2020 olympics
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How to watch the Tokyo Olympics
Every event at the Tokyo Olympics is available to watch, you just need to know where to look.
The tech-laden Tokyo Olympics have been postponed
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has finally accepted that the summer games in Tokyo can't go ahead. Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, asked Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, for a delay on the phone earlier today. The coronavirus pandemic meant it was simply impossible to ensure the safety of athletes, organizers and attendees during the event. "I proposed to postpone for about a year and president Bach responded with 100 percent agreement," Abe told reporters after the call. The games are now expected to take place in summer 2021, around the same time as the rescheduled Euro 2020 soccer tournament. Curiously, they will still be called the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. "In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community," the IOC said in a statement.
Japan's public broadcaster sets its 8K schedule for the Tokyo Olympics
The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games are still on schedule to take place this summer, and Japan's public broadcaster has been planning for years to make sure its an 8K showcase event. If you're in Japan, 8K broadcasts with 22.2 channel audio are available to home viewers, although it's a little less clear how the rest of us can catch it in the highest level of detail available. As far as the events available, NHK says it will have both the opening and closing ceremonies in 8K, including the first live broadcast at that resolution shot from a helicopter. Specific events will also be available in 8K, including track and field competition like the 100m and 200m men's finals, women's 200m finals and the men's 400m relay final. The women's soccer and volleyball finals will also be broadcast in 8K, along with selected events from badminton, judo, table tennis and swimming. A few weeks later in late August, the ceremonies for the Paralympics will also air in 8K, along with events like wheelchair rugby, swimming and track and field. Wherever 8K viewing is available it seems likely we'll get a similar set of things to watch, so stay tuned for any details from NBC or well-connected event spaces that can put a Super Hi-Vision broadcast on the big screen. I've seen an 8K broadcast from the 2012 Olympics in London streamed over Internet2, and it was a one-of-a-kind experience. In 2016 NBC streamed 4K video from Rio that was downconverted from NHK's 8K capture, but with 8K TVs on shelves and more bandwidth to go around maybe you'll get a chance to see it in your living room.
Snapchat will host exclusive NBC Olympics coverage
The 2020 Olympic Summer Games don't commence for six months, but plenty of marketing work goes into the international event well beforehand. NBC, which owns the media rights to the Olympic Games, has renewed its deal with Snap to publish daily coverage of competitions in the US. The two companies have partnered before, with similar deals involving the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2018 Winter Olympics. However, this year's deal ensures far more content: NBC will produce more than 70 episodes for Snapchat -- three times than in 2018, according to Variety.
Toyota’s e-Palette will transport athletes during the 2020 Olympics
As part of its big robot push for upcoming the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, Toyota says it will have 20 of its e-Palette electric vehicles on-site to transport athletes.
'Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games' will feature three 'Dream Events'
The Mario and Sonic series will feature three new "Dream Events" in its upcoming 2020 Tokyo edition. Nintendo offered a glimpse today at the three events in a trailer for the game, which will be released exclusively on Nintendo Switch this November. They include "Dream Shooting", "Dream Karate" and "Dream Racing".
Twitter teams up with NBC for live 2020 Olympics coverage
NBC is slightly loosening its firm grasp on its Olympic Games broadcast rights. It's teaming up with Twitter to bring limited live coverage and highlights, along with a daily 20-minute Olympics show, to Twitter's website and apps during the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Toyota's 2020 Olympics robots will include a javelin-carrying cart
Robots are going to play a large role at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Toyota is determined to be at the forefront -- if in some occasionally strange ways. The automotive giant has unveiled its robot lineup for the summer games, and one of the biggest attention-getters is the Field Support Robot. The autonomous machine looks like a very tiny version of the e-Palette, and will carry javelins, shot puts and other items from throwing events. It won't actually fetch the items -- that's still up to humans -- but it will help reduce the number of staff on the field.
Toyota unveils electric shuttles for 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo
Toyota's first dedicated vehicle for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo isn't a flying car, but it shows promise. The automaker today unveiled the APM (Accessible People Mover), an all-electric vehicle it designed especially for next summer's event. The open-air, three-row vehicle can reach speeds of up to 12 mph and accommodate up to five passengers. Each car is powered by lithium-ion batteries and can run 100 kilometers on a single charge. A fleet of 200 APMs will be used to transport people to different competitions and the Olympic Village.
