Inside, there’s an unspecified dualcore processor, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS, along with ANT+ fitness connectivity. Sensors include an accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, magnetometer, and a thermometer, while an HD camera pokes out the front.

There’s still some wiggle-room in the specs, though. For instance, Recon Instruments hasn’t said what resolution the display runs at, though our guess would be that the impressively-detailed renders in the demo video below aren’t quite what the Recon Jet itself can manage.

Obviously the glasses themselves are somewhat less discrete than Google’s Glass, though they’re intended to provide protection during sports like skiing and snowboarding. What the company is aiming to do at I/O is publicize its SDK, which will allow developers to hook their apps and services into the headset.

Recon Jet overview:

Potential uses include activity tracking and fitness monitoring, showing your health performance for instance, as well as streaming music and video. The Recon Jet could also be used as a remote display for apps running on your phone or tablet, and the company says it’s working with “some of the top fitness companies and communities” to cook up titles in time for the eventual launch.

Recon Jet will be available later in 2013, Recon Instruments says. Pricing and specific launch dates are not confirmed, though there’ll be a limited-availability initial production run which will seemingly be offered on an invitation basis to developers, similar to how Google has managed the Glass Explorer Edition roll-out.

The company has spoken up about how well they’re doing for downloads, noting their main app to be at a point where it’s downloaded once per second – though when and for how long this happened is not exactly clear. On the other hand, it can be noted that Runtastic’s community of users is above 25 million counting mobile app users and up to 10 million in registered users on their website.

The Runtastic hardware family has also been expanded with a bike mount for iPhone and Android smartphones. The full collection of hardware accessories offered by Runtastic this week have been entered into an exclusive agreement with Amazon.com – so you might not be seeing them available in your local corner shop any time soon. A Runtastic Speed and Cadence Bike Sensor rounds off the family, turning your bike into what the company says will be a “cycling computer” with Bluetooth capabilities.

“By offering hardware, apps and services that are all developed in-house, Runtastic creates an integrated experience that is easy and fun.” – Runtastic CEO Florian Gschwandtner

The company is banking on the idea of creating and offering all software and hardware in their workout ecosystem themselves. With control over all elements from top to bottom, Runtastic enters a place where they’ve got the ability to make changes to software in app form and in updates to the software embedded in each device – if need be.

Such a system has worked well for larger companies in the past – and though businesses such as this don’t often start with the software and work out to the hardware from there, Runtastic seems to be doing just that, in a big way.

According to the Wall Street Journal, ESPN has been discussing possible solutions for the data cap issue, but the specific carriers that are said to be in talks with ESPN haven’t been disclosed. Essentially, ESPN wants to pay carriers to not have their mobile streaming content count against users monthly data caps, since many data plans only allow for a couple hundred megabytes per month.

If these discussions are true, the possibility of this kind of deal happening would still be up in the air, and they know that. The company says that they’re not sure if the deal would work financially, but at least they’re giving it a try, and it goes to show that not all company’s are evil — some actually want to make life easier, even if that also helps out the company.

However, data caps can also have a direct negative effect on companies like ESPN, where they partially rely on mobile ad revenue. With data caps in place, smartphone users are less likely to stream mobile content knowing that it will obliterate their monthly usage in no time. So, by going to carriers to make a deal like this would not only benefit ESPN, but also ESPN customers.

This kind of deal could also bring in more money for carriers. While they would have to give up a portion of their bandwidth, they would be getting paid by content providers on either a monthly or yearly basis (or possibly just a multi-year contract of sorts). The WSJ reports that both Verizon and AT&T are at least interested in this kind of concept, and it would introduce new sources of revenue without having hike up fees for customers.

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal

The event will also celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Gran Turismo series. Sony Europe president Jim Ryan says that “the Gran Turismo franchise continues to be extremely important to PlayStation,” and that the 15 year anniversary was deemed an appropriate time to celebrate the series that’s been exclusive to the PlayStation ever since the game’s conception.

The event looks to be a big one, with multiple auto makers showing up, including Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, KTM, Mercedes, Toyota, and even Tesla. These companies will be showing off their best cars at the event. Furthermore, Nissan PlayStation GT Academy champions will also be there to show off their racing skills on the Silverstone Circuit.

We’ve heard rumors in the past about Gran Turismo 6, and Newegg has a placeholder listing page for the game, although details are scarce at this point, and while box art concepts have popped up, they’ve all turned out to be fakes. However, come next week, we could hear more details, as well as possibly get a look at the official box art.

General Motors also revealed official photos of the pace car bearing the “Indianapolis 500″ logo on the doors of the Corvette, as well as “Official Pace Car” towards the bottom of the car on the sides. The Corvette will have strobes in both the headlights and taillights, as well as flashing lights pointing out the back window of the car.

General Motors says that no engine modifications were needed to the pace car in order to keep up pace duties throughout the race, which isn’t a surprise considering that the car has a top speed of 190 mph thanks to its 450 horsepower motor under the hood. This year’s race marks the 24th time that Chevrolet has had the honors to pace the Indy 500, which is more than any other auto maker.

1948 was the first year that Chevrolet paced the Indy 500 with a Fleetmaster sedan. Then in 1978, the Corvette saw its first time leading the Indy Car pack around the 2.5-mile track. At that time, the Corvette was in its third-generation (also called the Stingray back then as well), and the car was most known for its elongated front end and the short, stubby rear end with the fierce raised-up fenders in the front.

Images via General Motors

The car raced around the roughly 15-mile Nordschleife circuit in Germany for about four hours, but the company didn’t reveal lap times unfortunately. However, we’re guessing the car is able to go pretty fast, especially if Aston Martin is confident enough to enter it into the 24-hour race later this month.

The car is powered by a prototype twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 engine that’s capable of running on hydrogen, gasoline, or a combination of the two, allowing it to go the extra distance on zero emissions. This is the same engine that will be in the production Rapide S that will hit show floors in the next few weeks, but without the hydrogen hybrid feature of course.

While the test laps are impressive, the real test for the hydrogen-powered car will be racing a non-stop 24 hours come May 19-20. Nobody’s really sure how the car will hold up for a straight 24 hours, but if the hydrogen portion of the car does end up failing at some point, at least there’s the gasoline portion that will keep on chugging along.

LiveRoutes is a system in that game that dynamically alters the upcoming part of a race course in order to keep gamers/drivers on their toes. It accomplishes this by streaming a section of the race track further in front of you, changing the turns randomly, as well as changing detailed elements like crowds, signage, barriers, and even the road surface.

Not every track in the game supports LiveRoutes, so there will be some races where you’ll race the same route more than once, but either way it seems Codemasters wants to test a gamer’s reaction time rather than their ability to memorize a course, which we can see both sides to the argument, but a crucial factor in winning a race is knowing the course and all the turns that it has.

We’re curious if gamers will be able to turn off LiveRoutes in the game, because there are certain to be a lot of gamers that won’t take too kindly to this new feature. Nonetheless, GRID 2 will be out on May 28 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. If you want to learn more about the game’s multiplayer, Codemasters detailed all that earlier last month.

This announcement sets users up for a two-step update, allowing them access first to a set of apps that have already been working with iOS fitness buffs for some time, then promises the same deal this first 10 app family has for developers galore. With RunKeeper and MapMyFitness, users will be working with maps, seeing distance, information on how daily activities affect a fitness regiment, and more.

Users will be able to use IFTTT, an app that texts one based on pre-set specifications and allows you to tie in with a partner for co-managing and co-motivation, so to speak. Wello is another app integrating with UP this week, bringing on a personal trainer to the wrist of the user – Withings app integration allows your UP band to tie in with your Withings scale. This UP family of apps will continue to expand, says Jawbone, especially once the open API is made real.

Above and below you’ll find the full UP Platform 10 app iOS push for the UP Platform. You’ll notice that this setup is ready for iOS at launch – Android has been promised by Jawbone to be launching really soon as well. Have a peek at our history with Jawbone for more information on this device and make sure you keep tuned to SlashGear for your expanding abilities with UP as well!

The robot only stands a couple feet tall, and it uses a giant flyswatter-like bat in order to make contact with the ball, so it essentially can’t hit like Alex Rodriguez, but maybe in the future the robot will give the all-star a run for his money. The robot features an artificial brain with the power of 100,000 neurons that allow the robot to learn and improve on its swing over time.

How the whole thing works is that when a ball is pitched to the robot, an accelerometer behind the robot records information about the flight and speed of the ball, and this data is sent to a separate machine off to the side that holds the robot’s brain. The data gets processed and it lets the robot know when to swing.

The impressive part is that if the speed of the ball changes, the robot can re-learn the swing all over again to try and hit the ball at the new speed. Hopefully the researchers will be able to soon give the robot a real bat instead of a giant flyswatter and be able to hit real baseballs, but that kind of technology probably won’t be on its way for several more years.

[via Wired]

Two cosmonauts will be making the spacewalk along with the Olympic torch in order to celebrate the games that will be taking place in Russia. The torch walk is scheduled to begin on October 7 this year, and it will span 123 days and travel more than 34,000 miles. The torch will also be carried by 14,000 different people, which would be a record for Olympic torch walks.

The deputy head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, Vitaly Davydov, said that the torch that will be carried to space will be “the same as the torch at the Olympics,” although the torch will not be lit on its way to space, since open flames are prohibited from being carried inside a spaceship while traveling to the ISS.

The spacewalk with the torch is set to take place in November, and it’s expected to return back to Earth on November 12. Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazansky are expected to perform the space walk with the torch. Other places that the torch is scheduled to go to is Mount Elbrus (the highest peak of Europe), the bottom of Lake Baikal, and the North Pole.

[via Russian Times]

Of course, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve been following the Indy 500 the past few years. The race has used a Corvette as the pace car every year for the past 10 years or so, but this will be the first year that the Indy 500 will be using a brand spankin’ new 2014 Corvette C7.

The photo below is a spy shot of the pace car that will be used in the race next month. Obviously, it’s nothing too special, save for the blue and white paint scheme and the strobes plastered all over the car. We’re guessing that the car will eventually be suited with Indy 500 decals on the sides to make it look more official, but in the meantime, the car sports a rather plain look.

We took a look at the new Corvette last month at the New York Auto Show, where we also got to chat with the chief engineer behind the new car, as well as get a look at the interior since the outside of the car is only half the story. If you’re curious about learning more on the 2014 Corvette C7, we highly suggest you check out our in-depth look at the car.

[via Road and Track]

This system has Ross Brawn, Team Principal at Mercedes AMG Petronas commenting on how good it will be for them to have data transferred from the racetrack back to their factories in Brackley and Brixworth with the technology Tata Communications offers up. This solution is said by Tata Communications to be both swift and secure, both of these elements being rather vital to the operation of a Formula One race team in this day and age.

Tata Communications Managing Director of F1 Business Mehul Kapadia made it clear that because the modifications and improvements made to every car in this race during the year is essentially constant, real-time communication between the cars straight from the track back to headquarters for Mercedes AMG Petronas will prove to be valuable.

Tata Communications works with what is the world’s first wholly-owned subsea fibre ring to have circled the globe – and it still circles the globe, of course, working with the company’s network as part of 500,000 km of subsea cable and over 200,000 km of terrestrial network fibre. Having struck a deal last year with Formula One Management, Tata Communications shook hands on a multi-year technology service and marketing agreement. This deal will bring connectivity to all Formula One race locations through the future with its wholly-owned subsea fibre ring.

Have a peek in SlashGear’s own Car hub for more information on the state of the automotive industry and hit up our Mercedes tag portal for more on the larger world of that particular vehicle brand. Great technologies are afoot!

It would appear that ESPN is at the tip of this year’s reign-in of “early” news flashes, with several heads noting several different sides of the story this week. ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke with the Sherman Report about revealing key information on Twitter, saying that “run of the mill” picks will not be touched by him. Quarterback picks or “bold moves,” as he put it, will have no restrictions – Twitter action will continue in that regard.

“Basically. During the second round, only one or two picks are headline worthy. If it is the headline of that day, and I’m fortunate enough to get that pick, I’m going to report it.

I am almost certain–not to put words in someone’s mouth–that the NFL has to spoken to ESPN and ESPN has told me to be more selective about what I’m tweeting in advance. I am trying to be as considerate as possible and [not] tweet everything we’re getting, but I am going to tweet the headline-making items.” – Schefter

The actual dialog between Schefter, his boss Seth Markman, and possibly the NFL itself is not known – what he’s made plain is the fact that someone higher up than Schefter would rather he didn’t use Twitter to speak about any Draft picks at all – at least not until they’re publicly available through the NFL’s own channels. The difference between the NFL posting information, ESPN speaking this information on a television broadcast, and a Twitter post can be a matter of minutes – but sometimes that’s a whole lot longer than one would expect – and a lot more important.

What’s your opinion on the Twitter situation here with the NFL Draft? Are you a follower of those sources that find out picks before they’re made official through the NFL itself? Let us know if you want to see picks first on Twitter, if you’d rather watch them on television, or if you want the NFL to speak directly to you with a telegram!

The trailer, which focuses on multiplayer components shows off the leaderboards, meaning that you should get ready for some fierce competition. When entering a multiplayer race, gamers will be assigned to other competitors with the same skill level as you, in order to enforce as strict of a fair playing field as possible. However, you can also manually race against someone, like a friend.

Codemasters is calling this entire system “RaceNet,” which the developer says will be a huge part of GRID 2‘s multiplayer. Gamers will also be able to record video and upload it straight to YouTube for all to watch as you take down your friends in the game. The multiplayer will also feature weekly challenges that you’ll be able to compete in.

The trailer also gives us a glimpse at the variety of cars and tracks that will be available in the game. GRID 2 will use real locations — just like in the original GRID — but more tracks in the new game will be made from public modes, meaning that you’ll be able to race around Chicago or swerve your way through the woods, instead of just official closed courses like in the first GRID.

The car features a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 engine that’s capable of running on hydrogen, gasoline, or a combination of the two. This is the same engine in the production Rapide S that will hit show floors in the next few weeks (without the hydrogen hybrid feature). Aston Martin is hoping that the race car will be able to run a full lap on zero emissions with only water emitted from the exhaust.

The Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S uses a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks, and a proprietary engine management system to make things work, and the four hydrogen holding tanks are made from high-strength carbon fiber, which allow the tanks to hold a total of 7.7 pounds of hydrogen at over 5,000 psi. Two of the tanks are located next to the driver and the other two are in the trunk of the car.

As for the car’s speed, the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S can reach 190 mph and accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just under five seconds, which is fairly impressive, especially since it won’t be burning as much gasoline as the other cars in the field. Of course, the car that burns the least fuel isn’t the one that wins the race, but it’s always great when cars don’t have to use as much fuel.

[via European Car]

Previously, McLaren held the world record for the fastest pit stop at 2.31 seconds, but Red Bull Racing says that they broke that record five times during the race, setting a new world record of 2.05 seconds during Mark Webber’s second pit stop on lap 19. In fact, the slowest pit stop for the team during the race was an insane 2.26 seconds.

Red Bull says they get these times from the car’s own data logs. Essentially, these data logs provide a more accurate account of pit stop times than TV stations estimates, and while the team sometimes uses those rough calculations, the more-accurate times come straight out of the race car’s data logs.

However, the sub-2-second pit stop is on every Formula One team’s mind right now, and as Red Bull puts it, there’s no “perfect” pit stop, and any racing team can do better. There’s always a quicker pit stop to be made, and Red Bull says that “it’s possible this season we’ll see the magical two-second barrier breached at some point.”

It’s pretty incredible how fast pit crews can change the tires on Formula One cars, but it makes sense. A Formula 1 pit crew consists of a lot of crew members, and usually there’s three crew members to a tire, meaning that one person is in charge of taking off and putting back on the tire nut with an air wrench, while another crew member takes the tire off and the other puts a new tire on. Teams practice pit stops religiously, to the point where changing tires is a science that requires ultimate precision and timing.

The sensor unit that straps onto a glove is designed to fit onto the Velcro strap of a golfing glove and monitors your swing. That sensor is very lightweight weighing only about half an ounce, yet it has sensors inside to detect acceleration, velocity, tempo, position, and posture. The sensors inside the device are able to sample data at over 1000 times per second.

The manufacturer says that its small sensor is within 3 mph of Doppler radar system such as TrackMan and laser systems like the GolfAcheiver. The application that gathers all the data from the sensor is available for the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Android devices. Once the sensor records the data and sends it to your smartphone, and the application will provide in-depth swing analysis.

The application will also make recommendations to you to help you improve your swing in your game. For instance, if you’re backswing is to slow the app will tell you and if you’re hitting the ball too early or decelerating before impact, the app will tell you that as well. The application also saves data on your swing so you can compare your progress over time. The sensor is available in white or black colors for $129.99.

[via GolfSense]

The news was announced via Real Racing 3‘s Facebook page. Not a lot of details have been revealed about the new update, but two new cars will be joining the current fleet of vehicles: the Camaro ZL1 and the Cobalt SS — both of which are Chevrolet cars. Other than that, “100+ new events” that will be coming to the game, as well as the new “Hunter” mode, which we have yet to find out what that is.

The video above shows off the Camaro and Cobalt in action, but not much else is revealed. In the video’s description, however, we’re teased with a new “statistics leaderboard” that will allow racers to “compare and compete with friends.” Again, we’re not sure what that will entail exactly, but it seems fairly promising.

As for iCloud functionality, we’re not sure how exactly it will be incorporated into the game, but it will most likely allows Real Racing 3 gamers to switch between their iOS devices and start back up where they left off. For instance, one might play the game on their iPad, and then switch to their iPhone later on, picking up where they left off. Obviously, this feature won’t come to Android, but iOS users will certainly enjoy it.

Check out our review of Real Racing 3 to learn more about the game.

Qualcomm announced that it’ll be working with the MLB over the next two years to implement WiFi improvements to each of the 30 MLB stadiums to assess the level of WiFi coverage. The company said that select stadium reviews are underway as we speak, with the rest of fleet getting improvements over the next two years.

Qualcomm noted that WiFi traffic has been on the rise at MLB ballparks, and the company will not only figure out ways to improve WiFi coverage in stadiums, but also figure out new ways to deliver helpful and interesting content to spectators during the game. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed, and it’s not said how much upgrades will cost.

Qualcomm will also be working with carriers to improve 3G and 4G coverage in and around MLB stadiums. Frankly, improved wireless coverage is becoming more of a must at high-traffic areas like sports stadiums. With the growing amount of connected smartphones making their way into the hands of sports fans, stadiums will need to compensate by offering better WiFi coverage during the games.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve discussed goal-line technology for the 2014 World Cup. FIFA initially announced it back in February. However, more details were released today on how exactly it all will work. Overall, the stadium has 14 cameras spread out amongst it, with 7 cameras focusing on each of the two goals in order to detect when a goal is scored.

All objects that are within the cameras’ field of view are tracked, but the players and referees are cleverly filtered out, leaving just the ball being tracked. The ball’s position is continuously and automatically captured in three dimensions (X-, Y- and Z-coordinates) whenever it gets close to the goal, in order to accurately judge where the ball is.

If the ball crosses the goal line, the system sends an encrypted signal to a watch that referees will be wearing. The signal is sent in less than a second after the ball has passed the goal line. Plus, a virtual 3D image of any portions of the playing field can be shown on the big screen from any camera angle, thanks to those 14 strategically-placed cameras. It also doesn’t hurt to know that the 2014 World Cup will be broadcasted in 4K.

[via BBC News]

Image via Flickr

The app is universal between the iPhone and iPad, but there are new features that have come exclusively to each device. The iPad version of the app now has a new video section featuring more highlights, as well as sortable batting, pitching, and fielding statistics for players. As for the iPhone version, the app gets redesigned individual team pages and an updated news section interface.

Furthermore, the app is now available for BlackBerry 10 devices. It was promised earlier in the year that the league would bring the app to BlackBerry’s new platform before Opening Day, and it looks like they’ve kept on that promise. The app is free in BlackBerry World, but as with the other apps, you’ll have to pay a subscription fee to get all of its features.

Passbook support is also now available within the iOS version of the app, allowing users to store their tickets right on their device. So far, 11 teams support Passbook, including the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, and the Boston Red Sox. Three more teams will announce Passbook support later this year. MLB Opening Day is Sunday, March 31.

Just like the NFL fan map from last month, the data from the NCAA tournament is quite interesting. One of the biggest things you’ll notice is that fans are very state-loyal, especially in the midwest, where almost all counties in a state are rooting for one team, even if that state has multiple teams in the tournament. Indiana, for example, is completely rooting for Indiana University, who is a number one seed this year. Other Indiana teams include Notre Dame and Butler, the latter of which made it to the championship game last year.

It’s interesting to see the states that have multiple teams in the tournament, such as Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Florida. Some states are split in the middle as far as what home team they’re rooting for, but some states are almost 100% loyal to a single team, including Michigan and North Carolina, both of which are rooting for the Michigan Wolverines and the North Carolina Tar Heels, respectively.

What’s perhaps more interesting, however, is that there are 17 teams in the field of 68 where zero counties were rooting for them (one of them being Indiana’s Notre Dame). Furthermore, there are regions of the US that are pretty much scattered as to who they’re ultimately rooting for, Texas being the most obvious, which is just one of the states that don’t have a home team in the tournament this year.

[via Deadspin]

With the release of the UP app for Android you’ll find massive amounts of new users joining the Jawbone UP community, this push joining up with added availability for the device across the planet. Jawbone has also announced that UP will be available in Europe this month, with Asia, Australia, and parts of the Middle East coming up for availability next month.

If you download the Android app today, you’ll have only to purchase the actual Jawbone UP device from your favorite retailer or straight from Jawbone itself online. This device will cost you $129 USD or comparable amounts of cash depending on where you live. If you’re all about getting in on the party with a preview before you head out to grab the device for yourself, you’ll want to see our extended coverage, of course!

Have a peek at the timeline below for every bit of Jawbone UP action you could possibly need, including our own hands-on experiences. And be sure to hit up the SlashGear Jawbone tag portal for more Jawbone action through the future, too!

It turns out that gamers have been spending a combined 14 million hours playing Real Racing 3 since it’s launch late last month. That’s a lot of game time, and more importantly, that’s a lot of batteries drained. According to EA, that’s 25 minutes per person per day on average, give or take a few minutes…or hours.

The game has hundreds of different events that you can compete in, and since launch, gamers have competed in a whopping 350 million races combined, with 25 million races being completed every day. That’s certainly a lot of races, as well as a lot of virtual fuel burned. Then again, we can’t say we’re too surprised anyway.

Currently, Real Racing 3 is the number one free app in the iTunes App Store in 90 countries. The game features “Time-Shifted Multiplayer,” in which gamers can go up against other gamers in the game, but they don’t necessarily have to compete against each other in real time. Instead, the game records your race and uses it for other races as a ghost of sorts.

Thanks, Seth

The Mac version of the game will come with the “8-Ball” and “Prestige” DLC packs, which adds an 18 extra cars, two new events, and one new track. Other than that, the game will include the same features that other gamers have been enjoying for years, including the excellent career mode and even the “Flashback” feature that allows you rewind a few seconds back if you crash.

GRID for Mac will be priced at $24.99 in North America, £17.49 in the UK, and €19.99 in Europe, which certainly isn’t a cheap price for a game that’s almost five years old, but it’s been a recent trend for older games to release on Mac near the price of when the game was brand new. However, $25 isn’t too bad, considering that GRID is about the best it gets when it comes to mixing simulation with a bit of arcade.

GRID 2 will be launching on May 28 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. No word on a Mac version, and we don’t expect it to launch on Mac for a while, but knowing that GRID finally came to Apple’s platform, there’s now hope that the second installment may one day arrive for Mac users. Of course, the sequel will include all-new tracks and cars, as well as a new career mode to make your through.

Since Real Racing 3 is free to play, there are obviously some limitations on what you can do. The game uses time-based freemium mechanics like we’ve seen in other free-to-play mobile games. For repairs, upgrades, and additional vehicle unlocks, you have to wait a certain amount of time unless you choose to speed things up by purchasing and using gold coins.

Obviously, this has raised a lot of controversy amongst Real Racing fanatics. In the past, Real Racing games have cost between $5-$7, which would obviously unlock all features and give you no limitations or restrictions. However, with this new freemium model, avid gamers could end up paying more than that if they want to get rid of those limitations.

Either way, Real Racing 3 comes with some nifty features, including a new multiplayer mode called Time-Shifted Multiplayer, where two players can race each other, but not necessarily at the same time. It’s a neat concept and one we haven’t quite seen before. And course, you can’t beat the scenery of the dozens of real tracks and locations.

MLB was among the first partners of Apple’s Passbook when the service was first announced earlier last year at WWDC, and the Cupertino-based company showed off the MLB ticketing system during the event (as pictured above). It’ll probably be only a matter of time before all MLB teams climb aboard.

The MLB teams that are now supporting Passbook include the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and the Chicago Cubs. The San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, and the Boston Red Sox have previously already supported the service. Three more teams will announce support for Passbook later this year, marking a total of 14 teams for the 2013 season.

MLB also re-launched its At Bat app for iOS and Android for the 2013 season, complete with cross-platform support, sortable statistics, footage from past games, and of course live-streamed games over video and radio. The app is a free download, but a subscription will cost you $20 for the season, or $3 per month.

[via GigaOM]

The app is available on both Android and iOS devices, and it comes with new navigation features that makes it much easier to find your way around the app. iPhone users, however, will have a couple of exclusive features, including an improved video library that’s also searchable, and some customization features to the home screen.

As promised, though, MLB plans to bring the At Bat app to BlackBerry 10 devices soon — at least before the regular season officially starts which will be at the beginning of April. Plus, they plan to bring some more features to the app as the season gets under way. Users will also have access to a whole bunch of player and teams statistics to freshen up a bit before that heated debate with your group of friends.

The app is a free download, and it’ll give you access to all of these features mentioned above. However, if you want the full experience, including live game streams and radio, you’ll have to either pay $20 for the entire season, or pay $3 per month if you don’t want to get in for the entire year.

Of course, while the implementation of this goal-line tech, which will help referees to see if a ball crossed the goal line, has been a debated subject for a long time now, mostly because it could undermine the authority of referees, but many are advocating for the technology as well, saying that it could reverse bad judgement made by an official.

Unlike American football, though, soccer (or known as just “football” everywhere but the US) doesn’t use replays to reverse calls, so if a referee disallows a goal, and the replay later on shows clearly that it was a goal, the call can’t be reversed. The same system is implemented in baseball, but as far as MLB rules go, umpires can only reverse calls that deal with home runs.

A final decision as to what contractor FIFA will go with will be finalized in April. From there, all the decisions will be made, and goal-line technology will be a go. It’ll be interesting to see how it works out and what the reception will be like when finally introducing the tech in games. It should make the World Cup a fairer game and reduce the number of human errors from the referees, but we’ll see how it plays out.

[via The Next Web]

Image via Flickr

Eric Hirshberg says that eSports is becoming increasingly important to the gaming industry. It helps developing gaming franchises gain traction in the industry, and it opens new doors and possibilities for gaming in general. He believes that people love competition, and the ability to compete in games, whether casual or hardcore, makes gaming a whole lot more interesting. He also believes that eSports will be an integral part of gaming in the future.

From the first Call of Duty eSports tournament, Call of Duty XP, Hirshberg realized how much demand there was for competitive eSports. There was a huge audience of people, both present at the event and watching the event through a live stream. There was so much buzz from the event that it had expanded through various social media portals, like Facebook and Twitter. From that experience, Hirshberg feels that they will continue on with the success of their first eSports event and hold similar events in the future.

When asked about eSports and it being featured on broadcast TV, Hirshberg surprisingly said that he doesn’t believe eSports is compatible with TV. He says that eSports happens more on the player’s schedule rather than the network’s schedule, and that live streaming is more convenient. Hirshberg is much more interested in expanding upon the live streaming features rather than getting eSports onto live TV.

Hirshberg sees a bright future for eSports and he will continue to embrace it by offering players tools that make games more competitive. Hirshberg kept hush hush about the future of Activision Blizzard’s latest original game franchise, Destiny, and its role in the eSports industry, but chances are it will be integrated into eSports, and how far it goes will depend on the amount of support it gets from Activision Blizzard. Hirshberg did say, “You have to be very committed to get that done and get it right in the game,” when he was commenting on embracing the world of eSports.

[via Forbes]

Google is calling the experience a “VIP” 360-degree look at the stadium from numerous angles. Google’s tour takes you onto the field, into the stands, and even into the locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium. NFL fans of all kinds can experience what an NFL stadium is like, including all of the VIP suites that most of us never get to step into on game day.

Google says that this is just the beginning, and they plan to add even more 360-degree imagery from other stadiums as well. In the meantime, however, this will give you a chance to tour the Colts’ home field and get a sense of what it’s like to be there. Personally, I’ve been to Lucas Oil Stadium several times, but getting a look inside the locker room and the special VIP suites was really cool.

Lucas Oil Stadium is one of the newer NFL stadiums in the US. It was built in 2008 and was even home to last year’s Super Bowl XLVI. The stadium can seat just over 62,000 spectators, but can fit even more people during other events, such as the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four, where well over 70,000 spectators packed the stadium.

Earlier today, Nike sent out an update via its @NikeSupport on Twitter to a user stating: “Right now, we’re focused on iOS and web. We’re not working on an Android App.” And just like that, many patient Android users groaned in collective disappointment. The Android app would have allowed users to pair the device with their smartphone or tablet, but for now at least, that remains only possible for iOS users.

This is particularly disappointing to those who invested in the FuelBand under the promise that an Android app was in the works, only to find out that they’re indefinitely limited in how they can use it. The folks over at Droid Life received a statement from Nike on the matter, which said that the company has made this decision in order to provide the best experience “for all Nike+ FuelBand users.” All except Android users, it would seem.

The move seems particularly strange considering that Nike has released other fitness-related apps for Android, including Nike+ Running, which was released last summer when the FuelBand app was originally slated. The way the statement from Nike was phrased didn’t rule out the possibility of seeing an Android FuelBand app in the future, but for now at least, those without an iOS device will have to keep using their computer instead.

[via Droid Life]

In an interview with Bloomberg, EA’s senior vice president for mobile and social game development Nick Earl said that the publisher plans to offer Real Racing 3 for free in order to distribute the game to a wider audience. Real Racing games in the past have typically been priced in $5-$10 range, so a price tag of $0 is definitely intriguing.

Mobile games at Electronic Arts generated about $100 million in revenue during the company’s fiscal third quarter, so it seems that’s a huge avenue for the publisher, so it’ll be interesting how the company will bring in revenue with Real Racing 3, which it seems like in-app purchases might be the way that EA will go for this new game.

That wouldn’t be too surprising, since Real Racing 3 will feature 900 different events and 600 hours of total gameplay, according to Earl. It’ll be interesting to see how much of that we’ll have to pay for in in-app purchases. EA didn’t mention anything about in-app purchases, but I’m sure we’ll here more details shortly. Real Racing 3 releases later this month on February 28.

[via Bloomberg]

With this ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) you’ll be able to dive on deep into the sea with a collection of parts that are at once easy to construct and inexpensive to purchase. This project includes no less than some of the brand new F5 Robotics XStream Brushless Thrusters, a rather successful set of robot-friendly parts that are selling like wild right this minute. DiveBot uses at least two of these thrusters as a set of its most important components.

With DiveBot, users will have the option to choose from one of several different kits. First there’s a DIY Development Platform that users can purchase to create whatever final vision they’ve got for their version of DiveBot at home. This set comes with the chassis and the thrusters so you’ll be able to create your own model.

Next there’s the Standard Version which will be wired with a high definition camera and a 50-foot tether complete with controls as well as video-out so you can hook up your own display onboard your ship, whatever that may be. The price of the DIY kit is currently projected to be between $600 and $700 USD while the Standard Version will be closer to $1200, then there’s one final version – the Deluxe Version.

The Deluxe Version is so exclusive that there’s not even a price for it yet – it’s so wild and crazy that you’ll not even be able to handle it! It includes the same hardware you get with the Standard Version but in this case you’ve got a 150-foot tether, a Waterproof Pelican case to carry everything in on the go, and a lovely daylight-viewable 7-inch LCD display (for all your viewing needs.) This and each other version coming soon will be available with optional “upgrades” to 500 feet of tether and AUX lighting – go big!

Facebook based their findings on the “likes” of football teams, and approximately 35 million Facebook users have “liked” at least one of the 32 NFL teams. With that, they put together a heat map of sorts to show off all of the loyal football fans in the country. Obviously, it looks fairly typical, with most Facebook users liking the team associated with the state they live in.

However, some portions of the map are rather interesting to look at. Deadspin went in-depth to analyze some of the more interesting fan pockets throughout the US. For instance, you’ll notice that there are quite a few Dallas Cowboy fans in the south and along the lower East coast, mostly since many of the southern NFL teams didn’t arrive until later on in the league, and the Washington Redskins weren’t very liked at the time.

Another interesting statistic is that Hawaii is a big Pittsburgh Steelers state, mostly since Troy Polamalu, one of the league’s top defenders, is of Pacific Islander descent. The Pittsburgh Steelers also take up most of Ohio, which is quite interesting considering that Ohio has the Cleveland Browns. While Ohio borders Pennsylvania and is only a short drive from Pittsburgh, we’re frankly not surprised that the Browns aren’t getting much love.

Hardware

Here with this hardcore amalgamation of metal, soft-touch plastic, and real-deal Gorilla Glass protection, you’ve got a camera that’s ready to be tossed around. Of course you’re going to want to treat this several hundred dollars worth of electronics with the care that such a price describes, but you should take rest in the fact that this device was indeed built to take a hit or two. The Drift HD Ghost is water proof to 3m (9.84ft) right out of the box, too – mind that correction in the hands-on video here:

The Drift HD Ghost works with what Drift notes is an “Enhanced 7 Element Lens Design”. In this case they note that with seven separate unique elements right up front, you’ll be able to capture high clarity video with “stunning” color no matter where you’re filming. You’ll be able to judge that for yourself in the set of images and video we’ve got below, should you care to take a look. This unit’s lens works at 170 degrees (or just 130 degrees at 60fps) and is fully rotate-friendly – and it’s so tightly connected you’ll never turn when you don’t want to!

In addition to being able to capture audio right from the built-in microphone on the device, you’ve also got a 3.5mm microphone connector coming out the back. This port is accessible with one of several in-box backs you can attach to the device, each of them with their own unique purpose. The back we’ve got on the device here also allows you to connect directly to your computer through the device’s mini-USB port. Under the back you’ve also got a mini-HDMI port (Type c) so you can play videos and videos you’ve captured straight through an HDTV!

Inside the box you’ve also got a goggle mount, curved and flat surface mounts, a universal camera clip, and a velcro strap. The battery you get with this camera is 1700mAh strong and has lasted us over a week at a time with regular use – it’s almost magical. And if you need more time away from civilization, Drift sells individual batteries you can swap in and out. Also in the box is a miniUSB cable, 3.5mm microphone extension cable, accessory travel case, and a simple guide (if you happen to need it).

Software

This device uses its own unique user interface and software as you’ll see plainly in the hands-on video above. It also connects easily with your iPhone right out of the box using wifi. All you’ll need to do is click in to the settings on the camera, turn on wifi, and connect to the camera as you would on your iPhone to any other wifi network – the HD Ghost is the projector of said wifi signal rather than the receiver. Control works then through your iPhone with the free Drift App straight from the iTunes app store – it’s just called “Drift App”.

This device also connects to an included two-way remote that works with a couple of buttons that make operating extremely simple. Turn it on, connect, and you’ll have only to press record from there. This “Drift Active Status Two-Way Remote” allows you to capture media from up to 30 feet (10 meters) away wirelessly in each of the device’s main capture modes: Video, Photo, Timelapse, and Photoburst.

In short – the software is surprisingly simple to use given the four-button control you’ll be using on the camera itself. Connecting remotely is even simpler than the basic on-device experience, too – anyone can do it. This control panel interface also works in 15 languages so the whole universe can have a try.

Video and Photos Examples

This device is able to capture 11 megapixel photos, but more than likely you’ll be working mainly with video capture at 1080p at 30fps. Our first example of video is captured from a shopping cart exiting a department store in the evening on an otherwise snow-covered clear day. Note that this capture was done with the straight out-of-box camera experience, no attachments or audio enhancements made – standard mic, that is.

The camera has thus far proven itself to be a generally generous video capturer, though not one we’d use outside of hardcore situations that require such protection for the unit itself. In other words, if we’re heading to a birthday party and where a gift opening needs to be filmed, it makes a bit more sense to simply use a smartphone. If we’re jumping off a cliff with a parachute, it’s time for the Drift HD Ghost. Below you’ll see a collection of photos captured with the device as well. Note that the wide-view angle is one of the stronger points of excellence on this device.

Wrap-up

The Drift HD Ghost is a strong device in its ability to attach to a variety of equipment and capture video and photos on-the-fly. It’s extremely easy to use, and outputs media that you’ll be more than pleased you captured. Drift Innovation is the sort of company you know will continue to support this device, also, into the future – so official accessories and replacement parts will be available to you for some time to come – they’re already several cameras deep!

Right this minute you’ll be able to pick up the Drift HD Ghost action camera for around $399.99 brand new. Again, it’s the highest-end solution offered by Drift and it’s a real contender in this space!

Have a peek at the Looxcie HD Explore as well as the ContourROAM reviews we’ve done in the past to see what else is available out there for you, and note that GoPro Hero series is also available to you as one of the high-end solutions in this space. Mobile connections are hot, hardcore action is a must, and right this minute the Drift HD Ghost is one of the top pacesetters for this type of device, without a doubt!

The stats come to us from networking equipment company Sandvine, and they say that overall internet traffic took a 15% dip once the Super Bowl started. They even provided a fairly detailed chart pointing out the notable moments during the big game (pictured above). As you can see, internet usage kept rising a bit after opening kickoff, but slowly started to see a decline further into the game.

However, once the Superdome blackout hit, traffic slowly started to rise, and then once the San Francisco 49ers began their late-game comeback, traffic went down the drain, which isn’t too surprising considering that the 49ers can back from a huge deficit to get within a score from the Baltimore Ravens.

While Sandvine says that traffic statistics have shown continued growth in live streaming adoption of sporting events, the company still believes that streaming “is no threat to replace viewing via traditional broadcast methods.” However, if live streaming gets to the point where it becomes really popular, Sandvine thinks that networks and broadcasters will give in and stream almost everything. That sounds hard to believe now, but as viewing habits change, so will our perception of what will become the norm.

[via The Next Web]

With Gameplan, the Ravens are able to take their iPads and view their entire book of plays in both shorthand and with video demonstrations from previous games. Coaches are able to play back events the same game in which they happened, review the first half of the game before the second begins, and transmit any and all information they’ve got to the whole of the team with a tap.

This system has been in use for quite a while – according to the Wall Street Journal, former Baltimore Ravens man Chuch Pagano asked that his new team (the Indianapolis Colts) begin using digital playbooks immediately after joining up with them in 2012. Director of football information systems for the Colts Ryan Fannin let it be known that 90 iPads were handed to players and 20 iPads were given to coaches at the start of this season.

One must assume the system works for at least one team as the Ravens and none other than linebacker Ray Lewis hit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome tonight. And it’s not just Gameplan (by Global Apptitude) that’s been used this year – according to ESPN, the group known as PlayerLync is currently providing iPad-based digital playbook services to the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Diego Chargers. For the Ravens, it’s all about Gameplan.

As Co-Founder and CTO of Global Apptitude Jeff Teles lets us know, a quarter of the NFL is currently using GamePlan. These teams are as follows: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, and the Indianapolis Colts. Teles also made note that the Baltimore Ravens were, in fact, the first team in the NFL to implement iPads.

We also had a brief chat with Co-founder of Global Apptitude Randy Fusee this weekend where he made clear that, “the Baltimore Ravens user our Gameplan technology to prepare their players to play each week.” He went on to note that their app “brigs scouting reports, game plans, playbooks, and film study to each players’ iPad and allows for real time communications and collaboration between coaches and players.” Below you’ll see a report from FoxNashville where the app can be seen in-use.

Now we wait to see if the 49ers reveal any usage of digital solutions such as these in the Big Game as well. While you’re waiting for that answer, get pumped up and prepared for tonight with our lovely Super Bowl 2013 streaming video sources guide, including a fabulous set of iPad apps, if that’s what you’re all about.

At first glance, Time Shifted Multiplayer might just sound like a fancy version of turn-based multiplayer, similar to most strategy games out there, and that’s correct. However, this new multiplayer concept takes things a but further. You can challenge a friend to a race, without having to coordinate it or organize a time to get together. You can simply race, and then your friend can take his turn at his leisure.

However, once you take your turn, your opponent doesn’t just race against your ghost. After your race, the results are sent to the game’s servers, and your driving style is mixed with a bit of AI, so when it’s your friend’s turn, it’ll seem like he or she is playing against you for real, since the AI will react to your friend’s driving.

Real Racing 3 will be released on iOS sometime later this month. While past Real Racing titles have released on Android, there’s no word if this newest installment will make its way to Google’s platform. This game looks to be a huge step up from Real Racing 2, and all the new features, as well as the new cars and tracks, should bring a fresh perspective to the franchise.

Streaming Game Sources Online

If you head over to the CBS Sports home page and click on over to their /SuperBowl/ portal, you’ll be able to see the whole game live. This is going to be your number one try-first link without a doubt, everything else being a thing you try only if you’ve already tried CBS and it’s failed. Another place you’re going to want to head if you’re all about pre-game action is NFL’s own web space where they’ve got some Road to the Super Bowl video now and through the future.

11AM EST Road to the Super Bowl
NOON EST Wynton Marsalls Special
1PM EST Phil Simms All-Iron Team
2PM The Super Bowl Today special
6PM Kickoff Show
6:30PM EST Super Bowl XLVII – be there!

Mobile App Game Streaming Sources

If you’re a Verizon user and you’ve subscribed to NFL Mobile, you’re in luck – the whole game will be streamed through your smartphone. This app is a Verizon exclusive and does cost a monthly fee, but you’re also going to be able to pick up every bit of NFL action across the board all year long as well.

With a device like the Motorola DROID RAZR HD you’re also going to be able to output the video you get to your HDTV with a microHDMI cord – and you’re back in the big time again! You can use this app on Android or iOS – it’s all good!

BONUS: You’ll also find that Apple has revealed an iTunes NFL Super Bowl XLVII guide with every awesome app, video, and potential game-day album you could possibly want!

Connected Oddities / Statistics / Guides / Games

The group known as LiveFyre is showing a feed with hashtag #SB47 to keep you up to date on every single social networking blast from sources around the world all the way up to and through the SuperBowl. It’s got images and text coming in un-censored from everyone in the world, so be wary of the content, but it’s also rather unique and fun! If you need information about the game before, during, or at the actual event, you’ll want to pick up the Super Bowl XLVII Guide app for Android and/or iOS.

Exclusive to iOS are the following three Super Bowl apps with more data, statistics, video, and everything in-between than you can handle! First you’ll want to check out NFL Game Pass as it is another live stream source for the game, this time for international viewers and ex-pats (Canada and Mexico excluded – sorry y’all!) Second you’ll want to see the SB XLVII Guide for massive amounts of data pre-game and the Super Bowl XLVII Official NFL Game Program all throughout game day!

If you’re getting wild and restless in your wait this weekend and you’re not all about commercials, you’ll want to check out a few official-licensed games from the NFL as well, starting with the NFL Shuffle, that being another iOS exclusive. Games such as NFL Quarterback ’13, NFL Kicker ’13, and of course Madden NFL Social are available for multiple platforms, also all included in the official Super Bowk XLVII: Official Apps & Games listing in iTunes for iPhone and iPad.

Let us know if you happen across any other legitimate excellence in app or online streaming form up until the big game day – and be sure to affirm you’re rooting for the right team!