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).
President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have discussed Taiwan, artificial intelligence and security issues in a call meant to demonstrate a return to regular leader-to-leader dialogue between the two powers.
April is Earth month, and while the green revolution might feel far away, the founder of climate VC Siam Capital says it’s on it’s way, and, even better: it won't cost you more.
From snow in April to heatwaves in December, it’s hard to plan a trip in a climate change world. Startup Sensible Weather thinks weather-based travel reimbursements are the solution.
Between corporate debt and the widening gap between ‘the haves and the have nots,’ there are reasons to be cautious about the economy, even with interest rate cuts on their way.
If the A.I. hype hasn’t given you enough of a reason to be excited (and a little terrified), the CEO of Zapata AI says the next frontier is designing bridges or creating pharmaceutical drugs.
Stocks are near record highs, inflation is moderating, and analyst Deiya Pernas is 'optimistic' the U.S. is heading for a soft landing without a recession – which is good news for your wallet.
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin loved pulling pranks, so much so they began rolling outlandish ideas every April Fools' Day not long after starting their company more than a quarter century ago.
