Urbanite
Internet Week sweeps through New York
Photo credit: 5th Annual Internet Week in New York, 2012. (Getty)
New York’s annual digital confab is set to kick off Monday, as Internet Week sweeps through the city, highlighting the the Big Apple’s leading role in tech and online culture.
The annual weeklong conference, launched in 2008, turns the city into a mecca for the digitally connected, with panels, speeches, demonstrations and more in online business and culture.
Headquartered at the Metropolitan...
Read more »'Star Trek Into Darkness' tops weekend box office
Photo credit: Zachary Quinto, left, as Spock and Chris Pine as Kirk in "Star Trek Into Darkness"
Sci-fi movie "Star Trek Into Darkness" journeyed to the top of weekend box office charts as the latest voyage of the Starship Enterprise pulled in $70.6 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters.
The new 3D installment in the "Star Trek" franchise knocked the mighty "Iron Man 3" to second place. The superhero sequel from Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios grossed $35.2...
Read more »Retail holds strong in NYC
Photo credit: Shoppers walk down a street in the Soho. (Getty Images)
New York City added 4,700 retail jobs in the first quarter of 2013, according to a report by Eastern Consolidated.
The retail and restaurant industries added 87,000 jobs combined since 2009.
The report acknowledges that sales volume fell significantly so far this year, but it attributes that to the fact that people have less to spend after the 2012 tax filing season.
“Sales volume...
Read more »City jobless rate hits four-year low
Photo credit: Hundreds of people line up to attend a job fair. (Getty)
New York City's unemployment rate ticked down to 8.4% last month, marking a four-year low in the number of jobless residents.
State data for April released Thursday showed that New York City added 36,500 private- and public-sector jobs from March to April, causing the unemployment rate to drop from 8.9% in March.
Meanwhile, New York City added 82,000 private sector jobs in the 12-month...
Read more »SI lawmakers want more ferry service at night
Photo credit: Staten Island Ferry (Getty Images)
Staten Island's City Council delegation doesn't want ferry riders to wait an hour to get on a boat any longer.
The three Staten Islanders on the Council said legislation will be introduced on Wednesday to ensure that there is ferry service every half-hour, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
That means no more long waits for riders who have the misfortune of barely missing the boat....
Read more »De Blasio unveils proposals to help city's immigrant population
Photo credit: Bill de Blasio (Bill de Blasio's Office)
The city's public advocate unveiled an immigration reform plan Thursday that he said gives hardworking transplants in the Big Apple a chance at living the American dream.
Bill de Blasio, a mayoral candidate, joined several state and city elected officials and made a legislative request for bills that would help all immigrants living in the city, including one that would create a citywide ID...
Read more »NYers' hopes, dreams soar with $550 million Powerball jackpot lure
Photo credit: Shops like this one in Penn Station are swarmed with people buying tickets. (Nancy Borowick)
Why do we do it?
We know the odds of any number of things — being crushed to death by a vending machine (1 in 112 million), becoming homeless (1 in 450) or being struck by lightning (1 in a million so) are far better than our odds of winning the Powerball jackpot (1 in 175 million).
Yet, once the jackpot swells more than $100 million, even the skeptical seem willing to surrender...
Read more »Will Derby champ Orb win Preakness?
Photo credit: Trainer Shug McGaughey walks Kentucky Derby winner Orb. (Getty)
The Triple Crown talk inevitably begins roughly five seconds after the latest 3-year-old wins the Kentucky Derby. This year, it’s trainer Shug McGaughey’s colt Orb who will continue to chase history at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore.
Although he’ll start Saturday’s race from the rail, Orb is capable of getting through the other eight horses in the field. He debuted as the even-money favorite...
Read more »Column: Electric cars charging forward
Photo credit: Consumer Reports gave the Tesla Model S a stellar rating. (Getty)
It’s been a wild couple of weeks for Tesla Motors, the rapidly-growing manufacturer of electric cars.
It became a Wall Street darling after its announced its first-ever quarterly profit, driven by significantly better-than-expected sales. But even more importantly, the highly-influential Consumer Reports named the Tesla Model S luxury Sedan the best car it ever tested, with a stunning 99/100...
Read more »Keith Urban wants to stay on 'American Idol' as fellow judges leave
Photo credit: From left, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj at "Idol" screening. (Getty)
Amid reports of a complete shake-up at the judges table on “American Idol,” first-year judge Keith Urban announced that he wanted to stay on the Fox show.
At Wednesday’s final faceoff between Kree Harrison and Candice Glover, Urban told reporters that he would like to return as a judge next season.
“I mean, I literally enjoy coming to work every day, and that’s a rarity,” he told People...
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