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Radar turns your smartphone into a baseball speed detector

Want to know if your baseball team's pitching skills are up to snuff without carrying a dedicated (and frequently not-so-smart) speed detector? Scoutee might have something up your alley. It's crowdfunding a baseball radar peripheral that turns Android phones and iPhones into pitch speed detectors. Plunk the device in the right place (including on the back of your phone, if you like) and it'll tell you just how quick that fastball really was. You can not only add notes, but record video with a speed overlay -- you'll know whether or not that curveball was slow from the start.

The gadget won't be cheap, but you can get a good deal if you pledge during the Kickstarter campaign. It'll take as little as $129 (normally $149 to $169) to get a Scoutee versus waiting for the retail launch, when it'll cost $299. You'll ideally get your device in April, just in time for those early spring games. This isn't a trivial expense no matter what you pay, but the crowdfunding price is just low enough that it might make sense if your kid's Little League team needs a tune-up.