It’s kind of hard to explain IFTTT to people. I’ve tried. It’s a tool, that’s for certain. It’s a tool for doing online things. What kind of things? Well, pretty much all kinds of things. And that’s what makes explaining IFTTT so difficult. If you have an account with an online service that has even a half-decent API, then IFTTT can help you streamline a process, remember to do something, or automatically do that thing you always seem to forget. While IFTTT has applications for all kinds of people, sports fans and fitness nuts can mine a lot from it too.

IFTTT stands for If This Then That. It takes its name from a basic boolean operator found in all kinds of computer programming languages. The main idea is that if something meets a certain set of criteria, a specific action is to be performed. If A, then B. The A and B criteria in IFTTT are called channels. Channels are nothing more than online accounts or services. Things like Facebook, Twitter, Google Docs, Evernote, Dropbox, and Instagram all have their own channels in IFTTT. Combining two channels (one as a trigger, the other as an action) creates a recipe. A very basic example of a recipe would be “IF myfriend@gmail.com sends me a picture through email, THEN save it to my Friend’s Pics folder in Dropbox.” All you have to do is set the recipe up once, and you’re set. IFTTT takes care of all the other stuff in the background. But how does this apply to sports-minded people? Just like everything else in IFTTT, it all comes down to channels.

Fitness fans have a few options. If you use a service like FitBit, Misfit, or Nike+, there are plenty of ways you can tap into the data those collect. Maybe you want to keep a running log of every time you hit a daily goal. You can use IFTTT to log that in a Google Spreadsheet or Google Calendar. Those into public shaming can have IFTTT post burned-calorie information to Facebook or Twitter automatically. Weekly summaries can be sent via email. I use the FitBit channel to log how much sleep I get every night into a Google Spreadsheet. You can text yourself when you’ve reached a goal, or set yourself a reminder notification to to so. All of this only needs to be set up once. As our favorite rotisserie oven salesman would say, you just set it and forget it.

For those of use that would rather watch than do, there are options as well. As of now, there aren’t any channels for specific sports apps like NFL Now or MLB At Bat, but luckily ESPN offers a channel that can accommodate many needs. You can set a recipe to get text or smartphone notifications for your favorite teams — every time a game/match starts, when there’s a lead change, or just the final score. You can collect the results of every game in a Google Spreadsheet, have breaking news sent via text or added to your Pocket account for later reading, or set pre-determined tweets to be sent out depending on if your team wins or loses.

Sadly, though you can get alerts about fantasy sports news using the ESPN channel, it isn’t set up yet to incorporate specific league. However, if you are in a Yahoo! fantasy league, you’re in luck. You can have IFTTT send you a weekly trade summary in an email, or post to Facebook or Twitter if you’ve secured a fantasy victory.

The best way to find out how you can use IFTTT is to try it for yourself. Use a few pre-made recipes or try creating your own. Go back in and tweak them to your liking. IFTTT also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android so you can create and rework recipes on the go. Whether you’re looking to actually streamline some life workflow or simply fool around with a very fun and very powerful tool, it’s hard to beat IFTTT.

Feeling nostalgic for video games of the 1990’s? How about the 80’s? Maybe even the original 70’s games? If so, then good news everyone! The Internet Archive (IA) just expanded their Arcade section and added a wide variety of games from previous decades. The Arcade boasts over 900 different games, ranging from SEGA Champion Boxing to Champion Baseball to both Hyper Sports as well as Hyper Olympics.

Rather than requiring a download and setup of an emulator, IA runs games within your browser. The website suggests Firefox, though I didn’t come across any issues using Chrome. My fondness of baseball is no secret around these digital pages, so the first game I loaded up was Curve Ball, published three years prior to my existence.

There is a brief loading screen, but at least there aren’t any cartridges to blow into.

And it is worth the wait. Those graphics are glorious.

Each game will have different buttons on your keyboard — or use a controller, unfortunately my joystick wasn’t allowed to be used — to accomplish different things. Bunting, swinging and pitching inside or out are all various options and if using your keyboard, can be changed at will.

I didn’t come across an error in the games I explored, but IA provides the email address of their primary Operator, Jason Scott, on their website. In a blog post that went up yesterday, Scott outlines any known issues as well as thanks for every who has helped get the site up and running. Head over there and show your support by putting up a triple bogey while on the first hole of Birdie King 3. Failing that, you could always grab a Shasta, your all-Rush mix-tape and play on Saturday night.

Purchasing tickets online is nothing new, but Gametime has made the process even easier when buying from your mobile — Android or iOS only — device. The company has just update their free mobile app and now rather than refreshing a page again and again, the app now has a “pull to refresh” email style option. It’s a small change that goes a long way in terms of convenience.

Not only is it easier to search for tickets with the pull to refresh option, Gametime now shows exactly where you’ll be sitting. With a birds eye view of the stadium or a field view, you know if you’ll be up in the nosebleeds or right on the sideline.

The field view gives the section, row and seat while showing what the field/court/rink will look like from the seats you’re interested in.

The app allows purchasing up to 20 tickets per transaction and is within one second of real time availability. In an interview with VentureBeat, Chief Executive of Gametime Brad Griffith said of the updated ticket availability:

“We shifted to a video game style technology that can be immediately updated…It’s like playing a video game with another player. You have to keep it synchronized or it’s not a good experience.

Gametime currently works in 22 different cities and 60 venues. With app you can purchase tickets to NFL, MLB, NCAAF, MLS, NBA and NHL games. One downside is you’ll need a credit/debit card on file, as neither Paypal nor Venmo is currently a pay option.

Another curious quirk was the start times of certain games is wrong. After selecting Detroit as my city, it showed the Lions are playing at 8 am on Sunday, November 9. The game actually kicks off at 1 pm.

Gametime did get the University of Michigan game and the Pistons start time correct, but they were an hour early on the Michigan State game. There wasn’t a way to change your timezone, so make sure to cross check the actual game times with what is listed. After checking more Lions games, it appears as though each game time for the Detroit football team is wrong.

If you happen to find any other unusual goings on, reporting them to Gametime is as easy as shooting an email to their feedback email address or one could call or text them from 8am-11pm Pacific at their 1-800 number. Both help options are listed on their website FAQ, not in-app however.

Overall the app does exactly what it should: purchasing tickets from mobile quickly and easily, usually  without having to print them off. A small number of venues still require a paper PDF ticket but that is outside of Gametime’s control. It can certainly be a useful app for everything from a last-minute decision to go to a game or if you just need an extra ticket while on the way to the stadium.

Strava, makers of the workout app of the same name — available for free on iOS and Android — is venturing further into their client’s lives. On top of their GPS tracking, challenge-a-friend routines and viewable stats, Strava is seeking to join you up with local runners and cyclists as well.

With their Strava Metro system already in place showing where people are running or biking, the next step for the company seems to become a social app as well as a fitness one. With $18.5 million from the latest investor group, Sequoia Capital, and prior groups Sigma West and Madrone Capital Partners, Strava is seeking to bring fitness-minded people together.

In a press release, Michael Moritz, Chairman of Sequoia Capital said:

“Strava is building tomorrow’s sporting network in the manner that Facebook and LinkedIn have developed today’s social and professional networks. Even for the hapless and occasional athletes at Sequoia, Strava has become the essential and amusing way to post and compare our woeful performances and share them with friends and family,”

From using Strava Metro to map out a popular routine, to soon being able to map out a group run with similarly-conditioned strangers, Strava is aiming to becoming a social workout company. Strava already ties in with Instagram so hashtagging, taking morning sunrise pictures or anything that may catch one’s eye is quick and easy. Given the recent investment and the idea on how to use said investment, Strava CEO Mark Gainey was quoted as saying:

“Since day one we have focused on building a network that serves to motivate and entertain the world’s athletes. With Sequoia joining our team, we are better positioned to execute our mission and strengthen Strava’s leadership in digital sports.”

According to the company FAQ, Strava has collected over 300 billion GPS points and boasts over 2.5 million GPS tracked activities being uploaded each week. With funding in hand, a growing user base and a constantly expanding sample size, Strava appears to be the app of choice for many running and cycling enthusiasts.

Cord-cutters looking for a device to stream their favorite (out-of-market, of course) sports have no shortage of options. Most gaming consoles have plenty of sports app offerings. Other products like Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast have a lot of overlap in their app choices as well. For most, much of their decision comes down to which ecosystem in which they are already entrenched. Already bought a bunch of stuff on iTunes? Apple TV might be for you. People who use Google Play for a lot of purchases might find Chromecast to be more prudent. Recently, Amazon got into the streaming device game as well, offering the Fire TV that piggybacked on their ever-expanding package of services. Though the original Fire TV came in at a very reasonable $99, Amazon has just released the smaller Fire TV Stick for less than half of that. And if you’re an Amazon Prime member already, you can nab one for an even more enticing number — $19.

The Fire TV Stick and the already established (and well reviewed) Roku stick look a lot alike. While Roku tries to remain platform agnostic, the Fire TV Stick, like it’s predecessor, is heavily tied in to Amazon’s Prime Service, which offers TV and Movie rentals and purchases, free streaming of some content, and a streaming music catalog. The Stick is priced at $39, $4 more than a Chromecast and $11 less than a Roku Streaming Stick, but current Prime members can get it for less than a Jackson. Non-Prime users can even sign up for a 30-day free trial and still get the discount. Users of MLB.TV and NBA League Pass will be able to follow those sports with the respective apps on Fire TV Stick, and the device also offers support for WatchESPN. Of course, other services like Netflix and Hulu are also included.

The streaming device market is a competitive one. For my money, Roku still offers the best selection of sports-streaming apps. But if you’re already tied into the Amazon ecosystem, that tasty price point plus the added ability to watch baseball and basketball might just be enough to sway you.

From the “8-minute abs (VHS alert!) ” to even the “7-minute abs” we have seen time become a critical factor in choosing our workouts. From jogging just every other day to maybe twice a week, to perhaps once a week, I’ve seen the ugly side of sitting at a desk firsthand. Things changed for the better last year when The New York Times launched their Scientific 7-Minute Workout app and today they released the advanced version for iOS and Android. Now between the two apps, the combined workout is still probably less than your commute to work.

The original 7-Minute Workout required only yourself, a stable chair and the wall isn’t particularly challenging, but still well worth the minimal time investment. A non-rolling chair is best suited for the required tricep dips, but if all you have is a roller then make sure to brace it against the wall.

To help guide you on your quest to workout more frequently is a voiced personal trainer. You’re able to pick either male, female or no voiceover whatsoever. Be warned, if you do opt for the trainer, your music — at least on iOS — will stop playing. It isn’t the end of the world, but I can’t remember the last time I worked out without any music to distract me.

The advanced version requires a pair of dumbbells — of whichever weight you feel comfortable to start with, you can always increase the weight as you progress — but those are something that can be found fairly cheap either online or at any sports store. The advanced workout is defined as:

“A more demanding nine-step regimen than the original 7-Minute Workout, one that requires of a couple of dumbbells but still only takes seven minutes.”

After going through both workouts this morning I can already tell I should do these more frequently. Luckily it is basically winter here in midwest, so I can rationalize and consider these extra pounds to be my hibernation weight. Both the standard 7-Minute and the Advanced 7-Minute Workouts are well worth the time. Given the accompanying price of absolutely free, I highly recommend this for anyone else who finds themselves pinned to a desk 40+ hours per week. The app won’t immediately whip you into shape — diet of course comes to play — however for less than a quarter of an hour each day, there is no reason to pass on it.

A full step-by-step workout guide is available at The New York Times link posted in the opening paragraph or by clicking here.

You may have been able to plop yourself in your favorite couch these past couple days, but those out and about this weekend might not have that luxury. If you’ll be away from the friendly confines of your living room this Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you won’t be out of luck if you want to catch the World Series.

For the first time ever, MLB.TV will be streaming the FOX broadcast of the World Series. No blackouts, no weird second-screen nonsense, no trying to set up a proxy on your phone. There are (of course) a couple of catches:

• You will need to be a current MLB.TV subscriber. If you aren’t yet, you can pick up a subscription for $9.99. If you pay now, you get a free month of MLB.TV in 2015, for what that’s worth.
• You need to log in with a valid TV provider account through one of: DirecTV, Optimum, Time Warner Cable,Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse TV, COX, Bright House Networks, Buckeye, Arvig, WOW!, Suddenlink, or Consolidated Communications. Comcast/Xfinity is a glaring omission here, though that could possibly be remedied through the Fox Sports Go app.

The need for a cable/satellite login is off-putting, since FOX broadcasts the games for free over the air anyhow. The good news is that anyone with the above providers can access the games without the need to have special channels or packages.

It’s not perfect, but it’s still a better option than what was available the past few years. Cord-cutters are still left in the cold, but those with even the cheapest cable packages will be all set to go to watch the Fall Classic no matter where they are.

Overview

FindTheBest.com is a [re]search engine that aggregates data from on- and off-line to give users detailed overviews of and the ability to compare products, services, industries, employers, and other topics. They structure information in a visually-oriented way with lots of graphs, charts, and tables. It’s aesthetically engaging and easy to use. More about what they do, per their About page:

There’s a tremendous amount of information on the web, but no way to know it all and be confident that you’ve reached the best conclusion. Search engines and topic-specific websites are great at returning facts, but not so much at providing knowledge. We’re collecting, structuring, and connecting all the world’s data so you have everything you need to research with confidence.

It’s a pretty useful tool for comparing hotels in an area, airlines, or even colleges, among other things. But it appears that the company’s ambition extends far beyond that. When I first happened upon FindTheBest, being a dutiful baseball nerd, I immediately started to explore their MLB player pages.

Read the rest of this entry »

The wonderful folks who run the Trade Rumors websites launched their latest app today. Rather than individual apps for MLB, Hoops and NFL goings on, now all three are together in a single free download for iOS and Android users.

The welcome screen loads all three sports at once, however a simple touch of the settings button allows the user to toggle which rumors they’d prefer to see. Running all three sports took a moment to load, so I decided to parse down the content.

As a baseball fan — the only football I follow is fútbol — fan I decided to hide both Hoops and NFL news. Upon narrowing the field down to only MLB news, I added my beloved Oakland Athletics.

Rather than just teams, the minds behind the app also allow the user to add news updates for specific players. If you’re looking for news on free agents, say, Hanley Ramirez or Max Scherzer, it’s as simple as typing their name in the search field.

In addition to customizable players and teams, you’re also given the option to filter All Stories or just Top Stories within each field. It’s impossible to tell what constitutes a Top Story, so it seems prudent to leave the default All Stories on.

The free app does a perfect job of keeping people up to date on trades, signings and the like. It’s a condensed version of their full site, and that is a compliment. Trade Rumors is basically an RSS feed for whichever team or player you could want, without the need to set up a real RSS feed. Given the quality of work from the Trade Rumors people over the years, it should be no surprise to see their latest project work so well.

In addition to standard fantasy football — err, actually soccer — options such as Yahoo!, ESPN and the like, FLIP Sports offers a brand new way for Android and iOS users to participate in the biggest sport in the world. FLIP (Fantasy League In-Play) Sports doesn’t require any initial signup fees, league dues or even a multi-hour draft process to select your team. The premise of the app is to use it as a “an engaging & compelling second screen experience.”

If FLIP Sports aimed to make fantasy football/soccer easier, then it certainly succeeded. It helps to have a working knowledge of clubs and rosters, but the app is easy to navigate. After the initial download, just pick what fixture you want to play in.

Once you’ve nailed down which teams you’ll be using, it’s time to pick your lineup. I chose my team late Friday, prior to the real-life lineups being announced, so I gambled and got lucky. Unfortunately I could not tell if the app differentiates between who is in the lineup and who isn’t so I used the Forza widget to cross check lineups. There are certain options within the lineup as you can change the format from the default 2-2-1 formation to a more attacking 2-1-2 lineup. You’re also forced to choose players from both teams — a minimum of two from each club — so no stacking your lineup with all of one side. The match I picked was Arsenal vs. Hull City.

Now with a lineup in hand, it’s time to choose what type of competition you’ll be in. The app is fairly new and none of my friends had it yet, and thus private or head-to-head wasn’t an option. Off to the public league went my chosen lineup. Rather than real money, you wager FLIP Coins. It cost x many to join a public league, y for a head to head, etc. The more people playing, the bigger the pot grows, similar to poker.

As I was reading the rules, a rather annoying screen popped up several times. Despite being on Wi-Fi, the following screen was flashed on my device repeatedly. It’s still a new app, so I’m willing to bend on loading screens, but I do expect things to be cleaned up in the future.

Since one of the ideas of the app is real-time second screen viewing, the instant scoring updates on my lineup was quite nice. Everything from goals to defensive clearances to clean sheets for goalies accumulate points. Negative categories such as yellow and red cards and even things as simple as losing possession of the ball hurt you. Even with negative categories — something I’m not terribly keen on, but I understand the importance of — my team was winning the public league, at least through the first half!

The downside of being a new app shows again, as I was one of only five participants in this fixture. Presuming this app gains traction and popularity, the number of public league players will of course rise. Unfortunately, I was hit with yet another “connection interrupted” screen.

Even with the mild annoyances, I was victorious! I didn’t use the “booster” option, something that gives 2x the points for the chosen player for 10 minutes as I think it’s a bit cheesy to do so. The game stands on its own legs, no need for gimmicks.

Overall FLIP Sports is very fun, though there are some technical glitches to work through. I do hope more people join on as it’s a quick and easy way to root for players other than those on your favorite squad. It isn’t perfect for everything, but if you’re the competitive type looking for a free daily fantasy league, FLIP Sports is perfect for that.