How Tech Changed Sport

Image Credithttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Sports_divers.jpg

Image Credit
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Sports_divers.jpg

Technology, as one might safely imagine, continually changes our cultures, societies and lives, thanks to the continual upgrading and innovating that go hand in hand with new ideas and ways of doing things. Everywhere we look we see the signs of new technologies' reach- smartphones, televisions, automobiles- although sports fans may often wonder where and in what ways technology impacts their favourite pastimes. Sports can be sometimes viewed as unchanging, rules having been passed down for centuries, often, although this opinion is far from true.

Live
Live sports are a relatively old phenomenon, although true live is a relatively recent advancement. 'Live' sports ten or twenty years ago could be received often a few minutes later compared to when the actual events took place, compared to nowadays when enormous increases in internet bandwidth and satellite coverage mean that images are broadcast to television sets seconds after they take place!

Betting
Millions of people worldwide enjoy placing a little wager on the results of their favourite sports, and the internet has massively improved both the ease and availability of bets for punters. A fan sat in the stands during a game can now turn on their smartphone, head to bookies.com, check out the odds and team news, then make their bet during the game. It's added a heck of a lot of fluidity to the betting world, and fans are ecstatic.

Equipment
Kits and pieces of equipment went largely unchanged within many sports throughout the twentieth century, however with the advent of materials technology many sports and their players have undergone an enormous change. Today, kits are thinner, lighter and stronger, acting as less of an impediment to the players wearing them and boosting the performance of people using them. Footballs are now equipped with sensors hidden inside that notify referees if they pass past the goal-posts, eliminating messy arguments and fan anguish, and in sports such as hockey, strong, lightweight plastics are now used for sticks instead of traditional woods.

Social Media
Once, having a discussion about the prowess of sportspeople and teams was done mainly in bars and pubs across the world, but with Facebook and Twitter now incredibly popular, sports discussions are on every news feed and profile. Teams can now create their own pages, posting interesting info, behind the scenes footage and other titbits that massively increase the feeling among fans that they too are part of the team.

Author - Catherine Bush.

Most Popular Tech Creations this Century

In the 21st century the rate of change is faster than ever. When people in the year 2100 look back on our century, who knows what advancements they will celebrate. Although we are only 14 years in and there is still a long way to go, this century has already witnessed technological changes that affect everyone’s lives. Here are just a few:

Smart Phones

The iPhone was introduced in January 2007 and Google’s Android software for smart phones was introduced in 2008. It’s hard to believe that modern smart phones are less than a decade old, and they just keep getting more useful, with millions of apps available for both platforms to add just about any feature imaginable. The multi-touch screens, GPS, and ever faster connectivity mean that you can use your smartphone as everything from a GPS for driving directions, a small television, a game console, or a communications platform for Facebook, messaging, and video calling. The introduction of smart phones means you can truly be connected to the Internet just about any time, anywhere.

Tablet Computers

Tablet computers may not be entirely new, but the introduction of Apple’s iPad in 2010 made them a sought after device that can perform many of the functions of a larger, heavier laptop. Early tablets were mostly devices for consuming media, whether reading books or watching movies. But with the introduction of better and faster chipsets and the creation of new apps, today’s tablets can be used to create business documents, edit videos, or store a doctor’s searchable library of medical texts for diagnosis.

Image Credit: Sam Churchill

Image Credit: Sam Churchill

Driverless Cars

Google has created a car that can drive itself, a concept that has furthered advances in computer traffic grid systems and other near-future set ups. The goal is to reduce driver accidents by allowing some, or all parts of a journey, to be handled automatically. The Google car is a Toyota Prius outfitted with cameras, radar sensors, and a laser range finder to help it navigate through city streets. The car has been reported to have travelled 140,000 miles in a publicity tour without ever having an accident.

Image Credit: Intel Free Press

Image Credit: Intel Free Press

Ultra Light Laptops

With more power than a tablet but still incredibly thin and light, ultra thin computers such as the Toshiba Kira Laptop have changed the face of laptop computing. These laptops typically use low-power Intel processors, solid-state drives, and a unibody construction to make the smallest, lightest product possible. The MacBook Air was introduced in 2008 and today there are dozens of ultrabook makers in the market. Click here for more information on adding the speed andportability of an ultrabook to your technology tools.

Image Credit: Jason Howie

Image Credit: Jason Howie

Social Media

Who could have predicted when Facebook launched back in 2004 that it would have over 600 million users in less than a decade? Or that YouTube, launched in 2005, would soon boast over 4 billion videos viewed every day. Social media has invaded and changed every aspect of Internetculture, from how you connect with friends to how products are marketed.

Top Tips to help you afford the latest gadgets

There’s only so much you can expect from people on your birthday and at Christmas, isn’t there? So how can you get hold of the latest tech on the market? How can you be the owner of an X-Box One or a PlayStation 4? Here is our guide to the best ways to be able to afford the latest gadgets on the market.

Make a trade.

There are plenty of high street stores that will buy your old gadgets off you: CEX and Game being two prime examples. There are also a plethora of online stores that will do the same, from Music Magpie to Mazuma Mobile. Most of these places pay cash or cheque, meaning that if you have a treasure trove of unwanted old technology, you can trade it in and maybe put a bit of that money towards something brand new.

Save up.

The dreaded word: savings. Before you start to try and explain how little money you have in the first place, and how you don’t save, think of it this way. If you put away £50 a month, in eight months, you’ll have enough for that brand new PS4 you’ve been after. That’s not so long, and it’s not that much to put aside. A few nights out, a game, that’s all it costs each month to afford it. Saving money might not be the easiest way to afford something new, and it might not be the quickest, but it is the safest. You don’t rely on another company to give you money, or to value your old tech, and you don’t have to pay anything back with interest.

Take out a loan.

The last option also seems like the easiest and quickest option. You can take out a loan for the value of whatever it is that you want, the money will be in your account quickly, and you’ll be able to spend it instantly. Of course, you’ll have to pay it back, but then, you’ll have the gadgets or tech that you were after in the first place. If you do consider going down the loan route, then you might be interested in Totally Money’s ‘Cheapest Ways to Borrow’ tool, which can help you work out the least expensive way to borrow money for your situation. It may suggest a credit card is the cheapest way or if you’re looking at paying it off over a really long time, a loan may be for you.

Revolutionary E-Cigarette Technology

The electronic cigarette market is expanding rapidly with new products and brands launching all of the time. There is one new e-cigarette which looks different and stands out from the crowd.

New premium e-cigarette brand Vype have released a range of realistic disposable electronic devices. Designed to both look and feel like a traditional tobacco cigarette, they are completely different to the first generation of electronic vaping devices, which were large and bulky to carry around. Aimed at current smokers, Vype have produced a lighter and more realistic looking device.    

There are many different types of electronic cigarettes on the market, but research shows that many people when they first start to use electronic devices prefer those which look more like a tobacco cigarette and less obviously like an e-cigarette.

Vype have used the latest technology to provide a lightweight electronic cigarette with a soft tip, making it similar in look and feel to a conventional tobacco cigarette. Vype e-cigarettes are the same size as a king-size tobacco cigarette and contain ECOpure e-liquid, which is manufactured and tested in the UK. It is one of the cleanest and purest e-liquids and gives users a real nicotine hit. There are currently three different flavoured Vype electronic cigarettes, these are menthol, classic regular and classic bold.

Electronic cigarettes are battery powered vaping devices containing a water based e-liquid which is available in varying strengths of nicotine and different flavours. Using the same hand to mouth action as a tobacco cigarette you inhale the e-liquid through the soft-tip filter. When you begin inhaling the e-liquid is heated until it turns into a vapour which can then be inhaled.E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, and are not affected by the UK smoking ban.

With new revolutionary technology, Vype offers a genuine alternative to smoking while looking and feeling like a tobacco cigarette but without the tobacco. Visit http://uk.govype.com/ to find out more.

Geek festival Campus Party takes over London's O2

If you're looking for a job in tech, want to win money playing FIFA, or listen to some of tech's biggest names talk about the future, head down to the O2 in London this week. Campus Party is a massive tech festival -- and it's just getting started.

Taking place under the arched roof of the arena formerly known as the Millennium Dome, Campus Party is staged by O2 owners Telefonica. It's designed to be part festival, part hackathon, part conference, part jobs fair, and runs from today to Saturday 7 September...

Read the full story here... Source: CNET

Star Trek Science Fiction & Science Fact Navigraphic

Join us as we boldly go where no man has before and beam up to three replica Enterprise bridges, carefully re-created using original Paramount Star Trek footage, screen stills and archive images. Once you've clicked 'Engage' you'll be able to beam your way to the Earth Space Dock from the Next Generation, to the Drydock from the Original Series or London, Earth in Alternate Reality.

Join Music Magpie on this voyage of discovery by clicking here.

Once there, you'll be able to discover how many light years we are away from inventing real-world equivalents of the famous Star Trek technology! Explore how close we are to replicating La Forge's VISOR or Dr Leonard McCoy's favourite piece of medical kit. Compare how touch-screen computers of today match up to the Starship's Control Interface! Not only that, but it also features the original and iconic Star Trek sounds and images, so you'll soon feel part of Captain Kirk's crew!

 

Students – Get the Latest Tech and Stay Within Budget

It’s an exciting time for all students at the moment. Whether you’ve just received you’re ‘A’ Level results and are preparing for the big move to University or even if you’re a returning student heading back for the second or third year, the excitement levels are building ahead of the reunion with friends or the meeting with new ones and experiencing student life.

 

One unfortunate part of the student lifestyle is of course budgeting, with money always hard to keep hold of. You want to show that you can survive on your own, without having to run to the bank of mum and dad every few weeks to borrow a few pounds for a night out or a food shop, (there’s only so many tins of own-brand beans you can survive on!) Associated with the budgeting issues is of course the concern of making an impression on your new flat mates and course mates. You want to show them that you’ve got the latest gadgets, the best trainers and the designer clothes. So how do you combine the two? It’s nearly impossible.

 

Evaluating the market is a great place to start. While it looks great to show off your brand new device from the biggest name out there, it doesn’t look so good in the bank account. A lot of manufacturers of smartphones, tablet computers, laptops and even colour laser printer models have realized that there is a gap in the market and are targeting those customers. This gap has been identified as the people priced out of buying the big name brand models, and the majority of these more cost-effective and customer-friendly devices feature the same, if not similar, specifications as the product that is twice as expensive. This means not only do you save substantial amounts of money, but you get just as good a product, only with a different badge on it.

 

If you set yourself a budget before walking into the electrical store, and think about what you actually want your product to do and help with, it is much simpler to shop. If you know you want your computer, for example, to help with word documents, have a built-in webcam and microphone and help you with your graphic design course, then the one with the best spec for those requirements should be top of your agenda, not looking for the one with the best software package providing you spend over a certain amount. 

 

Checking online auction sites is another great way of getting the latest tech without having to pay full price. Students just like you might have gotten into financial difficulties and need some quick money, so they decide to sell off items that are worth decent money, or even items that they don’t need any more because they’ve either finished their course of a specific module. By checking here you could get some real bargains – and you’re not a proper student until you get into the habit of hinting for a bargain!

 

If you can find a way of remaining within budget, you’ll be in a very healthy position at the end of your academic year. You’d be able to go on more night’s out at the end of the semester and even be in a position to either clear some of your overdraft, put money towards the next year of your course, or survive the summer without having to look for seasonal work, allowing you to relax ahead of the new term.