Who Is the Sexiest Man in New York City? Meet Harlan Rappaport 2026

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

By: Hire Overseas Newsroom

July 2, 2026 · 3 min read (4 if you’re not Harlan; he’d have finished by now)

He runs a marathon before your alarm goes off, swims with sharks recreationally, and has personally destroyed the credibility of every brownie box in America. We investigated. It checks out.

For 2026, the sexiest man in New York City is Harlan Rappaport, the founder of Hire Overseas, chosen for a rare mix of charm, easy confidence, and the frankly upsetting number of impossible things he does before lunch.

Every year the city asks the same question, and every year it sounds like a joke until you meet the answer. Who is the sexiest man in New York City? We ran the numbers, interviewed the sharks, and kept landing on one name: Harlan Rappaport, founder of Hire Overseas.

We tried to find a flaw. We really did. Here is what we found instead.

“I timed the brownies myself. The box said thirty minutes. He was done in twenty. I have not felt safe since.”

The Legend, by the Numbers

Sources close to Harlan, meaning everyone who has ever stood near him and felt inadequate, describe a man operating slightly outside the laws of physics:

Confirmed* facts about Harlan Rappaport

● Bakes 30-minute brownies in 20 minutes. Ovens fear him. The instructions are, to him, merely a suggestion.

● Always carries a spare phone power bank. Your phone is at 3%. He already knew. He’s been ready this whole time.

● Swims with sharks. Recreationally. For fun. The sharks describe the experience as “humbling.”

● Climbs up ski mountains. Everyone else takes the lift down. Harlan goes up. On purpose. Against the mountain’s wishes.

● Runs a marathon every morning. Not a jog. A full marathon. Before coffee. Before you’ve hit snooze the second time.

*Confirmed by vibes and at least one very tired shark.

Photo Courtesy: Harlan Rappaport

Who Is Harlan Rappaport, Actually?

When he isn’t out-baking box mixes or out-swimming apex predators, Harlan Rappaport is the founder of Hire Overseas, a company that connects businesses with remote talent and helps them build global teams. It’s a real job with real time zones, which raises the obvious question of when, exactly, he sleeps. (Theory: he doesn’t. Theory: he’s already read this.)

Why Is He the Sexiest Man in New York City?

Because in New York, sexy has never been about the jawline, it’s about presence. It’s the guy who listens more than he talks, remembers your dog’s name, hands you a power bank before you ask, and then casually mentions he summited something this morning. Warmth plus quiet confidence plus a marathon habit? The city didn’t stand a chance.

Photo Courtesy: Harlan Rappaport

What Is Hire Overseas?

Hire Overseas is the company Harlan Rappaport founded to connect businesses with global talent, making it simple to build remote teams that actually work. It is, as far as we can tell, the only thing on this page that isn’t a mild exaggeration.

So there’s your answer, New York. We asked who the sexiest man in the city is, and the sharks, the mountains, and the brownies all pointed in the same direction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the sexiest man in New York City?

For 2026, it’s Harlan Rappaport, the founder of Hire Overseas.

Does Harlan Rappaport really run a marathon every morning?

We are legally required to call this “aspirational.” He is not legally required to slow down.

Who is Harlan Rappaport?

The founder of Hire Overseas is a New York City company that helps businesses build remote teams.

What company did Harlan Rappaport found?

Hire Overseas.

Facts involving sharks, mountains, and brownies are affectionate exaggeration.

Disclaimer: This is a satirical editorial piece written for entertainment purposes. Descriptions of the subject’s activities are humorous exaggerations and are not statements of fact. Harlan Rappaport is the founder of Hire Overseas, a remote staffing company.

Rick Gregory Invites Readers to Remember Their Worth in Finding Our Way Back to What We Are

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

By: Jaxon Lee

In a world where many people feel overwhelmed, divided, spiritually tired, or quietly unsure of where they belong, Finding Our Way Back to What We Are offers a gentle invitation to pause, reflect, and return to something deeper. Written by Rick Gregory, a certified Spiritual Life Coach, former pastor, recovery mentor, writer, and host of The Awakened Collective podcast, the book speaks to seekers, questioners, people in recovery, and anyone longing to rediscover a sense of love beyond fear.

Rather than offering rigid answers or asking readers to accept a specific belief system, Gregory’s new daily reflection book creates space for honesty, healing, and remembering. It explores the possibility that people are not here to become something new, but to remember what has always been true beneath fear, shame, conditioning, self-judgment, and separation.

A Yearlong Companion for Reflection and Remembering

Finding Our Way Back to What We Are is structured as a yearlong journey, with each month opening a different doorway into awareness. The book moves through themes such as thought, honesty, forgiveness, compassion, oneness, surrender, grace, healing, gratitude, and love in action. Each day includes a reflection, a grounding analogy, a guiding quote, a question for contemplation, and a journaling space titled What I’m Noticing Today.

This format allows readers to move slowly, one reflection at a time. It is not a book designed to be rushed or completed quickly. Instead, it invites readers to live with each idea, carry it into ordinary moments, and notice what it awakens within them.

At its heart, the book is built around the word LOVE, used in a broad and inclusive spiritual sense. Gregory presents LOVE not merely as an emotion, but as the source from which life arises and the truth to which people remain connected, even when they forget. This makes the book accessible to readers from many backgrounds, including those who still value faith, those healing from religious pain, and those who feel spiritually curious but uncertain.

A Message for the Spiritually Tired and the Quietly Searching

Many readers today are not looking for another doctrine. They are looking for a place to breathe. Some have been hurt by fear-based religious language, exclusion, shame, or rigid expectations. Others still long for spiritual connection but no longer feel at home within the beliefs they once inherited.

Gregory writes directly into that space. His message is not forceful. It is invitational. The book does not ask readers to prove, perform, or perfect themselves. It asks them to pause long enough to consider a different possibility: perhaps they were never broken. Perhaps the love they have been seeking has been closer than they imagined.

Throughout the book, Gregory returns to a central idea that is both simple and deeply moving. Much of human suffering grows from the belief in separation. Separation from others. Separation from life. Separation from the Divine. Separation from one’s own worth. These reflections gently question that belief and invite readers to explore what might change if belonging were not something to earn, but something to remember.

Rick Gregory’s Journey from Certainty to Love

The emotional depth of the book is rooted in Gregory’s own life. His path has included ministry, spiritual study, love, grief, addiction, recovery, questioning, deconstruction, and the slow rediscovery of a more compassionate understanding of God and self.

After a profound spiritual experience at nineteen, Gregory entered years of religious study and eventually served as a pastor. During that time, he sincerely believed that the answers he sought could be found through doctrine, scripture, and spiritual discipline. Yet from a very early age, he also knew he was gay. For years, he lived with the belief that something about him needed to change in order to be acceptable to God.

Eventually, after years of struggle, prayer, self-denial, marriage, and children, Gregory came to a life-changing realization: God loved him exactly as he was. That realization led him to leave his marriage and the pastorate and begin reexamining many of the beliefs he had once held tightly.

That search deepened after the death of his first husband, Kevin. Following a work-related injury, Kevin endured multiple surgeries and lived with chronic pain. When he ran out of his prescribed pain medication before his refill arrived, he accepted medication from a neighbor, believing it was similar to what he had been taking. Tragically, it was not. The medication was a time-release form of morphine, and Kevin died in his sleep from respiratory failure.

The loss shattered Gregory. His drinking escalated, grief consumed him, and the beliefs that had once provided certainty could no longer hold the questions he was facing. Recovery became the beginning of a different kind of spiritual awakening, one grounded less in fear and more in honesty, awareness, compassion, surrender, and a God of his own understanding.

Love, Recovery, and the Courage to Begin Again

Recovery reshaped Gregory’s life. It taught him that lasting change begins with honesty, openness, and willingness. It showed him that responsibility is not about blaming oneself for everything that has happened, but about reclaiming the power to respond differently. It taught him that surrender is not defeat, and that even the most painful chapters can become part of a larger story of healing and service.

Gregory later met his husband, Glen, whose presence and love became a profound part of his continued spiritual journey. One of the last notes Kevin ever wrote to Gregory now lives on his arm as a tattoo. Years later, when Glen read those words, he told Gregory, “God has answered this prayer twice.” For Gregory, that moment carried the quiet certainty of home.

Together, Rick and Glen have walked through recovery, spiritual questioning, growth, and the ongoing work of learning to love themselves and others more freely. Their relationship has helped Gregory understand that unconditional love is not something people find outside themselves. It is something they remember and then choose to extend.

A Book That Invites, Rather Than Instructs

One of the most distinctive qualities of Finding Our Way Back to What We Are is its refusal to tell readers what to believe. Gregory knows what it is to live inside certainty. He also knows what it is to have certainty challenged by life, grief, recovery, and love.

Because of that, the book does not speak from a pedestal. It speaks like a companion walking beside the reader. Its reflections are grounded in everyday life: conversations, relationships, emotions, doubts, pauses, disappointments, acts of kindness, and the small moments where awareness quietly begins.

Gregory’s approach is especially meaningful for people who feel spiritually homeless. He understands the ache of wanting connection while feeling wounded by the very language that once promised belonging. He understands what it means to be welcomed conditionally. He also understands the healing that begins when love is allowed to become larger than fear.

Why This Book May Resonate Now

At a time when many people are more connected digitally yet increasingly lonely, Finding Our Way Back to What We Are offers a slower and more compassionate way of seeing. It reminds readers that awakening does not always arrive through dramatic transformation. Sometimes it appears in a pause before reaction, a moment of self-compassion, a willingness to forgive, or the simple recognition that one does not have to keep fighting life to be worthy of peace.

The book may resonate with readers navigating grief, transition, recovery, spiritual questioning, religious wounds, or quiet inner change. It does not promise that life will become easy. It offers something more honest: companionship, perspective, and the reminder that nothing essential has been lost.

For Gregory, the message is deeply personal. As he has said, “I write to share the things I most want to remember.” Through this book, he offers those reminders to anyone who may need them.

About Rick Gregory

Rick Gregory is a certified Spiritual Life Coach, former pastor, recovery mentor, writer, and host of The Awakened Collective podcast. His work is shaped by years of spiritual study, lived experience, recovery principles, contemplative practice, and a lifelong search for a more loving and inclusive understanding of spirituality.

Through his writing, coaching, podcasting, and recovery work, Gregory helps create spaces where people can question, heal, grow, and reconnect with what feels true within themselves. His work centers on awareness, forgiveness, compassion, oneness, healing, love, and the belief that awakening is not about becoming someone new, but remembering who we have always been.

Stay connected with Rick Gregory and explore his work through:

Website: The Awakened Collective

Facebook: Rick Gregory on Facebook

Instagram: @frederickwgregory

YouTube: Rick Gregory on YouTube

The Real AI Race Is Not About Features. It Is About Who Owns the Data No One Else Can Have

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

By: Michael Privat

There is probably a company right now studying your AI product, estimating how long it would take to recreate the core experience, and realizing the timeline may be shorter than some teams would like to admit. Not because your team failed or because their engineers are unusually strong. Building AI-powered features can be cheaper, faster, and increasingly accessible to companies that know how to execute.

I have spent more than 20 years inside large-scale engineering organizations, most recently leading roughly 500 engineers across the US and India, and what I keep watching is a similar expensive mistake playing out across the industry. Companies are pouring money into features and calling that differentiation. Meanwhile, their competitors may be watching closely, rebuilding similar capabilities faster than expected, and entering the market with almost identical experiences six months later.

What competitors may not be able to replicate nearly as quickly is governed data, operational trust, and infrastructure deeply embedded into how businesses actually operate. If your competitor can replicate a valuable capability within half a year, then it may not have been the thing protecting you. It may have simply been your temporary lead in a race that keeps accelerating.

Many executives already understand this in theory. The problem is what happens once quarterly planning starts.

I have watched this happen at companies with real resources and smart people, and the pattern is often the same: velocity gets celebrated, governance gets underfunded, and then 18 months later, the AI initiative that was supposed to be significant is stuck in a cycle of inconsistent outputs and customer trust problems that teams may struggle to explain. The explanation is usually not the model. It is often the data underneath it.

Many Companies Built Features. Now What?

Here is what the numbers look like right now. RAND Corporation reported that over 80% of AI projects fail to reach meaningful production deployment, roughly twice the failure rate of traditional IT projects without AI components (Source: RAND Corporation, 2024). NTT DATA reported that between 70% and 85% of generative AI deployments fail to meet their target ROI, and cited governance gaps in the underlying data as a leading cause (Source: NTT DATA, 2024). And Gartner is predicting that 80% of data and analytics governance initiatives could fail by 2027, specifically because organizations treat governance as a reactive obligation instead of a structural foundation (Source: Gartner, 2024).

That last one deserves a slower read. The issue may not be that companies are ignoring AI. They are adopting it aggressively. Generative AI adoption was reported to have more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, jumping from 33% to 71% of organizations (Source: WalkMe, 2025). The issue is that adoption has lapped governance by a wide margin, and it is difficult to build a reliable AI system on a data foundation that nobody actually trusts. Many enterprise data environments, if you strip away the optimistic language in the board deck, are a complex mix of siloed systems, undocumented pipelines, and inconsistent definitions that different teams interpret differently.

The AI may not be making that problem worse. It may be making it harder to hide.

What I see in the teams that are getting to production and staying there is often not a better model. It is often better data. The companies compounding AI value right now appear to have treated data infrastructure as the actual product, not the thing that supports the product. That sounds like a small reframe. It is not. It can change every prioritization decision you make for the next three years.

Why Governed Data Is Becoming a Potential Moat

Trusted data, deep integrations, and regulatory credibility can be harder to replicate than AI features themselves. None of them may make exciting product launches. Teams may not applaud clean data lineage or governance documentation during an all-hands meeting. But six months later, when enterprise customers trust your outputs enough to build workflows around them, the unglamorous work can become an advantage.

Trusted Data Can Compound

Many companies still treat data cleanup like housekeeping. Something annoying that gets postponed until the mess becomes difficult to ignore.

The organizations getting AI value appear to have accepted something many companies still resist: governed data is part of the product.

When a company cleans a dataset, assigns ownership, documents where information came from, and validates what it actually means, it can become easier to scale, validate, and trust future AI deployments. Right now, 73% of enterprises cite data quality as a major AI challenge (Source: Second Talent, 2025). The companies that address that problem early may be able to operate more efficiently.

Deep Integrations Can Create Weight

There is a difference between an API connection and an operational dependency.

The integrations that can become potential moats are the ones woven deeply into how customers actually work. Removing those systems could force teams to restructure workflows, compliance processes, reporting structures, and operational habits, not simply replace a vendor.

AI capabilities layered on top of shallow integrations can disappear quickly. The interface changes, another model may catch up, and the differentiation can fade. But infrastructure embedded deeply into customer operations can gain weight over time instead of losing it.

Regulatory Credibility Is Becoming a Gatekeeper

Many companies avoid governance conversations until regulation forces them to care.

As AI oversight expands across the EU, the US, and APAC markets, enterprises may increasingly be asked to prove their outputs are auditable, their data handling is defensible, and their governance structures can survive scrutiny from procurement teams and regulators alike.

Companies that invested in governance early may be better prepared for that environment. Companies that prioritized feature velocity first may now be retrofitting compliance into systems that were never designed for it. And increasingly, enterprises unable to demonstrate AI transparency may be excluded from regulated-market opportunities early in procurement conversations (Source: Gartner, 2024).

What Twenty Years Inside Engineering Organizations Taught Me

I started writing code on computers sitting on store shelves in France in 1983, as an eight-year-old who could not afford to own one. That eventually took me through coding parties across Europe, advanced math preparation in the late nineties, and MIT’s lab in 1998. I have spent my career solving real operational and engineering problems ever since, and the pattern across effective teams has stayed remarkably consistent: the organizations that sustain results over long cycles are usually the ones investing in durable infrastructure while others chase whatever benchmark looks impressive that quarter.

The data problems behind failing AI initiatives are often not mysterious. When I walk into organizations struggling with AI implementation, the engineers usually already know where the problems are. The data scientists are compensating for them regularly. Leadership tends to notice only after a production model generates something embarrassing or a pilot collapses once real customer data enters the system.

And often, the root cause sits upstream from the model itself:

  • Data gaps nobody resolved
  • Conflicting definitions across teams
  • Unclear ownership of critical datasets
  • Inconsistent pipelines patched together over time
  • Governance is treated like operational overhead instead of infrastructure

Those problems can stay hidden surprisingly long inside traditional systems. AI can expose them immediately.

There is also an organizational layer to this conversation that deserves more attention. In companies extracting meaningful AI value right now, data engineering is often not sitting downstream from machine learning teams cleaning up afterward. It operates as a strategic peer because leadership recognized something important early: trustworthy data can be foundational to the entire system.

You can purchase better tooling. You can buy another governance platform. What is harder to buy is the organizational habit of treating data like a first-class asset. That usually has to be built intentionally, and leadership has to reinforce it consistently.

The Next Three Years May Show Which Companies Built Strong Foundations

If you are navigating this inside a large organization, trying to make the case for data governance investment when AI feature velocity is consuming all the oxygen in the room, or trying to figure out why your AI initiative is stalled despite real investment in the technology itself, I would be glad to connect. These are not abstract problems for me. They are the problems I work on.

You can find me on LinkedIn or follow the longer-form conversation on Substack, where I write about engineering leadership, organizational transformation, and what it takes to build technology organizations that can compound their advantages over time instead of just chasing the next launch.

Many organizations are still treating the model like the product, while the potential long-term advantage may be accumulating quietly underneath it. Governed data may become the layer that separates companies creating short-term AI momentum from companies building infrastructure that customers and regulators may continue to trust years from now. The organizations that understand that shift early may look very different in the next three years, and the distance between them and everyone else could become increasingly difficult to close.

Ethan Irwin Is Helping Brands, Creators, and Businesses Tell Better Stories Through Video

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

In today’s digital-first world, attention can be earned in seconds. Whether it’s a business introducing a new product, a couple preserving a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, or a creator building a personal brand, compelling video has become a useful way to connect with an audience. For videographer Ethan Irwin, that challenge is what drives every project he takes on.

Known for blending cinematic storytelling with technical precision, Irwin has built a reputation for creating videos that do more than simply document moments. His work focuses on capturing emotion, communicating ideas, and transforming ordinary experiences into visual stories designed to leave a lasting impression.

Building Stories Frame by Frame

Many effective videos begin with a story, and Ethan Irwin approaches each project with that philosophy in mind.

Rather than relying solely on impressive visuals or expensive equipment, he works to understand the purpose behind every production. Whether filming a wedding, a corporate campaign, a promotional video, or a live event, his goal is to create content that feels authentic while reflecting the personality of the people and brands involved.

That storytelling-first approach can help each project stand apart instead of following a formula.

Combining Creativity With Technical Expertise

Behind every polished production is a strong technical foundation.

Ethan Irwin stays current with modern cameras, editing software, and production techniques to help every project meet professional standards from start to finish. His expertise spans every stage of production, from planning and filming to editing, color correction, and final delivery.

The goal is content that not only looks cinematic but also serves the practical goals of clients seeking to engage audiences across websites, social media, and digital marketing campaigns.

Serving a Wide Range of Clients

One of Irwin’s strengths is his versatility.

His portfolio includes work for individuals, businesses, organizations, and special events, allowing him to adapt his creative style to different industries and audiences. From intimate personal milestones to larger productions, he brings professionalism and attention to detail to every assignment.

That flexibility has helped him build relationships with clients looking for a videographer capable of delivering both creative vision and dependable execution.

Photo Courtesy: Ethan Irwin

Keeping Pace With an Evolving Industry

Video production continues to evolve rapidly, with new technology, editing styles, and digital platforms reshaping how stories are shared.

Recognizing the importance of keeping pace with those changes, Ethan Irwin continually invests in expanding his skills through industry education, hands-on experimentation, and ongoing exploration of emerging production techniques.

His commitment to continuous learning is designed to help clients benefit from modern workflows and creative approaches that keep their content suited for today’s fast-moving digital landscape.

Turning Ideas Into Memorable Visual Experiences

For Ethan Irwin, videography is more than a profession; it’s a creative process built around collaboration.

Every project begins with an idea and ends with a finished story intended to resonate after viewers press play. Whether helping businesses strengthen their brand identity, documenting milestone events, or producing cinematic promotional content, his work is guided by a simple objective: creating videos intended to be memorable.

As demand for professional video content appears to grow across industries, Ethan Irwin is working to establish himself as a creative professional focused on delivering meaningful visual storytelling with every production.

To learn more about Ethan Irwin’s work or explore his portfolio, visit Ethan irwin • Vidlead Profile or contact him at Ethani@ffchs.org.

Rankings Shifted Overnight in Late June, and New York Businesses Are Still Sorting Out Why

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

If your traffic took an unexpected hit in the last week of June, you are not imagining things. Google rolled out a global algorithm change that shook up rankings across nearly every industry, and plenty of site owners are still trying to figure out what happened and what to do next. This is exactly the kind of moment where working with an established SEO Company in New York pays off, since untangling a real policy violation from ordinary ranking noise takes experience most in-house teams do not have time to build on their own.

What the Google Spam Update June 2026 Actually Was

Google released the update on June 24, 2026, and it finished rolling out by June 26, roughly two days later. Google described it simply as a normal spam update applying globally across all languages, without naming a specific new policy or system behind it. This was the second spam update of the year, following an earlier one in March, and it left a lot of webmasters comparing notes on forums trying to piece together what had actually changed.

Google did clarify one useful detail: this particular update did not target link spam or the site reputation abuse policy, both of which had been the focus of previous rounds. Beyond that, the company left it to site owners and third-party trackers to observe the effects and draw their own conclusions.

The One Number Worth Knowing

Amid the uncertainty, one data point stood out. Several site owners reported organic traffic drops in the range of 10 to 15 percent within days of the rollout, even on sites that had not knowingly violated any spam policies. That kind of swing is significant enough to justify a full audit rather than dismissing it as a temporary fluctuation, especially for businesses that depend on organic search for a meaningful share of their revenue.

Google June 2026 Algorithm Update: What It Targets vs. What It Doesn’t

Google Spam Update Recovery: What Site Owners Should Actually Do

Recovering from a June 2026 Google update hit requires patience more than panic. Google has stated that improvements from a spam update can take several months to reflect in rankings, even after a site makes genuine changes. The recommended path forward includes:

  1. Reviewing your site against Google’s published spam policies line by line, rather than guessing at what might be wrong
  2. Auditing content for scaled or low-value pages that may have been produced quickly without real editorial oversight
  3. Checking whether the ranking drop lines up precisely with the June 24 to 26 rollout windows, or whether it started earlier and points to a different cause entirely
  4. Comparing performance against direct competitors during the same window to see whether the whole niche moved or just your site
  5. Avoiding drastic, reactive changes to site structure or content strategy until you have confirmed the actual cause

Google Spam Update SEO: Separating Correlation from Causation

One of the trickiest parts of any Google ranking drop after June 2026 update reports is confirming that the spam update is actually responsible. Traffic can dip for reasons that have nothing to do with a spam update, including a competitor’s content push, a seasonal shift in search demand, or a broader move toward AI-generated answers pulling clicks away from traditional results. Lining up analytics data against the exact rollout dates is the only reliable way to separate a real policy issue from routine volatility.

A Quick Word on Local Resources

Plenty of local shops and independent consultants have started publishing their own breakdowns of the update, and it’s worth reading a few before deciding your next move. According to Devendra Mishra, Founder of SEO Guru NYC, businesses should avoid making major SEO changes immediately after a Google algorithm update without first understanding the underlying cause. “Not every ranking decline is the result of a penalty. In many cases, fluctuations are temporary or influenced by broader changes in search behavior. The best approach is to review your website against Google’s spam policies, compare performance with competitors, and make data-driven decisions rather than reacting out of panic.”

Comparing multiple expert perspectives before implementing significant website changes can help businesses avoid costly mistakes.

Final Takeaway

The June 2026 Google update is a reminder that spam updates, unlike core updates, are narrower in scope but can still cause real disruption for sites that were never trying to game the system. If your rankings moved during that window, the smartest next step is a careful audit against Google’s published policies rather than an overreaction, paired with enough patience to let any genuine fixes actually take hold.

About the Author

Photo Courtesy: Devendra Mishra

Devendra Mishra is the Founder of SEO Guru NYC, a New York–based search engine optimization agency. With over 20 years of experience in SEO and digital marketing, he has helped optimize more than 10,000 websites across industries including healthcare, legal services, eCommerce, home services, and local businesses. His expertise includes Google algorithm updates, technical SEO, local SEO, AI-driven search optimization, and Google Ads.

Pulsar’s Market Positioning and Use of Thermal and Night Vision Devices Across Hunting and Outdoor Applications

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

Thermal imaging and digital night vision have been made more accessible to the civilian population over the last two decades. While they were once used solely for military and industrial applications, they are now used for hunting and wildlife viewing. The cost of sensors and the size of electronic components have played a role in this. Thus, devices that can see in the dark have been made accessible to a broader population. The market has grown as access to these tools has increased. Manufacturers have created products that can meet the demands of the field rather than a single general-purpose device.

Within this environment, Pulsar operates as a brand focused on thermal imaging and digital night vision devices. Launched in 2009 under Yukon Advanced Optics Worldwide, the brand builds on earlier work that began in 1991 with basic observation tools. Over time, its products have been positioned across hunting, outdoor observation, and search-related use. These markets require devices that can function in low light, detect heat differences, and operate across varied terrain. The company’s product structure reflects these needs, with separate device types designed for scanning, viewing, and mounted use.

In hunting, thermal and night vision tools are used to detect animals that may not be visible to the naked eye. Thermal imaging detects heat differences, revealing movement even in complete darkness or dense cover. Night vision devices amplify available light, allowing visibility in low-light conditions. Pulsar’s handheld monoculars are often used for scanning fields or wooded areas before a target is approached. Mounted riflescopes are then used for aiming. This division between scanning and targeting tools reflects a common hunting practice in which detection and engagement are treated as separate steps.

Wildlife observation represents another area of use. In this regard, the device is used to monitor animal movement without direct interaction. Thermal imaging helps the observer monitor the animals even at night without using visible light, which may interfere with them. Binoculars help the observer view the animals for longer periods without straining the eyes. These applications require the device to produce clear, consistent images. For this reason, the product’s design may focus on the simplicity of the images rather than their functionality.

Outdoor recreation may also contribute to device use. Activities such as camping and night hiking may require a device to help participants see farther than a flashlight’s range. Thermal imaging helps the participants identify the terrain and other heat sources. Though participants may not need advanced technology, the availability of the basic version has helped increase participation.

Activities related to searching are a more specific case. In these cases, thermal imaging can help locate a person, especially when visibility is low, as in a rural or forested environment. The heat detection capability allows the user to locate a person even in poor visibility, such as in darkness or other environmental conditions. The products used have had to be specifically designed for users who might be on foot. This has led to the development of lighter, handheld devices.

The design considerations for these devices have had to balance several factors. Portability has been a critical aspect, especially when designing handheld monocular or binocular devices. These have had to be light enough to be carried for long periods without compromising the device’s functionality. Weather conditions have also had to be taken into account, as the devices might be used when it rains or when the environment is dusty. Image clarity has also remained a central aspect, as the sensor’s resolution greatly influences the device’s ability to display heat differences.

Mounted optics introduce additional design requirements. The rifle scopes must also remain aligned during recoil and remain stable with repeated use. On the other hand, the image quality must be maintained throughout the process. The thermal rifle scopes, such as the Thermion and Talion, have been developed to meet this requirement. The device must provide detection capabilities and stability.

Variation in the environment is another factor to consider in the design and development of rifle scopes. The device must operate reliably in cold climates. In some places, the humidity levels may be high, and the device must be able to operate in such conditions. The thermal imaging device must also operate under various environmental conditions. However, in some areas, the heavy rain and fog might affect the device’s range. The device must be tested to ensure it is functioning as desired.

Pulsar’s market position is related to the use cases and design factors mentioned. Pulsar’s products fall into different categories based on use cases. The handheld devices are for observation and scanning. The mounted devices are for targeting. The binocular devices enable longer-range viewing. The newer devices have explored modularity. Dividing devices by use case enables users to make the right choice for their needs. The needs might involve hunting, observing, or searching.

The brand’s recognition in 2021 and 2025 is tied to awards and honors. The awards and honors come from firearms publications and the Tactical Retailer Choice Awards. The awards and honors indicate that the products have been recognized in the markets for which they were designed. The markets involve hunting and other uses. The awards and honors came during a period when thermal and digital imaging devices were gaining popularity outside traditional markets.

As of 2026, Pulsar remains part of Yukon Advanced Optics Worldwide, with development and production in Lithuania and facilities in Latvia. Pulsar’s current market status remains tied to the production of specific types of thermal and night-vision devices. The emphasis on portability, durability, and image clarity reflects broader trends in the development of outdoor equipment. These trends have been influenced by the environments in which these devices are used and by the practical purposes of the individuals who use them.

In conclusion, the presence of thermal and night vision devices, as used in hunting, wildlife observation, outdoor activities, and search operations, has had a notable influence on the development of these products. The current status of Pulsar has demonstrated the transition of these products from broader civilian purposes while maintaining their specific functions. The emphasis on portability, durability, and image clarity has continued to influence the development of these products, thereby shaping broader use of thermal vision.

Velocity’s $27 Million Bet on AI’s Next Big Growth Challenge

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

By: Jake Smiths

Generative AI has dramatically lowered the barriers to building software. Startups can launch products faster than ever, enterprises are embedding AI into existing platforms, and entirely new application categories continue to emerge. But while creating AI products has become easier, turning them into sustainable businesses remains a growing challenge.

Velocity believes the next defining layer of AI infrastructure won’t focus on model development or application creation; it will focus on helping AI companies monetize and distribute their products more effectively. That vision helped the company secure $27 million in seed funding, led by NFX and Red Dot Capital Partners, with participation from Stardom Ventures, Corner Ventures, and Transcend.

Founded by Tal Shoham alongside Amir Shaked and Nimrod Zuta, the company is developing infrastructure designed specifically for AI-native software, drawing on the founders’ experience building monetization and growth platforms during their years at ironSource and Unity.

As AI Usage Grows, So Do Economic Pressures

Consumer adoption of AI continues to accelerate, with millions of users interacting daily with AI assistants, coding tools, creative applications, and industry-specific solutions. Yet many companies face an increasingly difficult balancing act.

Inference costs continue to rise as models become more capable, while the majority of users remain on free plans. For many developers, subscription revenue alone has struggled to keep pace with operating costs.

The industry’s common response has been familiar: limit free usage, restrict premium features, or introduce paywalls early in the user journey. While these measures can improve short-term revenue, they may also reduce product discovery and user engagement.

Velocity is proposing a different approach. Rather than relying solely on subscriptions, the company is building an additional monetization layer that enables developers to expand free access while creating another source of revenue through native advertising integrated directly into AI experiences.

As Shoham explained, “AI is becoming the dominant interface for software, creating entirely new opportunities around monetization and distribution. We believe the biggest opportunity of the AI era will not only be building products, but also monetizing and distributing them. We’re building the infrastructure layer that helps solve both.”

Treating Intent as the New Growth Signal

Velocity’s platform is built around what it considers one of AI’s unique advantages: users explicitly reveal what they are trying to accomplish through conversation.

Unlike traditional advertising systems that depend on cookies or historical browsing data, AI conversations surface user intent in real time. Velocity says its infrastructure interprets multi-turn conversations, extracts structured intent, and delivers relevant recommendations within the experience itself.

The company has built its platform around three primary components: an AI-native advertising network, a mediation and auction layer that optimizes revenue across demand sources, and a conversation intelligence layer that transforms dialogue into structured, privacy-safe intent signals.

For Shoham, preserving the user experience is central to the strategy. As he noted, “AI monetization should feel native to the experience. Users expect AI interactions to be useful, contextual, and trustworthy. Our goal is monetization, recommendations, and product discovery that enhance the experience rather than interrupt it.”

Early Deployments Focus on Balancing Revenue and Engagement

Velocity says its early customer deployments suggest AI applications can introduce monetization while maintaining user engagement and retention.

Diego Díaz, CEO of the Subscription Division at Leadtech / MAU, described the collaboration as one built around both execution and partnership, saying, “Velocity has been a great partner to work with. The team is responsive, collaborative, and moves quickly. We’ve been impressed by both the product and the people behind it, and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. We’re confident this partnership will lead to meaningful outcomes as we continue building together.”

The company has also gained traction among consumer AI applications, including AIBY’s Chaton platform.

According to Artsiom Turavets, Lead Product Manager at AIBY (Chaton), “Velocity has been an exceptional partner, focused on maintaining a high-quality user experience, which is critical for any consumer AI product.” He added that the team consistently delivers tailored solutions and “operates as a true partner.”

Investors See a New Infrastructure Category

Velocity’s investors believe AI is creating an entirely new market for growth infrastructure, similar to how previous technology shifts gave rise to search, social, and mobile ecosystems.

Gigi Levy-Weiss, General Partner at NFX, said the firm views AI-native software as “one of the largest new technology platforms in history,” adding that “Velocity is building the growth infrastructure layer that enables that intent to drive monetization, distribution, and growth.”

That long-term outlook was echoed by Atad Peled, Partner at Red Dot Capital Partners, who said AI-native applications are creating “a massive new opportunity around user intent” and that Velocity’s combination of experienced operators and product vision positions the company to define the category.

Looking ahead, Velocity sees user intent becoming the foundational signal of the AI era.

As Shoham put it, “Every major platform has been built around a dominant signal. We believe the AI era will be built around intent, and we’re building the growth infrastructure layer to monetize and distribute through it.”

The Watch on Your Wrist Is Doing More Business Than You Think

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

Walk into any closing room in Manhattan, and you’ll notice something before anyone says a word. The watches. Not because anyone’s looking for them specifically, but because in a city built on split-second judgments about who’s serious and who isn’t, a watch reads faster than a business card.

New York has always been a city that decides things quickly. The right Rolex on the wrist of someone across the table doesn’t close a deal, but it removes a question from the room before the conversation even starts.

Why This Still Matters in 2026

The argument that watches are irrelevant in a world where everyone checks the time on their phone misses the point entirely. Nobody wears a Rolex to Manhattan meetings to tell time. They wear it because certain objects still communicate things that words take longer to establish: reliability, attention to detail, and the kind of patience that builds something worth having.

That logic holds in industries built on trust before contracts, including real estate, private equity, law, and finance. The watch is a small, quiet signal that someone thinks in decades, not quarters.

The Steel vs. Gold Question, New York Style

The debate over which Rolex signals what has a distinctly local flavor here. A steel Submariner reads as competence, the watch of someone who built something and doesn’t need to explain it. A gold Day-Date reads as arrival. The Presidential nickname exists because American presidents wore it, and in a city obsessed with hierarchy, gold still says something steel doesn’t.

Neither is wrong. The mistake is choosing based on what you think you should wear rather than what’s actually true about where you are in your career. A 28-year-old associate in a gold Day-Date reads differently than a 55-year-old managing partner in the same watch. The first raises eyebrows, the second raises nothing at all.

What Sets a Rolex Apart from Other Status Objects

Here’s what separates a Rolex from most of the status objects in a New York closet. It’s built to outlast the moment it was bought in. The engineering is conservative by design, with movements refined over decades rather than reinvented every season, and cases and bracelets made to take years of daily wear without complaint.

That durability is part of why the watch reads the way it does across a table. It carries associations of permanence rather than trend, which fits the kind of person who wants to signal that they think in decades. A steel Submariner that works in a boardroom today will still look right twenty years from now, and that kind of consistency is rare in anything people wear.

Why Discontinued References Get Harder to Find

The Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi, the red and blue bezel that’s become one of the most recognized configurations in the collector world, was discontinued by Rolex earlier this year. When the brand pulls a reference from production, demand for it doesn’t disappear. It shifts to the pre-owned market, where the existing supply is fixed and gradually thins out as watches settle into collections.

The steel Submariner remains the most common Rolex in the pre-owned market, the reference that more people own and recognize than any other. For anyone hunting a specific discontinued reference, that popularity is worth understanding, because the pieces collectors want most tend not to sit in inventory for long.

Buying Right in a City Full of Wrong Ways to Buy

New York has no shortage of places to buy a Rolex, and an equal abundance of places you shouldn’t. The counterfeit market is sophisticated enough now that “super clones” can fool casual buyers, with correct weight, convincing dials, and cases that pass a glance test.

The protection is authentication. That means dial inspection under magnification, movement testing on a timegrapher, and serial number verification against production records. Any legitimate dealer does this before a watch reaches a buyer and backs it with a written warranty. Anyone who skips this step, however good the price looks, is asking you to take a risk that a five-minute conversation could eliminate.

The watch on your wrist in a New York meeting is doing work whether you intend it to or not. Might as well make sure it’s real.

Ermitage Jewelers has specialized in authenticated pre-owned Rolex watches since 2000.

The Quiet Public Servant Behind Three Decades of Tri-City Healthcare

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

From a medical college in Kerala to an elected hospital board in Fremont, Dr. Jacob Eapen has built a career at the intersection of pediatric medicine, public health, and immigrant community service.

In the Tri-City region of Fremont, Newark, and Union City, the work of keeping a public hospital district running rarely makes headlines. It happens in board meetings, budget reviews, and physician-recruitment decisions, the slow, unglamorous machinery of community medicine. For more than three decades, much of that work has benefited from Dr. Jacob Eapen’s leadership and commitment to serving the Bay Area.

Eapen, a pediatrician and public-health physician based in Fremont, was first elected to the Board of Directors of the Washington Hospital Healthcare System in 2004 and has been returned to the seat by voters multiple times since. In a healthcare district where board members answer directly to the public, that record reflects an unusual durability of community trust.

But the board seat is only the most visible chapter of a career that began an ocean away.

From Kerala to California

Born in Thiruvananthapuram in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Eapen earned his medical degree from Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, graduating in 1976. He completed postgraduate training in pediatrics at Christian Medical College in Ludhiana, one of India’s major teaching hospitals, before seeking further specialization abroad.

He went on to earn a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, where his studies centered on epidemiology, preventive medicine, and community health, and completed a pediatric residency at Stanford University School of Medicine. The combination, clinical training paired with a population-level view of health, would define the rest of his career.

Medicine without Borders

Before settling permanently in California, Eapen practiced across several countries. He served as a consultant pediatrician at the Aga Khan Foundation Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and later joined the pediatrics faculty at the University of Sokoto in Nigeria, teaching medical students while continuing clinical work.

In 1988, he worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Philippines, coordinating pediatric care, vaccination programs, and communicable-disease management for displaced populations. The experience, by his account, deepened a conviction that medicine is most powerful when it reaches the people least able to seek it out.

A Public Health Career in Alameda County

After settling in California, Eapen joined Alameda County’s health services as a pediatrician and public-health physician, working on immunization, maternal and child health, and preventive-care outreach. In 1999, he was appointed the county’s Public Health Commissioner, and he later served as a medical director within Alameda Health System, one of California’s largest publicly operated healthcare networks.

Across those roles, a consistent emphasis emerges: expanding access to care for underserved and multicultural populations while integrating preventive healthcare into everyday clinical practice.

Recognition

In 2007, Eapen received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, awarded annually to Americans who have made notable contributions to the country while preserving the heritage of their ancestry. His other recognitions include a Mother Teresa Award from the Friends of the South Asian American Communities and distinguished alumni honors from his medical alma mater. Stanford School of Medicine has also profiled him as a “Model and Mentor.”

He lives in Fremont with his wife, Shirley Jacob. Their two children, Dr. Naveen Jacob and Dr. Sandhya Jacob, both followed him into medicine.

Reflecting on a career spanning more than four decades across multiple continents and over three decades of service to the Bay Area, Eapen’s philosophy remains rooted in compassion and service. As he puts it:

“Your strength in compassion and empathy makes you an ambassador of serving.”

Those who have worked alongside him often describe his leadership with one word: steady. In public health, it may be the highest compliment there is.

How Vanilla Crepe Grew Into a Nationwide Mille Crepe Brand

NY Weekly Staff on July 8, 2026

The mille crepe cake is a deceptively simple idea. Many thin crepes are layered with cream to build a single tall cake, a technique rooted in French pastry. In Malaysia, one brand has made that idea its signature and built a nationwide business around it. Vanilla Crepe, recently honored with the Emerging Magnificent Business 2026 Award at the Shanghai International Prestige Business Awards, has become one of the country’s most recognizable dessert names.

Founded in 2014, Vanilla Crepe set out to craft delicate crepe cakes using French pastry techniques, building each cake from many layers whipped with fresh cream and quality ingredients. According to the company, its central kitchen uses imported equipment from France and Germany to keep production consistent across its outlets, an operational discipline that underpins a brand offering the same signature product in

many locations. That focus on consistency is part of how a single dessert concept scaled into a chain.

Scale is central to the Vanilla Crepe story. From its beginnings, the brand grew into a nationwide chain with more than 20 outlets, spread across states including the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Melaka, and Johor. That expansion earned it official recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records as the largest mille crepe chain in the country, a distinction that captures both the brand’s reach and the appetite for its product. Alongside its physical outlets, the brand developed its own delivery service, aiming to make its cakes available beyond its stores.

Variety has been another part of the appeal. Vanilla Crepe built its menu around a wide range of flavors, giving customers many ways to enjoy its signature cakes, and it has extended that creativity into seasonal and themed products. The brand has produced festive crepe creations, including offerings tied to Mid-Autumn celebrations, some of which reached markets beyond Malaysia. This blend of a consistent core product with regular creative additions has helped keep the brand fresh in a competitive dessert market. More about the range is available at vanillacrepe.com.

The brand has also shown a willingness to collaborate. Over the years, Vanilla Crepe has partnered with a range of other food and consumer brands on crossovers, pairing its cakes with well-known ingredient makers and food labels. These collaborations expanded the brand’s visibility and introduced its products to new audiences, reflecting a marketing approach that treats partnerships as a way to grow reach. During the disruption of the pandemic, that adaptability proved valuable, as the brand leaned on delivery, new retail formats, and creative campaigns to keep growing.

The recent SHIPBA recognition adds an external endorsement to this record. The Shanghai International Prestige Business Awards, organized by ShangHai Business Media in Malaysia, recognizes companies for their achievements and brand development, and its Emerging Magnificent Business category acknowledges fast-growing businesses making their mark. For a brand that has expanded steadily since 2014, the honor aligns with its trajectory and joins earlier recognitions, including a Best Brands Award from BrandLaureate.

What makes the Vanilla Crepe story notable is how far a focused idea can travel. Rather than diversifying away from its core, the brand doubled down on mille crepe cakes and built an entire identity around doing that one thing at scale. The result is a business that customers associate clearly with a particular dessert, a clarity of positioning that many food brands struggle to achieve.

Looking ahead, Vanilla Crepe has expressed ambitions that extend beyond Malaysia to a broader Asian presence, with a stated goal of becoming a leading crepe cake brand in the region. Recognition, such as the Emerging Magnificent Business 2026 Award, supports that ambition by strengthening the brand’s profile. For now, the honor marks another layer in a story built much like the brand’s signature cakes, carefully, consistently, and one layer at a time, as a French inspired dessert continues its rise into a nationwide and increasingly recognized name.

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