extreme sports
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Simpel Session '08 streamed live in HD for first time
Unfortunately, the partners involved in streaming Europe's largest BMX and skateboarding event to 118,000 online onlookers in HD waited until after the event to brag about how well everything worked, but hey, at least we've got reason to believe that next year's shindig will be handled similarly. Reportedly, the three-day Simpel Session '08 was streamed live in high-definition over the web on Freecaster.tv for the "first time in the event's seven-year history." Also of note, it seems the team is now getting set to migrate all of its H.264 content to the new Flash 9 player, which should indeed allow it to "reach the widest possible audience with its state of the art action sports content." First we get the X-Games in HD, and now this -- life's pretty good for extreme sports fans, eh?
RUSH HD delivering HD documentary on downhill skiing
Nah, RUSH HD's forthcoming documentary won't be the first high-definition program dedicated to taking a look at downhill skiing, but what better way to get you all jazzed up about the onset of winter than a fresh look at "the original extreme sport?" Okay, so maybe the Yule Log in HD takes the cake, but we're still slotting this in for second. Scheduled to air this Saturday night at 10:30PM EST (7:30PM PT; 9:30PM C), The Thin Line: Life on the Edge takes a look at what has fueled the sport over the years and includes interviews with some of its most notable figureheads. Additionally, there looks to be quite a few nasty spills crammed into the 90-minute feature, and if you're desperate for a taste a few days early, click on through for a look at the trailer.[Thanks, Erik M.]
HangTimer stopwatch gives you bragging rights in the traction ward
'Extreme' sports like snowboarding, mountain biking, and full contact shuffleboard are all about taking it to the max, but how do you know whose 'max' is the, um, maximum max unless there are a clearly delineated set of criteria and properly-calibrated tools to measure them with? Enter the HangTimer, a souped-up stopwatch with built in tri-axis accelerometer that calculates how much 'air' you've gotten off a jump, and provides several tracking tools to gauge your own progress and/or pwnage of your friends. Users simply clip the small device to themselves with the built in carabineer (extra security is possible using zip ties), adjust the sensitivity settings based on activity, hopefully say a prayer, and then hurtle down whatever snow or rock covered hill they're poised to lift off from. So far the $100 HangTimer has recorded an impressive 3.02 second snowboard jump during testing, according to company VP Ted Griebling -- a mark that will certainly fall once we take one of these on our next skydiving adventure.[Via Gizmag]
Hands-on with B-Boy
Marco, regular PSP Fanboy reader, wrote in our comments section: "It is something nobody has done before (as far as I know)... I think people are jaded about any game being about Hip Hop... but at least I do know that there are people who do make the genre respectable."Very true, Marco. It's pretty easy to get jaded over games that don't seem authentic, but B-Boy seems to be the real deal. It's a game that deserves a bit more attention than it's getting, if only for its unique premise: you play as a rising star of break-dancing, and you battle other b-boys to try and become the best. It looks pretty new and different, and according to IGN, it "doesn't play quite like anything that's come before." The D-Pad controls movement, and the face buttons are used as the building blocks of moves. You string things together, and maintain balance using the L and R buttons a la Tony Hawk. There are transition moves, and increasingly complicated moves which require greater button combinations, and that's where a surprising amount of depth can come into play. Like extreme sports games, you can build up some impressive combos.B-Boy promises to mix music rhythm and sports gameplay into an innovative combination. The game is currently UK-exclusive, but hopefully we'll see it branching out soon.
