There’s a special list near and dear to everyone’s heart of pet peeves that make them scream. Among our list: pebbles in the shoe while sprinting to the train, people screaming in our ears at a concert, and a lack of access to very important information. This post will help you with the latter. Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban starts today and lasts through March 2016, and we’ve compiled all the info you need to keep your car out of the pound.

OVERNIGHT PARKING BAN ROUTES

December 1, 2015 to April 1, 2016, 3 a.m. – 7 a.m.

Lastly, here are some important notes from DSS:

“In addition to posted signs, crews from Streets and Sanitation have begun posting flyers on cars parked on restricted streets as an additional reminder to motorists.“

“Violators will face a minimum $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket and a storage fee of $20 per day. Vehicles in violation of the ban will be towed to Pounds 2 (10301 S. Doty Ave) or 6 (701 N. Sacramento).“

Courtesy of the Chicago Department of Streets & Sanitation

If you or a car you love is effected by these parking bans, we have monthly (desktop only) and overnight parking options to help you out.

This is the second post about the future of the connected car. Check out part one here. The full piece originally appeared on WardsAuto.

In my previous post, I discussed the landscape that’s driving the future of the connected car, but now, let’s take a look at three of its growth areas:

1. Smart Parking. There’s nothing like the stress of parking, especially trying to find a convenient spot. There are a finite number of parking spaces for a seemingly infinite number of cars, and cities across the country struggle to meet the demand. In extreme cases, spots can even go for the price of a house. More commonly, people must invest large amounts of time in their commutes to find a spot and bundles of money from their budgets. Parking apps have emerged to provide an easier, cheaper and more efficient solution to the parking problem. Drawing from the Uber-inspired on-demand market, these apps provide consumers with local garage availability, as well as the opportunity to book and pay a lower rate for a space in advance. As a successful smartphone app, it’s easy to see the draw of an integrated parking reservation and payment system included in connected cars. For the first time ever, people could monitor and secure parking spaces on their front dashboard as easily as they browse music listings. There’s no saying that parking can’t be integrated seamlessly into the driving experience, creating a frictionless experience for people, just as other technology such as radio and air conditioning have been in past eras.

2. Vehicle-to-vehicle Connectivity. While the connected car itself offers great promise, there’s further opportunity to connect vehicles to one another. Waze has been successful at monitoring traffic and advising drivers of the least-congested routes, but cars with networks for short-range communications can interact with other nearby cars to gather such information as speed and potential hazards, creating a network of safer, easier driving. By sending notifications of black ice or warning drivers of an upcoming accident, the connected car could actually prepare you for what’s ahead on the road. AT&T and Audi are already collaborating on the integrated navigation, Internet database and Wi-Fi system. We may see soon enough that the future of the connected car in fact involves a networked web of numerous connected cars in the vicinity.

3. Car-status Monitoring. In an effort to provide more efficient and safe ways to drive, devices are being created to help drivers monitor their car. Tools such as the Automatic, the Mojio and the Zubie collect data to inform people the most fuel-efficient ways to press the pedal, the car’s location and more. The data collected acts as a “Fitbit for your car.” The connected car is also a way to ensure the safety of drivers, particularly teens who live in a world of multitasking. The car could provide information about where the driver is, how fast he or she is going or automatically call for help in an accident.

While it has yet to completely catch on with the general public, the prospect of new technology outfitting the connected car offers endless promise. With in-car assistance informing the driver about affordable parking availability, local traffic and hazard information and convenient engine diagnostics and car status updates, it’s clear that the connected car will one day soon be an inseparable part of the driving experience.

Everyone has a Thanksgiving morning tradition. Whether it is cleaning, cooking, or sleeping, there is something that makes us all excited for the holiday. I, as most New Yorkers, get up early every Thanksgiving Day morning to get ready for the Thanksgiving Day parade. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is a tradition started in 1924 that celebrates the holiday with floats, balloons, marching bands, clowns, and live performances. This year’s musical acts range from Train, Trey Songz, and Shawn Mendes to many more! It is the perfect family event to get your day started.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade will start at 9 AM at 77th Street & Central Park West and end at 34th Street and 7th Avenue around 12 PM. As you can imagine this event will be hectic so we recommend planning ahead as much as possible.

Now that you’re going, you’re probably wondering where to watch. Here are the best 3 places to watch the parade from:

1. The Shops at Columbus Circle mall in the Time Warner Center has the best viewing space from its 2nd and 3rd floors. The mall itself opens at 9 am so get there early and grab a cup of coffee as you enjoy the parade.
2. The parade will be on Sixth Avenue for about 21 blocks. It gives you ample time to find the perfect space for you and your friends.
3. If for some reason you can’t make it to the parade, then I suggest watching it from home. It will be broadcasted on NBC. Trust me, you don’t want to miss the animated balloons!

This is the first of two posts about the future of the connected car. The full piece originally appeared on WardsAuto.

The rise of Internet availability, data and connectivity over the past decade-plus have caused a fundamental shift in the way we use technology to interact with our surroundings. Connected homes, fitness devices, TVs, watches, taxi services and even medical devices have emerged as a result of exponential smartphone innovation and widespread use.

It would have seemed only natural—inevitable, in fact—that a connected car would rise to better assist users and more seamlessly integrate the world around the driver into the car. In fact, GSMA predicts that every car will be connected by 2025. In order for this to be fully realized, the interaction between technology and driver has to be frictionless, maximizing safety, while also assisting driving. The interface has to be so carefully thought through and tested in order for car manufacturers to get it just right.

As it stands now, the driver-technology interaction dynamic is something that’s up for solving. Recent reports found that drivers aren’t using a majority of the technology built into cars: 20 percent of new-vehicle owners have never used 16 of the 33 technology features measured, 38 percent have never used mobile routers and 32 percent have never used the built-in apps. There’s potential for the connected car to evolve and grow to not only better assist the driving experience, but ensure safety as well. While some aspects such as Google Glass for your car may be superfluous, there are real areas where in-car connectivity can help drivers everywhere.

In my next post, I’ll detail three growth areas for the connected car. In the meantime, what are your thoughts about the connected car? Tweet them to me @theaashishdalal or leave a comment.