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2018 FIFA World Cup will be the first with instant replay
Soccer (or, to the rest of the world, football) traditionalists have shunned video replay for years, claiming it would alter the sanctity of referees' calls. But well-documented flubbed calls like those that erroneously eliminated England and Mexico in the 2010 World Cup have nudged FIFA into considering the technology. At long last, after getting implemented at professional levels, it's headed to the game's biggest stage: On-field instant replay is coming to the World Cup for the first time in 2018, when Russia hosts the tournament.
Blizzard finds its 'Overwatch' World Cup teams
Overwatch may only be four months old, but Blizzard's multiplayer shooter has already amassed 15 million players and is gaining a lot interest from eSports fans. Many of the top eSports teams are quickly adding players to their roster as the world's biggest invitationals find new ways to host them. However, a competition hosted by Blizzard itself may give the game the boost it needs to gain notoriety in a scene dominated by League of Legends, DOTA 2 and CS:GO. It's called the Overwatch World Cup and we now know the 16 teams that will battle it out for global supremacy.
The FIFA 2014 World Cup was streamed by 280 million people
FIFA. Oh, FIFA. There are so many things to say regarding football's governing body. But today we're not here to talk about how its top officials are facing corruption charges, or that suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter is hiding in a bunker somewhere trying to avoid the wrath of Loretta Lynch, the US Attorney General. No, that's not it. It's been nearly a year and a half since the 2014 World Cup came to a close, but FIFA has just now released final viewership numbers from the tournament. Most notably, according to FIFA and Kantar Media research, an estimated 280 million people watched it online or via a mobile device.
Facebook and Twitter say 2014 was about protests and the World Cup
The past year was a blur if you're a social networking maven, but don't worry -- both Facebook and Twitter are offering retrospectives that will help you remember how 2014 went down. Despite the differences between the two services, people on either were buzzing about many of the same things. Protests defined the year for many, whether it was about police violence in the US or the fight for democracy in Hong Kong. Sports played a big role, too, with the World Cup and the winter Olympics often dominating the conversation.
How to watch football (soccer) now that the World Cup is over
Many are referring to the 2014 World Cup as the best of the modern era -- think: since Korea/Japan in 2002. Was it due to the fact it set an incredible amount of viewing records? Or, perhaps, it has to do with how much social networks made the entire experience that much more enjoyable. After all, who could forget all the great memes and Tumblr accounts? The level of play wasn't bad either, with this year's tournament leaving behind formidable memories of great individual (Guillermo Ochoa against Brazil, Tim Howard against Belgium) and team (Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Brazil) performances. There's a reason why the sport is nicknamed "The Beautiful Game." Thankfully, football doesn't stop here. While we wait for the next World Cup, which Russia will host in 2018, here's how you, the new (or old) fan, can keep up with some of the professional leagues from across the globe.
Apparently, the internet loved the 2014 World Cup final
The numbers speak for themselves: This year's World Cup has been setting records all over the place. Not only did it keep folks in the US tuned into their team with services like WatchESPN, but who could forget the most tweeted-about sports game ever in that 7-1 thumping suffered by host nation Brazil -- Sad Brazilians, anyone? Yesterday's final, meanwhile, which ultimately saw Germany beat out Argentina for football's biggest prize, set great numbers for social media and TV networks alike. For its part, Facebook reports that the 2014 World Cup Final was the biggest sporting event in its history, with comments, likes and posts combining for over 280 million interactions. Twitter, on the other hand, says the match produced a total of 32.1 million tweets and, in the process, broke the record for any event with 618,725 tweets per minute.
Snapchat lets everyone contribute to a shared World Cup photo album
Snapchat's first Our Story collaborative photo experiment was strictly an opt-in affair where you had to add a user to see it at all. However, the ephemeral image service is now trying something much more ambitious: it's giving every user access to Brazil Final Live, a group photo album that lets sports fans share pictures themed around the World Cup match between Argentina and Germany. Snapchat tells The Verge that it's curating the images to keep them on topic, but it's otherwise taking a relatively hands-off approach; while you'll automatically see the Brazil feed in your friend list, you're not encouraged to use it.
Google chose World Cup search trend stories that spared Brazil from further agony (update: Google responds)
If you love Brazilian futebol, this has been an especially tough week; that devastating loss to Germany in the World Cup semi-finals was a shock to fans used to victory. Thankfully for you, Google feels your pain. The internet giant has revealed to NPR that its experimental social newsroom for the Cup avoided covering some of the bigger Brazilian search trends during the lopsided match, such as "shame," because they were simply too negative. As producer Sam Clohesy explains, the decision was motivated both by a desire to go viral as well as pure sympathy. People tend not to respond well to bad news on social networks, and Google would rather not "rub salt into the wounds" -- unlike a regular news outlet, it has more incentive to write about cheerful happenings than calamities. The filtering isn't going to restore Brazil's lost chance at football glory, but it might make the next four years a little more bearable. [Image credit: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo] Update: Google believes that the original characterization isn't accurate -- it tells us that it's simply focused on highlighting interesting events, not downplaying bad news. It also adds that you can always visit Google Trends to see exactly what's going on. Check out the company's official statement below.
One for the future: playing with the new Adidas miCoach Smart Ball
I still remember my old, favorite football like it was yesterday. It wasn't made by Nike, Adidas or even Diadora, but it lasted me for about seven years, from when I was 7 until about 14 or so. And even though, toward the end of its life, it started to look as if it had been living in a waste dumpster, never, ever did it let me down. Despite the battle scars collected over the years, like the faux-leather gradually falling off or needing to get pumped up every time before a game, that cheap, low-tech ball always did what it was supposed to: Be, well, a ball you could have fun with. In recent years, however, things have changed quite drastically. As technology evolves, sports balls continue to get smarter and smarter, with a great amount of research and development money being spent by manufacturers. Here's where Adidas' recently announced miCoach Smart Ball comes in.
Recommended Reading: Colombia's high-tech World Cup training and testing Facebook
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Colombia's High-Tech Advantage in its World Cup Match Against Brazil by Matt Hartigan, Fast Company Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); Colombia certainly faced an uphill climb against Brazil at the World Cup, and the side turned to tech to increase its chance of winning throughout the tournament. During training, the Colombian national team leveraged Catapult: a wearable GPS system that maps players' bodies in three-dimensional space to gauge the "load" placed on each athlete. Among a host of other features, the sensors transmit data to coaches and staff instantly at a range of up to 250-300 feet. Soccer isn't the only sport using the system either, as the San Antonio Spurs implemented the system to track basketball prospects ahead of last week's NBA Draft.
Univision to end free streaming of World Cup games
Many people in the US, even those who don't speak or understand Spanish, have been using the Univision Deportes app to watch the World Cup. To a certain degree, this was due to the fact that Univision's service was completely free for anyone to enjoy, meaning it didn't require any authentication through a cable or internet service provider. Unfortunately, that's all changing as of tomorrow. Starting with the Quarter-Finals, which kick off on July 4th, Univision is set to begin requiring a cable login (from a participating provider) to stream matches leading up to the Final -- something WatchESPN has done since the beginning of the tournament.
What's on your HDTV this week: World Cup, Drunk History, Under the Dome
The USA has survived Group Play and now it's knockout time at the World Cup in Brazil. A record number of people were streaming during the USMNT's last game, and we'll be watching to see if that number is broken tomorrow afternoon as the squad takes on Belgium. CBS is bringing back Under the Dome tonight, (which means Amazon will in a few days), while Comedy Central is introducing a new season of its oddly-educational Drunk History. On streaming, Netflix is ready with its first original anime series, Knights of Sidonia, and on Blu-ray there's Kindergarten Cop. Check after the break for a list of what's new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we've missed. [Image credit: speedpix / Alamy]
1.7 million people were using WatchESPN during the US vs. Germany World Cup match
If Ann Coulter is correct, that following soccer is un-American, unmanly and unworthy of a species with opposable thumbs, then clearly, you're all a bunch of girly men. At some point during the USA vs. Germany match that aired earlier today, 1.7 million visitors using WatchESPN. And that's not even counting folks who watched on television or through other means. As TechCrunch notes, that 1.7-million figure is even more than the 1.1 million concurrent viewers who tuned into the Super Bowl earlier this year (to be fair, of course, more people had to watch this match at work because it aired at 12PM Eastern, not on a Sunday night). Even more impressive is the fact that ESPN managed to rack up all these simultaneous visitors despite having technical difficulties that left some viewers unable to log on during the first half. "We did investigate some limited issues due to unprecedented demand during the first half," an ESPN rep told TechCrunch. See, there ya go: Americans like soccer, after all (especially when Americans are playing). How you like them apples, Ann? Update: An ESPN rep has issued a correction, saying 1.7 million people were using WatchESPN at once, not watching the USA vs. Germany match specifically -- we guess a few of you may have taken the opportunity to pull up Portugal vs. Ghana on a second screen. Image credit: Getty
Chrome's latest experiment is three soccer mini-games with a samba beat
We've had the World Cup doodle, and now Google's Chrome is getting into the Beautiful Game's big tournament, with three experimental games that connect between your smartphone and browser. (Well, the third title, Shootout, can be played on your phone). Compared to prior titles, however,, they're a little lame. We found controls on our iPhone to be,well, outright unstable. Rather than our lack of skill, which is usually to blame for our low scores, a buggy connection and unresponsive controls were what usually stopped our keepie-uppies. Slightly insipid gaming aside (c'mon, they're free and neither Infinite Kick nor Space Kick have an end), the best part is the Brazil-flavored soundtrack. Top scores and bragging rights belong below in the comments, please.
Watch out: fake EA social accounts are swiping World Cup fans' logins
Internet scams certainly aren't new, but they're kicking into high gear now that the World Cup has many people eager for some futbol. For example, Malwarebytes has spotted a fake EA Sports account on Instagram (fake accounts have been on Twitter for a while) that lures FIFA 14 gamers with promises of free team members. If you're tempted enough to click through, you wind up at a plausible-looking phishing site that asks for your EA Origin and Xbox Live credentials -- do that and you'll quickly lose control of both logins. There's no guarantees that Instagram or authorities can shut the Instagram account (or any other nogoodnik) down for good, so the best defense is a healthy dose of caution: always double-check an offer if it seems too be good to be true, no matter where it comes from.
What's on your HDTV this week: World Cup, 'Fargo' finale, 'True Blood' premiere
Hockey and basketball are over, but now it's time for the global game to take center stage. The World Cup started last week, but the USMNT is only just getting ready for its first game today against Ghana, the country that's knocked it out in the last two tournaments. If you have cable, watching the game in the US is as easy as turning on the TV or opening ESPN's app, but those without should keep an eye on Univision, which is streaming the action from Brazil with no login required. Also of note, the season finales of Orphan Black as well as FX's excellent Fargo and Louie are on the schedule this week. Check after the break for a list of what's new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we've missed. [Image credit: Alexandre Loureiro/Getty Images for adidas]
France is the first team to benefit from goal-line tech at the World Cup
Well, the above image might look pretty straightforward, but when the shot from France's Karim Benzema bounced off the far post and deflected off the keeper into goal, in the midst of a World Cup match, there was more than a little confusion. The referee asked for clarification through the newly instituted goal-line technology, which initially (and confusingly) ruled 'No goal'. However, that was for the initial rebound, not when it bounced off the Honduras keeper and apparently crossed the line. For anyone that considers themselves a soccer fan, see if you would've called the goal yourself in the Vine clip after the break -- for as long as it remains up. (Even if FIFA isn't particularly technology friendly when it comes to the beautiful game itself, the association is surprisingly fast to act on copyrighted video uploads. Funny huh?)
Watch a paraplegic in an exoskeleton open the World Cup -- with a kick
As promised, a paralyzed man did indeed kick off today's World Cup festivities by wearing a mind-controlled robotic exoskeleton. Juliana Pinto, a 29-year-old paraplegic, was one of eight patients chosen for the opening ceremony after extensive training in a lab in Sao Paulo. Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, a neuroscientist from Duke University who's the leader of the Walk Again Project, was ecstatic, proclaiming on Twitter "We did it!!!" Though the kick, as you can see above, was just a simple nudge to the ball, it's actually extremely complicated. Nicolelis told the AFP news agency that it's "the first time an exoskeleton has been controlled by brain activity and offered feedback to the patients," and that "doing a demonstration in a stadium" has never been done before. Unfortunately, it seems this momentous occasion wasn't captured on as many television networks as the rest of the opening ceremony, which strikes us as a crying shame. Hit the source links for more information on this miraculous innovation and have a peek at a fan-captured video of the event after the break.
Google Glass update serves up World Cup scores and faster photo sharing
Google Glass is about to get a handful of updates that should be especially helpful this summer. To start, it should be easier to share Glass photos from your vacation; a new MyGlass app for Android (iOS is due later) will surface your most recent snapshots. An upgrade to Glass itself, meanwhile, lets you keep tabs on World Cup matches and group standings. It should be simpler to find your parking spot and track packages, too. Google hasn't said when all the updates will roll out to its smart eyewear, but it expects the MyGlass update to hit later this week -- hopefully, in time for the World Cup's June 12th kickoff. [Top image credit: Miguel Tovar/STF via Getty Images]
What's on your HDTV this week: 'Game of Thrones' season finale
This week the NBA Finals and NHL Finals could both come to an end, but the finale we think most of you will be watching is Game of Thrones. Episode #40 is titled "The Children" and is the longest one HBO has aired yet. The showrunners promise this is one of the best episodes yet, and that it will break the show's pattern of a big bang in the penultimate episode followed by a relatively quiet finale. Beyond that, there aren't many videogame releases this week while everyone's eyes are on E3 2014, but Blu-ray include the first season of the new Cosmos, True Detective, and Tim's Vermeer. Oh, and some tiny event called the FIFA World Cup (the US team plays its first game Monday afternoon). Check after the break for a list of what's new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we've missed.
