nba
Latest
Sacramento Kings guests can use 'smart' bottles to pour their own drinks
The Sacramento Kings are fond of using technology as a hook to fill seats, but their latest may be particularly alluring if you're in the position to score premium tickets. The basketball team is using connected bottle tops from NINA that let you pour your own alcohol in a suite or loft. You only have to open a tab, choose what you want to drink and pour until you get the quantity you paid for. This might let you focus more on the game than asking a bartender for more libations.
Clearview AI leak names businesses using its facial recognition database
One of the most vehement arguments against Clearview AI's practice of scraping billions of photos from millions of public websites to build its facial recognition database was that the company's data storage and security protocols were both untested and unregulated. On Wednesday, Clearview AI claimed that its facial recognition database was hacked, giving intruders access the the company's full client list, which Buzzfeed News has acquired.
Steph Curry: Giannis chat was about 'PUBG,' not plans to team up
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA's reigning MVP, and his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks will end after next season, making him the hottest potential free agent in the league. That also means any conversation he has with affiliates of other teams will be heavily scrutinized since just about anyone would like to have the 7-foot-tall "Freak" on their team for the next few years. After last night's Bucks game against Golden State cameras caught Giannis talking to injured Warriors star Stephen Curry, and you can clearly see Curry telling him "C'mon man, let's do this." The NBA recently amended its rules to include player conversations in potential violations of "tampering" -- rules against trying to influence someone who's currently under contract with another team. And after Golden State successfully lured Kevin Durant away from the Thunder a few years ago, they're exactly the kind of team your free-agent superstar tells you not to worry about. But Yahoo Sports reporter Chris Haynes talked to Steph and says that the conversation wasn't about basketball at all -- he was just exchanging gamertags so that the two could play PUBG, aka PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
Sports teams are using Signal to duck deflategate-like scandals
Facebook isn't the only company struggling over the prospect of end-to-end encryption in messaging apps, as a report from Yahoo Sports cites examples from "every level of sport" turning to encrypted messaging. While Whatsapp and iMessage provide encrypted communications, increasingly the app of choice is turning out to be Signal, which not only protects their message from MITM spying, but can also auto-delete them based on rules. If you're a college coach or athletic director and someone makes a FOIA request, that could reduce the amount of information they get about contacts with recruits and boosters. In the NFL, investigators pursuing the "deflategate" incident famously requested access to Tom Brady's texts, but the quarterback destroyed his phone prior to meeting them -- an act cited in the league's decision to hand down a four game suspension. He stated that breaking or wiping a cell phone when he got a new one was a standard practice, but execs and agents believe a simpler, stronger argument is that if you've set Signal's rules to delete all messages regularly, then investigators can't claim you were trying to hide a particular conversation. The report specifically calls out the NBA, where commissioner Adam Silver has been pushing to reduce "tampering," or contact between players, their representatives and teams about contracts or transactions outside of the approved periods. Marc Stein of the New York Times reported this week that the NBA sent a memo to teams requiring them to keep all contract-related communications for at least a year, while The Athletic explained that could include notes on training, endorsements, player fit with a team and more. The rule seems specifically aimed at cutting off any argument about using Signal as a simple standard practice, and it wouldn't be surprising to see other leagues do something similar, whether or not they'll be able to enforce it.
NBA unveils a more affordable online subscription with over 100 live games
If you want to watch NBA games at home, previously you've had to get a pricey cable package or sign up to the similarly costly League Pass streaming service. Now, the NBA is providing fans with a new way to watch, offering its NBA TV channel as a stand-alone affordable subscription with options to watch live or to catch on-demand content.
EA's 'NBA Live' franchise is out for the season, again
One again, EA's NBA franchise is skipping a season, as the company announced during today's earnings call that NBA Live 20 has been cancelled. Three months ago the project was simply delayed with plans for a "different approach," but that won't be enough. In a prepared statement read at the beginning of the call, CEO Andrew Wilson said the company was working on something timed for release around All-Star Weekend, "an experience designed around new ways for players to engage, connect and create through basketball."
'NBA Now' game offers a quick basketball fix on your phone
If you're a big enough basketball game fan that you can't wait to get home before shooting hoops, there might be a solution in sight. Gamevil has released NBA Now, a game for Android and iOS that's designed to be played with one hand. Rather than take direct control of players, you serve as a general manager trying to create an all-star team and steer games from the sidelines. Accordingly, everything is designed to be played one-handed -- there's always a vertical view of the action with abstract on-screen controls. It won't be as involving as the latest console hit, but you can play while you're waiting for the bus.
Nike will drop exclusive, limited-edition sneakers inside ‘NBA 2K20’
Those of you who are into NBA 2K know that, for years, you've been able to buy sneakers from different brands for your virtual player in the game. But now, thanks to a new partnership between Nike and software publisher 2K Sports, you'll have a chance to get real sneakers for yourself as you're playing NBA 2K20. And they won't just be any kind of shoes -- they're going to be limited edition and exclusive to the popular basketball title. Nike says it will drop 10 "Gamer Exclusives" through NBA 2K20, starting on October 29th, when players will have the opportunity to purchase them by completing in-game challenges.
Verizon's sports arena 5G doesn't reach every seat
Last week, Verizon (Engadget's parent company) bragged about offering 5G coverage in three major basketball and hockey arenas. Turns out there's a pretty big catch. That 5G is only available in some of the seating areas.
Nike opens NBA season with YouTube-themed Kevin Durant sneakers
As the 2019-2020 NBA season gets ready to tip off on October 22nd, Nike has unveiled new colors of its signature basketball sneakers for opening week. One of those is the KD12 "YouTube," the latest edition of Kevin Durant's performance shoe that's themed after Google's video service. And while Durant won't make his debut for the Brooklyn Nets until sometime next year, due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last season, Nike wanted to create a design to show his love for YouTube as a way to connect with fans. Durant joined YouTube in 2017, and has since used his channel to post videos about him traveling and meeting people around the world.
'NBA 2K20' will include every WNBA team with full rosters
2K Games has offered some more details on how the WNBA fits into NBA 2K20 when the league joins the long-running series of games for the first time. All 12 WNBA teams will be included, while more than 140 players will make their NBA 2K debuts.
Twitch will stream Team USA basketball games
USA Basketball has had a hard time getting players to participate in the upcoming FIBA World Cup, but the organization has managed to lock down one position: its streaming partner. Today, Twitch announced that it will be the exclusive home for live streaming content from USA Basketball's men's and women's teams. The content will be available to watch live at twitch.tv/nba, with full on-demand videos available to fans shortly after the end of each broadcast.
Verizon's fiber network connects NBA arenas for 1080p broadcasts
Verizon (Engadget's parent company) plans to connect all NBA arenas to a high-speed fiber network for better HD broadcast support. When the network is up and running in the second half of 2020, the league will be able to broadcast games from every team in 1080p resolution, and the system will support up to 30 cameras in each arena.
Drake sparks hundreds of fake eBay listings for Steph Curry's hair lint
Aubrey Graham, better known to the world as Drake, is basically a human meme. He has this uncanny ability to make people on the internet want to turn anything he does into viral content. Drake also happens to be an ultimate troll. Last night, during game one of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, he exchanged some words with superstar Steph Curry. As that was happening, Drake seemingly took a moment to pull lint out of Curry's hair. That may seem strange, but you should know that Drake has Curry's number tattooed on his arm. Yes, even though he's a Raptors fan. After the game, which the Raptors won, Drake then had an exchange with another Warriors player: Draymond Green, who was on the receiving end of something along the lines of "you're trash."
Kevin Durant is investing in high-end audio company Master & Dynamic
Master & Dynamic just got a big step up thanks to NBA star Kevin Durant and his company, Thirty Five Ventures. The investment business, which has backed the likes of Postmates and Coinbase, will become an equity partner in the New York City-based audio brand, and work with them to create and build products with a focus on sports and music. In June, for example, the partnership will launch a special edition "Studio 35" colorway of the newly released MW65 noise-cancelling headphones, with other projects in the pipeline. Durant is well-known for his Beats by Dre endorsement, so he's clearly a man who loves his music.
GOAT lets you preview sneakers in AR before they launch
Today, the secondary sneaker seller GOAT released an augmented reality feature that will let users see pre-release sneakers in AR. This isn't the first time a company has let users view sneakers in AR, but GOAT users will be able to preview the shoes before they launch.
The Athletic expands its sports news subscription with over 20 podcasts
The Athletic plans on delivering over 20 new podcasts focused on hyper-local and national sports coverage to its over 100,000 paid subscribers. The paywalled sports outlet launched its new podcast venture on Tuesday, featuring shows that focus on the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB and fantasy sports. The company is also planning on adding a total of 15 podcasts that focus on local sports in the Bay Area and Toronto.
Man pleads guilty to hijacking Apple IDs of rappers and sports stars
The end to Celebgate didn't mark the end to attempts to exploit superstars. Georgia resident Kwamaine Ford has pleaded guilty to hijacking Apple IDs of athletes (including NBA and NFL players) and rappers for the sake of spending sprees. From "at least" March 2015 onward, Ford tricked stars into handing over their account details primarily through a phishing campaign where he posed as an Apple customer support rep. Whenever he succeeded, he'd change the sign-in details and attempt to obtain credit card information. He'd use that to pay for "thousands of dollars" of travel, furniture and money transfers.
NBA’s Magic Leap app lets you watch basketball in augmented reality
Basketball fans can now experience the game in augmented reality. The NBA now has a mixed-reality app for the Magic Leap One headset that will allow for a wide range of immersive features. Fans with the mixed-reality headset can now view live NBA games, game replays, and highlights across multiple virtual "screens."
Tonight’s Bucks-Lakers NBA game will feature real-time data overlays
When the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, fans will have the ability to watch the game in a way they have never seen before. On ESPN3, the sports network's online streaming service, the game will be presented with Full Court Press, an augmented broadcast designed by Second Spectrum. It will present information on screen in real time that fans would normally have to turn to to another screen to find.
