Another one of the “Big Five” leagues has made a technological leap, with Italy’s Serie A unanimously approving the implementation of a goal-line system for next season. The options have been narrowed to three possibilities, including the FIFA GoalControl system used at the 2014 World Cup, the HawkEye system used by the Premier League and one unnamed option.

President of Italian soccer federation, Carlo Tavecchio, has mentioned a desire for goal-line technology (GLT) in the past, publicly stating he believed it will be implemented before next season. In an interview following exploratory meetings last month, Tavecchio was quoted:

“This morning’s meeting began a journey that will take us to the application of goal-line technology in our country during the predicted time-frame…I am convinced that its [GLT] use, starting from next season, will be unavoidable.”

Given the usage and growing acceptance of GLT in domestic and international leagues, seeing another one of Europe’s power leagues roll out a system is excellent. Of the Big Five, the Premier League already uses GLT, the Bundesliga will use it next season and with usage on the rise elsewhere — including US-based MLS clubs and the Dutch Premier League — it should be just a matter of time (and funding) before it is a universal part of soccer. While neither this year’s Africa Cup of Nations or Asian Cup offered GLT, it will be in use for the UEFA Euro 2016 matches. This year’s Women’s World Cup will feature goal-line technology for the first time, marking another step in the right direction.

(Featured image via the Serie A Facebook page)

As more and more people get connected devices, it is no surprise to see data usage rates rise. According to a study by Cisco, 497 million connected devices were added to the market in 2014, with the total number now at an estimated 7.4 billion. The type of data the various devices are using was mostly video — over 50% — with web, audio and file sharing following in order.

While data compression (such as GIFV instead of GIFs) continues to improve the sheer number of users combined with a higher reliance on cloud computing access will likely drive mobile data usage ever higher. Last year cloud computing — including audio as well as video streams, gaming and more — made up 81% of all mobile data. The table below shows Cisco projects this rate continue to rise.

For a measure of anecdotal evidence, I find myself increasing my data plan — I envy unlimited plans — if I know I’m going on a roadtrip or will be waiting in an airport without Wi-Fi. I’ve come to rely on staying connected, even at a higher monthly cost, for professional and personal reasons. If I take the train to Chicago, I’ll stream a podcast or even a game on my phone or tablet. I’ve used my phone as a mobile hotspot to type things up while riding the train as well, something even two or three years ago I wouldn’t have.

It isn’t just what and how we’re connecting to the mobile web, it’s also from where. The rates of usage is up around the world, particularly in North America and Asia. The fastest growth projection is actually for Africa and the Middle East and Central/Eastern Europe coming in at 71% and 72% compound annual growth rate.

There isn’t a major entertainment network, website, team or league without an app, twitter account or even media player. With a history of growth a clear projection going forward, mobile data will continue to play a large —and ever growing — part of our lives. The full Cisco report is available here or in PDF format.

(Header image via Cio)

From 2002 to 2009 the popularity of yoga stagnated. Then in 2010 yoga began a clear rise in popularity and according to projections by Google Trends and Statista, it will continue to grow. The app market has taken note, as there are dozens of yoga apps to choose from in the App Store, Google Play Store and the Amazon Store. Right now through the Amazon Store and for Android devices, the Pocket Yoga app is free to download.

As someone would be classified as an interested novice in yoga, I wouldn’t bother paying the normal $2.99 just to try an app. Free? That is the right price for me to give it a whirl, and Pocket Yoga has impressed me. It features three different practices, each with 27 different preset routines to pick from. Within each routine you can pick the duration — 30, 45 or 60 minutes — as well as choose between beginner, intermediate and expert. There is also the ability to pick a home, studio or office environment, though the only difference is the background setting in which the app runs.

In addition to the preset routines there is also Sun Salutation A and B where instead of a time limit, it is based on how many repetitions you’d like to do, ranging from two to 108 (both A and B also have the option to choose which difficulty and environment).

Throughout each routine the digital instructor gives cues on pose changes as well as helping you regulate breathing, but I found myself struggling to get into the correct form before the next pose. The app does allow you to pause each routine — and pick it up where you left off — or even preview the routine before you get started.

A built-in index of the different poses in alphabetical order is incredibly helpful, and if you’re a fellow beginner, I strongly recommend looking at the preview and the list of poses before jumping into a routine.

Pocket Yoga tracks your completed practices and routines and once you finish a session you’re given the option to share the accomplishment via Twitter, Facebook and a number of other social networks.

As even the beginner routine was challenging to me, I’d recommend Pocket Yoga to someone who has more of a working knowledge of yoga. For Android users, make sure to download it through the Amazon Store as it is still $2.99 through the Play Store. The same goes for iOS users. Still, it is hard to fault the app for me not being as flexible as I was in my youth, though after a few weeks of using Pocket Yoga, I should be back in form.

In the Barclay’s Premier League, the status quo continues for the online broadcasting options for at least one more season. Both Sky Sports and BT Sport won the broadcasting rights, now showing 126 and 42 matches respectively per season starting from the 2017-19 season through 2018-19. Both numbers represent a jump from the 116 and 38 currently shown, however the price was high. Sky Sports and BT paid a combined £5.136 billion (nearly $8 billion USD) — coming to more than £10 million per match — with BT paying £960 million and Sky picking up the rest of the tab.

Neither BT Sport or Sky Sports currently broadcasts internationally, and with NBC’s contract set to expire after the 2015/16 season, the bidding for the Premier League will come to a fever pitch next year. Currently with either BT, Sky or NBC you’ll need a cable package, but here in the United States there is not a way to view the streams from BT or Sky without using a VPN. Even by tricking the system into thinking you’re in the UK, you’ll still need a paid subscription to view the content.

The same goes for both broadcast apps (available on Android and iOS)  as there is no standalone package available yet. A brief exchange with a BT Sport chat helper cleared up any potential for a stream option here.

The tables below, courtesy of Statista, show the Premier League’s rapid growth above their fellow European competitions as well as the amount paid to the clubs from broadcast revenue.

The leagues, from left to right, are the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1. These leagues are often referred to as the “Big Five” as they represent the top competitions in not only Europe, but the world.

Despite being the most popular of the European leagues, the PL’s popularity is still on the rise, as is the price to broadcast it and view it. While this deal does not hurt or help anyone already with a cable deal in the UK, for the rest of us it is merely treading water until the international rights open up again next year.

Sources: Sky Sports and BT Sport
Header via Wikipedia

After getting a sneak peek at Sling TV back in January at CES, many people were excited for the potential it held. At the time is was an invite-only system and only five major network channels signed up — ESPN, Food Network, TNT, TBS and CNN — but now the system is live and now has even more channels.

There is a free seven day trial period to test both the opening price point of $20 per month for the “Best of Live TV” service out on its own or even the add-on packages. The previously listed channels plus ESPN2, Adult Swim and the Disney Channel are available for the opening price point, but the extra channels include even more options.

The three channel lineups for an additional $5 each on top of the normal $20 monthly cost from Sling are Sports Extra, News & Info Extra and Kids Extra, with the channels on each shown below.

After putting in your information to register, Sling shows you a welcome screen as well as listing the service compatibility. CES had a running version of Sling on an Xbox, but the picture below is accurate in saying it isn’t available just yet. The Android app is available, but it will have to be side-loaded. The computer version of Sling works quite well and hopefully the mobile will soon be on par with it.

Sling shows channel category options in the form of an “All Channels” sidebar and once a selection is made, upcoming programs are shown along with their start times on that particular channel.

The quality of the broadcasts is up to the consumer, allowing you to select how much bandwidth and thus what the video looks like. On the highest setting neither the video or audio ever stuttered, however the quality seemed to move from the 1080p to about 480p despite my WiFi signal remaining constant.

For cord cutters, Sling TV is about the best option around for live entertainment. If you’re on the fence, I strongly suggest taking advantage of the seven day trial to experience it firsthand.

GoPro will launch a channel for Roku box owners this spring, displaying content specifically from GoPro users. This expands the partnership GoPro already has in place for content viewing with Xbox, Virgin America and LG to bring streaming content to users.

Roku, who has already sold over 10 million devices as of September 2014, has set the pace with streaming channels at over 1,800. The GoPro channel will include featured content, crowd favorites as well as the option of finding out which version of camera took the footage. Much of the content will be user created, says Adam Dornbusch, Head of Programming at GoPro:

“GoPro content is unique in that it emotionally resonates with a global audience. The GoPro channel will make it simple for Roku customers to watch GoPro originally-produced and “best of” user-generated content on their televisions at home. We are excited to bring the world of GoPro to Roku customers as they are one of the most engaged customer bases when it comes to the amount of streaming content they view.”

With programs already in place ranging from news, sports, music, education and more, Roku’s expansion into the world of user generated content makes sense. Given the growth of GoPro over the years — for both professionals and amateurs alike — and the reach of Roku, this partnership should continue the expansion of both companies as well as benefiting customers with more entertainment options. What a time we live in for someone to film themselves with a GoPro while flying a drone modeled after the Millennium Falcon.

(Header image courtesy of the GoPro Facebook page)

Popular sports website theScore has made the leap into esports with the launch of their “theScore eSports” app for Android today. An iOS version is in the works already. The company, which just set a new record for their site traffic at 10.2 million active monthly users, now features a specific app focused on the happenings in six of the biggest esports titles.

Featured within the app are options to follow League of Legends, Dota 2, Hearthstone, StarCraft II, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Call of Duty. Within those games listed there are specific regions covered as well, currently consisting of North America, Europe, Korea and China. TheScore has promised more games and more regional coverage as the app continues to grow.

Right now some aspects of the app work are fully operational. The North American League of Legends Championship Series currently shows upcoming matches and scores. The StarCraft section isn’t fully complete yet, as neither scores nor regions were available at the time of the app launch.

There is a catch-all hub that doubles as the Top News section, where tournament announcements, player acquisitions, sponsorship news and more can all be found. Within the Top News section there is the option to sort by specific game as well, making things very convenient if a person only follows one or two esports scenes.

By now there aren’t too many people who haven’t used Google Earth in some capacity. From looking up your house to checking out different monuments or landmarks, Google Earth has been a great and fun addition to the world. Until recently there was a Google Earth Pro edition, going for a pricey $399.00 per year, an option that generally only businesses took advantage of. The Pro version is now available for free as a download with the activation code GEPFREE. Though the lined URL does say free trial, the site itself notes signup, aka payment, is no longer required and shows the free code.

We’ll be taking a closer look at the downloaded version and highlighting some features that the free Google Earth didn’t have. Let’s take a look at Wrigley Field. It’s notorious for almost zero parking — and if you plan to visit, the official site strongly encourages public transit rather driving there yourself — something even the free version of Google Earth shows.

If you’re having a hard time picking out parking, it’d be hard to blame you. While both versions show the Free Parking for nights and weekend games, only the Pro version displays other lots (however the Purple, Brown and Irving Lots).

Maybe instead of visiting for a game, you’re interesting in moving to Wrigleyville (or wherever) and are interested in the local demographics. The data is from 2011, but does have the option to show the 2016 projected information on things ranging from income, age, gender, education and marital status.

Other options the Pro edition offer is the ability to print pictures at an impressive 4,800 x 3,200 resolution as well as making movies at 1,920 x 1,080. For the true nerds, the Pro also allows spreadsheet imports of up to 2,500 different addresses to get a wide swath of any neighborhood. From planning a trip to moving to a new neighborhood to making a movie of all the places you want to visit, Google Earth Pro’s new price makes it absolutely worth downloading.

Seeing the Super Bowl being the most watched television event in the United States is no surprise, but football is growing around the world. The NFL has been expanding its reach to Canada and England over the past few seasons by playing regular season games there, but those are not the only countries where the game has shown growth.

Via Statista, the upward trend of the Super Bowl here is clear.

Even after a slight dip in 2013, the Super Bowl has an undeniable increase in popularity here in the US. Thanks to Global Web Index, there are a number of signs showing how the NFL is expanding. According to the over 41,000 polled non-US residents, 38% considered themselves fans of the NFL, with 10% of that group having watched NFL games online. In terms of population percentage, almost 60% of Mexico consider themselves fans of the NFL. In terms of sheer number of fans, China’s 211 million fans and India’s 64.6 million rank as the top two countries. Strictly by population and not percentage, there are four times as many international fans than in the US.

As the number of cord cutters here in the US continues to grow — particularly among millennials — the 16 to 24-year-old and 25 to 34-year-olds are both the least likely to watch an NFL game on TV and the most likely to watch online.

Given the wide reach of the NFL as well as the trend in popularity in both the US and the world, it appears like the National Football League is rapidly becoming an international league.

Imgur continues to adapt to the demands of their market, after beginning to switch away from traditional GIF file types for the more efficient GIFVs, they are allowing URL based videos to be used in the creation of the GIF or GIFV. If a file size exceeds 10MB then it will automatically be converted to a GIFV. As a reminder, Imgur accounts are free — though you don’t need one to create the GIF/V — and GIFV files are both cleaner and smaller than the old GIF files.

Creating an embeddable GIF/V is as easy as copy-pasting the URL of the desired video and following the steps. Let’s give it a try.

From YouTube, we’ll take a look at South Korea’s run to the finals of the Asian Cup. Choosing where to cut the video on both ends is as simple as clicking on the slider bar at the desired times.

Note that Imgur allows the option to embed text directly over the GIFV but be aware that at the time of launch, the text box is unable to be moved.

Once you have the time of the GIFV down and the text correct, then it is a matter of time letting Imgur untangle everything. When you’re all set, there are options to share directly to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr and Reddit as well as a slew of embed and link options.

The finished product:

Get started right away and bring on the GIFVs!

(Source video courtesy of the official AFC Asian Cup site)