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A machine-learning system may have predicted the World Series winner
The 2019 MLB postseason has been a wild one. The Dodgers imploded in the first round, clearing the way for the Washington Nationals to rout a listless Cardinals team and win their first NLCS since 1933. Back East, the Astros won out against the Yankees for American League dominance and a ticket to the World Series. All of these upsets have made the postseason a joy for fans but a nightmare for the gambling community. However, one company thinks it has the answer: Combine the collective wisdom of crowds with modern machine-learning methods into a symbiotic sports-betting hive mind.
AI is better at bluffing than professional gamblers
The act of gambling on games of chance has been around for as long as the games themselves. For as long as there's been money to be made wagering on the uncertain outcomes of these events, bettors have been leveraging mathematics to give them an edge on the house. As gaming has moved from bookies and casinos into the digital realm, gamblers are beginning to use modern computing techniques, especially AI and machine learning (ML), to increase their odds of winning. But that betting blade cuts both ways, as researchers work to design artificial intelligences capable of beating professional players at their own game -- and even out-wagering sportsbooks.
AI that picked Oscar winners could predict the next US president
There's strength -- and intelligence -- in numbers. Unanimous A.I., a Silicon Valley startup, has built a platform that taps into the collective knowledge of a group of people to form its own opinions, preferences and surprisingly accurate predictions. The software, dubbed UNU, successfully guessed last year's Oscar winners (11 out of 15 categories) and most recently predicted the winning horses in the Kentucky Derby. Now the "artificial swarm intelligence" is hosting its first AMA on Reddit, where it will respond to questions pertaining to the US presidential elections.
This weekend's Kentucky Derby will be broadcast in VR
Television networks have already broadcast boxing, basketball and other sports live in VR. Heck, we've even stepped inside a soccer game. Virtual reality is becoming a regular part of live sports coverage, and that includes horse racing. NextVR and NBC are teaming up to stream his weekend's Kentucky Derby in VR for the first time. In fact, the duo says that this will be the first virtual reality broadcast for the sport of horse racing as a whole.
Kentucky Derby jewelry powered by tweets and hats
Former Olympic figure skater and currently fabulous human Johnny Weir has become something of a fashion fixture at the Kentucky Derby over the past few years. For the event's 142nd running, the noted hat-wearer is adding a piece of tech-infused jewelry to his getup: a "tweet-powered," horse-shaped brooch.
Churchill Downs launches HD simulcast next season
Next time you head to the track, whether at Churchill Downs or "select off-track betting locations and racetracks" expect a clearer look at the action, with more than 100 HDTVs installed in several areas and a 16:9 high definition simulcast, the first racetrack in the U.S. to do so. Of course that still doesn't compare to a Japanese racetrack that once upon a time boasted the biggest HDTV, and while it will probably make raceday more exciting when the 2008 Fall Meet kicks off October 26, explaining how you lost the car payment on a "sure thing" isn't any easier in HD.[Via Courier-Journal]
HDTV Listings for May 6, 2006
What we're watching: The first round of the NBA Playoffs is almost over, with the first-round matchup of the century between the best player in the league (Kobe) and the 2-time defending MVP (Nash). Starts at 8:30 p.m. on TNT-HD. Also not to be missed is the Kentucky Derby at 5 p.m. or Tom Hanks on a new Saturday Night Live, but when the game is on you know where to be.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
DLP projectors ride the Kentucky Derby
Sure, you could watch the Kentucky Derby from the grandstands, but why not watch from inside the track? The Kentucky Derby Museum tapped Panasonic for nine of their PT-DW7000U DLP projectors and built a 360-degree viewing area. The 720p projectors beam their high-definition signal all around you, so it's as if you're on the infield grass, but you don't have to watch where you step. Various footage is shown on the racetrack oval's 211 linear feet, which is much shorter than the Derby's one-and-a-quarter-mile track; it probably smells better too. Hey Panny: we're hard at work for a similar screen surround as we wait for the Xbox 360's Halo 3; care to lend a hand?
