GENERAL


WSJ: Sports Tech is Recession-Proof

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-22-10    No Comments


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review_foxrobot_1A bit of good news for purveyors of sports tech and sports tech blogging alike: the Wall Street Journal reports that sporting and outdoor goods have weathered the down economy with “surprisingly robust” sales.

The Journal’s Miguel Bustillo writes that sporting goods stores have been outperforming their retail counterparts in hobby, book and music stores all year, and that, although sales on big ticket items such as boats are down, Americans remain committed to the kids’ soccer league or the occasional trip to the lake. Bustillo also suggests consumers might be opting out of more expensive vacations with lots of traveling and choosing closer-to-home recreation, which means less money spent on airfare and more money spent on gear.

And hey, it makes sense. After all, what better way to get away from your frustrations than a weekend in the great outdoors? Or, even better, what better way to take out your frustrations than lacing up some new sneakers and throwing a few elbows in a rec league game? Either way, sports as mass distraction from the economy is about as American as you can get (or at least that’s what we learned from watching Seabiscuit).

At any right, as far as I’m concerned, this is great news for technophiles. If sports gizmos and gear can keeping making some noise in the market during the worst of times, just wait until the recovery really picks up speed: We’ll have to post 20 times a day. There’s simultaneously durable — and, at the same time, rapidly expanding — demand for this stuff. Witness this piece from The New York Times about baseball’s winter meetings: the gadgets were the most interesting part.

So, who knows? Maybe we’re onto something here.




TSC Gift of the Day: You can’t go wrong with GT5

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-21-10    No Comments


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GT5-Gran-Turismo Granted, time is running out before Christmas, but let it be known that we’re throwing our last-minute sports game endorsement to Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation 3.

Whether you pick this one up for yourself or the PS3 owner in your life, you’ll be making the right decision. This one is worth owning if only for the fact that the game simply looks ridiculous, with sharp lighting effects especially, and is fully equipped for stereoscopic 3D. We’ve been down on 3D TVs this year as evidenced by our last post, but if you’ve got one, GT5 is the must-own sports game to go along with it. You can also grab 3D screen shots so, with more than 1,000 cars to choose from and more than 25 different locations, that’s a lot of potential auto porn.

If that doesn’t rev your engine, you can also check out a list of other 3D compatible games for the PS3 here.

Of course, looks aren’t the only thing, GT5 has also earned some solid reviews and boasts a host of new features over its predecessors, including detailed damage modeling, a course editor and the ability to add your own soundtrack. All in all, a worthwhile pickup.




Canesta and Some Ca-razy Cool Technology

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-16-10    No Comments


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canestachipOur days of digging around in the sofa cushions for the remote are coming to an end. While flipping between your various iterations of ESPN may seem perfectly natural today, a time approaches when we’ll look back on our present button-mashing, channel-surfing habits the same quaint way we regard floppy disks and the Yellow Pages.

Enter Canesta, they’re a leading producer of 3d-sensing microchips, acquired by Microsoft in late October. Canesta specializes in creating natural user interfaces which are basically intuitive controls such as touch screens which, after some practice, aren’t supposed to feel like controls anymore (hence the word “natural”). With Microsoft’s adding the motion-sensing, controller-free Kinect for Xbox 360 and picking up a company like Canesta, I think it’s pretty easy to assume we’re going to be seeing a lot more of these technologies in the years and months to come.

So what does that do for sports technology and sports tech geeks like us? Well, being a couch potato isn’t exactly a sport, but I bring you back to the question of the remote control. Motion sensing isn’t going to be just for video games much longer. Our computers and home entertainment systems are going to become more intuitive in a big way. Cameras equipped with Canesta technology can literally “see” you and will be able to capture and deliver that 3D information to your television / phone / computer / you name it. That means being able to change the channel or surf the internet with a simple gesture. Goodbye remotes. Goodbye mouse.

Technologies like Kinect are only going to get better as well. Canesta 3D-capture technology will even be able to insert your own digital likeness into your video games. No more clunky attempts at creating your own character in NBA Live, you’ll be able to slap your own face into whatever game you’re playing. On a more practical front, Canesta’s website promises better analytical tools for motion analysis and playback. For example, once this technology becomes portable and ubiquitous you’ll be able to capture and analyze your jump shot at the gym right from your smartphone, or help little Johnny learn how to throw a baseball farther.

How about that?




His Airness Still Rules

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-15-10    No Comments


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jordan_logoA lot’s been made over the years about who is the “next” Michael Jordan. First it was definitely going to be Kobe, but then the Lakers had a couple dismal years without Shaq so maybe Kobe wasn’t Jordan-esque after all. Of course, Kobe teamed up with Pau Gasol and ended up winning two titles in a row so now he’s all Jordan-y again (and within one Larry O’Brien trophy of matching MJ’s six championships). So you could stake a claim that maybe Kobe is the “Air” apparent.

And things haven’t turned out quite as well (yet) for possible Jordan-heir Lebron James, who faced a similar burden of Jordan-like expectations in Cleveland (although wearing #23 probably didn’t help much).

But, truth be told, there won’t ever be another Michael Jordan. In fact, by at least one measure, Jordan is STILL bigger than BOTH of these guys.

Fan Page List, which is a kind of power rankings for celebrities, politicians, athletes and other brand-names, has Michael Jordan ranked #3 among all athletes in terms of popularity and the #1 ranked American athlete. The ranking is based on social media presence, including Facebook “likes” and Twitter followers, as well as taking into account the amount of time people spend on the subject’s actual site. Jordan, who has well over six million Facebook “likes”, beat both Kobe and Lebron by better than 10 percent. Pretty impressive for a guy who’s seven years removed from his last NBA basketball game and 12 years removed from his last NBA championship (and his second-to-last retirement).

Add that to the fact that the Air Jordan shoe recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and that it was big news that Jordan finally making his video game debut this year in NBA 2K11 and  it’s hard to see how any athlete ever matches that. If a guy more than a decade removed from his glory years is still a better-rated online property than the likes of Kobe, Lebron and Shaq, that’s just ridiculous.

As great as some of these athletes are — and you’re going to keep hearing the “next” Jordan talk about the likes of Kevin Durant and whoever else comes next — it’s hard to imagine few others having the same kind of cultural staying power. Even the once-ubiquitous Tiger Woods now seems destined to flame out. So who will we be talking about in 10 years?

Any bets that we’re still talking about Jordan? That Jumpman logo doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon.




Episode 62: “Tear the Roof off the Sucker!”

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL, PODCAST on 12-15-10    No Comments


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Dan and Blum sing backup to Parliament and hash out the weird Metrodome collapse. “The Big Chill” outdoor hockey game at the University of Michigan not only sold out, but also featured a pre-game physics lesson. Air Jordan still rules the the U.S. sports landscape and Blum geeks out on Clippers big man Blake Griffin, YouTube sensation.

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Um, so what’s going on at the Metrodome?

Posted by Dan in GENERAL on 12-14-10    1 Comment


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dip1212-roof_1064123cl-3By now you have all seen what happened at the Vikings stadium out in Minneapolis. Seveal people have asked me what exactly happened and why did it happen to wreck the roof this time.  It turns out, according to Roy Terwilliger, chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission in Minnesota, that the weather was so bad the had to pull their people off the roof who usually clear it off.  They use hot water hoses to clear snow off the roof that it held up by air pressure. This time the danger of frostbite and wind were too much and they had to pull everybody off the roof and wham it all falls down.  When asked if they could just take the roof off and play without it, Roy Terwilliger scoffed saying “No, you couldn’t. It’s not designed for that. We have suites and everything that rely upon warm weather. So we have a lot of freeze ups”.




TSC Gift of the Day: 3D Gaming

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-14-10    No Comments


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3dglassesMaybe it seems like the gamer in your family already has everything, a stacked library full of the latest titles and a computer so powerful it can simultaneously run Madden AND an entire NASA mission from the living room while iTunes is going. But if your spouse/offspring/other is on the nice list this year, does most of their gaming on the PC, and seems to have exhausted the possibilities of 2D gaming, consider upgrading their aesthetic experience with 3D gaming.

The NVIDIA 3D Vision Bundle promises to turn games like Madden into an Avatar-type experience by automatically converting your standard games to stereoscopic 3D without the need to download any special patches.The 3D Vision Bundle, which costs $628, comes with the conversion software, a 26” inch 3D-ready LCD monitor with all the necessary hookups, and a pair of wireless, adjustable 3D shutter glasses (and don’t worry, they’re a lot sleeker looking than the goofy ones you get at the movie theater).

You’re going to need a PC with either Microsoft Vista or Windows 7 to use the 3D Vision Bundle and you’ll also want to use this tool to see if your computer can even support NVIDIA 3D vision. But if all signals are go, and you’re looking for an immersive, next generation gaming experience, NVIDIA is worth a shot.

And 3D is all the rage, right?




The Sports Circuit On The Radio!

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-13-10    No Comments


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Podcast BlumHere I am not being a complete idiot talking up sports tech on WHCU in Ithaca.

Which is sort of remarkable considering that this was 7:45 in the morning. And trust me, I am not a morning person.




Next-Gen Underwear: Souped-Up Skivvies and Alpaca Duds

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-11-10    No Comments


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alpacas-7589Under Armour was everywhere during last week’s SEC title game between Auburn and South Carolina. With both teams holding apparel deals with the Baltimore-based company, Under Armour used the opportunity for a huge marketing blitz, mostly to get some serious exposure for its footwear line.

But while Under Armour is trying to show the world it’s more than just a maker of high performance base layers, the ubiquity of what basically started out as a sports underwear company got us wondering what else is going on in the under-world.

A lot, it turns out. From precious metals to alpaca wool, there’s something for everybody when it comes to performance underwear.

We’ll start with Czech company NanoSilver which actually incorporates small amounts of actual silver woven into the fabric of its products. Who knows if it actually works, but the makers claim their products cut down bacteria, alleviate nasty skin conditions like eczema and, most importantly, don’t smell. If that’s true, it sounds like a winner to me.

Moving on, Polar Max All Year Gear represents the natural fiber folks’ latest, best attempt to get cotton apparel as close as possible to a polyester. Polar Max All Year Gear takes a lot of cotton and a little bit of polyester and weaves it to feel closer to a polyester than a cotton. The result is a shirt that’s lightweight and breathable, like a cotton shirt, but also one that wicks and dries quickly. In my experience, this Polar Max gear wicks nicely, has a nice feel and doesn’t stink. The trick will be to see if its durable.

If you’re into Merino wool, I/O Bio is doing some cool things, with attractive designs and a nice polyester feel. Merino is expensive, so you’re going to pay for it, but it’s also naturally absorbent, anti-microbial and it keeps you warm. If you’re looking for a high-tech Merino product, I like I/O Bio.

Finally, if you’re looking for something off the beaten path, check out Pacadudz, activewear made from alpaca fleece. If you’re in the market for a denser natural fiber that’s closer to a cotton-type experience, these alpaca duds do the trick.




TSC Gift of the Day: Customizable Sports Swag

Posted by Jonathan in GENERAL on 12-10-10    No Comments


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tscheat

Maybe you’re asking yourself the same question as King James this holiday season: “What should I do?”

Here’s a thought for the sports geeks and superfans on your shopping list: customizable team gear. Each of the major sports leagues have cool options for personalizing everything from replica game jerseys, hoodies and tee shirts to custom clocks and carpets.

The NFL even has pet jerseys. Funny how pets tend to root for the same teams as their owners.

On that note the most ridiculous collection of swag belongs to the NFL whose custom shop has about any kind of souvenir you can paste your own name on. There’s also a neat design tool that lets you build your own apparel by style, color and team logo. Likewise the NBA custom shop has a neat preview tool so you can see exactly what it would look like had you decided to take your talents to South Beach. The trend even has its own slick tech name called Metailing. Get it?

The NHL and MLB have similar options. Yeah, some of this stuff may seem a little tacky. Your nephew might take a pass on a personalized Kansas City Royals “#1 Fan” wall clock, but a personalized baseball bat might somebody become a treasured keepsake for a budding slugger.