016. The technology brings navigation to drivers underground where GPS signal is lost. The microcontrollers, which transmit a Bluetooth signal delivering continuous underground coverage, have been added in the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. Waze said nearly 4 million people use its app in New York City, but it does not monetize the beacons.
"There's no financial stake for us in this. We don't make money selling beacons," Disatnik said. "For us, it's really all about making traffic smoother and better for everyone, Waze users and non-Waze users alike. This technology is open for everyone to use."
Google ($GOOGL) acquired Waze in 2013 for $966 million.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/waze-rolls-out-new-tech-in-nyc-to-ease-traffic).
Author of 'Clean Meat,' Paul Shapiro joins Cheddar to discuss how the cellular agricultural revolution helps lower rates of foodborne illness and greatly improves environmental sustainability. Plus, how his company The Better Meat Co. is bringing healthier food options to the table.
Recent headlines might make it sound like World War III is imminent, but when it comes to your finances, it's not the time to panic. The market is coming off its longest winning streak since 2011.
You may have noticed fewer new venture capital-backed startups (like Airbnb or Uber) lately. The market slowed to a crawl after 2021, but things are expected to take off again in 2025.
Corporate earnings season is underway, that time when companies share their billions in sales or double-digit profits. But the data shows even companies are struggling with high inflation and interest rates.
Boeing continues their terrifying trend of having their planes fall apart mid-flight, inflation — checks notes — is still up and the future of AI looks terrifying. Cheery!
Food waste – uneaten scraps or leftovers sent to landfills – is responsible for 10% of global emissions. Mill, a new product from the co-founder of Nest, thinks technology can play a role in eliminating it.
By the time the 2024 election is over, be prepared to see some form of a recession – but this shouldn’t be as bad as what we experienced in 2020 or 2008.
International Master Alice Lee defeated grandmaster Irina Krush to win the American Cup – becoming one of the best women players in the world in the process – but she’s not stopping there.
You can track your sleep habits or heart rate, but how about your brain? Neurable's MW75-Neuro headphones turn your focus and productivity into data you can use to avoid burnout – here's how they do it.
