Oh hell yes. We’ve seen multi-tools with a multitude of different components, but there’s one in the new Gerber Steady ($65; Spring 2012) that’s going to have us carrying it everywhere we can: a tripod. That’s right, among the 12 total components you can find in the Steady are fold out legs and a standard tripod screw, making it the perfect companion for photographers on the go. [Thanks Uncrate]
If you need your next pocket cam to be as thin as possible — think millimeters here — then you’ll want to take a look at the Sony Cyber-shot TX55 Camera ($350). The latest pint-sized powerhouse from the Walkman maker features a 16.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor for terrific detail and low-light performance, Full HD video, fast, 0.1-second autofocus, crazy “By pixel Super Resolution” processing that extends the 5x optical zoom to 10x without lowering the pixel count, SteadyShot image stabilization, Memory Stick Micro/MicroSD card support, and a 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen that’ll let you ensure you’ve got the shot before the moment passes. [Scouted by Pete- Through Uncrate]
Sure, New York city is an expensive place to live. But we’ll let you in on a little secret: We New Yorkers are actually just a bunch of cheapos. that trait is never more apparent than in the summer, when the price of fun stuff — Movies! Music! More! — drops as quickly as temperatures rise.
In honor of our Last minute sale, featuring the trendy Thompson LES, the aristocratic Plaza Athénée and the laidback Hotel Roger Williams, we’ve put together a bazillion* free things happening in this city in the coming weeks. See? Sometimes it does pay to wait until the last minute.
*Number approximate (there are literally too many free things to count. This is a humble selection).
Free movies
New Yorkers go reel (har har) crazy in the summer — there’s a free outdoor movie screening for practically every night of the week. Spend Mondays in Midtown’s Bryant park and watch a classic film on the big screen — upcoming selections include Cool Hand Luke, Airplane!, Dirty Harry and the film noir High Sierra. Mondays are also movie nights on Coney Island, a classic summertime destination in its own right; the schedule includes films from screen luminaries such as Woody Allen (Annie Hall) and Justin Bieber (Never Say Never). Also across the river, Brooklyn Bridge Park hosts film nights on Thursdays, with a varied assortment of options ranging from the kid-friendly An American Tail to the creepy Rosemary’s Baby, and Red Hook park has its own set of options on Tuesday nights, like WALL-E and The Fast and The Furious (plus: Food trucks!) up north in Queens, check out the Socrates Sculpture Park’s summer film festival with international (classy, serious) films like Biutiful and at The Edge of Russia.
Free music
The Washington Square Park free concert season wraps with a performance by jazz master Charles Mingus and his Orchestra on August 2. Enjoy a little wine with your music at the City Winery’s Hudson Square Festival series, with August performances by Nicole Atkins and The Wood Brothers (the wine isn’t free, but the tunes — and the mellow vibe — are). If you find yourself in Central Park, stick around the centrally located Naumburg band shell for free classical concerts on August 9 and 22. Sample some of the hottest shows on Broadway with the lunchtime cast performances in Bryant Park, featuring music from hits like Mamma Mia!, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Lion King and more. And of course there are the dueling morning concert series put on by the Today show and Good Morning America, with acts ranging from Lenny Kravitz to Nicki Minaj.
Free … more
If you’ll be celebrating America’s pastime by attending a Yankees or Mets game, be sure to check out the free water Taxi to the games. A cash bar and scenic views? We’re there.
The always-free Staten Island Ferry makes for a particularly nice ride in the summer, offering the chance to see the Statue of Liberty from the water without the tourist crowds. Time a ride during sunset, and you’ve got yourself a romantic beginning to the evening.
Central Park’s famous, free Shakespeare in the Park is over by August, but the irreverent Shakespeare in the Parking Lot goes through August 13 — this year’s selection is Hamlet.
The El Museo de Barrio has free walking tours that depart every Saturday, with stops at spots like the Graffiti Wall of Fame and at murals throughout Spanish Harlem. (RSVP required but admission is free).
Limon Dance Company offers free weekly dance classes on the Bryant Park lawn through September 10 — no experience necessary.
And head to Union Square and take advantage of free yoga classes beginning at 7 a.m. — because your health never goes on vacation.
If only we’d had this in middle school. the Electric Paper Airplane Conversion Kit ($20) is exactly what it sounds like — a motor-driven propeller for your dead tree creation that can extend flight time up to 90 seconds, clips easily onto the nose of your plane, is made from carbon fiber so as to not weigh things down, and recharges in 20 seconds off the included, three AAA-powered charging box, getting you back up and flying in as little time as possible. [Thanks Uncrate]
and the strange, nearly unexplainable string of ebony-themed luxury cars rolls on with the Maserati Gran Turismo S Superior black Edition ($TBA). Created by the mad minds at Anderson Germany, the Superior features a silky matte black exterior treatment, glossy black 21-inch wheels, new carbon fiber replacements for the hoot, mirrors, tailgate, and roof ledges, an enhanced 4.7-liter V8 pumping out 492 hp, a slew of carbon fiber and black Alcantara elements in the interior, and even a PS3 — although whether it’s the shiny black or matte black model is anyone’s guess. [Thanks Uncrate]
<strong>If a hurricane is likely in your area, you should:
You should evacuate under the following conditions:
If you are unable to evacuate, go to your safe room. If you do not have one, follow these guidelines:
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated buildings across the East Coast on Tuesday after a moderate earthquake in Virginia that was also felt as far south as Chapel Hill, n.C. No tsunami warning was issued, but air and train traffic was disrupted across the East Coast.
Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were among the areas evacuated.
at the Pentagon in northern Virginia, a low rumbling built and built to the point that the building was shaking. People ran into the corridors of the government’s biggest building and as the shaking continued there were shouts of “Evacuate! Evacuate!”The quake even broke a water main inside the Pentagon, flooding parts of two floors, NBC reported.
Centered some 90 miles south of the nation’s capital, the quake was a magnitude 5.9, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Two nuclear reactors near the epicenter were taken offline as a precaution, officials said. No damage was reported at either.
At the U.S. Capitol, light fixtures swung and the building shook for about 15 seconds while the tremor hit, NBC News reported.
At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. All flights were briefly put on hold and one terminal was evacuated due to a gas smell.
In New York City, NBC reported debris fell from the attorney general’s office, causing a brief panic as people ran from the area.
Airport towers and government buildings in New York, including City Hall, were evacuated. The 26-story federal courthouse in lower Manhattan began swaying and hundreds of people were seen leaving the building.
A mild tremor was even felt by NBC reporters with President Barack Obama during his vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off Massachusetts.
In Charleston, W.Va., hundreds of workers left the state Capitol building and employees at other downtown office buildings were asked to leave temporarily.
“The whole building shook,” said Jennifer Bundy, a spokeswoman for the state Supreme Court. “You could feel two different shakes. Everybody just kind of came out on their own.”
In Ohio, where office buildings swayed in Columbus and Cincinnati and the press box at the Cleveland Indians’ Progressive Field shook. At least one building near the Statehouse was evacuated in downtown Columbus.
In downtown Baltimore, Md., the quake sent office workers into the streets, where lamp posts swayed slightly as they called family and friends to check in.
More about the quake at breakingnews.com
The earthquake’s epicenter was near Louisa, Va., the USGS reported. It was a very shallow quake, less than a mile deep, which would explain why it was so widely felt.
The d.C. area’s previous record for an earthquake was on July 16, 2010, when a 3.6 magnitude quake was felt.
The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones than the West Coast and is less prepared for shaking.
Stay as safe as possible during an earthquake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur. Minimize your movements to a few steps to a nearby safe place and if you are indoors, stay there until the shaking has stopped and you are sure exiting is safe.
