competition
Latest
Afghanistan’s all-girl teen robotics team denied entry to US
Next month, the inaugural FIRST Global Challenge robotics competition will bring together high school teams from around the world. Taking place in Washington, DC, over 150 teams are set to participate. However, while the team from Afghanistan's robot will be there, the team itself won't because the US has denied their visa applications.
EA and FIFA plan their most ambitious eSports competition yet
FIFA's Interactive World Cup has been been growing in stature over the years, and its next eSports competition promises to be the most ambitious yet: the organization and EA have unveiled plans for the "largest ever" FIFA competition (using FIFA 18, naturally) this fall. The Interactive World Cup is still the star of the show and will revolve around players signed to clubs, but it's only one part of a larger picture. Players worldwide will have a shot at representing real-world teams in official competitions, and Ultimate Team Championships Cups will let virtually anyone qualify for a chance at glory in winter and spring events.
EU tool lets whistleblowers report anti-competitive companies
In a bid to surface more illegal tax deals and clamp down on shady practices like price fixing, the European Commision has launched a new tool to let whistleblowers anonymously come forward. The regulator has set up a tips hotline and a public email address (if the person doesn't mind being named) but now also hosts an encrypted web form that can "alert the Commission about secret cartels and other antitrust violations" while protecting a person's identity.
YouTube wants you to make a music video for Elton John
Like many legendary musicians, Elton John didn't get music videos for some of his best-known songs -- they simply came too soon for the likes of MTV. Thanks to the internet, however, he's getting a second chance. YouTube is backing a competition, Elton John: The Cut, that challenges you to brainstorm an official music video treatment for "Bennie and the Jets," "Rocket Man," or "Tiny Dancer." There will definitely be some tall hurdles to clear. A trio of YouTube creators will screen the initial entries, and the resulting finalists will face scrutiny by John as well as long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, music video director Melina Matsoukas and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins.
Canada finds Apple's carrier deals don't hurt competition
France may think Apple is up to no good with its carrier deals for the iPhone, but you won't hear similar gripes from Canada. The country's Competition Bureau has determined that there isn't "sufficient evidence" to show that Apple had illegally strong-armed carriers into deals that gave it preferred treatment. While there's no question that the iPhone is a "must-have" for carriers, the regulator says, the terms only have a minor effect at most -- there's plenty of competition, and ditching Apple's agreements wouldn't significantly change the playing field.
Broadband fears prompt Europe to take a big step backwards
Regulators in Europe are considering axing regulations around broadband services in order to foster investment in new fiber optic networks. Reuters claims to have seen an as-yet-unpublished document in which officials ponder relaxing rules surround infrastructure sharing. Currently, companies that install fixed-line broadband to homes are obliged to rent access to other businesses at a fair price. But those firms are aggrieved, saying that the fees aren't enough to justify the initial investment.
TBS is giving 'Overwatch' its own $300,000 tournament
Esports are taking over mainstream broadcast networks as an Overwatch tournament is coming to TBS.
Nintendo t-shirt design contest will be judged by Shigeru Miyamoto
In case you didn't own enough gaming tees, Uniqlo has opening its annual tee design competition, this time centered around Nintendo. The UTGP'17 comes with a healthy $10,000 prize pot and the contest is open to global entries. (Yes, even from you.) Notably, the collaboration has ensured Nintendo's legendary Shigeru Miyamoto will be act as a "special judge" for the competition. The winning (and runner-up) designs typically go on to be sold in Uniqlo stores, which adds an incentive worth even more than that prize pot. (Or not. Real talk; it is 10,000 bucks.)
Netflix nabs 'Ultimate Beastmaster' reality competition show
Ultimate Beastmaster is what happens when someone tries to make Ninja Warrior more epic. It adds Sylvester Stallone and The Biggest Loser creator David Broome as executive producers, throws in a healthy mix of 108 competitors from six countries, and, since it's a Netflix original, all 10 episodes will land on the streaming service simultaneously across the globe. Competitors from the US, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Germany and Japan will take on a ridiculous obstacle course called The Beast over nine episodes featuring 12 people each (that's two from each country). The final episode pits all nine champions against each other for the chance to be crowned the Ultimate Beastmaster.
FCC introduces rules to prevent 5G price hike
The FCC is planning to regulate wholesale internet rates charged by cable companies, a move that could indirectly affect consumer wireless data prices. Such business internet services, called "special access," dictate what wireless carriers pay to supply data to cellular data networks. They also determine rates paid by business and government for services like ATMs, health networks and more. Tom Wheeler's commission already regulates special access for phone companies like AT&T, but now it wants control of cable operators' wholesale pricing, a move that has companies like Comcast up in arms (again).
Paramount agrees to offer Sky UK content across Europe
The European Union is supposed to be a big old open market, but Sky customers may beg to differ -- most don't have the same movie options as folks in the UK and Ireland. That's because Disney, Paramount and other major US studios negotiate lucrative deals country by country, stopping Sky UK from offering content online or via satellite to folks outside the UK. As a result, the EU antitrust commission sued Sky and the movie studios, going after contracts that tie the broadcaster's hands. Now, Paramount has agreed to eliminate clauses that stop Sky UK from offering its services elsewhere, a deal that the commission seems likely to accept.
The UK wants to make an olympics for eSports
The UK is throwing its weight behind a plan to launch an international sporting event that'll mirror the olympics, but for eSports. The eGames is a tournament backed by the government which will invite players from around the world to compete at various challenges. The successful eAthlete (or eAthletes) will be eligible to win medals, although no prize money will be handed out, much like the real Olympic Games. A handful of countries have already signed up, including Britain, Canada, Brazil and the US, and the first event will take place in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Games. The two-day competition will be used as a showcase in the hope of encouraging more players from other countries to sign up.
Dubai will host the World Future Sports Games in 2017
Apparently, the World Drone Prix was just the tip of the robotic sports iceberg. Dubai has announced that it's holding the World Future Sports Games, a broader competition, in late December 2017. The tech-focused event will include drone races as well as "robotic swimming, running, wrestling and car racing" -- basically, it's the Olympics for automatons. If it's successful, the plan is to hold the Games every two years after that.
Dubai hosts the first World Drone Prix on March 11th
While there are plenty of efforts to make drone racing a serious sport, Dubai is determined to outdo them all. It's about to host the World Drone Prix, which will robotic fliers against each other in high-speed (over 62MPH) competition. Over 100 teams will participate in "American Idol-style" qualifiers between March 7th and 8th; the top 32 from that bunch will make it to the actual races on March 11th and 12th.
'Rocket League' has an official championship
Rocket League is practically tailor-made for tournaments (it's football/soccer with cars, after all), and Psyonix is determined to make the most of that fact. It's teaming up with Twitch to launch the Rocket League Championship Series, an official 3-vs-3 competition with real-world stakes. The two are running 3-month seasons that will offer a $75,000 prize pool to the top players -- peanuts next to some tourneys, but enough that it could be worth brushing up on your mid-air shots. Only PS4 and Windows PC players can qualify (at least at first) once the series begins this month, although every playoff match will be streamed over Twitch if you can't join in with your Xbox One.
Amazon's 'The Fashion Fund' follows Vogue's design competition
If you're a fan of Project Runway, Amazon has a new show that may pique your interest. The online retailer announced the 10-episode unscripted series The Fashion Fund, a show that chronicles the selection process designers face for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. For the uninitiated, a committee, led by Vogue's Anna Wintour and CFDA Chairman Diane von Furstenberg, selects 10 designers each year to go through a 4-month competition to win cash and a mentorship from a pro in the fashion industry.
MIT students win Hyperloop pod design competition
Crews are already building the first Hyperloop tracks, but how about the vehicles to run on those tracks? Don't worry, they're coming soon: MIT has won a SpaceX competition that challenged students worldwide to design a pod for the ultra-fast tube transportation. The school's team gets to build a vehicle that will run on a yet-to-be-built test track near SpaceX's California headquarters. Not that some of its rivals will be left out, mind you. All told, at least 22 teams will advance to the next round and eventually build pods. There could even be as many as 10 more, if further judging deems others to be worthy.
BT gets the green light to buy EE for £12.5 billion
In the 11 months since BT confirmed it was buying EE, the UK's biggest carrier, the two companies have waited on the approval of regulators that need to make sure their union won't stifle competition. It took almost eight months for the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) to provisionally give the deal the thumbs-up, but today BT has finally received the final rubber stamp it has been craving. In its investigation, the CMA looked at potential issues raised by rivals, which included TalkTalk, Vodafone and other major UK providers. It believes they would "not result in a substantial lessening of competition" in any of the markets that BT and EE operate in, including retail mobile, wholesale mobile, mobile backhaul, wholesale broadband and retail broadband services.
Microsoft wants you to stick with Windows 10's default apps
If you don't like how difficult it is to change your default web browser in Windows 10... well, you may be particularly upset in the near future. A leaked Windows 10 preview release now gives you a prompt whenever you're trying to switch away from a default Microsoft app, such as the Edge browser. You're asked to give the stock app "a shot," and the most prominent option is to stick with the Microsoft option -- not exactly subtle. It's not certain that this will reach the public Insider Preview program, but it's evident that the company is at least toying with the idea.
Intel pulls out of sponsoring America's Science Talent Search
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, has announced that it'll end its long association with the Science Talent Search. STS is a program that unearths promising STEM talent from America's high schools, rewarding entrance with cash prizes and meetings with experts. The New York Times is reporting that the company will no longer sponsor the contest after 2017, although an international prize will run until 2019. Tellingly, Intel was unable to explain why it was withdrawing, despite the cost being just $6 million a year — pocket change for a company that makes quarterly net profits of around $3 billion. If we were to wildly speculate, perhaps it's got something to do with the fact that the firm is going to team up with TBS to create a reality show around the maker movement. We've reached out to ask the company for comment, but it had yet to respond to us by the time of publication. [Image Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images]
