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baseball posts

Roku Video player now streaming live HD baseball games from MLB.TV

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 11th 2009 at 12:01AM

We've always loved the Roku Video Player, and it's getting even more flexible over time -- in addition to Netflix and Amazon video rentals, the $99 box can now play, pause, and rewind live HD baseball games in 720p from MLB.TV, as well as play archived games from the previous week on demand. You'll have to pay the one-time MLB.TV subscription fee of $35, but that's not terrible, especially if you're an out-of-market fan looking to catch your favorite team without having to trek out to a bar. Now if only the NFL would let anyone but DirecTV carry Sunday Ticket, we'd be all set.

Gallery: Roku Video Player MLB.TV interface

Japanese researchers develop baseball playing robots, Mark Buehrle reportedly unimpressed

by Laura June posted Jul 24th 2009 at 4:25PM

Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa at the University of Tokyo has developed two baseball-playing robots -- one that pitches, and one that hits. The three-fingered pitching bot throws a plastic foam ball at about twenty-five miles per hour, and lands ninety percent of its pitches in the strike zone, while the batting bot has a sensor which determines whether the pitches are balls or strikes, and hits balls in the strike zone with nearly one hundred percent accuracy. They are currently working on increasing the pitcher to about ninety-three miles an hour. The robots don't have any human stylings -- though, personally, we do detect a hint of Terminator.

Video: Topps launches 3D Live baseball cards, video cards on deck

by Thomas Ricker posted Mar 9th 2009 at 4:35AM

Put aside those Pokeman or Bakugan cards kids, Topps is back with a vengeance in an attempt to woo Internet bred sophisti-tots back into collecting baseball cards. Right, Topps, the company that pre-dates Human Growth Hormone abuse and packs a nostalgic smack of dusty pink sticks of chewing gum is back in the game, this time with some help from former Disney exec Michael Eisner. Just hold the special 3D Live card in front of a webcam and watch a three-dimensional avatar spring to life -- rotate the card and the figure rotates in full perspective. The technology provided by Total Immersion also allows collectors to drop the player into simple pitching, batting and catching games using the computer keyboard. Series 1 cards will cost $2 for a 12-pack while a buck snags a fistful of five. The 3D Live series will eventually feature video. Click through for a video demonstration -- trust us, you'll be amazed at what they've done.

Continue reading Video: Topps launches 3D Live baseball cards, video cards on deck

Commodore knocks a home run with MLB-themed gaming rigs

by Darren Murph posted Nov 26th 2008 at 12:46PM

Hard to say if these MLB-themed gaming PCs will be "a line drive to right" with gamers out there, but Commodore has certainly "rounded the bases" in order to deliver some pretty fanciful machines. The officially licensed desktops boast an exclusive C-kin paint job only possessed by the "true five-tool" PC manufacturing companies, though we have heard that the Core i7 within was "indirectly linked to HGH." At any rate, clean-up hitters can "round third and head for home" (or the order page, as it were) right now, but don't expect to underpay one of these "all-stars" and get away with it. Full release is just past the break, and we don't want to see any lollygagging on your way down.

Continue reading Commodore knocks a home run with MLB-themed gaming rigs

Cisco teams up with Yankees to bring HDTV experience to the new stadium

by Laura June posted Nov 11th 2008 at 9:07PM

The new Yankee Stadium is going to be all tech-ed up by Cisco, according to an announcement made by Hal Steinbrenner on an impressive telepresence conference call this morning. The partnership has already yielded about $15 million of wiring and infrastructure for the stadium, with more promised. So what does this mean for you, the rabid Yankees fan, at the game? Well, they're calling it a new "fan experience," but for now, it essentially boils down to 1,100 HD video monitors all over the stadium doing things like playing "interactive" video, giving stats in real time, and offering the ability to do truly wild stuff like order concessions from your seat and see how long the line at the nearest bathroom is. If it sounds too good to be true well, it's not -- kind of. Most of these features will supposedly be available when the stadium opens, though only in the luxury boxes... but Steinbrenner claims that infrastructure is already in place which will allow the stadium to provide these extras for everyone in the house eventually. We also hear there's going to be WiFi throughout the stadium, and that one 16 ounce Budweiser will run you $24.50. As long as we can count on them to use those thousand monitors to get people to do the wave while listening to "Cotton-Eyed Joe," we're there.

[Via The LoHud Yankees Blog; Thanks Joe P.]

Hannspree introduces three gimmicky sport LCDs, additional gimmicky LCD

by Nilay Patel posted Jul 14th 2008 at 3:57PM

Okay, so we don't necessarily see the appeal of having a 19-inch LCD TV shaped like a basketball invade the swank minimalism of Engadget HQ, but we're certain some of you need to furnish your basement rec rooms or something, and Hannspree's got you covered with a new trio of sports-themed LCDs. For $279, you get your choice of basketball, soccer ball, or baseball (which, oddly, is black), each of which features the same middle-of-the-road 1280 x 1024 panel with 5ms response time and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. There's also a $239 model called the "slamma," which sports a different 1440 x 900 19-inch panel with a 700:1 contrast ratio. No word on availability, but Hannspree is calling this its "summer lineup," so we're guessing sometime soon. More pics after the break.

Read - Hannspree Basketball
Read - Hannspree Baseball
Read - Hannspree Soccer
Read - Hannspree Slamma

Continue reading Hannspree introduces three gimmicky sport LCDs, additional gimmicky LCD

Nintendo's DS-accessible Fan Network now free at Safeco Field

by Darren Murph posted Apr 23rd 2008 at 7:57AM

Nearly a year after the innovative (albeit not-entirely-practical) Nintendo Fan Network went live at Safeco Field in Seattle, the powers that be have decided to nix those pesky access fees and give every DS-toting guest access gratis. That's right, folks who show up to catch a Mariners game can now check out other MLB scores, dig deep within player stats, order up grossly overpriced grub and even watch a terribly pixelated version of the game they're currently at without handing over one red cent. The nosebleed section never had so much potential.

[Via Joystiq]

Arizona Diamondbacks getting ginormous HD-X display from Daktronics

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 11th 2008 at 2:03PM

Daktronics is certainly no stranger to ridiculously huge displays, and it now looks set to expand it big screen empire even further, with it just announcing that it's signed a deal to outfit the Arizona Diamondbacks with one of its newfangled HD-X displays. Apparently scheduled for completion before the start of the 2008 baseball season, the new display promises to be the widest in the major leagues, measuring 136 feet wide by 46 feet high, or about eight times the size of the CRT display currently in place. Among other things, Daktronics' HD-X technology allows the display to be divided up into any number of zones, allowing for various configurations of video, animation and statistics -- and no doubt a few Halo 3 multiplayer games during downtime.

Ambient Baseball ScoreCast keeps you in the game

by Darren Murph posted Jan 5th 2008 at 8:01AM

Sure, you've got a few wireless scoreboard options out there if you're not down with keeping tabs via your PC / handset, but for fans of MLB and fashion alike, Ambient Devices' Baseball ScoreCast really is in a league of its own. As with the firm's Market Maven, this device also relies on the InfoCast Network for updates, meaning that it doesn't require nearby WiFi to function. 'Course, InfoCast can reach "only" 90-percent of the US, but if you're blanketed, all you'll need to provide is four AA cells and input on which team is your favorite. The device receives data updates every half-inning, and if nine just isn't enough, you'll also be kept current with extra inning action. Of course, whether such a unit is worth $124.99 is another matter entirely.

Gallery: Ambient Baseball ScoreCast keeps you in the game

Royals' HD scoreboard to one-up 'Godzillatron'

by Darren Murph posted Oct 4th 2007 at 5:45PM

We're a bit perplexed as to why the Kansas City Royals are becoming the next baseball team to get a substantial stadium makeover -- considering the team's record over the past few years and all -- but hey, we can't complain about "the world's largest HD LED scoreboard," now can we? Along with the giant board in center field, the stadium will also receive a myriad Daktronics displays along "the fascia of the upper deck along right and left field," and two ribbon boards (each 380-feet in length) will be "positioned in the outfield above the new restaurant / bar and Hall of Fame." All told, $250 million will be spent sprucing up the ballpark, and while fans will be seeing that 100- x 85-foot HD scoreboard next season, the entire project should be completed by 2009.

Read - Kauffman Stadium getting $250 million renovation
Read - World's largest HD LED display

Diamondbacks planning "largest display in pro sports," overlook Cowboys' plans

by Darren Murph posted Aug 29th 2007 at 9:01AM

We're certainly not complaining about yet another professional sports team opting for a svelte HD Jumbotron, but the Diamondbacks' claim to soon have the "largest scoreboard in pro sports" is dodgy at best. Reportedly, the board will cost between $10 and $12 million to erect and will measure in at "144 feet wide and 55 feet high," which the team claims is 900-square feet larger "than the biggest existing board, at Atlanta's Turner Field." Nevertheless, the D-Backs have certainly been trumped already in terms of HD scoreboard planning, as the Dallas Cowboys are slated to treat their fans to a pair of 180 feet wide by 50 feet high displays as part of a four-screen setup in 2009. So if all goes as planned, Arizona's MLB club will indeed be sporting the largest high-definition screen in pro sports for a tick, but those mighty claims will soon be squashed by the sensational installation headed to Texas.

Sharp solar panel system installed at AT&T Park

by Darren Murph posted Jul 11th 2007 at 9:02AM

While you were busy watching Vladimir Guerrero take home the Home Run Derby crown two nights ago (not to mention the All-Star game last night), you may not have been aware that AT&T Park was feeding uber-clean energy back into the grid serving PG&E's customers throughout northern and central California. Sure enough, the home of the San Francisco Giants is now also home to 590 Sharp solar panels located in three separate areas of the stadium, which combine to generate some 120-kilowatts of electricity. The size of the entire array is reportedly "equivalent to approximately 40 residential solar systems," and while this system won't conjure up as much power as the CIS Solar Tower, it will certainly make good use of the ballpark during the off-season.

[Via EETimes image courtesy of MatrixCS]

Vroop's Liveboard: the retro Bluetooth baseball scoreboard

by Darren Murph posted Jun 27th 2007 at 1:20PM

Vroop's Liveboard won't win any awards for "world's largest" or anything, but if you're looking for an easier (and more decorative) way to keep a close eye on baseball scores around the league, you'd be hard pressed to top this. Designed after a timeless stadium scoreboard, this device sports built-in wireless capabilities that enable it to sync up with the included software in order to keep track and display real-time scores in MLB. Users can select from a trio of modes depending on what scores they'd like to see, and you'll even find a wireless USB adapter thrown in for good measure. Of course, those not interested in America's pastime may find the $299 pricetag a bit baffling, but for those sick of waiting for a ticker to reveal the home team's current status, this fee is completely justified.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

Major League Baseball still barking up Sling Media's tree

by Darren Murph posted May 30th 2007 at 5:56PM

While some broadcasters are actually utilizing the Slingbox and appreciating its benefits, leave it to Major League Baseball to further alienate its dwindling fanbase. After cable customers were just barely able to get back in on the Extra Innings love, it appears that Sling Media is still being blacklisted in the eyes of MLB, as a recent interview with Michael Mellis, Senior VP and general counsel of MLB Advanced Media's offices reinforced the friction between the two. Most recently, Mellis and friends seem to be mulling a lawsuit against Sling, as he claims that the Slingbox "allows viewers to circumvent geographical boundaries written into broadcast rights deals," and moreover, had no shame in admitting that profiteering was at the forefront of their minds by suggesting that "if the league can't protect the rights it sells, that doesn't bode well for future contracts when it wants to resell the rights at higher margins." Reportedly, the CEA has indeed come to Sling's side by proclaiming that this case is a "classic instance of copyright owners trying to suppress innovation purely because it empowers consumers." Of course, we hope you don't let Mellis' words get you too riled up -- after all, he also stated that "there's no guarantee that Slingbox would be around next year as it's just a startup." Let the snickering commence.

[Via CNET]

RevFire system measures speed and spin, lets pitchers know when to throw in the glove

by Evan Blass posted Apr 12th 2007 at 6:01AM

Pitching a baseball or softball isn't only about how fast you can get the damn thing across the plate, but how effectively you can spin the ball and control its position and timing as well. Well speed is easy to measure -- radar guns have been around for years -- but it's been more difficult for pitchers and coaches to determine how spin changes over time, with visual analysis generally being the best tool available. Well now thanks to a company called RevFire, teams can use a device of the same name to measure both speed and spin for multiple pitchers simultaneously as well as track individual performance through a number of practices and possibly even seasons. The one downside here is that the RevFire system uses proprietary balls to go along with the handheld monitor: two balls come in the package, so a few out of the park homers is all it takes to sideline the unit until replacements arrive. Unfortunately for would-be backyard flame throwers, RevFire seems targeted more towards organized teams than the lone gunmen trying to red shirt his or her local Little League team, a notion only furthered by the lack of pricing info on the product page. Sounds like a handy addition to the modern coach's tool chest, but maybe not so great for that washed up player who's been hanging on by good looks and a string for the last two seasons.