nyc

Craving NYC: A double feature of gaming tournaments

So, that Grindhouse flick has made the phenomenon of the 'double feature' totally cool again, and lucky for me, I was able to hit up a double feature of casual gaming competitions last weekend. In this edition of the Craving NYC video blog is a look at a Cooking Mama: Cook Off tournament at the Nintendo World store, to commemorate its launch for the Wii; and a Guitar Hero II showdown at NYCLAN, a video gaming center in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood. (I wrote about their Halo players a few months ago.) It was really cool to see the … Read more

Craving NYC: Dancing with the robotic stars

Everybody loves robots, despite what Mike Yamamoto may tell you. And these crazy musical robots at LEMURplex in Brooklyn are especially cool. These homemade 'bots are controlled by a single Mac, according to LEMURplex's Eric Singer. Cool stuff. Check out the video to see them in action. Happy watching!

Click here for previous episodes of Craving NYC.

Craving NYC: The ups and downs of green building

Green tech is red-hot: just ask Al Gore's Oscar. So this week, I decided to take a look at how some people are living green by moving into specifically eco-friendly buildings like The Solaire in lower Manhattan. I met with Anthony Pereira, president of altPOWER, which supplied the Solaire with its photovoltaic solar energy system. So, what are the pros and cons of environmentally-friendly high-rises? Just push "play."

PS: On my computer in the background, you can see my latest obsession: the Electric Sheep open-source screensaver by Scott Draves. Check it out!

Craving NYC: Comics, cosplayers and pillow fights

OK, so I'm delinquent this week. The Craving NYC video blog usually goes up on Wednesdays, but it's...Friday. Oops. I don't even have a good excuse, either. But next week we should be back to our regular Wednesday time slot.

This week's adventure takes place primarily at the New York Comic Convention. I thought I'd share some of the weirdest highlights with you. And considering it's a comic convention, the weirdest highlights are pretty freaking weird.

Click here for previous episodes of Craving NYC.

Craving NYC: Why did the iPod cross the street?

Well, this week we're doing something a little different with the video blog--not only do I experiment with taping in our lovely CNET lounge, but I also run around with the camcorder, catch my co-workers off guard, and ask them stuff about a pretty hot topic in local tech.

A New York state senator, Carl Krueger, D-Brooklyn, is introducing legislation that will effectively ban the use of iPods, cell phones, BlackBerrys, PSPs, and so on, while crossing city streets. Naturally, some people have some relatively interesting stuff to say about it all.

Bonus points if you can name the … Read more

Craving NYC: Diet Coke + Mentos = Profit

Here are 5 reasons why I know you want to watch this week's video blog:

1. I get chased by some weird cartoon monsters. Yes, I know there's a name for those guys, but I can't remember what it is.

2. The dreaded cat makes a cameo.

3. You can make fun of how I can't seem to get used to my new haircut.

4. There's no Aqua Teen Hunger Force involved, because I know you're all sick of that.

5. And, um, the real purpose: You can see how those Diet Coke & Mentos … Read more

Craving NYC: Inside Etsy Labs!

If you're tuned into do-it-yourself blogs like Make, you've likely heard about Etsy Labs, the new work and social space opened by online craft marketplace Etsy to give its online community an offline presence. So, thanks to employees Anda Lewis and Mary Andrews, I was able to go on a fun tour of the new facilities and learn about how Etsy Labs fuses its high-tech site with old-school cottage industry. Plus, this video showcases even more of my Mooninite addiction. Mooninites are the new penguins!

And a special reminder: If you're in the NYC area, every Wednesday … Read more

Craving NYC: Vista takes Manhattan

It'd be much cooler if I could say that I crashed the Vista party, but that really isn't true, since I went through the whole press registration process and whatnot. Nevertheless, here is a video recap of what it was like to spend a whole day immersed in Microsoft PR efforts. We're talking aerial dancers, live music performances, Bill Gates, and my favorite part--loads of free food. What an awesome way to spend a freezing January day! No, really, I had a great time...

Special thanks to my fellow Cravers who made cameo appearances: David Carnoy, Rich … Read more

Craving NYC: What New Yorkers don't crave

This blog is called Crave. On it, we write about gadgets and other related goodies that we crave. It's kind of logical, you know?

But this week, my video blog explores some things that we don't crave: namely, the old-school gadgetry that gets dropped off at the Lower East Side Ecology Center's post-holiday electronics recycling drop-off. There's some pretty nutty stuff in there. (Infrared trash cans, anyone?)

Stop by next Wednesday for an all-new urban tech adventure. I'll let you in on a secret: I don't actually know what it's going to be … Read more

Craving NYC: Downtown chic meets Wii Sports

We took a break from Craving NYC last week so that you all could savor the multitude of exciting announcements coming from CES and Macworld. But now that's over, and I have a new video blog adventure to share with you.

Recently, I had the opportunity to check out some high-tech fun at the Hotel Gansevoort, one of those hotspots in the Meatpacking District of downtown Manhattan--you know, the kind of place that shows up in the pages of Us Weekly because of its celebrity clientele. But one thing you don't read about in the gossip columns is … Read more