Hi — I’m Alex. I’m going to build some things this year. This month was an FB messenger bot named Patron that would send you NYC bars based on what you wanted: by borough (brooklyn, queens, manhattan), price range( 1 -5 ), or vibe (college bar, chill, date spot, good food). It’s not perfect and a little buggy, but like the awkward middle child it’s mine so I love it anyway.

Here’s how that went.

When the Messenger platform was first announced during the ‘chatbots are the future’ maelstrom last year, I succumbed and built something. …

Hi, I’m Alex.

I’ve been brainstorming of a new product idea for the longest time. It hasn’t been easy. I’m sure all of us tinkering away on an app, or a book, or just an idea know how hard the struggle is. Two of my friends recently started GTFO Adventures, a travel company based in the NYC area for affordable weekend field trips out of the city. The premise is dead simple — pay for trips outside the city, with travel to and from the location included. Think $100 for a high ropes course in PA, $75.00 for a brewery…

Last month, I wrote an article about switching from Fitbit to a Pebble Time Round. The verdict? I love it. The round design, timeline, and text reply sold me: proving I didn’t need an Apple Watch to do more than a watch. (I’m not a fanboy, I swear).

Plus, I had finally settled on a watchface that I loved called Business Time.

Last week, I wrote an article about why people love post-apocalyptic stories, asking the question — what enthralls us about a fresh start in a brave new world? Is it the thrill of survival with our bare hands? A freedom from the burdens of society? The ability to act unrestrained on free-will, so long as we have the might to back it up? After posting it on Reddit, I was flooded with a deluge of brilliant responses. The main answer was that in the failed promise of a brilliant future we dreamed of during the ’50s & ’60s, writers wanted…

Count.It is built by Count It Labs, headquartered in New York City.

The company believes passionately that a human body is a terrible thing to waste, and is committed to using the tools of community and technology to help people and communities live more vibrant, healthy, and productive lives.

The Count.It journey began way back in 2009, when Oliver Ryan, co-founder of Apartment Therapy, a top U.S. lifestyle media company, launched SocialWorkout.com, a blog combining color commentary on personal health with simple group health challenges. …

Its summertime in the city now. The air feels like a blanket, sticky heat sitting on your neck and shoulders. The people are out on their stoops or riding bikes cutting through the night air. I’m walking down the block to get a gyro at the halal place — even though I’m on a diet, a $5 dinner ain’t too bad.

Walking down Flatbush Avenue, I can tell how much my neighborhoods changed since I was a kid. Isn’t that what you say when you’re getting old?

What was originally an all Italian neighborhood brought in Caribbean-Americans from Jamaica &…

This weekend I finally sat down and watched 10 Cloverfield Lane. It’s a sequel of sorts to Cloverfield, the 2008 movie that started off the new wave of found footage movies (Seriously — 7 Paranormal Activities later and they’re still not done yet).

For those of you who haven’t watched it, Cloverfield was about an alien invasion in New York. Twist: you never really saw the giant monster, just all the destruction it left in it’s wake rampaging through the city. …

Earlier this weekend, I did something I never thought I’d have to do in my life — go to a pawn shop. Last summer I freelanced as a photographer, and now that I’ve transitioned into the tech as a front-end engineer, I felt like it was time to part ways with my camera and get some quick cash.

I rode my bike down 2 miles of Utica Avenue here in Brooklyn, and came across what you’d expect — a big glitzy sign covered in flashing dollar signs with the words “PAWN HERE”, and doors that could hold against a mob…