CNET recently ran a story in which it dubbed the Golden State Warriors’ next arena “the stadium of the future.” With the arena scheduled to open in 2018, team executives are experimenting with new technology. “We can’t light this [new arena] up already being out of date,” said vice president of digital and marketing Kenny Lauer. And, being in the Bay Area, it’s tech’s home team. This should be the stadium of the future when some of Silicon Valley’s finest are at every game.

It seems the most successful experiment so far has been with iBeacons, an Apple product that uses a Bluetooth low-energy signal to notify iOS users as they approach or pass an iBeacon. The Warriors use the tech to alert fans about seat upgrades, discounts at the team store and concession deals. It can also be used to map out an arena and help you find the nearest bathroom to your that beer line you’re going to wait in. But the Warriors don’t offer this solution, yet.

The Warriors will soon roll out sound amplification, which broadcasts sound from microphones placed on the court through the arena’s speakers. Now the dribbling ball on the hardwood, squeaky sneakers and Steph Curry’s sweet swishes won’t just be for the front row fans. During the five-game trial, the Warriors will broadcast to an entire side of the venue.

And then there’s LiFi, which the Warriors are exploring. It’s like WiFi, but uses light rather than radio frequencies to transmit data via LED bulbs. It has a much wider bandwidth and has reached data rates of over 10 gigabits per second. The range is shorter because light waves cannot penetrate walls, but it’s cheaper to maintain than its counterpart. How would the Warriors use it? They’re still trying to figure that out.

They are building two groups, one to focus on the tech and another that will determine how to integrate that tech in to the fan experience.

“Thinking about the challenges we have with Wi-Fi and the available frequency space in the visual light spectrum, the opportunities are unreal,” Lauer told CNET. “These are the kinds of things that are fascinating.”

And while all of this does sound intriguing, I don’t think it completely resolves issues fans have that keep them away from live sporting events. The biggest, most obvious challenge teams face selling tickets is the cost. Let’s assume this won’t be fixed, and focus on some other issues I want to see in my stadium of the future.

Designers of future stadiums aim to mix technology and sustainability. But sustainability is boring. I don’t really care how you make it 70 degrees in the arena, just make it 70 degrees. So let’s let the municipalities worry about that. Here’s what I want to see.

Bathroom Roombas

You know how one guy sober guy doesn’t always get every drop into the toilet even in his own home? Imagine 20,000 men, half of them drunk, rushing to pee between plays in a jam-packed bathroom that isn’t one they have to clean. Then, imagine how many will vomit in same said bathroom. It’s pretty freaking filthy. I want Roombas constantly sweeping through legs and around feet, spotting moisture and soaking it up. I don’t want to worry about soaking my Converse in the leftovers of the beer Kevin in Riverside pounded three hours earlier in the parking lot.

Robots

While the mix of high school drop outs and senior citizens bumping in to each other in a crowded concession stand is entertaining for two minutes, it becomes frustrating and time consuming. I want to order, pay and pick up my food so I can get back to the game. And frankly, the current system isn’t working, except when it’s a Wednesday night game in September in Miami with the Padres in town.

I want Johnny Five of Short Circuit taking my order quickly, efficiently and accurately. Send emo Jade and grandma Helen to parking lot duty.

Speaking of parking lots…

Maybe I’m just getting old and grumpy, but I hate fighting traffic to get to a game, hunt for parking and then battle 15,000 other vehicles to leave the stadium via three exits. I want sensors that indicate open parking spots I can view on an app that will direct me to open spots. When it’s time to leave, I want to use the same app to avoid the most severe congestion so that I don’t have to spend 45 minutes listening to the callers on the post-game AM radio show theorize why Albert Pujols didn’t bunt with the tying run  on second and no outs in the bottom of the tenth. I just want to get home and get to sleep. I’ve got stuff to do the next day.

Mute buttons

I don’t want to listen to that Top 40 music blaring during play of a NBA game. MUTE. Hey, Oakland A’s fan. You’re being a total jerk and I don’t want to risk you throwing your turkey leg at my head when I turn around after telling you to shut up, or getting stabbed walking out of the stadium, or my heart exploding because you’re stressing me out. MUTE. What, 3-year-old daughter I brought to the game because my tickets didn’t sell online? You want cotton candy and you have to pee and you want to start the wave? MUTE.

This is just a start. What do you want to see in your stadium of the future?

Image via Volker Kotidtz 

Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) announced they now have an official MLB license for the upcoming OOTP 16. I just want to say: I was on the ground floor of this thing. Well, maybe not the ground floor. But I got in before it got all fancy.

I heard about OOTP where most people hear about it — in a job interview, naturally. A guy from some department came hustling over — him being a fan of sabermetrics, him being vaguely aware of my writing — and he eagerly told me about OOTP and its superiority to Baseball Mogul (which I still love). I thank that man for introducing me to OOTP. Thanks, man.

So what does this MLB license mean to the average game player? Well first, it means a game that annually ranks as the best in all of everything is getting better. But more specifically, it means we don’t have to sift through a bunch of competing add-ons or wait for the big special All in One add-on in order to play a game that looks and feels like an MLB entity.

For those who haven’t played before, the old way was this:

• Download the game.
• If you downloaded the game on day one: Sift through the add-ons for realistic faces and accurate team logos.
• If you downloaded it maybe a week after the game’s release: Download the All in One mod.
• Install those mods.

Now, we should be able to:

• Download the game.

There may still be some mods that throw in international team logos and whatnot, but I expect the average user will be able to download and enjoy a full experience. Oh, also — see the top image — it appears they are making more steps for the in-game 3D stuff.

I am hyped. Everyone else, get hyped too.

Game Reviews:

98 A+ Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) 2015 (PC)
98 A+ Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) 2014 (PC)
97 A+ Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) 2013 (PC)
96 A+ Baseball Mogul ’13 (PC)
96 A+ MLB ’12 The Show (PS3)
79 C+ MLB 2K12 (PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, PC, etc.)
74 C MLB Ballpark Empire (Facebook)

Retro Review:

82 B- MVP Baseball 2003 (PC)

The Aspen 2015 X Games have kicked off already — they can be viewed on various ESPN networks, provided you have a cable subscription — however one portion of the X Games can be viewed without any pay access. Partnered with Major League Gaming, X Games is streaming the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament on MLG.tv at no cost. Highlights from the CS:GO tournament will be shown during the television broadcasts of other X Games events.

Some controversy already surrounds the CS:GO playing field. After qualified team Clutch Cats pulled out of the tournament, Torqued (formerly team iBUYPOWER) the second highest in both qualifiers, was overlooked in favor of Team Liquid. Despite going out in the second round of each qualifier, Team Liquid was chosen over the arguably more deserving Torqued. Many reasons had to be a factor in MLG’s decision, however a match fixing scandal involving Torqued and previous team iBUYPOWER members may have been a factor.

The Daily Dot initially broke the news of a potential scandal, citing particularly poor decision making and gameplay from iBP, text messages, as well as suspicious betting. The last part is of particular note, as betting on CS:GO matches yields thousands of dollars of in-game weapon skins (patterns and designs) every tournament. The biggest betting site is CSGO Lounge, where there are active bets for individual matches made nearly every day. With this much real-life money on the line, it isn’t outside the realm of possibility for match-fixing to be a major concern.

Given that this is the first major ESPN and X Games venture into CS:GO, it is no surprise they decided to “play it safe” and invite Team Liquid. While CS:GO tournaments regularly receives over 100,000 unique viewers, the partnership of highlights and cut-ins to the main ESPN broadcast could bring about more growth to the Counter-Strike community. The games begin Friday with a round robin group play where the four teams in each group play a matchup against one another, with the top two teams advancing to the bracket stage. Up for grabs is a $50,000 prize pool split among the top four finishing teams, plus betting wins — and losses — for viewers at home.

(Featured image via Monster Gaming)

Night baseball in Seattle, both in person and on TV, will look a great deal crisper thanks to some recent upgrades to Safeco Field. In the first such move in Major League Baseball, the Mariners have replaced their outdated lighting structures with new LED fixtures, which should bring a whole new level of clarity for fans both at the game and on their couches.

LEDs are popping up in all kinds of places including our gadgets, our TVs, and even the bulbs in our lamps. But illuminating a whole baseball field with LEDs should prove to be a very new experience for fans. There will be less glare, more even distribution of light, and the green of the field should really pop under the new lighting.

There are other advantages to the conversion as well. The Mariners are predicting a drop in energy consumption of filed lighting by 60-70 percent. The new bulbs will also last much longer, reducing waste and maintenance costs. TV viewers will get some added bonuses as well, as the lights will not only make the game look better on their HDTVs, but LEDs will also eliminate the flickering effect seen when super-slow replays are presented.

There haven’t been a whole lot of advances in field lighting since the Cubs were the last to install the fixtures in 1988. Though the upfront costs might be significant, the lasting effects and cost savings of LED lighting on a ball field will hopefully make their way to more parks soon. As very few games are played during daylight now-a-days, working to upgrade the fan experience at night would be a welcome addition. Reducing energy usage and waste is certainly a bonus, and watching Robinson Cano bash homers under the best possible lighting should give the fans at Safeco something more to enjoy.

(Image via Dave Sizer)

Major League Soccer has announced they will begin implementing the concussion tracking device xPatch next season in order to further study the effects of head trauma on their players.

The xPatch was recently used in a rugby match by the London-based Saracens (no relation to Friday Night Lights character Matt Saracen, unfortunately). Some in London have dismissed the patches, calling them gimmicky, but Edward Griffith, the Saracens CEO, responded tersely saying, “It is the furthest thing from a gimmick. This is not something we just thought would be good to try out last weekend. This has been nine months in the planning. We have set aside a budget of £350,000 for it for next season funded by the Drake Foundation because we believe wholly in the significance of the research. I don’t want to be visiting these players in 20 or 25 years time in a hospital where they are suffering from dementia or some other neurological condition.”

The xPatch, made by Seattle-based X2 Biosystems, contains a gyroscope and accelerometer that are encased in plastic. They are 1” by 3” and placed on a bone behind the players ear and taped down for games. The xPatch records all of the head trauma a player experiences and sends the information to trainers via an app.

A device like the xPatch may have been able to better track the head trauma former MLS star Taylor Twellman experienced during his career (he retired after suffering his sixth concussion). Twellman has since committed to donating his brain after his death for concussion reasearch and has his own foundation, Think Taylor, to raise money and awareness for concussion prevention.

Further implementation of the device could also help prevent scenarios like the one that occurred during the NFL playoffs on January 3rd, when the Ravens Courtney Upshaw had a rare clean sack of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who’s helmet bounced off the turf when he went down.

Roethlisberger returned to the game five minutes later after having his neck and shoulders tested and going through the NFL concussion protocol. He looked shaky when he returned to the huddle and proceeded to throw an interception on his first snap, causing some to speculate that he returned to the game too soon.

Dr. Matt Matava of the NFL Physician Society explained to the Guardian previously that X2 Biosystems technology, “has allowed us to accurately diagnose concussions immediately following an injury [about six to eight minutes after a hit]. The software also allows us to compare the players’ injury date to their baseline in order to objectively assess changes in mental status.” All 32 NFL teams currently use X2’s concussion management software.

The hope is that the technology becomes unobtrusive enough for players of all contact sports to use during games to detect in-game head trauma and track the sub-concussive impacts a player experiences over the course of his career. Considering the tragic deaths of former NFL stars Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, and the nightmare that the NFL concussion settlement has become, it’s a breakthrough that can’t come soon enough.

(Image via Bay Area Bias)

We mentioned yesterday that the Super Bowl will be available to stream on NBC for freesies. However, if you were to watch via NBCs web stream, you wouldn’t get to see all those commercials everyone would be talking about the next day at work. Social suicide, to be certain! But fear not, cord cutters. Tumblr has you covered.

According to Reuters, NBC will be posting the highly-anticipated (and highly-priced) ads on Tumblr shortly after they air. This will allow people watching via stream, people not watching at all, or fans looking to re-watch their favorites an opportunity to catch all the spots that run during one of advertising’s biggest days.

While many companies post their commercials to sites like YouTube and Vimeo, NBC will curate their own one-stop shop for the ads. For some, the commercials are just as (or perhaps more) important as the game. NBC is smart to offer those taking advantage of their new streaming service to also catch the ads online — not to mention a repository for repeat viewings. It will take a little multi-tab navigation, but at least game streamers will now know what the hell everyone is talking about on Twitter.

(Image via The Inspiration Room)

Succumbing to the world of selfies — and of course selfie sticks — is nearly inevitable at this point. Given the rapid growth of Instagram, now owned by Facebook, it isn’t hard to envision how social media integration is making people’s lives and interests public. Just days ago at the NCAA National Championship football game fans used more than a staggering six terabytes of data. Recently, Instagram launched their latest beta test update for Android platforms, a voluntary way of helping them troubleshoot as well as give feedback to the developers for what will eventually be their next update.

Despite just pushing out a major update back in December where five new filters were added, the brains behind IG seem keen on keeping up to date with new versions of the app. The beta update is free, you just have to join the Google+ group and then opt-in to the beta test. Once you’re in, you’ll see a confirmation message.

You’re also given the option to opt-out whenever you’d like. Given the very nature of beta testing, there may be some kinks to work out, however in the early going the changes have been for the best. Officially, the only changes to this beta version are various bug fixes, though more features could be unrolled as the beta progresses.

Be it concerts or sporting events or even a just a group of friends watching a game, wherever there are groups of people, posting pictures and videos are a part of lives now.

Make sure your laptop and tablets are locked and loaded come Super Bowl Sunday. You’re going to need them.

NBCUniversal today announced plans to live stream 11 hours of Super Bowl content, no strings attached. Those strings typically include a log-in process with the consumer’s cable or satellite account information. NBC will not be streaming via mobile app, however, as they do not have NFL live streaming rights. But with a tablet or phablet and the right web browser installed, streaming from nbcsports.com/liveextra shouldn’t be an issue.

The 11 hours, which is five hours too long (figure 3 ½ hours for the game, 45 minutes each pre and post-game shows) will be followed by the midseason premier of The Blacklist. That’s quite a gift for cord cutters that happen to love both Marshawn Lynch and James Spader. NBC’s coverage starts at noon ET and figures to end around 10 pm ET.

NBC’s motive for its “Super Stream Sunday” is to promote its TV Everywhere marketing campaign, naturally entitled “Watch TV Without the TV.” TV Everywhere is the practice of content providers using authenticated methods, such as streaming or video on-demand, to allow customers to access content they already pay for via the internet or mobile devices.

“We are leveraging the massive digital reach of the Super Bowl to help raise overall awareness of TV Everywhere by allowing consumers to explore our vast TVE offering with this special one-day-only access, said Alison Moore, general manager and executive vice president of TV Everywhere and NBCUniversal.

Cord cutters beware – after the Super Bowl, TV Everywhere will only work with a valid user name and password associated with one’s provider account. But maybe this is NBC’s one big step in a direction of genuinely free live streaming – a future of connecting to a stream without a provider account.

“Consumer behavior is changing and people are looking to have content when they want it and where they want it,” Rob Hayes, executive vice president of NBC Digital told USA Today last month.

Katy Perry fans are also in luck. According to the press release, this is the first time NBC Sports Extra Live is live streaming the halftime show.

NBC did add that users will “receive consistent messaging in and around the experience about the ease in authenticating after the end of The Blacklist.”

(Image via The Inspiration Room)

The BBC had a drone article recently that surveyed both the history and potential uses for drones, as well as examined their rapidly decreasing cost and increasing quality. This furthers the idea Michael Tunney presented on these pages — the idea of Battle Bots 2.0. And what I’m saying is that the world is ready for drone sport. As costs decrease, there is increasingly fewer reasons to not jump into this exciting world of drones doing athletic things for us.

Behold, France has already turned the corner and is zipping down the next hedgerow:

First of all: What a much of mega nerds. Secondly: How awesome is that?! Recreating one of the better chase scenes in movie history as a drone race? The view these pilots get looks nothing less than an absolute thrill adventure.

What better way to combine the exciting new technologies of our era — virtual reality and drones? Well, here’s another way we could take it up a notch:

There are two things here: a) Those hoverbike drones plus that French drone course equals a world-changing racing event of unparalleled awesomeness. And then b) that same device, maybe made life-size, makes for an awesome actual recreation of the forest chase scene from Return of the Jedi.

Or maybe just hoverbike races on standard race course? Or all-terrain hoverbike races? THE POSSIBILITIES!

1. Games could be broadcast live on sites like Twitch or even YouTube.
2. As the sport grows, goggles that show the stationary view of the mounted camera can be replaced with integrated VR-camera technology, so that whenever a driver’s head moves, the camera moves with him.
3. Or better yet! Maybe the multi-camera technology involved in Google’s Street View cars becomes small enough that all views are broadcast simultaneously. The driver wants to keep his eyes forward? Fine. Joe Blurpington of Constance, Iowa, wants to watch the rear as drones chase the leading vehicle? He can do that too!

What I’m saying is: This will be awesome, or I will throw an earth-shattering tantrum.

From the latest Global Web Index report — Q3 2014 — more than one in three households with an internet connection now have a SmartTV. Unsurprisingly, the age range of 25-34 held the highest ownership rate at 42%, however income had a greater effect on SmartTV ownership than age. The top income quartile reported at 50% ownership rate. SmartTVs are no longer a trend, but something that has arrived.

As the graphic displays, the way people are using their SmartTVs is also evolving. On-demand services such Google Play was used by 39% of owners, Netflix ranked second with 27% and iTunes usage rates followed at 26%. Amazon Prime services were used by 17% of SmartTV owners and SoundCloud showed a 14% rate.

Given the popularity of such streaming services — particularly among the highlighted 25-34 year-olds — the continued rise of SmartTVs working with more and more streaming options should come as no surprise.

While there is not an official Twitch.TV app for various SmartTVs, there are options for watching YouTube streams listed here.

The second screen experience — something sporting events and video games excel at — is of particular note. Two out of three people told GWI they use a smartphone while watching TV, with one-third stating they use a tablet. A simple search at the time of writing of Twitter’s trending topics show 8/10 being related to sports, be it trades, scores, signings or other.

It’s clear the market for SmartTVs is on the rise. Count on more programming, both on television and streaming services, being catered towards SmartTV owners. The full report can be found on GWI’s website here.