The Eddystone-powered hardware is coming with the blessings of both the MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. While the Beacons are primarily intended for Waze, they're open-source devices that should work with any navigation app that introduces support.

This isn't a complete novelty when Beacons are already in use in Boston, Chicago and other cities. It could be one of the most important deployments all the same. NYC isn't exactly a small city, and its heavy dependence on bridges and tunnels could affect millions of people wondering whether their directions will still be accurate when they return to the surface.