Photo by Photo Phiend on Flickr.

Naval Observatory getting more security

NCPC approved plans to install a 10-foot security fence and additional security checkpoints around Vice President Joe Biden’s residential compound at the Naval Observatory.  (WTOP, Gavin)  (Tip: Gavin)  

CaBi’s the latest example

Capital Bikeshare gets some more publicity as the latest incarnation of web-enhanced collaborative consumption services. (NY Times)  (Tip: Erik W)  

Foreclosures down, short sales up

As area foreclosures have dropped, short sales, when a house is sold for less than is owed on the mortgage, have escalated. One Manassas house, selling for $400k in the boom, is now listed at $250k. (Post, Eric Fidler)  (Tip: Eric Fidler)  

More credit card meters

1200 more credit card-accepting parking meters will be installed around the District throughout October, Gabe Klein said on Friday.  He also committed to expand pay-by-phone citywide by the end of 2010. (TBD, d.ish)  (Tip: Erik W)  

Putting Twitter to good use

FixWMATA has been collecting complaints about “hot cars” all summer via Twitter. The final report, out yesterday, includes some intriguing stats about which cars are most reliably hot.  (Tip: Gavin)  

Southwest gets closer to National

Southwest Airlines staged a “protest” outside the Rosslyn Metro yesterday morning just as they announced acquisition of AirTran. AirTran currently holds several landing slots at DCA, leading some to speculate meaning that Southwest will start service to National Airport soon. (ARLnow, DCist, Rob Pitingolo)  (Tip: Rob Pitingolo)  

Windshield perspective for couch potatoes

Streetsblog founder Aaron Naparstek picks apart the windshield perspective behind two current commercials.  (Tip: Erik W)  

Masdar on the rise

Abu Dhabi’s experiment in sustainability, Masdar City, opened its first section last week, housing primarily professors and students of a sustainability-oriented research institute. (Time) … The NY Times sees it as both “daring and noxious.”  (Tip: Erik W)  

And…

NYC bicyclists talk about the pros and cons of bike lanes (The Atlantic) … Chinese HSR is on track (Financial Times) … Who should be the next Mall food vendor? (The Internationalist)  (Tip: Erika)