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Friday Grab Bag: ESPN’s Strong Euro, Archos $250 Tablet

July 6, 2012 by

ESPN followed Spain’s’ lead and finished strong in the Euro 2012, bringing in its strongest soccer ratings to date. The broadcaster reported double and triple digit increases in viewers across all of its platforms that carried the matches.

The finals match that featured Italy against Spain, won by Spain 4-0, set a record as the most-watched UEFA Championship game in the United States and was watched by an average audience of 4.068 million viewers. This represented an 8% increase from four years ago from the Spain vs. Germany match.

For the whole of the tournament, which took place over a three week period and featured 31 matches, ESPN’s English language presentation had a 51% viewership increase from 2008. Its digital properties were in some ways even stronger with 900,000 unique viewers on its ESPNFC.Com and ESPNSoccernet.com , up 54% and 28% respectively while mobile usage across its platforms was up 497%.

Samsung fails to block injunction
A US Court has denied Samsung’s request for a stay on a preliminary injunction against the company that is preventing it from selling its Galaxy Nexus smartphone as well as for a similar injunction against it selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.

The injunctions are the result of a ruling in a long running patent dispute between Samsung and Apple. The company wanted the suspension while it takes its case to the US Court of Appeals, according to an article in Infoworld.

Tablets to outsell notebooks in four years
A report from the research firm NPD Display Search predicted that notebooks will be supplanted by tablets and the mobile computing device of choice by 2016. It said that notebook sales will continue to increase, from an estimated 208 million units this year to 393 million units by 2017.

However during that same time span tablet sales will grow at a much faster pace, increasing from 121 million units this year to an estimated 416 million units by 2017. Among that factors that will fuel the growth are its improved portability and battery life when compared to notebooks.

Apple loses patent round in UK
While Apple has managed to block Samsung in the US, to a degree, it has failed in a similar suit in the United Kingdom, where the courts have ruled against it in a fight with HTC. The high Court ruled that HTC did not infringe on Apple’s photo management patent.

It also ruled that three additional patents that were in dispute were invalid, including apple’s ‘slide to unlock’ feature, according to TechWorld. If Apple had succeeded in its cases it would have affected both tablet and smartphone products from HTC.

Archos unveils 97 Carbon Tablet
Archos has taken the wraps off of its latest tablet, the Archos 97 Carbon. It features a 9.7-inch display with 1024 x 768 pixels that is capable of running 1080p HD video. The 1.5 pound tablet features 16GB built-in storage and supports an additional 16GB via either a SDHC card or a USB flash drive.

The tablet features a mini-HDMI port and has 1GB of memory. It runs the current Android 4.0 operating system and is powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex processor. The starting price for the table is expected to be $250.

Recapp adds Summer Olympics news
Sports news aggregator Recapp has added support for the upcoming Summer Olympics in London. The app, which brings the leading news stories on user selected sports topics has expanded its support so that now you can follow your favorite teams and events during the games with articles from a wide source of news outlets including Sports Illustrated and ESPN.

A tale of two smartphones
Samsung, developer of some of the most popular smartphones, has reported that its latest quarter had a profit of $5.9 billion with earnings from its mobile phone division more than doubling in the quarter as Galaxy sales soared.

On the flip side is HTC, which had a very poor quarter, reporting that its net profits fell 58% from the same quarter a year ago, with a net profit of $247 million and it said that the current quarter’s outlook is cloudy due to increased competition.

LUMOback- the anti-couch potato device?
A sensor and app designed for better posture? That is what LUMOback is designed to provide. The sensor pad fits in your chair and vibrates when you slouch in your chair and provides feedback to your iPhone in an effort to promote good posture. Android and other platform support is on the horizon, the company said. The project on Kickstarter has already exceeded its $100,000 goal. I wonder if it is a comfortable vibration because I could get a pretty good massage while watching the NFL.

Rumors de jour
Amazon is planning on fighting back against Google and others by introducing its own smartphone and is looking to buy patents in that space first. Amazon has declined to comment.

It also looks like the next generation Kindle, the Kindle Fire 2, will be available in the fall as well. This is not really a surprise considering how hot the original Fire sales were during last year’s holiday season.

Is Apple preparing a mini iPad for Fall introduction, many sources say so. Numerous sites and news agencies have reported that a 7-inch version is on the way in order to fight Amazon, Google and others that are concentrating in this space.

Filed Under: Amazon, Android, Apple, Apps, ESPN, ESPN FC, ESPN3, Euro 2012, FTC, Google, HTC, iPad, iPhone, Kickstarter, Kindle, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, Olympics, PCWorld, Samsung, Smartphone, Soccer, Tablets, WatchESPN Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Home Run Derby’s Lineup is Set for Monday

July 5, 2012 by

The MLB All-Star Game has been preceded by a home run derby, now officially called the 2012 State Farm Home Run Derby, in a variety of forms since its introduction in 1985 and while I only occasionally watch it, I am always interested in the lineup.

The contest is pretty basic; there are two four man teams, one representing the National League and one the American League. Each player gets ten outs per round with a total of three rounds. Any swing that is not a home run is an out and the top four from the first round advance to the second.

If there is a tie there is a five swing playoff to see who advances. The combined totals of the first and second round determine which two players make it to the third round, but in the final round it is only home runs hit in that round that count for the crown.

This year the National League team is captained by the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp and will include three first time participants, the Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez, the Cardinals’ Carlos Beltran and the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton. The career home run totals for the players are interesting to look at, with Beltran leading with 322 followed by Kemp’s 140, Gonzalez’ 94 and then Stanton’s 75.

For the American League the team is lead by Yankee Robinson Cano and includes the Angles’ Mark Trumbo, Detroits’ Prince Fielder and Toronto’s Jose Bautista. The AL team seems to have the advantage I terms of career home runs with 164, 49, 232 and 182 respectively. It also has two past winners of the competition in Cano and Fielder. The event will be played at Kansas City Royal’s Kauffman Stadium on Monday July 9, and will be telecast by ESPN at 8 pm ET.

In my mind this is the highlight of the pre-All-Star events but there are a number of other events taking place including a All-Star Futures game with up and coming prospects and a Legends & Celebrities softball game.

Filed Under: All Star Game, Baseball, ESPN, Major League Baseball Tagged With: ,

GoPro’s X Games Highlight Video: Simply Amazing

July 5, 2012 by

Did you miss the X Games last week on ESPN? If so the good folks at GoPro have put together a quick mind-blowing recap video, shot completely with their portable HD HERO2 cameras. Take a quick look here to see what the X Games looks like from the athlete perspective:

Filed Under: ESPN, GoPro, Outdoor Activities, Skateboarding, X Games Tagged With: , , , ,

Watching Golf this Week: The Greenbrier Classic

July 5, 2012 by

With two weeks to go to the next major — the British Open — you can call this weekend’s Greenbrier Classic the last big tune-up for all the big names. And there is no name bigger in golf right now than Tiger Woods, who won last week in D.C. to earn his third win of the season — and if possible, even more conjecture over whether “he’s back” or “he’s not.”

Now No. 2 on the alltime tour win lists, there’s no place better for Woods to keep stalking No. 1, since Slammin’ Sammy called this area his own. And who wore a hat better? Nobody.

The unusual appearance of Woods — and other big names like Phil Mickelson and U.S. Open champ Webb Simpson — at the Greenbrier is also open to commentary, with some folks insinuating that there are some back-door appearance fees being paid here. For the couch surfing golf fan, however, it’s all good since it means there will likely be the drama of a “big name” on the leaderboard come Sunday.

No online video, but Shot Tracker should be back in action after losing a day last weekend due to the big storms that hit Congressional.

Here’s where to follow the action:

THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

(all times Eastern)
TV COVERAGE
Thursday, July 5 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Friday, July 6 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 7 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 8 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.

RADIO
SIRIUS XM (Satellite)
1 p.m. — 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Sunday; 12 p.m. — 6 p.m., Saturday

ONLINE
No Live@ video this week — the PGA’s live online video doesn’t return until the Barclays in late August, so you will need to get your online fix from…

PGA SHOT TRACKER
If all you want is shots and distances (which can be addicting) get your fix via Shot Tracker, providing the weather stays nice at the Greenbrier.

FACEBOOK PAGE
Of course the Greenbriar has a Facebook page. Like it.

TOP TWITTER FEEDS TO FOLLOW
The Greenbrier has its own feed.
Geoff Shackelford — well known golf writer. If you’re not following Geoff you are missing the online boat.
Golf Channel — official Golf Channel feed
@PGATOUR — official PGA Twitter feed
@StephanieWei — great golf writer who is a Twitter fiend. Check her Instagram stream for some cool shots of the Homestead, one of our favorite places.
Doug Ferguson is the lead golf writer for AP. Good Twitter insights that often aren’t part of your wire-service lead.

WHAT’S THE COURSE LIKE?
Here’s some history on the Old White TPC. And here’s the PGA’s nuts and bolts description.

WHO WON THIS THING LAST YEAR?
Scott Stallings, for his first win on tour.

LOCAL FLAVOR
The Greenbrier, if you didn’t know it, is America’s Resort and a place with some great waters to take.

FEDEX CUP LEADERS
1. Tiger Woods, 1,952 points
2. Jason Dufner, 1,849
3. Hunter Mahan, 1,654
4. Bubba Watson, 1,617
5. Matt Kuchar, 1,423

See the full standings for the FedEx Cup points list.

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1. Luke Donald; 2. Rory McIlroy; 3. Lee Westwood; 4. Tiger Woods; 5. Webb Simpson.
See the official World Golf Ranking list.

Filed Under: CBS Sports, Golf, Golf Channel, PGA, Tiger Woods Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

London Underground Renamed for Famous Olympiads Past and Present

July 3, 2012 by

If you are fortunate enough to be in London for this year’s Summer Olympics the London Underground, its subway system, is a pretty efficient means to get around, and much easier than trying to drive yourself, as I have found from past experience.

However if you have been there before you might find one thing different than in the past; the city has renamed 361 stations after celebrated Olympic athletes, some going back to the founding of the modern Olympics.

This is a very nice way to remind people of some of the greats that have paved the way for the games that we will be seeing this year. A number of top American athletes are represented around the city including Michael Phelps, who will be participating again this year and has the honor of the main Olympics’ stop along with Cassius Clay. Other US athletes honored include Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Bob Hayes and a number of others.

The Transport for London released the Underground Olympic Legends Map focuses primarily on Gold Medal winners but not exclusively. It also has a few famous defeated athletes sprinkled in as well as as some notable ones that never participated.

I have to give a shout out to a Hungarian friend who pointed out this tribute as he was notably proud of the fact that his country was represented by 13 athletes.

Three-time gold medal winner water polo players: Gyarmati and Karpati (1952-1964)
Three time gold medal winner boxer: Laszlo Papp (1948-1956)
“Million times” gold medal winner fencers: Gerevich and Karpati (1932-1960!!!)
Five times gold medal winner swimmer: Kristina Egerszegi (1988-1996)
Four times gold medal winner swimmer: Tamas Darnyi (1992-1996)
Three-times gold-medal winner legendary pentathlon champion: Balczo (1960-1972)
Legendary rapid-pistol champion (who changed hand after an accident):Karoly Takacs (1948-1952)
And finally: Four members of the 1952 Gold medalist Hungarian soccer team: Puskas, Kocsis, Bozsik and Czibor.

I found it interesting to try and name the countries for all of the athletes and failed miserably, I will not even mention how few I actually got correct. You can try and even buy a copy of the map here.

Filed Under: Olympics Tagged With:

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is Tomorrow: What is Your Record?

July 3, 2012 by

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is probably the best known of all of the major competitive eating contests held in the United States and draws contestants from around the world to Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.

Held annually on the 4th of July it apparently started out as a fabrication between some friends but has developed into a major event, drawing an estimated 40,000 fans and viewers on ESPN, which broadcasts the event live. This year’s event starts will be broadcast at 3 pm ET on ESPN directly after its Wimbledon coverage ends.

The current reigning male champion is Joey Chestnut, who has held the title for the last five years after beating Takeru Kobayashi, the person who brought the sports to broadcast stardom when he surprised everybody in 2001 when he doubled the event record for hot dogs consumed in ten minutes by devouring 50 as a rookie. It should be noted that Kobayashi weighs around 128 pounds.

On the female side the current champion isSonya Thomas of Alexandria, VA who will return to defend her title as Female Champion. She consumed 40 Hot Dogs and Buns in 10 minutes last year. There is $40,000 in cash as well as a belt for both the male and female winner as prizes.

There are a good deal more rules and formality to the event than I had believed. The event is overseen by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) and since renamed Major League Eats, and among the rules are that you have to be at least 18 years old to participate, be a winner of a qualifying event, get a wild card invitation or be the champion. You also have to keep down all of the hot dogs you eat for them to count, if not you can be disqualified.

If you have wondered why Kobayashi has not participated in the past few years it is because he has been in a dispute with the IFOCE about participating in non-MLE events and other promotional issues. Major League Eats hosts approximately 80 events annually including ones that are centered around boneless chicken wings, pulled pork sandwiches and one for something called a Slugburger.

I have watched it on occasion, but I think like most people even if I do not watch I somehow know who the winner is either later in the day or the next day as someone always brings the subject up in relation to whatever is being BBQ at that time.

Filed Under: Contests, ESPN, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Tagged With:
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