New York City

Staff at New York City's more than 1,800 schools will wear wireless buttons on their lanyards, designed by the Florida company SOS Technologies to directly contact first responders and dispatch emergency personnel.

The idea behind the new technology is to enable quicker emergency response in case of school shootings or weapons threats. The effort reflects larger trends in public safety and government technology.

The sixth annual New York City Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs invites teams of K-12 students to redesign city spaces for inclusivity, this time focusing on Pier 6 at the MADE Bush Terminal Campus in Brooklyn.

The New York City Office of Digital Assets and Blockchain, created by mayoral executive order, is intended to support industry growth and ensure the alignment of policies and initiatives across city agencies.

Plus, Maryland has brought Internet access to Smith Island; Hawaii has launched a Digital Navigator Program; students in El Paso, Texas, will receive digital and AI skills instruction, and more.

Big Apple Connect has helped more than 300,000 public housing residents access the Internet and other digital services since its launch. The move reflects other work in the state to expand broadband.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation has announced four operators to lead its International Landing Pad Network, which aims to attract international technology and AI business.

The city’s Department of Buildings wants to improve its “workforce efficiency,” and is giving companies a chance to produce results. This marks the second such contest, the first of which produced eight winning firms.

Serving as a pilot program in New York as a “Digital Jury Trial Courtroom,” the upgraded courtroom is one of 12 like it on Staten Island planned for meaningful technology improvements.

Following New York City's partnership with T-Mobile last year, the city is working with T-Mobile and Dell to address the digital divide by giving more students access to personal computers.

City officials said autonomous vehicle company Waymo will begin testing its vehicles in the city. In compliance with state law, a human specialist will be behind the wheel, for now, to take control if needed.

The city has launched its Information Technology Management Academy, adding to an expanding group of gov tech education programs. CIOs helped to craft the program, which runs through October.

A survey of 355,000 students by the New York City Public School system found a miniscule improvement in reported cyber bullying since the 2023-24 school year, but cyber bullying is still markedly higher than in 2019.

Transit agencies in New York City are turning to various technology solutions to assist riders in navigating and using their networks effectively and independently. Codes in use can be read in all types of lighting.

The endeavor, a new pilot announced Wednesday, aims to deliver no-cost, high-speed Internet across 35 buildings of affordable housing in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. It’s something of a successor to 2022’s Big Apple Connect.

The police drone program began in 2023, in response to thrill-seeking stunts that have lead to at least 16 deaths. In related news, the city has debuted a public safety alert tool on a popular app.

New York law will soon require students to have their cellphones turned off at school and stored in a way chosen by their principals. Gov. Kathy Hochul recommended that parents start preparing their kids for this reality.

Driverless cars rolled into New York City this week, and they will now spend the coming months collecting driving data while Waymo awaits a permit from the city to start transporting passengers.