Bridj Expands to Cover More of Brighton
According to Bridj, the pop-up bus service that uses big data to determine the most efficient ways to pick people up and drop them off at certain locations, "on August 3, Bridj will be expanding to cover a much larger portion of Brighton due to the success of our initial expansion into the neighborhood a little more than a month ago. Brighton has been one of our fastest growing neighborhoods." Bridj has also been welcomed warmly in its second home, Washington D.C., which has led the city to identify itself as a transit hub. – Nick DeLuca
CarGurus: Big Revenue, Little IPO Interest
If you're a venture capitalist, Cambridge car-shopping site CarGurus doesn't want your money, as Rebecca reported in February. The company is throwing off plenty of cash on its own—on track to do $150 million in revenue for this year, Scott Kirsner reported today. CarGurus also doesn't have much interest in going public right now. An IPO "opens you up to all sorts of scrutiny from competitors and other folks," founder/CEO Langley Steinert told Kirsner—though Steinert said an IPO might make sense eventually. — Kyle Alspach
Comcast Streaming TV Service Launching 1st in Boston
Your favorite cable and Internet service, Comcast, announced today that it now wants to bring live TV to your devices. The $15/month service will launch first in Boston by the end of the summer, and will include a dozen streaming channels. Why should you care? Because, one of those channels is HBO. And because to get HBO streaming without a subscription, you’d need to pay the same amount—$15/month—just for HBO Now. What you also get on the Comcast service are major broadcast channels, which maybe you’re into. If you’re a cord cutter, this could fill a need, though you’ll also have to be getting your Internet service from Comcast to subscribe. — Kyle Alspach
City Hall Plaza "Front Lawn Party"
Wednesday, July 15, Mayor Martin J. Walsh will host a City Hall Plaza Party, celebrating the launch of Boston's new "Front Lawn" on City Hall Plaza. The 40x40 foot stretch of astroturf will be rolled out on Wednesday, and will have lawn games, board games and new seating available, as well as music and food trucks. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The party will begin at11:00AM and officially end at 2:00PM. The turf will remain outside until the end of the outdoor season. >>> City of Boston
KinectUs: It's Like Tinder, but Casual
When you’re looking for a date (or—let’s be honest—a hookup) you turn to Tinder. But what about when you’re just hoping to catch a flick, go for a run or grab a cup of coffee, and ideally not with a total stranger? Enter: KinectUs, a new iPhone app from a Boston-based startup that allows you to instantly find other people in your proximity and your network who are interested in doing the same thing. >>> Read more on BostInno – Rebecca Strong
How Likely Are 'Revenue Overruns' For Boston 2024?
In the recent Boston 2024 debate, where Rich Davey (CEO of the bid) and Chris Dempsey (co-chair of No Boston Olympics) went back and forth on the prospect of hosting the Games, an intriguing distinction was pointed out.
“Chris isn’t wrong," Davey said, in reference to Dempsey pointing out that every Olympics since 1960 has experienced cost overruns, "but what he isn’t telling you is, they also had 'revenue overruns' too. Los Angeles brought in significantly more revenue than they budgeted for as well.” >>> Read more on BostInno – Hayden Bird
How Playable Public Art Can Transform Open Spaces
The Lawn on D – the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center's experimental park in the South Boston Seaport – currently looks like something out of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. That is to say, there are five two-story inflatable rabbits occupying the green space along with other distorted art installations intended to prompt spectators to reconsider notions of size, spectacle and play. >>> Read more on BostInno – Nick DeLuca
