You are here: Home / Archives for Android

Friday Grab Bag: Mostly Football Issue

October 21, 2011 by

Get your vote in for Straight Outta Stockton
The good folks at Awful Announcing have added a new bad announcer category. For regulars on the site they are already familiar with the “Pammies” named after Pam Ward and given to the worst college football announcer have been joined by a weekly award for the NFL broadcasting corp. The new award is called “Straight Outta Stockton” in honor of Dick Stockton. The winning comment in its first week was “The Lions undefeated season is over… for now” – Scott Hanson (via Real_DWM).


NFL Games DVDs now widely available from NFL Films
Have some gaps in your home library of great games by your favorite NFL team? Well the league has taken steps to fix that by offering the entire NFL Films DVD catalog for the first time. Approximately 115 titles can now be purchased from iTunes, Best Buy Cinema and Vudu as part of a distribution deal between the NFL Films and Vivendi Entertainment. The videos will range from Super Bowls, team histories and a range of classic games. The deal helps NFL Films aggressively push into the home entertainment market for the first time. In the past limited films were available.

Android app market continues to see strong growth
The number of apps available for the Android platform continues to grow, and has reached the half a million market in September, compared to Apple’s iOS 600,000, according to market research firm Research2Guidence and forwarded by readwriteweb. This shows that the huge lead that Apple once enjoyed is getting narrower by the month as a solid influx of apps for the Android continue to hit the market. The one downside for the Android space, according to the report shows that 37% of apps are removed from Androids while 24% for the iOS.



Fox wins TV rights to 2018 and 2022 World Cup
Fox Sports has won the TV rights to the 2018 World Cup to be held in Russia and the 2022 World Cup that is scheduled to be held in Qatar. This gives the sports network all FIFA events from 2015 to 2022. Telemundo won the Spanish language broadcasting rights in the United States. The amount has not yet been announced but the company outbid ESPN and Univision which had the rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, and had gained those broadcasting rights with a $425 million bid. Not sure how well Fox Sports will do here, but ESPN had seemed to be putting an effort in its soccer coverage in the last few years and I now expect it to disappear from the network. My one hope is that Joe Buck does not feature on Fox’s broadcasting team.

Filed Under: Android, Apps, ESPN, FoxSoccer, iPad, iPhone, NFL, Soccer Tagged With: , , , ,

Sling Media provides enhanced remote viewing for fans

October 19, 2011 by

Sling Media delivers SlingPlayer for Tablets
Paying a bundle to get a sports bundle on your home entertainment unit and not willing to double dip to get it on a mobile device as well? Then maybe Sling Media may have the solution for you in its SlingPlayer platform.

SlingMedia has taken the next step in delivering streaming media to mobile users with the latest release of its $29.99 SlingPlayer platform. The SlingPlayer for tablets is designed to support tablets that run the Android operating system 3.0 or later and enable a user to basically watch home TV while on the go and is an enhancement on its previous offering for Android-based phones.

This is great news for sports fans that are seeking a method to gain access to the packages that they may already be paying for at home while on the road, and is a major step up for Sling Media’s offerings in this space.

There is more to the deal than simply paying $29.99 for the app and suddenly getting all of your home sports and other programming on your Android-based tablet. You must first pony up for a Slingbox device, which start at $180 and go up from there.

The program gives users control as if they were at home, with features that include being able to set a DVR at home, channel surf and browse content while still watching TV anywhere a user has an Internet connection.

The existing SlingPlayer application for Android Phones will continue to work on tablets in “Compatibility Mode” on tablets at no extra charge but it provides video at a much lower resolution than the tablet specific platform.

There is also available a SlingPlayer Mobile offering for Apple’s iPhone and iPads that also provide remote control over home TV and DVR and is available for $29.99

Filed Under: Android, Apps, iPad, iPhone, Live sports via mobile, Sling Media, Tablets Tagged With: , , , ,

Monday’s Tech Tidbits: Apple iPhone Edition

October 17, 2011 by

Samsung and Apple still claiming patent violations
Samsung has quickly struck at Apple’s new iPhone 4S, a product that sold 4 million units since last Friday, by asking for an embargo in Australia and Japan on the product, claiming patent violations. Apple and Samsung are both claiming that the other is violating its patents.

Apple to unlock iPhone?
In other iPhone news the report is that Apple will be offering an unlocked version of the phone in the next few weeks. The good news is you can add SIM cards in countries to avoid the ridiculous roaming charges, the bad news is that it will be expensive, and only GSM compatible.

Google kills unpopular products
Google continues to clean house-product wise. The company plans to focus on its successes such as Android and Google +. The latest two to be cut are the lamentable Google Buzz, its poorly thought out social networking program and Jaiku.

Google seeks to defrag Android development
Look for Google and Samsung to deliver Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) this week, after delaying its debut due to the passing of Steve Jobs. ICS is an effort to unify the Android ecosystem after it has been under increasing criticism for increased fragmentation and slow updates. Be interesting to see how well it works.

Samsung will also expand its Smartphone lineup
Following the ICS news Samsung also has a new Android-based smartphone that it plans to drop onto the market this week as well. The company is maintaining a very hard driving stance in the market both in regards to new products and aggressively taking on Apple.

Is the market waiting for a Microsoft OS for tablets?
That is what the Boston Consulting Group is claiming in a recent report. A survey found that a majority of consumers would prefer Microsoft’s Windows over Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. Really?

Android app downloads to be tops by Summer
Xyologic, a startup that tracks and indexes the App Store claims that the monthly Apple iOS app downloads will be surpassed by the monthly Android app downloads by June 2012. Aren’t there already more Android-based devices out there?

Filed Under: Android, Apps, Boston Consulting Group, Google, iPhone, Samsung, Tablets Tagged With: , , , ,

Friday Grab Bag-How is your QB rated?

October 14, 2011 by

Apple stays hot
The demand for the new iPhone 4S is so great that even Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak had to stand in line to get one, and not just in line, but over night! That might show the popularity of the latest phone offering from Apple, but reports from AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel is that they all sold out of the phone during the preorder period. A visit to their web sites shows that versions of the phones can be back ordered with a wait ranging from one to four weeks.



While RIM keeps cooling
Research in Motion was flying high just a few years ago as its RIM platform was a must have by corporate execs who used it to free themselves from their desks. The company had an overwhelming market share and no viable competition. However it looks as if the market has bypassed the company and it is feeling pressures that it is unused to and questions are arising as to if it can react properly and in time to save itself. That is the issue that is examined by Forbes and should be a warning to all companies that get complacent about their technology and market share. The recent three day outage that RIM recently experienced will not help its standings.

Sony brings video library to Tablet S
Sony is attacking rivals on multiple fronts with the rollout of its Video Unlimited for its Tablet S platform. The company is leveraging its strengths in multiple fields ranging from technology to movie distribution. The company will offer its Video Unlimited feature, which includes more than 6,500 films and 40,000 TV episodes from a wide array of film studios and networks, and will be available not only on the S Tablet but also on Sony Ericsson phones. Now you never have to miss “Friday Night Lights!” The company will eventually move the feature to other Android based devices, but not all of them and currently has no plans to support Apple’s iOS platform due to the high fees that Apple charges.


ESPN’s QB Ratings cause a Stir.
Ever wonder if ESPN’s much ballyhooed Total QBR system would give us a true look at how well a quarterback did in any one game? Here is a look at two QBs from last week. One was 26 of 39 passes for 396 yards and two touchdowns and his team won, the other completed four of 10 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown while also running the ball six times for 38 yards and a touchdown and his team lost. Which one do you think had the better game according to QBR? People have been raging about this all week around the sports world; however my position changed after I read this well thought out piece from The Big Lead. For a slightly different look go to the stats guys at FootballOutsiders.

Filed Under: Android, Apps, AT&T, BlackBerry, ESPN, Sprint, Verizon Wireless Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Fanatic Fans: An Insider’s Look at Mobile Applications for Live Events

October 6, 2011 by

Brian Holmes, a driving force behind Calibrus' breakthrough Fanatic Fans application

If you ever wanted a good look into the infancy of sports social media, you could get it by taking a look at Calibrus Inc. Fanatic Fans application.

Fanatic Fans debuted at Arizona State University home games last month, and today fewer than a thousand people have it on their smartphone or other mobile device. Yet that’s enough momentum to convince the 26-year-old developer of the application, Brian Holmes, he’s on to something big – a concept that could fundamentally change the fan experience at live sports events and concerts.

“We feel there is a real opportunity to tap into this marketplace to grow a significant brand with large numbers of users,” Holmes told MobileSportsReport.com.

 Indeed, Fanatic Fans marks one of the most aggressive moves to date by a major college athletic program to mirror sports social media innovations occurring in the NFL, according to MobileSportsReport.com. The Miami Dolphins are among the leaders in pro pigskin with an application developed by Mobile Roadie LLC, but the college market is wide open. Beyond ASU, Fanatic Fans is now being made available to University of Grand Canyon and University of Denver sports fans. Calibrus also sees Fanatic Fans as potentially a big winner in the live music space, Holmes said.

While ESPN, CBS Sports, SB Nation and numerous others have won big user numbers for mobile sports applications that provide news and buzz, applications that facilitate live event experience are just emerging. Indeed, the implications of mobile sports applications at live events are often misunderstood even by the experts, as evidenced by the South Eastern Conference’s recent decision to revise such impossible-to-enforce social media policies as the prohibition of mobile devices use at games.

For business, Fanatic Fans and other applications are promising because they can be used to provide offers to consumers at the moment they are ready to buy whether that’s before, during or after and event, according to Fast Company.

Available for Android and iPhones, Fanatic Fans works this way: Users download the application, and log in with user name and password whenever they go to a game. At present, check-in at a game qualifies them for prizes. At University of Denver games that includes a seat upgrade, and at ASU games there’s a $500 cash prize. During timeouts, fans are also prompted to respond to scoreboard contests via text. At ASU, that’s currently a contest to name the MVP of the game. Ultimately, applications like Fanatic Fans can be used by fans to interact with other fans when they are tailgating or at the stadium.  

Fanatic Fans took shape quickly, and the speed with which it went from concept to in-game experience underscores how nimble dot.com companies and sports teams will need to be in order to capitalize on the growth of sports social media. Fanatic Fans began to take shape in February, when Holmes took the idea to Calibrus management.  At the time, Holmes was working as a project manager on a website called JabberMonkey, which allows people to post questions, videos, pictures and articles that others can respond to via chat, webcam, email or VOIP. Calibrus used its development team in Saudi Arabia to turn the idea into a reality, and quickly won the support of ASU. Its business model is to create an avid user base for Fanatic Fans, and reward affinity marketing points for sports fan participation, Holmes said.

Filed Under: Android, Brian Holmes, Calibrus, Fanatic Fans, NCAA Football, NFL Tagged With: , ,

Mobile Football: NBC a No-Show for Live Play-by-Play

October 3, 2011 by


In our ongoing search for the best mobile app for following live football play-by-play, on Sunday night the MSR research team decided to check out the options available from NBC, since the Peacock network carries the Sunday night game live on TV.

The verdict? For an Android smartphone user, NBC’s mobile play-by-play options are about as exciting as a handoff up the middle, far behind the functionality of services from ESPN and the NFL. There isn’t even a standalone app for Android phones — maybe the non-smartphone featured in NBC’s “mobile web” landing page is a tipoff — instead you are sent to a mobile-optimized web page that does give you a live score and can show details of the last play run, but that is all. We didn’t even get our turkey-and-chicken sausages halfway grilled before we switched from NBC’s mobile page back to ESPN, whose Gamecast app seemed to have new life on Sunday, without any of the non-updating problems we’d seen during previous weekends.

Since we are waiting for Tuesday’s expected new iPhone announcement to decide what our phone-upgrade strategy will be for the MSR Verizon account, it may be another week or two before we can check out Verizon’s NFL Mobile app. (Apparently NBC does have a standalone iPhone app, if you have knowledge of how this works please leave a comment below.) Until then we are putting ESPN and NFL 2011 in a tie for first, with Sprint TV a game behind and NBC’s offering at 0-4, looking for a new quarterback and maybe a new head coach.

Filed Under: Android, Apps, iPhone, Live sports via mobile, NBC Sports, NFL, Verizon Wireless Tagged With: , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »