Skip to main content

Some NYC trash cans will soon give you 75Mbps of free Wi-Fi

You may think that they’re only good for keeping litter off the streets, but like New York City inhabitants, New York City trash cans are capable of much more than meets the eye. Thanks to the innovation of Bigbelly, a company that has made its mark on the tech ecosystem by way of its smart waste and recycling plans, New York City trash cans will double as Wi-Fi hotspots, turning these oft-overlooked receptacles into some seriously important pieces of technology. Now, instead of being forced to stop by the nearest Starbucks to access a Wi-Fi network, New Yorkers may be seen congregating around trash cans, all for Internet access.

Already, there are around 170 “smart” trashcans scattered across Manhattan, and while these aren’t Wi-Fi connected (yet), their solar powered chips do alert waste management companies as to when the bin is full or too foul smelling. As an initial test for the Wi-Fi trashcans, however, New York’s Downtown Alliance has already worked with Bigbelly to take two of these bins and turn them into hotspots.

Recommended Videos

With speeds of up to 75Mpbs (pretty impressive, considering Starbucks caps out at around 9Mpbs), the trash can Wi-Fi would be completely free to use, paid for purely by advertising revenue (because who wouldn’t want their company logo on the side of a high-tech trash can?). As long as there are no obstructions between the bin and the user, Bigbelly doesn’t foresee any real roadblocks to the usability of this latest Internet source. And since trashcans are generally found at street level, there’s no real interference from skyscrapers or other infrastructure other than the receptacle itself, which hasn’t been shown to have a significant impact on signal strength.

Leila Dillon, Bigbelly’s vice president of global marketing, told CityLab, “We are a smart, solar-powered, connected technology platform that is literally sitting in the streets of New York. We are exactly where the people are.” The plan is to add significantly more of these high-powered, high-tech trash cans by the fall, with a particular focus on underserved neighborhoods where Wi-Fi is scarce.

So if you withstand the smell, you might want to cozy up to a New York City trash can sometime soon. You never know what kind of signals you may get.

[Image courtesy of m01229/Flickr]

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more
Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix
zoox recall crash 1739252352 robotaxi side profile in dark mode

Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.

Read more