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Airbnb works with NYC offering free housing to Sandy victims

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, more than 100,000 East Coasters have been left homeless and scrambling to find shelter. And, it gets worse -- today another storm is hitting the region bringing more freezing rain and wind.

So, New Yorkers will most likely welcome the news that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced today that the city's government will partner with Airbnb to offer Sandy victims free temporary housing.

"Airbnb is now enabling people to offer space to those in need -- absolutely free. People who wish to share their space at no cost to guests … Read more

The 404 1,084: Where we get our dates right (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Rounding up Google I/O Day One: Hands on with the Nexus 7, seeing the world through Google Glasses, a closer look at the Nexus Q, and all the goodies from Google Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean."

- How major media outlets confirm celebrity deaths.

- Food porn pictures are making you fat.

- Pictures of Asians taking pictures of food.

- Back to the Future hoax separates the fans from the posers.

Video voicemail: St. Paul from Kevin brings hackers into Google's self-driving cars.… Read more

The 404 1,070: Where we fatten them up and move them out (podcast)

We've arrived at the last episode of The 404 Minority Report, so we have an extra long show for you today starting with a long overdue discussion about Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban of 16 ounce sugary drinks in New York. He started with banning smoking in beaches and parks, then moved onto limiting trans fat in restaurant, and now he hopes to enact large-scale portion control of any sweet drinks more than16 ounces in bodegas and street carts.

No word yet on how this will affect Big Gulps at the 100 7-11 stores opening up in the city this year, but we have questions about who will enforce the laws, how it will (or won't) change dietary habits, and whether or not Joseph will still have access to his 25.4 ounce Gatorade.… Read more

In tech, N.Y. wants to be king of the hill, top of the heap

NEW YORK--There are no tech companies from the Big Apple that compares with Apple.

New York has yet to produce anything on par with Google, Netflix, Intel, eBay, or Facebook. All those companies were either founded or are based in Silicon Valley. But civic and business leaders in New York want to change that. They say that recently, the nation's largest metropolis has become much more attractive to the tech community and more start-ups are here than ever.

At a panel discussion Tuesday in the city's Chelsea District that included venture capitalists, and representatives from the city as … Read more

Amazon tests mobile in-app purchases, Bloomberg says

Amazon is holding trials for a service that lets consumers pay for additional services or features through a mobile application, a burgeoning business called in-app purchases.

The service is being tested by Skimble, which sells physical fitness programs and has been involved with the pilot program for about a month, according to Bloomberg.

Such a move would put Amazon even more directly at odds with Apple and Google in the mobile world. Amazon already offers a competing application store that sells apps for Google's Android operating system (Apple's App Store is closed to outside vendors). The capability could … Read more

The 404 925: Where Justin is a son of a beach (podcast)

Bridget Carey just got back from the launch of the iPhone 4S at the Apple store here in Manhattan, so we pull her into the studio to tell us about all the kooks lined up for first dibs.

Despite all the problems users are experiencing with iOS 5 updates, everyone in line at the store left with a 4S, though Bridget tells us not many users were anxious to test out Sprint or Verizon's network. Where's Wilson today? Guess.… Read more

EV battery capacity glut could benefit consumers

Makers of lithium ion electric-vehicle batteries worldwide are outpacing EV automakers in terms of manufacturing capacity.

This is likely to result in a temporary idleness on the part of some factories by 2013, according to a report released today by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The report (only available to BNEF subscribers) shows it's simply a matter of doing the math based on manufacturers' reports and commitments worldwide from both the auto and battery industries.

Automakers are expected to produce roughly 839,000 plug-in EVs worldwide by 2013, which in turn will drive lithium ion EV battery demand to 18 … Read more

The 404 892: Where estamos agradecidos de haber sobrevivido el huracan Eirene (podcast)

Hurricane Irene is over, but all we have to show for it is the five extra pounds we each gained from eating non-perishable foods (read: Dominos) all weekend.

The storm left tons of buildings, roads, and trees damaged, but the award for "Worst Irrevocable Damage" goes to Mayor Bloomberg for "trying" to address the Spanish-speaking population in their native language--and the subsequent Twitter parody @ElBloombito: "Go to worko. No excuso!"

CNET's own Sharon Vaknin makes her debut on The 404 Podcast today to replace our co-host Jeff Bakalar, who's currently re-evaluating his decision to live in Hoboken, N.J.

Joseph Kaminski from CNET Labs also joins us to discuss the stories of the day, including an app that lets New York drivers sell public parking spots to the highest bidder, a history lesson on the classic Windows XP default wallpaper, a big corporation making money off the hacker group Anonymous, and a secret list of celebrity XXX domain names removed from the adult market.

The 404 Digest for Episode 892

App lets NY drivers sell public parking spots to highest bidder. Ever wonder where the Windows XP default wallpaper came from? "@ElBloombito Twitter page bites back at Bloomberg's Spanglish. Secret list of celebrity .xxx domains removed from market. Time Warner gets royalties on every Anonymous mask worn on TV.

Episode 892 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Essential tech to pack in your Hurricane Irene Go Bag

I need to reprioritize the items in my Hurricane Irene Go Bag. How do I know this? Because this a.m. I found myself struggling to decide which toy my cat would prefer should we be forced to evacuate our home early tomorrow morning.

Before you go planning a disaster movie marathon this weekend, be sure to check out the NYC Hurricane Evacuation Zone map or enter your address in the Zone Finder to see if you live in an evacuation area.

And if you do live in one of the affected areas, you can download apps for both iOS and Android devices that show Doppler radar info, detailed maps, and ongoing weather warnings and satellite images for up-to-date news on the storm. But what should you pack in your emergency "Go Bag"? … Read more