Hasta La Gadget!

The NFL has ruled on the Dallas Cowboys punt blocking super-sized videoboard deciding to leave it where it is, 90 feet above the playing field, at least for this season. That’s no surprise to us, on the last EHD Podcast we figured no one would be able to tell Jerry Jones there’s a problem with his billion dollar baby, obstructed view seating and all. So far there’s just the one strike in the books, but if it happens again, it is a dead ball and the clock and down will both be reset. Haven’t seen the punt heard round the world yet? Check after the break for a clip of the kick that caused all the commotion, though we’re still waiting for a ruling on whether or not Gears of War tournaments on the thing are still legal.

Continue reading NFL to let Cowboys giant HD scoreboard stay as-is, at least for 2009

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

NFL to let Cowboys giant HD scoreboard stay as-is, at least for 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve always loved the Roku Video Player, and it’s getting even more flexible over time — in addition to Netflix and Amazon video rentals, the $99 box can now play, pause, and rewind live HD baseball games in 720p from MLB.TV, as well as play archived games from the previous week on demand. You’ll have to pay the one-time MLB.TV subscription fee of $35, but that’s not terrible, especially if you’re an out-of-market fan looking to catch your favorite team without having to trek out to a bar. Now if only the NFL would let anyone but DirecTV carry Sunday Ticket, we’d be all set.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Roku Video player now streaming live HD baseball games from MLB.TV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The original Nike+ SportBand was pretty well received when it rolled out last year, but time marches on, and Nike’s now back for another go ’round with a slightly updated model, plus a few other bonuses for the runners and walkers out there. In addition to some new two-tone color schemes, the updated Nike+ SportBand packs an improved screen with a white background for better visibility, along with a welded seal for water resistance and, of course, all the usual Nike+ features that can be used in conjunction with iPod nano, iPod touch, or iPhone (though you can also just use the device on its own). According to Boing Boing Gadgets’ just-published review of the device (linked below), all of that is “pretty rad” and, at just $59, is certainly affordable, especially considering that it can also double as a watch. What’s more, Nike’s also announced that it has merged its existing nikeplus.com and nikerunning.com sites into one site, and it’s dropped word that an iPhone / iPod touch-specific website is also in the works, although there’s no word on a launch date for it just yet.

Read – Nike+ SportBand Press Release
Read – Boing Boing Gadgets Review

[Via ipodnn]

Filed under: Wearables

Nike announces updated Nike+ SportBand originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is the Wii accessory Homer would buy Marge for her birthday. The “Bowling Ball for Wii” is supposedly an “ultra-realistic” ball for the many bowling games for the console. Three holes in back provide a place to grip, just like a real ball, and there are buttons on the other side to take care of level selections and the like. There’s even a wrist strap to stop you flinging the thing into the TV set.

Best of all, though, is that the ball opens up like Pacman’s head to accommodate your actual Wiimote. This means it should work with any other Wii game. Imagine using this to play Wii Tennis and Wii Fit starts to look like an afternoon nap. Rumors that it comes with a White Russian are unfounded.

Price and availability to be announced.

Product page [CTA Digital via Oh Gizmo!]

Amidst some wishful musings, Dennis Crowley – blogger, NYC resident and co-founder of the nerd-gasmic Foursquare – has come up with possibly the most fantastic use of “augmented reality” yet. He wants to use an iPhone to play real-life Ghost Racers.

If you have played Super Mario Kart, you’ll know the score. In single-player time trials you get to race against yourself. Your previous best race is replicated by a ghost version of you, and the goal is to beat it. Crowley suggests that a mashup of the iPhone’s GPS capabilities and the Nike+ pedometer could bring this to the streets:

Ghost racers.  Think: Super Mario Kart time-trials, except you’re running against a ghost version of your best time on the map.  I know the Garmin already does this, but make it social… show me the best times of my friends or other local users.  (I really really want to do this for skiing one of these days).

There seems to be no reason, bar a little programming, that this couldn’t be done. Think about it: bike races against friends who aren’t even there, with the tension of Mario Kart somewhat replicated by, say, coded beeps in the headphones to tell you if you are winning or losing. Or, what about racing against Steve McQueen’s famous car-chase in Bullit? Like I said: fantastic. Now we just have to work out how to build a real-world Red Shell, and stars would be pretty helpful for whacking those delivery vans out of the bike lanes.

Idea [Teen Drama via Kottke]