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|  MAYOR BLOOMBERG LAUNCHES FOURTH ANNUAL NYC BIGAPPS COMPETITION More Than 350 New Datasets Available, Integration with Other Government and Private Sector Datasets Now Possible Developers Are Challenged to Address Specific Problems Facing New Yorkers, Compete for $150,000 in Prize Money March 19, 2013- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the launch of NYC BigApps 2013, the fourth annual contest for software developers and members of the public to create web or mobile applications using official City data. This year's NYC BigApps competition will build on the tremendous success of the previous three competitions by once again expanding the datasets available and issuing a challenge to create apps that will address major issues facing New York City residents in specific categories. More than 60 City agencies, commissions and Business Improvement Districts have made more than 350 new data sets available for NYC BigApps 2013, bringing the total number of raw data sets that will be available to developers to more than 1,000. |  |
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| MAYOR BLOOMBERG, CHIEF INFORMATION & INNOVATION OFFICER MERCHANT AND CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER HAOT ANNOUNCE WINNING PROTOTYPES FROM REINVENT PAYPHONES DESIGN CHALLENGE Top Ideas Will Help Shape Design and Functionality of the Payphone of the Future Renderings of Winning Prototypes Available at www.flickr.com/nycmayorsoffice March 6, 2013- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Chief Information and Innovation Officer Rahul N. Merchant and Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot announced the winning prototypes from the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge, a competition that engaged hundreds of urban designers, planners, technologists and policy experts to create physical and virtual prototypes that imagine the future of the City’s approximately 11,000 public pay telephones. The City received more than 125 submissions aimed at modernizing payphone infrastructure and optimizing the use of public space. Competition judges selected 11 semi-finalists to demo their prototypes and the top submissions were awarded for best connectivity, creativity, visual design, functionality, and community impact. The Reinvent Payphones Demo Day occurred last night at Quirky, a social product development company that brings new product ideas to life through its online collaborative platform. Eleven semi-finalists presented their prototype ideas to a panel of judges. | |
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| MAYOR BLOOMBERG LAUNCHES NEW “WE ARE MADE IN NY” INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT NEW YORK CITY’S THRIVING TECH INDUSTRY AND CONTINUE RECORD JOB GROWTH Initiative Includes Advertising Campaign, New Website with Job Opportunities at More Than 900 Local Tech Startups, and Expansion of “Made in NY” Logo Beyond Film and Television February 19, 2013- Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jonathan Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Media & Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver and Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot today launched “We Are Made in NY,” a multi-platform initiative promoting the city’s thriving technology and digital sector. The initiative includes a comprehensive website that brings together City resources to help entrepreneurs and attract new startups to New York City, such as a map of employment opportunities with the more than 900 local startups that are currently hiring for over 3,000 jobs; an advertising campaign that highlights Made in NY tech companies through digital ads and ads on subways and buses; and an expansion of the “Made in NY” logo program beyond the film and television industry. The Mayor was joined by members of the local tech industry at the headquarters of BuzzFeed to unveil the initiative. | |
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| DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS ANNOUNCES “FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT APP” HACKATHON TO HELP NEW YORKERS MANAGE THEIR MONEY Capital One and Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund Sponsor Hackathon on March 2 – 3rd at the DUMBO Loft February 6, 2013- Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jonathan Mintz today invited developers to create digital tools to help New Yorkers achieve their financial goals at DCA’s first hackathon, a collaborative technology design event. The weekend event begins on March 2nd at the DUMBO Loft. The team or individual who creates the winning app will receive $1,000 and two second place winners will receive $500 each. Interested firms, as well as individual developers and designers, are invited to learn more and sign up to participate at nyc.gov/OFEHackathon. The Financial Empowerment Hackathon is generously supported by Capital One and the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund. Judges for the event include representatives from Capital One, Google.org, ideas42, LearnVest and DCA. Space is limited to 150 participants and registration closes at 5p.m. on Friday, March 1. | |
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| MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND CHANCELLOR WALCOTT LAUNCH THE GAP APP CHALLENGE, A NEW SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT CONTEST FOR PROGRAMS TO HELP MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS EXCEL IN MATH Gap App Challenge is First Such Competition to be Led by a School District in the Nation, and First in a Series the City Will Host to Develop New Teaching Tools January 7, 2013- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott today launched a new software development competition for programs to help middle school students excel in math. The Gap App Challenge invites developers to submit applications, games or other programs that focus on middle school math and can be used by students, teachers or parents. The winning programs will be announced this June and all submissions will be considered for school-based pilots to begin next fall. The competition is a part of the Department of Education’s Innovation Zone (iZone) program, which includes 250 schools that use new approaches to help students learn at their own pace. It is the first such competition to be led by a school district in the country, and also the first in a series of challenges the City will host to develop new teaching tools. | |
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| MAYOR BLOOMBERG, CHIEF INFORMATION & INNOVATION OFFICER MERCHANT AND CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER HAOT LAUNCH REINVENT PAYPHONES DESIGN CHALLENGE December 4, 2012- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications Commissioner Rahul N. Merchant and Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot today launched the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge, a competition to rally urban designers, planners, technologists and policy experts to create physical and virtual prototypes that imagine the future of New York City’s public pay telephones. | |
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| MAYOR BLOOMBERG LAUNCHES COMPETITION TO INSTALL FREE FIBER CABLE WIRING IN GROWING BUSINESSES ACROSS THE FIVE BOROUGHS ConnectNYC Will Lead to the Wiring of 240 Businesses for Free Over the Next Two Years Part of City’s Larger Set of Initiatives to Expand New York City’s Broadband Connectivity and Increase High-Speed Internet Access for Both Industrial and Commercial Businesses October 19, 2012- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the launch of ConnectNYC, an innovative City-sponsored competition to encourage growing commercial and industrial businesses in New York City to apply for free fiber cable wiring and to ensure the City continues to establish itself as a leader in connectivity and innovation. The competition – one of a suite of initiatives originally announced by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel in June – is designed to assist small or medium-sized businesses in unwired or underwired buildings by providing an opportunity for free, fast-track wiring. | |
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| NYC CONNECTS October 2, 2012- Last night, Mayor Bloomberg invited the New York tech and startup community to Gracie Mansion in celebration of NYC’s thriving technology industry. Over the course of the evening, hundreds of technology entrepreneurs, creators, thinkers and leaders filled Gracie Mansion and discussed the growing tech scene in NYC with the Mayor. | |
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| Through Partnerships with Tech Companies, City Will Help Local Small Businesses Attract More Customers, Increases Revenue and Creates Jobs August 23, 2012- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot, Media and Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver and Small Business Services Commissioner Robert W. Walsh today launched a new set of free tools to help small businesses in New York City use digital technologies and social media to grow their businesses and create jobs. The new set of resources, offered online and at NYC Business Solutions Centers throughout the five boroughs, is called the Small Business Digital Toolkit. | |
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| THE CITY OF NEW YORK ANNOUNCES WINNER OF POPULAR CHOICE APPLICATION AWARD FOR REINVENT GREEN HACKATHON July 16, 2012- The City of New York is proud to announce FreshFixNYC.com as the winner of the Popular Choice Application Award in the Reinvent Green Hackathon. FreshFixNYC.com encourages users to find fresh products from local farmers markets in NYC, connect with local farmers, and enrich their lifestyles by adopting more sustainable practices. | |
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