It awaits.

What about Diocletian's Palace, built in 305 AD in Split, Croatia. It's been added to in countless ways over the centuries, but is very much in use.

"I have a fondness for hockey because it's marginal. - It's the mixed martial arts of curling." - John Hodgman

CitiBike has landed. Yesterday, amid a scrum of politicians and reporters, city officials introduced the system poised to transform New York street life. But keeping track of 6,000 new bikes—not to mention their riders—will be no small chore. And to do it, the city is implementing a handful of smart systems, ranging from modular docking system to self-powered tail lights.

The program is a long time coming. Other cities, like Boston, D.C., and Chattanooga (who knew?), have been there first. But New York poses its own unique problems: There’s the simmering culture war between cyclists and pretty much everyone else. There’s the vastly understaffed accident investigation squad, which proved ill-equipped to handle the cases of several cyclists killed over the past year. There’s the infrastructural shortcomings of a densely-populated city where roads are vital economic lifelines—and where the use of those roads by cyclists is often viewed as nothing short of aggressive.

CitiBike, then, represents a massive experiment. It will put thousands of new cyclists on the road. It will introduce New York to cycling as a mode of transportation, rather than the rarefied subculture of Freds, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and David Byrne. For drivers and longtime cyclists alike, this is a watershed moment, fraught with anxiety. At the same time, for all of the hand-wringing and political backtracking it's incurred, CitiBike represents the culmination of some pretty interesting technologies.

The Docks

CitiBike is being funded by a $41 million sponsorship from—you guessed it—Citibank. But the system itself was designed and built by Public Bike System Company (PBSC, also known as Bixi), a privately-held nonprofit that was formed by the city of Montreal after the successful installation of their bike share system, in 2009. Since then, Bixi has installed similar systems in a host of other cities.

Bixi has surprising origins. The system was created by Charles Khairallah, a Canadian robotics engineer, who designed the docking system from scratch. Khairallah is well-known for his ideas about modular robotics—using a simple series of robotic components, his company has designed complex systems for everything from aerospace engineering to HVAC cleaning. "To build traditional robots you might need 100 different kinds of parts," he said in an interview last year. "With ours, you might need many of only one type of part. This technology is a genetic family of products. We can create different products from mass-produced, identical modules which are scalable for larger or smaller robots."

That ethos—of durable, simple components that interlock to create a responsive system—is the basis for the CitiBike dock. Each dock is made up of a simple set of parts, which can be assembled in minutes and moved at the drop of the hat. The system is completely wireless and self-sufficient, and its few moving parts are designed to be easily replaced. A photovoltaic array sprouting from the RFID-based payment tower supplies all the power needed to send signals back to the system hub, which keeps track of when a bike is checked out and returned.

The bikes themselves—45-pound tanks, with nitrogen-filled tires, three-speed gears, and self-powered LED lights—are simple by comparison. The real intelligence of Khairallah’s system is embedded in the docks themselves.

The Wayfinding Signage

Last year, a Department of Transportation study revealed that most pedestrians, including locals, are basically wandering through the city in a state of perpetual confusion. Well, not quite. But nearly 30% of visitors, plus 10% of locals, admitted to having been lost within a week of being questioned. In fact, many of those interviewed couldn’t say which direction was north. It’s actually shocking those numbers aren’t larger, considering the meager signage options available to lost pedestrians (ask a street vendor? Go back down into the subway to peer at the map? Find some moss?).

On the heels of that study—and in anticipation of CitiBike—the DoT tapped their longtime collaborators, the graphic design firm Pentagram, to create a $6 million comprehensive wayfinding system for pedestrians. The new signs rolled out in March, and they’re an essential part of the CitiBike docking system. Based loosely on Massimo Vignelli’s classic signage for the MTA, the signs orient cyclists and pedestrians with easy, obvious cues. For example, a transparent overlay of landmark buildings. Or a dotted circle that shows scale in terms of walking time.

It’s not the most glamorous part of the bike share system, but it might be one of the most important. The only bigger liability than a lost, distracted pedestrian is a lost, distracted cyclist.

The App

Every CitiBike docking station has a limited number of parking spaces. And because there’s a strict time cap on each rental, giving cyclists a guaranteed place to return their bikes is an important part of the system. That’s where the CitiBike app comes in. Developed by Publicis Kaplan Thaler, the Manhattan mega-agency, the app sits atop the Google Maps API, showing nearby stations as pin icons. The shading of each pin represents the fullness of each dock—that way, you can skim the map and know, immediately, where you’ll be able to dock your rental. You’re also able to favorite stations, route maps, and check in on your membership.

Eventually, according to the CitiBike website, the data culled from the app will be shared with the public. That may be a few months down the line—for now, the CitiBike team is sharing basic user information on their blog. How are things shaping up? After only a single day of operation, there are already 16,463 annual members.

A major goal of the Bloomberg administration has been to make the city “smarter,” through initiatives like a design competition to retrofit pay phones, the naming of a Chief Digital Officer, or the annual BigApps competition. CitiBike, though it hasn’t really been couched as such, is the first full-scale implementation of these ideas. Beneath all of the teeth-gnashing and turmoil lies a glimpse at the future of our city's smart urban infrastructure.

[Lead image by Dmitry Gudkov of #BikeNYC, via the CitiBike blog]

It's still more than a month away, but such a lovely stage is set for this year's Tour de France. The Grand Départ will be in Corsica on June 29 and this 100th edition will end in Paris on July 21. We'll have our annual Grand Départ BBQ in Brooklyn to kick things off, and be in Venosc once again to witness the tour for the two climbs up Alpe d'Huez in stage 18, and the stage 19 departure from Bourg-d'Oisans.

Allez!

In the not-too-distant future, scientists expect that technological breakthroughs—and availability of genetic data from specimens of extinct species—will provide ways to revive vanished species. In this video, Museum Curator Ross MacPhee discusses the science and ethical considerations of "de-extinction."

Vincenzo Nibali assumed control of the maglia rosa way back in stage 8, watched as Bradley Wiggins dropped from relevance in stage 13 (and then remove himself from the race entirely), flirted with Cadel Evans, and then dropped the hammer in Thursday's stage 18 mountain time trial. He blew away the field as second place on the day went to Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez, a full 58 seconds behind, and added a whopping 2 minutes to his overall lead. He now finds himself 4:02 clear of Cadel Evans in the overall standings.

That, my friends, is called a resounding victory.

There is a reason to watch stage 21 on Sunday! Though it is no longer relevant to the overall standings, stage 19 was cancelled due to snow (the first weather related stage cancellation since 1989), and stage 20 has been re-routed. This news bodes well for Mark Cavendish because he was surely due to lose the red points jersey in the mountains of stage 19 (he holds a slight lead but would have lost it today to Cadel Evans or Nibali). With this mountain mess out of his way, he stands a very good chance of taking stage 21 on Sunday, rendering stage 20 all but meaningless to the end result. Should he take the points jersey, he will join a short list of 5 riders to ever take the points jersey in all three grand tours. And that is your reason to watch the final stage on Sunday.

Photo Credit: steephill.tv

A note from Marc Kushner, CoFounder of Architizer

Hot off our A+ Awards Gala last night in NYC, I am proud to announce a new partnership with Kinja, the Gawker Media platform that is revolutionizing commenting and interaction online:Architizer on Kinja.

Maybe you have noticed the banners at the top of the page on Architizer. We are relaunching Architizer this summer. You can expect bigger pictures, better search, and more integrated product and firm information. It is a brand new platform, built from the ground up to be the perfect tool for architects to browse and find inspiration.

But we know that architects aren’t our only readers. Part of what makes Architizer so powerful is that our readers span a spectrum from casual fans to working professionals. Partnering with Kinja means that we will continue to serve all of our readers.

Kinja makes it easy to get involved in the conversation. Simple tools like annotated picture commenting and the ability to create custom content pages makes it an ideal complement to the amazing buildings on Architizer. Now even the most casual reader of Architizer can have a forum for commenting on what they see and creating a dialog with the authors and creators of the work.

The Architizer on Kinja page will also be feeding content to Gawker sites like Gizmodo. That means more eyeballs and more attention to the amazing work that architects upload to Architizer.

Ultimately, that’s what Architizer is all about. We empower architecture by breaking it out of its echo chamber to get the broadest audience possible looking and learning about what our profession does. Kinja is just the start!

So get in there and try it out—it’s totally addictive!

Stay tuned for more information about the New Architizer launching this summer and sign up to be a beta tester!

Don't forget to check out Architizer.

Stage 1 hit 103 fahrenheit. Stage 2, Monday, hit crazy:

Wow. Never have I seen 50 degrees on my SRM. 200km was a huge day. Huge thanks to my team mates @orica_greenedge. Kept me cool all day.

— Cameron Meyer (@cammeyercyclist) May 13, 2013

That's 50 celsius as in 122 fahrenheit as in holy shit. Apparently, it was the hottest temperature for a major U.S. stage race.

After two blazingly hot days, stage 3 will take riders 177.7km to Santa Clarita where the temperature is currently 82 89 fahrenheit. Not too bad after a couple days in a frying pan.

BTW: This is a frying pan:

Photo Credit: steephill.tv

Top Photo Credit: AP Images (from stage 2; added for hockey flair)

The 2011 Tour de France winner is still very much in the hunt, placing 5th in today's stage 10, a difficult climb, with 20% gradiant in the final 4km, to Altopiano del Montasio . Evans remains second in the GC (+0:40), and Nibali added to his lead over most everyone's choice to take the overall this year, Bradley Wiggins (+2:04). Defending champion Ryder Heyjesdal was dropped hard in the climbs, and now finds himself +23:45 behind Nibali — he was +3:11 after stage 9. He will not be challenging in 2013.

The next few stages will favor sprinters before this weekend leg up Col du Galibier. Evans could gain some time on Nibali, and is at least setting up what could be a battle to Breschia on May 26th. "It’s still a long way until we get to Brescia", said Evans after stag 10. Yes it is!

Photo Credit: AP Images (Cadel Evans and Vincenzo Nibali on the road to Altopiano del Montasio)

Today from 12-1 PM PST, Annalee Newitz will be here talking about her new book, Scatter, Adapt and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction. She'll be in conversation with MIT science journalism professor Seth Mnookin, author of The Panic Virus. And with you! Join us in a conversation about mass extinction, and whether humanity can really survive.

Start asking questions in the comment section below, and we'll pop in at noon to join you. I'll answer as many questions as I can during the hour. You can read an excerpt from the book here.

Annalee is on book tour! Here are her upcoming tour dates, which include Washington DC on Wednesday and San Francisco's Mechanics Institute on Thursday. (Next week: Phoenix and Seattle!)

On Friday the final piece of One World Trade Center was installed making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776 feet and the third tallest building in the world. So this is what vertigo feels like?

The footage was captured with a GoPro camera by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and is simply breathtaking. Some other notable facts about the spire and the tower itself, include the following:

Before today’s lift and installation, two crane operators climbed 195 feet to enter the crane’s cabin, which is equipped with additional safety cables that allow it to withstand up to 100 mph winds while it sits atop One WTC.

The two sections of the spire installed today stand 75 feet tall. The raw steel weighs just over 22 tons, but with the bolts, stairs, platforms, LED lighting elements and electrical components, the weight nearly doubles to almost 40 tons.

The spire will serve a state-of-the-art broadcast facility that will provide unparalleled transmission services for the region’s broadcast outlets. The Port Authority’s equity partner, The Durst Organization, will oversee construction and operation of the facility.

The beacon at the top of the spire contains 288 50-watt LED modules that produce a 288,000 lumens of light. Once the beacon is lit, it will be visible up to 50 miles on a clear night.

For so many reasons and to so many New Yorkers this was and forever will be a monumental moment.

[PANYNJ via Laughing Squid]

Fahrenheit, miles, meters climbed in stage 1 of the Tour of California. Ouch. It started nicely:

The world's best line up here in California @mickrogers @petosagan @philippegilbert #atoc #procycling twitter.com/AmgenTourofCal…

— AmgenTourofCali (@AmgenTourofCali) May 12, 2013

... and ended with these guys in jerseys:

That would be stage winner Lieuwe Westra with the overall lead (yellow), Francisco Mancebo in the sprinters green (not shown), James Stemper took the most courageous rider jersey (white/yellow), Carter Jones in the king of the mountain polka dots, and Jasper Stuyven leading young riders (white + green bear). Stage 2 (today) promises to be just as hot as Sunday.

Brutal.

Photos via steephill.tv.

I'm now off to see game 6 of Capitals v. Rangers because it is necessary. Let's Go Rangers!

The Peloton during a rainy stage 4 - Photo Credit steephill.tv.

Bradley Wiggins experienced a few setbacks, but still finds himself in excellent position, 1:14 behind the leader, fourth overall. He's been riding tentatively throughout the first week, but has paid little for it. Despite a flat in the first individual time trial, being caught in a group crash in stage 4, he is in a good position to battle Nibali all the way to Brescia. He bested Nibali by 11 seconds in the stage 8 individual time trial (ITT), despite having to swap bicycles early in the stage, losing precious seconds in the process. However...

With nine stages complete, I consider Nibali the favorite to take it all. He will give up some time to Wiggins in the stage 18 ITT, but I doubt it will be 74 seconds (it's an 20km course, half that of stage 8 — not nearly enough to make up the difference). He will have to close to within about 30 seconds in the mountains, and while it definitely possible, that 74 seconds represents an Astana advantage over Team Sky. Yes, anything can happen to shake things up quite a bit, but from this vantage point, I think Nibali holds the advantage.

What of Ryder Hesjedal? He is not looking particularly strong, and has dropped from the top 10 (+3:11). He appeared to crack in today's final climb, and that does not bode well. Perhaps the rest day before stage 10 will be beneficial for the Canadian, and he might bounce back as the giro heads to the mountains on the 167km ride from Cordenons to Montasio on Tuesday. If nothing else, the next stage will eliminate riders from contention, and Hesjedal needs a strong showing if he does not want to fall further from the top of the leader board. The same holds true for Mark Cavendish. He's not a favorite to win, but he does want a strong overall showing before the Tour de France.

Also today: Tour of California begins!

There is a new owner of the maglia rosa, and the overall leader board is beginning to look like a race of contenders:

The order will change, but the main contenders are now in the top 10. Alex Dowsett took the stage, but a flat tire necessitating a bike change by Bradley Wiggins was the difference between winning the time trial by 10 seconds, and placing second. Monday is a rest day, and next week brings the mountains. Will Cavendish keep up? Does Nibali and Team Astana want to spend any time defending the jersey with two weeks to go?

Photo Credit: AP Images

Mark Cavendish dedicated his second stage win to Wouter Weylandt, who died two years ago today in stage three of the 2011 Giro d'Italia. Cavendish once again out sprinted Elia Viviani and Matt Goss to the line in Margherita di Savoia.

Luca Paolini remains in the maglia rosa after taking the overall lead with a win in stage 3 on Monday.

The favorites remain in striking distance (despite another crash it stage 6 that affected many top riders) as we approach the close to week one. Saturday's stage 8, the first individual time trial, will be an interesting stage certain to expose any weaknesses among favorites.

Photo Credit: AP Images: The pack pedals during the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, from Cosenza to Matera, Wednesday, May 8, 2013.

The UK is well-represented at the start of the 2013 Giro d'Italia as Team Sky takes the team time trial, the top spot in the team standings, and put Italian Salvatore Puccio into the maglia rosa. He won't hold it for long, but the Italian was able to stick with his teammates as a group of 5 riders crossed the line for Sky. The weekend featured two not surprising results as an Mark Cavendish took stage 1 on Saturday.

Cavendish (left) out-sprinted Matthew Goss (placed 5th) to take the short, hot and fast first stage. The stage out of and back into Naples featured a late crash with Team Orica-GreenEdge working late to bring Goss in for the stage win, but Cavendish was able to keep pace, and power his way into the pink jersey. Yawn.

Photo Credit: AP Images

Add more in comments — I'll update as I find resources.

BBC - Wiggins (who else?)

Guardian - Nibaldi

BikeRadar - Wiggins/Nibaldi

CyclingNews - Five Key Stages: 8, 10, 15, 19 and 20.

New York Times

Video: Steephill.tv

Live feed: beIN Sport US

beIN Sport US is providing live feed for the Giro d'Italia with stage 1 broadcast starting at 9:45AM EST Saturday, May 4. That would be tomorrow. Ryder Hesjedal of Garmin-Sharp will go for a repeat of his 2012 win a feat not accomplished since 1993. We'll not see a repeat in 2013. Vincenzo Nibali has Italy behind him, and the aftertaste of a podium finish behind favorite Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Tour de France. Wiggins attention appears to be largely focused on winning the Giro in 2013, with a course better suited to his skills (when compared to Giro courses of late) so this should be a very interesting three weeks.

Tomorrows stage will take the riders 130km from Naples to... Naples. It will be a sprint to take the Maglia Rosa on day one, expect to see Mark Cavendish, Matt Goss and Michael Matthews at the finish. Cavendish will be take the day.

Photo Credit: Steephill.TV.

The Giro begins this Saturday. Favorite? Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France in 2012, and I think he'd like to diversify his collection. The profile of this year's edition plays more to his strengths with nearly 90km of time trials as opposed to a barrage of brutal mountain stages usually found in the annual stage event. I expect more of this in the coming years as the GdI works to replicate the marketing success of the Tour de France.

Also, Team Sky has now backed by UK fashion house Rapha, so they'll definitely take best dressed.

Weapons. Toys. Entire skulls. There’s no limit to the objects we can 3D print these days, but the materials themselves haven’t evolved as quickly—we’re still stuck in a world of plastic, steel, and ceramic. That’s all about to change, thanks to the work of a small Oakland fabrication studio called Emerging Objects.

Emerging Objects is actually the project of two architects, Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, who teach a 3D printing studio at Berkeley. But unlike most 3D printing research these days, they’re not interested in the machines—instead, they focus on what goes into them. “Many people are focused on machines that print plastic, ” Rael told me over the phone yesterday. “We’re looking at itom the other direction, at the materials themselves.”

That “other direction” is organic and renewable: salt harvested from San Francisco Bay, wood pulp, and clay. Using a standard powder-based 3D printer, they and their students have figured out how to print bricks, components, and furniture using recyclable materials. What does 3D-printed wood look like? Weirdly realistic: it has a faux grain, simply because of the layered printing process. The salt, meanwhile, looks like “solid milk,” to borrow Rael’s words. Shockingly, it’s all super strong, thanks to reinforcement techniques developed in-house—their printed cement is actually stronger than standard stuff. But most importantly? It’s 90% less expensive that current 3D printing technology.

It’s hard not to go wild thinking about the potential for technology like this. Right now, the group is finishing a room-sized object printed with salt harvested from the Pacific, minutes away from their studio. Imagine being able to harvest all of the materials you need to build from local sources—beyond the sheer savings on materials, it’d be fascinating to see local vernacular reemerge in architectural culture. Or to see cities deploying printers to fix infrastructural problems using super-strong local materials. Or just to be able to replace bricks in your wall with ones you designed yourself. “We’re using waste products from the lumber industry and salt, a renewable and inexpensive resource,” says Rael. “It’s certainly an ecological way to think about 3D printing.”

Will we ever be able to buy these alchemical recipes? Actually, yes: the duo plan to launch a spin-off company by the end of the year. If all goes well, you’ll be able to buy their mixes by the pound—starting with cement. [Emerging Objects]