The robot, named after Canadian female hockey star Jennifer Botterill, was developed at the University of Manitoba, and will be in a robotic competition in St. Paul, Minnesota later this year. Hockey is well known for being a full contact sport, but in a world where we expect to see robots duking it out in battles to the death, this seems pretty tame in comparison. In fact, it might even make people outside of Canada somewhat interested in hockey. Maybe.

This isn’t the first time university researchers in Canada have created a hockey-playing robot. In fact, just last year a similar creation was developed at the University of Waterloo. That robot was able to make slapshots at speeds of up to 110 miles per hour. I wouldn’t want to be the goalie defending against that monstrosity. The real question is when we’ll start watching robots instead of humans on ESPN, Jetsons-style. Hopefully it won’t be too long from now.

[via Yahoo Sports]

The LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be given to each Suns player complete with the team’s playbook, video from team practices and games, and scouting reports on opponents. It will also be easier for the team to manage their master itinerary and other travel plans.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will also be used by the Suns throughout US Airways Center on game-nights such as for showing clients interactive views of game seating, presentations for season ticketholders, and other in-game promotions. The tablets will also be integrated into the Suns’ TV and radio broadcasts as a way to interact with digital fans via social media.

The goggles use Bluetooth to pair to your smartphone. On the outside of the goggles are large buttons that appear to be usable while wearing gloves. Those controls are for answering phone calls and ending them along with controls for your music. A special microphone is integrated into the goggles that picks up vibrations when you speak through the facial bones and eliminates noise.

That is supposed to mean that you don’t have to shout to make a decent phone call while you’re skiing down slopes. The coolest part is that you don’t have to have smartphone to communicate with a group of skiers. The goggles can interface with six other pairs directly for group conferencing. Check out the video below to see the goggles in action.

[via Ubergizmo]

Although RBS had a fixtures app for the 2011 tournament, this year’s update aims to monopolize your lap while you’re actually watching the game. RBS will push out questions matching the live gameplay, with multiple choice responses and – immediately after – the chance to see how your answer compared with all the other gamers. There’s also a penalty game, where you can predict whether the ball will make it through the posts, go left or right, or fall short. Your results can be automatically posted to your Facebook wall, and if you – optionally – create a free account you can switch between the various platforms and Facebook version of the game without losing your scores along the way.

Although there’s a person – or, more accurately, two rugby-obsessed people – pushing out the questions and stats, the app developers faced some unforeseen challenges in timing updates. The Six Nations app is intended to be used not only by TV viewers – watching either satellite, cable, digital terrestrial or analog broadcasts – but radio listeners too, and each introduces a different lag period. In the end, the team settled on a roughly six second delay, so as not to spoil any fast-upcoming surprises during the game by previewing them beforehand on the iPad.

Development on the app began in late November, and the team told us there’s a lot they would’ve liked to have included but simply didn’t have time to. Audio recognition was one ambition, tracking common phrases used by rugby commentators and activating features on the iPad or smartphone accordingly, as well as building in a mini-game where you could have your own attempt at flicking a penalty in the same wind/position conditions.

All of those features could be in the pipeline in future versions, however. RBS is already considering using the same underlying technology for other sports events it sponsors, and the developers are open to alternative implementations such as music events, quiz shows and more. Even as someone who isn’t much of a rugby fan, there’s undeniably something impressive about the app keeping up with the live gameplay, and there’s definitely room for features like these to be paired with other types of entertainment.

You can download the iPad/iPhone app and Android app from today, just in time for the first game – France versus Italy – on Saturday, February 4.

Of course you may have noticed that these football stars aren’t in the game, nor are they on either of the teams competing in this game. Super Bowl XLVI is a rematch between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, they having last met at the fabulously epic Super Bowl XLII. The players speaking on the airwaves here will therefor be able to bring you turn by turn action the whole game long, right from the sidelines!

You can find Jackson and Johnson in their own PlayUp rooms on the day of the Super Bowl as well as in several other more general rooms as they make an awesome effort to bring you as much action as they can from their own unique perspectives. Jackson will be using the username “sj39″ while Johnson will be using the name “StevieJohnson13.” Have a superb time hanging out with the fellas here and head to the timeline below to see a selection of other Super Bowl apps and actions leading up to the big game!

The Suunto Ambit offers almost everything you need to track your outdoor performance, including a full-featured GPS with 3D Compass that lets you pinpoint your location using multiple coordinate systems. It features an altimeter that determines your altitude and logs your vertical gain should you go mountain climbing and a heart rate monitor that works in combination with a chest strap.

The built-in SiRF IV low power GPS chipset allows for a long battery life of up to 15 hours with continuous GPS tracking and 50 hours with GPS tracking every 1 minute. The watch is water resistant to 100m and comes in either black or silver for $550 or $600 with the optional heart rate belt. It will be available starting in March.

[via Gizmag]

The come equipped with 1200mAh Li-ion batteries, so don’t forget to charge up before you hit the slopes. The APEX masks also have the ability to home in on your location via GPS, so you (and whoever is watching your stream) will be able to log your exact location through the entire run. Next up is the EGO HD – a camera that can clip onto your bike, surfboard, kayak or that one time you decide to go skydiving.

The EGO HD is equipped with a water proof housing and also has the ability to stream live video over WiFi. Those of you wondering how to consistently keep up a WiFi connection while out and about could always carry your hotspot with you. This way nothing slows you down, and it would be possible to travel longer distances keeping up a live stream.

[videos processing]

One of the most enticing videos to be made for mobile products as a whole is and always had been the drop test. When you’ve got a device that’s got the ability to run fantastically intricate processes at high definition and in such a tiny bit of hardware you must assume it’s fragile, it’s always the best to see people try to trash it. That’s why Optrix got smart, showing off how even when the mount is tossed out of a window or ran over by a truck, your iPhone remains safe and functional.

You can purchase this magical product over at Optrix.com for the low low price of $89.99, and that includes the case and the mount. They’ve got a whole ecosystem of support over there too to keep you up on your abilities with this product, of course, and your iPhone 4, your iPhone 4S, and your iPod Touch will thank you once you’ve got it. It’s rugged and oh so lovely.

Have a peek at another video produced with an iPhone 4S filming inside this case mount for an impressive high five of a demo. Then pick one up, of course.

Furthermore, beyond just the Super Bowl, NBC and the NFL is also gearing up to stream “NBC’s broadcasts of wild card Saturday, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl would be available on the league’s and network’s websites and through Verizon’s NFL Mobile app.” This will reportedly also allow viewers access to exclusive camera angles, game highlights, as well as live-updated sports statistics. The announcement doesn’t cover which Verizon devices will be streamed to, though it’s very possible that if you’re able to watch NBC’s current football coverage on your smartphone, you’re probably set to stream Super Bowl XLVI.

NBC already provides Sunday Night Football access both on the web (which the author has watched quite a few times during this season), as well as on NFL Mobile, but until now, it and previous broadcasters couldn’t show the most important games, outside of being televised or turning to a bootleg stream as a last resort. Kudos to NBC, the NFL, and Verizon for making this happen. And after the playoffs, may the best team win.

[via Silicon Filter]

This move is the “first in the area of stadium naming sponsorships” and will be capitalizing on a ten-day span of high-traffic days when the stadium will be playing host to three nationally televised football games for maximum Snapdragon exposure. On the 18th of December the San Diego Chargers will be matching up against the Baltimore Ravens, then on the 21st the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl will be taking place. On the 28th, the final big event of the three will be in the stadium, this the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl. Dean Spanos, Chairman of the Board and President of the San Diego Chargers noted the following:

“This is a first-of-its-kind effort to completely rename a stadium without changing naming rights. We look forward to playing in Snapdragon Stadium and helping Qualcomm bring awareness to the technologies Snapdragon processors enable.” - Spanos

This move will be a stadium transformation, made specifically to inform customers and future customers how Snapdragon processors allow them to do MORE on their mobile devices while maintaining a battery life at levels they’ll love. The combined three games will reach 30 million TV viewers and 150,000 fans in attendance they say, this working out well for Qualcomm in the whole audience connection arena. A full change in the stadium’s Qualcomm signage will take place, temporarily replaced with the flashy red of Snapdragon signs and banners, and devices will be given away in accordance with advertisements during and leading up to the game.

In the bottom of the board is a beacon that lights up, and unlike some boards, this one has no additional edges, just the aluminum base. The light-up logo in the base is what you might recognize as a wi-fi signal, but in fact its the non-text version of Signal Snowboards own mark, and yes, it does light up just like the Apple does on the back of your MacBook. Stainless steel conductors working with batteries inside the board make for a light-up experience only when the boarder has certain points connected – in other words, you don’t have to flip any on/off switch when you’re down in the lodge sipping on some cocoa all bundled up in front of the fire.

Have a peek at how they fail again, and again, and again with the lights, then have the connection sit in the foot strap, making sure the whole board looks sleek as possible like an Apple product aught to be. This board ends up being as heavy as an anchor and isn’t turnable basically in the least, but does end up being fantastically slick for speed. Then the iPad is in there as well and can be controlled by the user while it remains in the board. Facetime works perfectly, mind you, as well. Play some music videos if you get stuck in the tundra.

[via Signal Snowboards]

Before we move on to the surfboard videos that are rapidly becoming rather popular on the web here in this past week, I encourage you to view another great example of where the modern idea for running a camera around an object while it remains relatively still in place comes from: the intro to the cartoon Speed Racer. Near the end you’ll find Speed hopping out of his car and rocking an amazing pose for you, the user, while the camera starts out front and arcs around sideways.

Since Speed’s take on the situation, there’ve been other examples quoted here by John Gaeta who is credited, again, with the modern iteration of bullet time as made popular by The Matrix film series. This quote comes from the article “200 Things That Rocked Our World: Bullet Time” in Empire magazine number 136 from 2006, and was picked up on the wiki for Bullet Time. Note the technique:

For artistic inspiration for bullet time, I would credit Otomo Katsuhiro, who co-wrote and directed Akira, which definitely blew me away, along with director Michel Gondry. His music videos experimented with a different type of technique called view-morphing and it was just part of the beginning of uncovering the creative approaches toward using still cameras for special effects. Our technique was significantly different because we built it to move around objects that were themselves in motion, and we were also able to create slow-motion events that ‘virtual cameras’ could move around – rather than the static action in Gondry’s music videos with limited camera moves.

Now we’ve got the most recent look at this situation in some rather epic looking surfing videos made to advertise surf trunks made by Mirage. These shoots are encapsulated in a couple of videos, both of them using a 30 or 52 camera array. While the final commercial (seen at the bottom of the post) is newly released, the making-of video dates back to September of 2010. Rip Curl and Timeslice Films are the first to film surfers in this way.

Looks pretty darn cool, yes? This and the spot below are for what Rip Curl says is their most advanced board shorts, made with a switchless construction in all the right areas so that you’re not ripping out running down that lovely 90 foot wave this weekend. Smooth the curl! Have a peek at the final result here:

BONUS there’s also a collection of surf stars appearing in that making-of video individually shown in their own videos here – enjoy!

The Freestyle HD has a housing that’s pretty rugged and is waterproof up to 65 feet, making it a really versatile little camera that you can take and operate hands-free on all your outdoor
adventures. It comes with a various interchangeable mounting brackets to attach to whatever you need. When it’s not mounted to a skateboard, you can also use it as a regular point and shoot camera, shooting 1080p HD video at 30fps and with stereo audio.

Plus, Swann includes a wireless remote control for the camera as well as a detachable 1.5-inch LCD screen to let you preview and operate the camera from afar. An HDMI port lets you watch your videos directly from the camera on your HDTV or you can transfer your videos via MicroSD or USB. Its lithium ion battery provides up to 2.5 hours of recording time per charge.

The camera is priced at $279.99 and is available now at various retailers, including Best Buy, Tiger Direct, and Fry’s. For more details, you can visit the Swann’s product page.

The miCoach SPEED_CELL is designed to help improve individual performance for athletes in a broad range of sports, including soccer, football, basketball, tennis, and running. It lets each user track their unique stats such as average speed, maximum speed, number of sprints, distance at high intensity levels, steps, and strides during play. Up to seven hours of data can be stored onboard the SPEED_CELL to be wirelessly transferred later to a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

The device fits in a specially designed cavity in the outsole of compatible Adidas footwear. The company intends to introduce a full range of compatible sneakers for basketball, football, and tennis starting later this year through 2012. The device itself will cost $69.99 and will launch with a series of apps, starting with miCoach Soccer and miCoach Running, on December 1.

[via Engadget]

Although the documents don’t reveal a whole bunch, it does suggest that Garmin is aiming to more tightly integrate its other fitness gadgets with the iPhone. The company recently launched a new sports watch called the Garmin Forerunner 910XT GPS watch as well as the Garmin Vector and Edge 200 Cycling GPS devices that target pro cyclists with advanced fitness metrics.

From the looks of the adapter, it should be compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and possibly the iPhone 4S, by attaching to the bottom of those devices. Garmin will probably have to come out with a free app to work in tandem with the adapter as well.

[via Engadget]

While previous versions of NBA JAM have included such gems as President Bill Clinton jamming dunks from across court, this version gets a little less political. Watch the video below and you’ll think you’re waiting for an advertisement to be over for a new version of the SSX snowboarding game and OH WHAT, WHAT JUST HAPPENED – that’s right, there’s an SSX team of players featuring the classic set of snowboarding heros right there on the court. Don’t they get hot in those big snowsuits? I guess not! We’ll see how they fare against the mascot players – also seen in the video:

In addition to the new unlockable players, there’s some STANDARD upgrades to this version as well. NBA JAM On Fire Edition had a brand new to the franchise AI system that’s previously been used in the Fight Night game series, modified to fit this classic arena. What it does is learn from your tendencies to, for example, head to the top of the court every single freaking time you get the ball, and learned from them, “throwing them back in your face”, as it were.

There’s also online competitions and a cooperative online campaign included in this brand new game from EA Sports. You can purchase the game directly through the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade for $14.99 USD or 1200 points respectively. Grab it now!

[via EA Games]

So you’ve got these Olympic games, right? And you’ve got a device that we must assume has a camera somewhere on it – and NFC for mobile payments. You know what that means? It means that these games are set to be the most socially shared and easily payed-for Olympics of all time! That is, if all goes according to plan. Pocket Lint’s Stuart Miles was at the VISA Europe presentation at the company’s first European security summit in Frankfurt, Germany – there it was Sandra Alzetta, Head of innovation and new product development at Visa Europe that confirmed the phone to be entirely on-track.

This device will be a brand new Samsung device, it’ll have “Special Olympic content”, and it’ll be commercially available globally before, during, and after the actual London events in 2012. In addition, VISA has mentioned the possibility that NFC-laden microSD cards might be in the works as well – though whether for this event or outside this event is still unclear. What is clear is that VISA has confirmed that this phone will be working with “almost 160,000 terminals in Europe, including the 70,000 shops, bars, and restaurants in the UK.”

Sounds like a widespread winner to me – now they just have to sell it! Note that the image above also comes from the initial announcement in which VISA and Samsung reps are holding up devices that very much appear to be “Galaxy” related, this leading us to believe that Android will be in the mix – or maybe it’s Bada?! That’d be a pretty good tactic to get that OS out there, boy howdy.

The Jabra SPORT and Jabra SPORT-Corded differ only in that one is completely cordless with Bluetooth while the other comes with cords for those who are accustomed to having them. They both feature A2DP technology, powerful bass, wind-shielded microphone, and category-first built-in FM radio along with easy-to-use controls.

They also come with a free download of Endomondo Sports Tracker that helps keep track and motivate runners with quick updates on speed, distance, and lap time using smartphone GPS tracking. The Jabra SPORT Bluetooth headset is priced at $99, while the Jabra SPORT-Corded stereo headset is priced at $69. Both will be available at Apple, Sprint, and T-Mobile stores. They will also be available on Amazon in September.

The Burton edition of the camera will have all the award-winning features of the original PLAYSPORT. It’s waterproof and shockproof making it perfect for extreme conditions in the snow. The interface is easy to read and the buttons are large enough to operate with gloves on. The camera is capable of full 1080p HD video capture as well as 5-megapixel stills for 16:9 widescreen HD images.

Videos can even be captured at 60fps for fast action that’s also perfect for slow motion playback. The Burton edition bundle comes with an HDMI cable, remote control, 4GB SDHC memory card, a tripod and carrying case. Priced at $199.95, the camera will be available this fall on Kodak.com and all major retailers.

Ads have become munch more innovative in the past dozen or so years as companies have released that actual three dimensional figures draw the eye in a way that’s never before been possible. With a punching bag such as this, the user is not only drawn in, but invited to join in on the fun, the medium being the message with the ad being literally able to be engaged by the body of the onlooker. Punch away all day if you want to, or just jump on your train when it arrives.

This punching bag has a slogan printed on it which when translated to English reads the following: “Every year you have to wait on the platform for about 1,824 minutes. Don’t waste your time, come and have some punch !’” This bag is then accented with the ultra-simplistic three lines of Adidas at the bottom – as powerful a brand reminder as it gets. Get out there and hit em up!

[via MicGadget]

Luc Doneux, who heads major events at the EVS broadcast equipment company, reveals that, “Although 3D is still marginal in relation to the larger audience there will be a few of the main events (at the 2012 Olympics) in 3D with feeds from 10 venues being discussed.”

However, no official announcements have been made yet and the Olympic Broadcast Service has yet to comment.

But other major sports events, such as the Wimbledon and the FIFA World Cup, have already gotten 3D coverage, which were even been broadcasted to cinemas. There are currently about 40 3DTV channels available around the globe, with the 2012 Olympics rights holders having also broadcasted 3D content before.

The likelihood seems high, and may help generate more interest in 3D TVs, which despite the marketing hype, has not been a huge deciding factor for consumers. The 3D glasses requirement along with the limited selection of 3D programming also don’t help. But now that you know the Olympics will be in 3D and you don’t already have a 3D TV, are you more likely to make the splurge?

[via Hollywood Reporter]

What this MotoActive has to offer is a tiny display (likely around 1-inch), touch screen, several physical input buttons around the edge, a single Android back button, and a cool red and black wristwatch band with which you’ll be sporting the new device in public. This device clearly has exercise in mind, a running made, some recent, running, and cycling options, and some specs on running sitting in the first row of previews. Of course there’s always room for music, Rihanna with her bright red hair in back of a play, fast forward and fast back buttons in the watch-based image.

All of this is of course based on the idea that this leak is of a real device, these images clearly being mock-ups and renders of a product that may not be complete as of yet. Why on earth there’s a need to bring the time of day back to one’s wrist is another question your humble narrator would ask, when it’s perfectly simple to take the smartphone out of your pocket and tap once. What do you think, time to get funky with some wrist-based Androids?

[via Android Community]

The unnamed Motorola sports watch or “all-in-one fitness and music personal fitness device” looks at first glance like the combination of the Nike+ SportWatch with an iPod nano, having a removable music player that snaps onto a rubberized and adjustable wristband. And indeed, the Motorola device aims to offer both a “smart music player” as well as a GPS-enabled fitness tracker.

The device could sync with computers as well as Android devices for uploading fitness data and users can customize the data based on their activity. However, besides the leaked images and the possible name of MotoActive, there’s very little information on the device and whether or not it will actually ship.

[via Electronista]

The Forerunner 610 features an easy to navigate interface with an overall design that has won it the Red Dot Design Award. The display is highly responsive, however, the interface is in grayscale to save on battery life. The watch has a Training Effects feature that shows you the impact of your fitness routines and it has a vibration motor to alert you of reaching target heart rate, pace, and distance. And of course, it tracks a whole bunch of fitness metrics.

The metrics recorded can then be used in a feature called Virtual Racer that lets you compete against yourself or against others via the Garmin Connect platform.
Exact pricing and availability for the device has not yet been announced, although they will likely be available for the Boston and London marathons.

[via BusinessWire]

Incumbent deal holders with the NBA, Disney and TNT, are half-way through their 8-year contracts. Google may be looking to out bid them for future rights to broadcast games live on the internet.

Google has already dipped its toes in the arena with its Indian Premier League cricket broadcasting that started last Spring. And for the Summer, YouTube will be broadcasting every Major League Baseball game of the next season in Japan.

[via ReadWriteWeb, image]

Other channels that’ve appeared before this Xfinity 3D are ESPN 3D, n3D (a limited channel on DirecTV,) and 3net (another very similar channel that seems to be running many special presentations in the same manner as Omnimax theaters – those big fat domes at the science museum you went to as a kid.) This also isn’t the first time Comcast itself has offered 3D content, as they’ve shown the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament and the FIFA World Cup matches in such a format as well.

This makes us feel like 3D might not go away nearly as fast as it did in the 1980′s, this and the seemingly neverending array of video games, glasses, and devices that’ve been coming out for the past few years. Have a peek at our 3D portal to see what I mean. After that, if you need more convincing, have a peek at the post over on Android Community at a post by the name of Why These Two Android Phones will Change Everything – one of these two phones is dipped in the hot lead that is 3D capturing and sharing. Welcome to the 3D fun cooker.

[via Consumer Reports]

This all began a couple of weeks ago when Aaron Rodgers was asked to do a phone interview with the Jim Rome show, only to be cut off by a terrible connection more than once. A transcript of a couple of the more important interactions:

ROME: “I’m going to give it a shot. Same phone, same deal. I’m going to hope for the best. We go back to it. Aaron Rodgers joins me once again. Aaron, sorry about that. The connection wasn’t good. Good to have you back though. Thanks.”

RODGERS: “Yeah, you bet, man. I love the iPhone, but sometimes AT&T doesn’t work around here.”

ROME: “That’s the truth. Around here also…”

A few moments later:
RODGERS: (Unintelligible)

ROME: “Aaron, my man, I just can’t do it. I hate that. AT&T and the iPhone. Too bad it hasn’t come to Verizon yet, but that’s February 10th. Great phone, spotty service. AT&T, thanks for nothing. Hate that. You got a guy coming off the best game of his career in demand, tough to get the interview, commits to it, probably in a place where it’s got to be a cell phone shot. iPhone. I mean, you got apps. But what good is it if we can’t do a freaking interview? Yeah, but the apps are great. Yeah, it’s great if you can use it as a phone. iPhone, not iApps. And I’m not here to crack you iPhone users, don’t freak out on that, I’ve got one. That’s why I don’t use it as much as my Verizon BlackBerry. Big drag. We’ll try to re-establish that with another phone or if not, what are you going to do? Guy made time for it. Tried to do it. We’ll see if maybe we can still turn that around.”

Immediately after this, the tweets started rolling out, and it began to look rather bleak for AT&T at the same time as it started to look like one heck of a free commercial for Verizon:

Jim Rome continued the show with a reading of an email, and suddenly the show was very much about AT&T’s coverage with their version of the iPhone. The email Rome read: “Hey, Jim, I agree completely about iPhones. I was on a call with one about a month ago. I could not hear a word the guy was saying, signed Joe Pa.”

Today, the story took another interesting turn. Aaron Rodgers tweeted his wish to call in to the Jim Rome Show again, saying that he was afraid as his iPhone warned him of the inevitable:

This alerted Verizon to the continuing situation, and they immediately took action with their fabulous free phone machine, appearing to offer Rodgers a brand new iPhone 4 from their recently released collection:

What can we learn from all this? Perhaps just make sure to have excellent service, especially when your device is in the hands of celebrities and sports icons.

One bad call can go a long way.

The number one concern about traditional playbooks has always been security, making sure they don’t end up in the wrong hands. Tablets could have security measures like remotely wiping the device if one was ever lost. Cost could be lowered as well since teams could just download the new playbook to tablets, rather than reprinting an entire playbook. It does make sense using tablets during a game though because the device would let coaches and players study and sift through dozens of plays and video replays.

The idea is still in preliminary stages and there are worries about beefing up wireless security on the tablets. They want to make sure hackers can’t access the devices remotely. Peter Walsh, the Dallas Cowboys’ head of technology, told CNET that the organization and many other NFL organizations are considering both Android tablets and the Apple iPad. When and if the conversion does take place, it won’t be long until we get flooded with in-game tweets from players.

[Via CNET]

As you know, this contest started back on January 31st, and was complete last night at midnight. In this contest you were to become fans of both ours and Toshiba’s Facebooks and Twitters, then you’d have had to have tweeted an image of yourself getting totally pumped up about your favorite team! Congratulations to everyone who entered because the contest has been a massive success!

After much debating and lots of punches thrown back and forth over whose team photo was best, we’ve selected one – ONE who will win. That winner is…

That’s right! Twitter user @Whitbord has so much Cheesehead fury that we just couldn’t resist! We’ll be contacting @Whitbord via DM on Twitter (or if @Whitbord were to contact us, that’d work too) to toss a giant television in the general direction of Green Bay!

We’re super psyched that everyone had an awesome time submitting their team spirit photos, and we’ll seeya tonight, tomorrow, and throughout the rest of time here on SlashGear, the site you love to grab the greatest technology news in the world!

Take a peek the original post to see all the rules and regulations again if you wish.

Press Release:

HEX Announces Sport Watch Band Compatible with NIKE Plus®

Oxnard, CA – February 2, 2011 – HEX, the leading designer and manufacturer of fashionable tech accessories, is excited to announce its newest high quality iPod nano® Gen 6 watch band – HEX Sport Watch Band. The HEX Sport Watch Band protects and stores the iPod nano® during intense workouts and features a NIKE Plus® port for added functionality.

As with other HEX Watch Bands, the Sport Band features a “Pop in, Pop out” design for easy insertion of the iPod nano®. The watch band gives full access to all iPod nano® controls via its integrated control buttons. The fashionable and functional watch band is made of perforated premium silicone for added breathability and comfort during athletic activities.

The HEX Sport Watch Band will be available in April 2011.

For more information, follow HEX on Facebook and Twitter.

About HEX:

Founded in 2010, HEX is a division of August Accessories, a 21-year old company known for its design, development and execution of innovative products. HEX connects technology with style by pairing new gadgets with unique and fashionable solutions. Using high quality materials and the latest style trends, HEX provides accessories to meet its customers’ demand for tech-compatible products that are equal parts form and function. More information on HEX can be found on www.shopHEX.com, Facebook and Twitter.

[Via HEX]

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GSLO gets first shipment of Volt solar iPhone cases for testing
Sony patent app hints at future thin camera design
Samsung Galaxy Tab returns as high as 16% researchers claim
Best Buy offers big screen deals for the Super Bowl
Planar adds new 55-inch LED backlit HD resolution LCD to Clarity Matrix video wall line
Google offers speak2tweet to keep Egyptians connected
Epson unveils PowerLite 915W and PowerLite 905 projectors
Cowon D3 hits pre-order in UK packing Android under the hood
Sony HX100V packs in 30x optical zoom while HX9V offers 16x optical zoom
Puget Systems talks about fix for Intel Sandy Bridge flaw
Free In-flight Gogo Facebook access: Get poked at 30,000 feet
RadioShack announces Fresh Phone February
Satin Silver PS3 is Sony Japan exclusive from March
Sony Move Server project to push PlayStation Move to PCs
Apple blocks Sony Reader app: new in-app purchase rules could scupper Kindle
Netgear CEO apologizes for Apple comments
Yahoo! Mail cause of Windows Phone 7 phantom data use
Samsung’s Galaxy S2 makes unplanned teaser appearance [Video]
LG confirms Optimus 3D ahead of MWC 2011: 3D camera & HDMI
Apple Posts iOS 4.2.6 Firmware – Verizon iPhone Ahoy!

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

NOTE: This contest is now complete, but you can feel free to continue showing your team spirit for the rest of your life if you wish! Adrenaline never killed anyone!

Contest begins at 8:01 a.m. PT on Monday, January 31, 2011 and end at 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday, February 3, 2011 (“Entry Period”).  Winners will be announced on Friday, February, 4, 2011.
 
HOW TO ENTER:
1. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToshibaHomeEntertainment and SlashGear; and
 
2. Follow @ToshibaTV and @SlashGear on Twitter and twitpic an original photo (with @ToshibaTV and @SlashGear in your tweet) that demonstrates his or her football team spirit using the #toshball hashtag.

Limit one (1) entry per person.
 
PRIZE: One (1) Toshiba 46WX800U Cinema Series 3D LCD NetTV.  Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $1,470.49. ARV – Basically a 46” 3D TV.

Be sure to read the huge PDF file of the official rules to make sure you’ve got all your legal business in order. Win this TV, and have an awesome time watching all kinds of football then use it to play all kinds of video games: SlashGear-com-Toshiba-TV-Sweepstakes-v-1-28-111.pdf

This board is made of molded plywood and has foam and leather upholstered to the top. Although it’s made for the office, I imagine the goofiest of ladies and men would have an alright time skating barefoot with this pillow of boards. Don’t fall off though, I’ve done such a dare and it doth hurt quite mightily. I’ve also skated around campus way back in my college years, and having a board under my feet during class can be surprisingly soothing – supposing the wheels are properly greased.

Would you like your own “Secret” board by designer Carissa Carter? Too bad! This is an art project, and not made for mass consumption -unless of course you and enough other people contact her to make you one. All art projects are open to multiplication under the right kind of well-meaning duress.

[Via SnowFlyZone]

The chip and processor are integrated into the brim of the hat. The voice-activated processor comes in handy when you’re on golf course, and you want to know how far away the hole is to your current position. It will then judge where you are, to whatever point you are querying about. It will tell you how far you are from the green, the hole, or even hazards, like sand pits.

It does this, because you’ll have to plug your hat into your computer at home, and download information about a particular golf course you’re playing at. And, if by the off-chance the software doesn’t have the course you’re playing at, you can actually just walk around the course, and it will collect the data for you, which you can use at a later time. The SkyKap Advisor is available right now, but you’ll have to shell out $300 to get your hands on it.

[via InventorSpot]

NFL players Ndamukong Suh, Clay Matthews, Dwayne Bowe, Felix Jones and Steven Jackson launched the new uniforms, which will be worn by University of Oregon, Boise State University, and University of Florida collegiate teams this coming season. As well as the adaptive traction system, the Zoom Alpha Talon cleats have Flywire uppers, low-profile cushioning and Nike’s own Pro Deflex padding around the ankle.

Meanwhile, the Pro Combat System uses the same Pro Deflex padding for better thermoregulation, complete with two-way airflow and improved wicking. Intended to be worn under a jersey, there’s a Flywire collar to hold it in place, along with extra hip and knee Pro Deflex padding for impact protection.

If you’ve ever played darts on any sort of video arcade system, any console, screen, or what have you, you know it can be a tricky situation. Sometimes it’s basically impossible to hit your mark, and other times it’s WAY too easy to NOT get a perfect score. It takes quite the engineer to create a system that’s as challenging as the real deal yet not so complicated it cannot be played and enjoyed. Phil Taylor Power Play Darts is the closest I’ve ever seen to hitting this mark.

The controls themselves are the most difficult to understand piece of the entire game, but when you consider the precision it take to throw an actual dart into a tiny hole in a board 10 feet away, you’ll be understanding. You place your finger on the screen where you’d like to hit, wait for the undulating circle to hit the perfect toss, lower your finger on the screen and flick it upwards. Sounds easier than it is.

Graphics are great, if not really weird (look at those weird dudes!), games are plentiful, and I ALWAYS like a game that allows for two players on an iDevice (there aren’t enough of them, I say it and I say it again.) Take a peek at it in the Apple App Store today.

The increase in access from last year to this year is monsterous: over 236 percent more people accessed the app from the 2009 season. Users were able to grab access to their MLB.TV subscriptions and watch LIVE broadcast feeds, both home and away games – all with statistical overlays and controls to rewind and pause the game. Intense! ALSO during the off-season you can grab the app for FREE in the Apple app store. Check out the full press release below:

NEW YORK, Dec.12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — MLB.com At Bat 2010 for iPhone and iPod touch was named the highest grossing application by Apple in its second annual iTunes Rewind for the App Store. At Bat, which delivered the first full season of live video for every game and introduced the At The Ballpark mobile in-venue experience, finished first overall across all categories of paid applications for 2010. In addition, MLB.com At Bat 2010 for iPad was recognized as the highest grossing application in the sports category.

Baseball fans utilized At Bat 2010 to follow Major League Baseball games every day from the application’s debut in Spring Training through the final out of the 2010 World Series. During the 2010 MLB Postseason alone, At Bat was accessed 37 million times, a 236 percent increase over the 2009 Postseason.

Subscribers to At Bat 2010 were able to access their MLB.TV subscriptions to watch live home and away broadcast feeds for every out-of-market regular season game with enhanced features such as statistical overlays and controls to pause or rewind live action. The application also delivered every radio feed, in-game video highlights and MLB.com Gameday.

This year also marked the debut of At The Ballpark, a mobile in-venue experience within At Bat 2010 for iPhone. By utilizing the Apple device’s core location technology, fans were able to check-in to any of the 30 Major League ballparks and, subsequently, receive access to an array of exclusive features, including social media, interactive venue maps, concession menus, personal profiles and video highlights. MLB.com also partnered with Aramark and the Philadelphia Phillies to launch a pilot program in September for mobile food ordering through At Bat 2010.

During the off-season, MLB.com At Bat 2010 is available free from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch or iPad at www.itunes.com/appstore/. For more information, please visit MLB.com.

While 3D sweeps through the movie industry, and begins to make large in-roads into the video game industry, it is sports that has already given its own green light for the technology. But, while watching a soccer match, or football or basketball in 3D may sound like fun, there may be some sports out there that don’t necessarily need to be given the 3D upgrade. For instance, darts may not have been a sport that you’d think would get the 3D treatment, but you’d be wrong.

Europe’s Sky 3D TV network is gearing up to present the World Darts Championship in glorious 3D. The Ladbrokes.com tournament, which will be presented in 3D for the first time, has been allowed to do this, after Sky 3D tested the technology in bars across Ireland and the United Kingdom. The presentations of 3D darts was apparently so enjoyed, that Sky 3D felt that it would be the wrong thing to do to not present the world championship in 3D.

The championship will be shot with 32 different cameras. That’s 10 more cameras than what would be needed to shoot each match in HD. Interestingly enough, there are going to be two specific 3D cameras that will be positioned at the dart board’s perspective. Why? So those watching can feel like they’re really there, and really getting darts tossed at their face.

[via TG Daily]

The i-dration water bottle connects to your smartphone via an application. When it does, it’s able to collect real-time data, regarding how much water you’ve consumed throughout the day so far, as well as the temperature outside. As it collects the data, it takes into account the personal health information you’ve input, as well as other vital stats, and then sends that information back to the i-dration water bottle. Once there, a blue light will turn on if you need to get some more water into your system.

While it’s just a concept that’s still in design right now, the i-dration water bottle will actually make an appearance on the showroom floor of CES 2011. So, stay tuned as more details about this interesting water bottle come to light early next year.

[via Electric Pig]

For football players, the helmet is one way to make sure that they stay safe. But, even the most advanced helmet out there is still just a barrier, and there’s always a chance that something could break through it. Football players are prone to suffering concussions during their career, if not more critical injuries, and companies are trying their best to figure out ways to make that happen less. Intel and Riddel, along with a plethora of Universities scattered across the United States, have been working on just that: safer football helmets.

Intel is utilizing their own supercomputers and workstations to simulate football hits from every imaginable angle, velocity, and other factors that would change the result of any particular hit. The simulations are meant to test the results of a collision in football, and how that hit affects the brain. The hope is that, when it’s all said and done, Riddel, and other football equipment manufacturers, will be able to make safer helmets.

Riddel is using in-helmet technology to process and send the data to Intel’s Xeon-based workstations, where the information is run through several times. The real-time data is used to show the differences between impacts, where they are struck, and how fast the collision occurred. They are judging which hits cause concussions, and which ones don’t.

In the end, Intel wants to install these new helmets with Atom processors, which would be able to send data from any particular hit to workstations and servers. That data, if it were needed, would be used to help the doctors, and anyone else that needed to know, figure out what exactly was wrong with the player. Hopefully, this would mean that the doctor, especially in light of a serious injury, would be able to start aiding the player faster, and potentially save their life. No word on when something like this could be ready for prime time, but both Intel and Riddel seem to be making a hard push for it, so it could be sooner than we think.

[via CNET]