Manhattanites are using technology as best they can to cope...

Manhattanites are using technology as best they can to cope with life after Hurricane Sandy, we personally found this week. Although most Starbucks locations were closed as the storm approached Monday, opportunistic smartphone and tablet users were standing outside shuttered Starbucks locations that had Wi-Fi operating over backup power systems to get a free ride on the Internet. We ourselves used a variety of cutting-edge and legacy electronics to stay connected -- despite loss of power below 34th St. -- including a landline phone that still had power when the cordless phones went out. Some Verizon FiOS customers nearby weren’t so fortunate. Access to email, texts and Facebook messaging was critical when Verizon voicemail service was taken out by the damage to a lower Manhattan electrical substation. For us, an iPhone was a valuable communication lifeline, as was an Energizer Energi to Go backup battery that powered the iPhone for an extra day. New York authorities provide free bus service on Wednesday, and we took advantage by traveling to friends on 90th St. on the East side for a shower, heat, workspace and power outlets, but not without a 2-1/2-hour commute to make the roughly four-mile trip in gridlocked traffic. Fancy electronics were no substitute for a Black Diamond LED head lamp that lights up the stairwell 16 floors up in a Manhattan high-rise. “What adventure are you going on?” the clerk at the sporting goods store asked on Saturday when we bought the tiny lamp two days before the storm. “A hurricane,” was our reply.