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After Math: Oh, balls
It was a stellar week for spheroids, both the physical and metaphorical varieties. NASA discovered seven new planets (three of which are habitable) just 40 light years away. Ants on golf balls are teaching scientists about insectoid navigation skills. Facebook wants to be a sports broadcaster and the NBA hopes that VR will help revolutionize the game. Numbers, because that's how we keep score.
Facebook hopes to stream an MLB game every week
Twitter and Yahoo aren't the only ones interested in streaming live baseball beyond dedicated sports sites. Reuters sources claim that Facebook is in "advanced" talks with Major League Baseball about the possibility of livestreaming one game every week during the 2017 season. It's not clear just which games would get the live treatment, but history would suggest that this would be regular season play -- sorry, playoff fans.
WSJ: Amazon ponders live sports on Prime
Amazon already offers a robust library of movies and television for streaming, but the online retailer could be looking to tackle one of the last remaining strongholds of pay television. The Wall Street Journal reports the company has held talks over the last few months with the NBA, MLB, NFL and MLS. Amazon has reportedly also met with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which has it's own network with a hand from ESPN, in addition to Campus Insiders and 120 Sports for college athletics coverage.
It looks like Sony's 10-year-plan for the PS3 is over
Yesterday, Sony announced that MLB The Show 17 will launch on PS4 next March -- but it won't be coming to the PS3. As the previous year's edition of the sports game was the last first-party title to come to the aging console, this probably means Sony won't put out new content. If so, we've reached the end of the company's 10-year-plan to support the system. Goodnight, sweet prince.
Cleveland pitcher leaves playoff game due to drone injury
I'm not sure if "drone" has appeared on a major league injury report before, but one of the flying machines has had an impact on an MLB ALCS playoff game. No one was injured by a drone at the ballpark in an Inglesias-like incident, but Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer cut his throwing hand on Friday and required stitches ahead of a scheduled start in game two of the team's series against Toronto. He healed enough to start tonight in game three, but the cut re-opened during the first inning and he had to leave early.
MLB's At Bat app now plays highlight videos on your lock screen
With iOS 10, Apple has expanded its devices' 3D touch applications from gimmicky afterthoughts to quick feature accessibility. It's also opened up what kind of interactions are possible from the lock screen. Some savvy developers have already combined the two, like those working on MLB's official At Bat app. Its latest upgrade pops up videos as notifications on your locked screen, which play with just a bit of 3D touch pressure.
The best tech for college athletes
Look, there's clearly more to college life than studying and partying. There's also sports! Before you hit the field, gym, rink or court it's probably worth taking stock of how you can improve your game with a little help from modern technology. An Apple Watch or Vivosmart can count steps and track your gym sessions, while Polo makes a smart shirt that offers seriously in depth data about your body's performance. There's also sensors that can help you do things like improve your swing in golf or baseball. And, of course, after a long day of training, there's nothing better than unwinding by watching your hometown team make a run at the World Series on MLB.tv. Oh, and don't forget to check out the rest of Engadget's back-to-school guide here.
Twitter is livestreaming weekly MLB and NHL games
Twitter's live sports streaming plans are expanding well beyond college games, the NFL and tennis. It just unveiled plans to livestream weekly Major League Baseball and National Hockey League games for free with occasional ads. This won't replace a TV or internet video subscription (you can only watch if you're out-of-market, for one thing), but it'll be widely available: MLB games will be available in most countries worldwide, while NHL matches will be available across the US. You won't need to log in to start watching, either. And this is apparently just the start, as Twitter is also promising regular programming regardless of the sports you watch.
Cardinals scout sentenced to 46 months for hacking another team
Last June, the FBI began investigating the St. Louis Cardinals for hacking computers of the Houston Astros to access confidential scouting reports on the teams players. Christopher Correa, the Cardinals' former director of baseball development, plead guilty to five charges of unauthorized access of a protected computer back in January. Today, the FBI in Houston announced that Correa was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for tapping into the Astros' player files without permission. He's also required to pay $279,038 in restitution for the incident.
Intel brings 360-degree replays to Major League Baseball
Intel is determined to make 360-degree replays a staple of the sporting world. The chip designer has announced that it's bringing 3D capture technology to Major League Baseball games, starting with the All-Star Week events at San Diego's Petco Park (the All-Star Futures Game, the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game) between July 10th and July 12th. Its technology will string 28 cameras around the field to show plays from nearly any angle. In short, there shouldn't be any doubt whether or not that runner is safe -- you'll almost always have a good view.
The After Math: Pay up
This was a week of folks getting theirs. Brazil locked down $6 million of Facebook assets in its ongoing battle of WhatsApp. Disney shelled out $3.5 billion for the company that runs MLB At Bat. Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown squeezed $600,000 out of EA for its unlicensed use of his likeness. And Apple is reportedly about to spend big bucks buying Tidal from Jay-Z. Numbers, because how else are you going to measure financial debt?
Blast Motion's swing sensor data is coming to baseball broadcasts
Major League Baseball had already approved Blast Motion's swing analyzer for use in training sessions, but now that the gadget is official hitting sensor of the league, it's going to be used for a lot more. Data from the $150 device will be used in television broadcasts, starting with the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 10th. While that matchup is only an exhibition of the baseball's up-and-coming young talent, Blast says other "select television broadcasts" will feature stats collected by the swing tracker.
Major League Baseball team uses VR for batting practice
Virtual reality made its way into the NFL last year, when the Dallas Cowboys became the first team in the league to use the technology for training. Now, on the Major League Baseball side, a similar path is being followed by the Tampa Bay Rays. The team has started utilizing a simulator from EON Sports VR known as iCube, which lets players step inside a virtual batting cage and practice their swing. Coaches are fans of this method because it takes less physical wear on an individual, plus it allows batters to experience throws that mimic those of pitchers across MLB -- like Giants' own Madison Bumgarner.
Major League Baseball approves wearable tech for in-game use
Major League Baseball season started this week, and the league's rules committee will allow wearables to hit the diamond for the first time. During games, MLB players can wear a Motus Baseball Sleeve to keep tabs on elbow stress and the Zephyr Bioharness heart and breathing monitor. For now, those are the only two approved devices for in-game use. Yes, this means gadgets like Jawbone, Fitbit or other more consumer-friendly devices are still prohibited.
Yahoo expands sports streaming with daily MLB games
Opening Day is like Christmas for baseball fans, and Yahoo is giving them another reason to celebrate. 180, to be exact. Yahoo Sports announced today that it will stream one Major League Baseball game per day throughout the 2016 season. That's right, you'll be able to tune in free of charge to a daily matchup until the postseason begins. Each game will have commercials and, unfortunately, will remain blacked out in local markets as is typically the case with MLB broadcasts. There will also be plenty of analysis with Yahoo's Big League Stew baseball blog.
Apple and the MLB team up to put iPad Pros in the dugout
When the commentators during a baseball broadcast refer to the tablets Major League Baseball coaches are holding as "iPads," unlike pro football announcers, they'll actually be correct. Apple and the MLB have signed a deal that'll put 12.9-inch iPad Pros in dugouts and bullpens around the league, offering up everything from performance stats, videos of plays from past games to pitcher-batter matchups, according to The Wall Street Journal. All that data comes from a custom app co-developed by Apple and the league, MLB Dugout.
Major League Baseball takes Snapchat to the dugout during games
Snapchat isn't new to sports coverage, but with Major League Baseball this season, the social channel is making a big push at the ballpark. The collaboration between the app and the league kicks off next Friday (March 11th) when MLB will allow players to use cellphones in the dugout for the first time. Before, during and after Spring Training games, players will be permitted to post their own snaps and selfies. Oh yeah, there's a special selfie stick for the occasion: the SnapBat. Yes, really.
MLB.tv's baseball subscription is $20 cheaper after lawsuit
Major League Baseball was due in court last month to answer for its practice of region-locking games. The policy basically meant that a die-hard Red Sox fan in the southeast US had to pay extra for things like Extra Innings package through a cable provider or an MLB.tv streaming subscription. Even with the latter option, in-market games were still blacked out or unavailable locally. In other words, if you didn't have cable, you weren't be able to watch your in-town team because of existing TV deals. MLB settled before the class-action lawsuit got going in court, agreeing to offer MLB.tv single-team packages priced at $85 a year. However, if your team doesn't do well, you won't be able to stream the playoffs or World Series.
The lawsuit that can change how you watch Major League Baseball (updated)
Major League Baseball is in court today to defend its practice of region-locking game broadcasts, Bloomberg Business reports. MLB's broadcast deals force some fans to purchase bloated TV and internet packages like DirecTV's Extra Innings or MLB.TV in order to watch the games they want, plaintiffs argue. Comcast and DirecTV join MLB as defendants against a class of fans certified by US District Judge Shira Scheindlin.
Former Cardinals official pleads guilty to hacking another team
The Justice Department announced back in the June that it was investigating the St. Louis Cardinals for allegedly accessing another team's scouting reports. Today, the Cardinals former director of baseball development plead guilty to five charges of unauthorized access of a protected computer after accessing the Houston Astros' player files without permission.