FROM APPLETELL - Apple has finally allowed a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) program to be made available for the iphone. Fring is available now at the iTunes store for free.
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As technology gets more and more advanced everyday, it is no surprise that we often find new technology being used in places we often wouldn’t have imagined a few years ago. Baseball is a professional sport in which there was limited technology used in the past. However, just as everything changes over time, so has baseball.
Many professional sports leagues, such as the NBA, NFL, and NHL, have already adopted the use of Instant Replay. Yet, baseball failed to incorporate this technology into everyday use, until recently. As of now, it is only used to find out whether a home run is, in fact, a home run, or if it should be a double or a foul ball. A home run call that was ruled incorrectly by an umpire can ultimately change an inning, game, series, or a season. Such an effect has led Commissioner Bud Selig to introduce Instant Replay to MLB.
Many grasp the concept of Instant Replay, but many probably do not understand the amount of technology behind it all. This is how it works: The crew chief will go to a small gray box located off the field where a 20 inch TV monitor and a phone are located. The phone is automatically connected to MLBAM’s (Major League Baseball Advanced Media) Manhattan office, their central location for all Instant Replay.
If the crew chief asks for specific replays of a play that just occurred, the crew in the Manhattan office, consisting of various technicians and umpiring supervisors, will then send back the requested footage. The interesting part is what they send back - various freeze frames, shots from different angles, the play rewinding, etc. After the crew chief receives all this, he then analyzes it all and makes the appropriate (and hopefully correct) decision.
The interesting part in all this is the efficiency in which everyone performs their task. In fact, the first time Instant Replay was used, the whole process took only 2 minutes and 15 seconds!
If we break down all that happens it would seem like it could be a very difficult and time consuming process. The umpire must contact the New York office, the office edits the specific footage he wants, send it back, and then have the umpire must analyze it. However, an average baseball game is already pretty long, so I’m pretty sure Commissioner Selig took time into consideration when deciding how to implement Instant Replay. Overall, the entire process should only take about 2 minutes and 30 seconds as cited by MLB.
There are 3 to 4 feeds sent out for each game and considering there could be 15 games per day, there is a lot of video information flying around. The Manhattan central office can get between 45-60 different feeds a day, many of which can come in at the same time. Now, we have to think about how they would receive all that video footage.
The good thing is that MLB already streams all the games, so gathering the necessary video is not too difficult a process. MLB spent about 2 months and over 2.5 million dollars prepping a control room that would feature the necessary fiberlink lines, all the monitors, and special telephone lines. To give some perspective about what the control room would look like, it features four TV screens spread out across the back wall, which receives all the feeds from each game, eight more screens across the other walls with different feeds, and in between would be three rows of computers, assorted video equipment, and the technicians.
The whole process sounds like one big headache, and to get everything done that the crew chief wants—well that’s not a simple feat. The amount of precision, efficiency, and pressure that would go into such a process—it is all made possible by today’s technology. It’s a shame that people take such technology for granted; hopefully this will shed some light on just how much technology impacts our everyday lives in ways we normally wouldn’t imagine.
Read [NYDailyNews]
Read [MLB]
Read [SportsBusinessDaily]
Read [NY Post]
Read [MSN Fox Sports]
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by Darren Murph, posted Oct 4th 2008 at 10:45AM
If you don’t have quite enough set-tops sitting underneath your HDTV, we’ve got one more to fill that tiny gap over there on the right. PIE United has introduced a rather quizzical device aimed at folks who love to show off photos of their journeys around the world on the big screen. The HD-0310 1080p Digital Photo Viewer connects up via HDMI and supports 12 types of flash cards along with USB drives; in addition to photos, it’ll play back video clips and MP3 files. Oh, and just in case you’re fresh out of HDMI ports, this thing packs a single input in order to connect another HDMI device and switch between the two. Not too sure how much this will run the layman, but outfits looking to buy in bulk should be able to land a killer deal.
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Home Entertainment
I’m not sure if RIM and AT&T will ever be able to launch the blackberry Bold in a timely matter, it always seems there is something new to prolong the delay of the highly anticipated AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9000.
Recently, RIM Co-CEO, Mike Lazaridis, said that the BlackBerry Bold is still undergoing 3G connectivity tests to make sure all is well when they finally release it. RIM and AT&T both want to make sure the official release goes as smoothly as possible and they do not suffer similar 3G network problems like the iphone 3G experienced.
The BlackBerry Bold had been scheduled to go on sale as early as the summer. When AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel was asked to confirm that the Bold was still undergoing tests, he didn’t have much to say other than that it will be available sometime this year. So for all of you who are still eagerly awaiting the day it is released, it should only take a few more months at most…hopefully.
Lazaridis had this to say to the Associated Press:
“There’s great scrutiny, as you might know, on that network and a certain device. So I guess everyone wants to be sure on every last test. We’re very meticulous about what our product does.”
Hopefully, AT&T and RIM can agree on a launch date and stick by their word.
Via [Yahoo]
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The much-hyped mandatory transition from analog to digital TV in the United States has begun in Wilmington, NC.
For those who don’t know, by law, all TV stations that broadcast over the air using analog signals must begin broadcasting exclusively in the new digital format by February 17. Most U.S. TV stations already offer digital signals, but the majority of non-cable customers are still getting their TV through an old-fashioned analog signal.
The new digital format certainly has its advantages. Its much better picture and sound quality are the most obvious. Viewers won’t have to worry about static anymore. They will, however, have to worry about actually getting the signal to their favorite local stations, The Wall Street Journal reports.
One of the most surprising lessons from the early digital-television transition that took place . . . in Wilmington, N.C., is that some viewers may permanently lose access to certain broadcast channels.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said Tuesday that TV stations whose analog signals stretch far beyond their digital broadcast areas may be on the hook to build more antennas to reach those viewers.
The analog signal for Wilmington’s NBC affiliate, WECT-TV Channel 6, one of the stations in the experiment, broadcasts several counties away from its actual digital market. When WECT stopped broadcasting in an analog format, as all TV stations must do Feb. 17, several customers outside the official market suddenly lost the channel.
While most of these viewers will still be able to access other NBC affiliates closer to their homes, this certainly raises the question as to whether U.S. TV stations are ready for the transition as far as strength of signal is concerned. Mr. Martin expects about 15% of U.S. TV markets to “shrink in a significant way” after the transition. With digital broadcasts, viewers either get an excellent picture or they get nothing. There is no in-between.
Via [The Wall Street Journal]
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Sony ain’t giving up the good fight where its digital book reader is concerned, with the PRS-700 being the latest model that will accompany its predecessor, the PRS-505 that didn’t do too shabbily so far. This time round, you will find some much clamored for improvements such as an interactive touch screen display for one of the more intuitive digital reading experience to date. It also won’t weigh you down since it comes in the dimensions of a slimmed down paperback book, with a textured black casing and soft black cover helping you look elegant no matter where you tote it. The PRS-700 tips the scales at just 10 ounces, so you can imagine just how light it is compared to carrying tons of books on a long journey with you.
The display itself measures six inches across, where touch screen capability enables bookworms to flip pages simply by sliding their fingers - this could be a problem if you love eating while reading, since you might actually use a greasy finger to flip the “page” out of habit, so do keep some Kleenex handy nearby. Not only that, since the books in there are all digitized, you will be able to search search terms within a document or book in a snap, using the virtual keyboard to create impromptu notes for future reference while the included stylus pen lets you highlight text that are important.
Even with five preset text sizes available, I’m sure there will still be some people who find it rather difficult to read text on a screen, so the PRS-700 isn’t meant for everybody. Other features include high-resolution, high contrast electronic paper display technology, expanded memory that can hold an average of 350 digital books, an SD/Memory Stick Duo memory card slot, and a built-in LED reading light during times where there is insufficient ambient light. The PRS-700 is able to last approximately 7,500 pages of continuous reading before it requires a trip to the nearest power outlet. You can pick up this nifty device for around $400 next month. Image courtesy of TrendyGadget.
Press Release
by Chris Ziegler, posted Oct 4th 2008 at 5:07AM
Now that Sony Ericsson’s mighty X1 has earned the FCC’s love and affection, you won’t be an outlaw for using one in the States — but unfortunately, you won’t be a speed demon everywhere, either. The version that just nabbed approval here is the X1i, and anyone familiar with Sony Ericsson’s naming scheme can tell you that an “i” means a phone’s not really meant for North American consumption; in this case, we’re lucky to squeak by with UMTS Band II support, which means we’ll theoretically be able to pick up some of AT&T’s 1900MHz signal. On 850, though, you’ll be stuck with EDGE. Of course, a true global launch has been in the cards for the X1 from day one, and we’re not worried that we won’t see a more 3G-rife model getting torn down by the feds — this just ain’t it.
Filed under: cellphones, Handhelds
by Darren Murph, posted Oct 4th 2008 at 7:44AM
Look, we’ll be honest — Gemei’s PMPs are among the few developed entirely in China that are actually worth a glance, and yes, we’re digging the overall sleekness of the A320. But seriously, could we decide on something other than Sony’s iconic button logos and a very blatant OS X-sourced wallpaper? Petty gripes aside, the handheld should handle a plethora of audio / video formats along with GBA games via an integrated emulator. No telling how much this thing will sell for, but if we had to guess, we’d put it somewhere between “dirt cheap” and “cheap enough.”
[Via TheGadgetSite]
Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video
by Darren Murph, posted Oct 3rd 2008 at 5:15PM
We’ve long since known that RIM’s blackberry Bold was AT&T bound, but in case you haven’t noticed, the rumored October 2nd release date has come and went, and there’s nary a Bold on any of AT&T’s store shelves. According to RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, the handset is still undergoing testing at AT&T, suggesting that it wanted to avoid the complaints that arose when the newest iphone hit in July. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel remained mum on the subject when asked, only affirming that the handset would eventually be available this year. Ah well, you’ve been looking for a reason to vacation in Chile, haven’t you?
[Via phonescoop]
Filed under: cellphones
After finding out I was on crack this week, I was reminded of some information I had on Blackberries. As you know, Research in Motion (”RIM”) is releasing their Pearl 8220, the first blackberry with a clamshell design. Gadgetell got a chance to speak to RIM and found out that the keyboard on a clamshell Blackberry will probably never be a full keyboard.
According to RIM, the clamshell format precludes the usage of a full keyboard. The form factor would become very strange and users just wouldn’t go for it. That does not necessarily mean that there are not other form factors that RIM could choose like a slider or even a Sidekick-style format.
If you want a full keyboard and clamshell form factor, just get that out of your head. It’s just not happening.
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