Chicago 2016 Comes to Your iPhone

By Prescott Carlson in Miscellaneous on May 6, 2009 9:45PM

We know most of you out there have been scratching hash marks on your bedroom wall counting down to October 2nd -- the day we find out if our 2016 summer Olympic dream (or nightmare, depending on your point of view) will come true. Fortunately, the team behind Chicago 2016 has come up with a better way to do that without risking your security deposit -- an iPhone Olympic bid countdown application.

Not since the introduction of iBeer has there been such a productive app -- not only can you instantly see how many days are left until the IOC decision (no messy hours/minutes/seconds to clutter up the screen like most countdown apps), there are also "fun facts" about the Olympic bid such as:

The Chicago metropolitan area spends more than $2 billion annually to maintain and improve its transportation network of trains, buses, roadways and bikeways. It expects to spend approximately $27 billion on highway and transit projects through 2016.

And our favorite:

The Chicago 2016 bid is 100% financed by private-sector contributions from individuals, foundations and the corporate community. Chicago is no stranger to privately funded events: The 1933 World's Fair was also funded privately, by paid memberships.

Of course due to screen space they cut off, "Notice we said 'bid' not 'games' -- while we plan for the games to also be privately funded, if there are cost overruns -- and there will be -- we have $750 million of taxpayer coin at the ready to be doled out to connected contractors as needed."