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StratBridge Inc. has just developed ground breaking software that should undoubtedly help professional teams in every sport to make better managerial decisions. StratBridge Inc. is a company that has developed software for both ticket sales (StratTix), and player analysis (StratEdge). The company was founded in 1999 by Mr. Matthew Marolda and made a name for themselves in 2005 with their ticket selling software. StratTix can be used in a number of ways to help teams gain valuable information about their ticket sales, as well as the people buying them. This software can help the team view up-to-the-minute seating charts to see which seats are selling, and which ones are not. It will provide the teams with information about the people purchasing the tickets such as their geographical area, what source they used to purchase them (Ticket Master, Stubhub etc.), and helping to predict attendance. This will help lead to teams to finding the best time to market, when the best time is to promote, and will help their yield management strategies to become more effective. The company's newest software breakthrough, StratEdge, will ultimately give an "edge" to teams that are scouting and looking to draft, or sign specific players. It provides teams with detailed information about trades, contract extensions, and how they match up to other athletes at their position. This company is in a niche of its own, and one of the best at what they do. These new tools that are now readily available for any team will help them make smarter business decisions that everyone knows will ultimately affect their franchise for years to come. StratBridge Inc. already has more then 100 deals with professional teams in the NHL, MLB, NFL, MLS, AFL, and minor league baseball. They hope to continue to build bridges with and for various sport franchises around the world.
The Nike PreCool Vest was developed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a vest that lowers the body's core temperature. The body's muscles work much more efficient and will perform better in competition when muscles are not dedicating their resources to cooling down the body.
The vest consist
of two layers, the inner layer that is filled with frozen water and the outer
layer that is coated with aluminum to act like a thermos, trapping cold in
while reflecting radiant heat. It is designed to be used about an hour before
competition, and athletes keep it on during their normal warm up and then take
it off right before competition, it can help athletes last up to 21% longer
while competing. But the vest is only available for Olympic athletes, but in
time I am sure it will be available for the average joe.
SkyGolf created the SkyCaddie in the early 2000's and it had quickly become the #1 rangefinder in golf today. SkyGolf has currently worked with over 23,000 golf courses and setup their technology at these golf courses. By the end of 2009 the company plans on establishing its products and services at around 30,000 golf courses. As a division of SkyHawke Technologies, SkyGolf has created a way for the average golfer to receive the same information that professional golfers receive, by walking each course just like an actual tour caddie. SkyCaddie is currently the official rangefinder of the PGA of America, LPGA, PGA of Britain, PGA of Ireland, PGA of Germany, Swedish PGA, and the technology partner of the PGA Learning Center. SkyGolf and its SkyCaddie product have quickly become the most successful and sought after rangefinder in the golf industry today.
The SkyGolf website currently holds a library with maps of all the courses that have been mapped out by the company. Once the device is purchased you can go on SkyGolf and download the courses that you regularly play onto your device and be on your way to a better golf experience. SkyGolf uses GPS when the courses are being mapped and gives you accurate readings for your golf course.
Currently SkyGolf creates 4 different models of its SkyCaddie and have 2 models that are coming soon, with each device is about the size of your cell phone. These models range in price from 200 to 400 dollars, each device gives readings to the front, middle, and back of the green. All devices have the features of mark the ball, distance to hazards and up to 40 different targets per hole. The newest device is the SG5, which
currently sells for $399.95, includes many great features, and features a color screen. The Mark the Ball feature lets you know how far you hit every club in your bag allowing you to better manage your game. The InteliGreen feature rotates the shape of the green to match the angle of the shot you are going to take. Instant Distances to Greens and Hazards removes hazards that behind you and displays the hazards that are still in play, this allows you to better manage your game and elite those high scores. Up to 40 targets on each hole gives you information to distances to bunkers, hazards, and the green so that you have the same information as a professional golfers caddie would attain for their golfer. The SG5 also comes with a USB cable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, ac battery charger, heavy-duty belt clip, user guide, and quick start guide.
As a golfer I feel that the SkyCaddie takes away from the game, I am the type of person that likes to figure out how far away the green is and choose a club based on how I feel about the upcoming shot. The only feature about the SkyCaddie that I would like to have the information from is the Mark the Ball feature, it would allow me to more accurately choose the right club on each shot. I also feel that even with the technology and knowing the correct distances you still have to step up to the ball and hit a good shot, knowing the distance of each shot is only half of it. On one hand if given the opportunity I would love to use this device to see how it works, but would much rather play a round of golf without the SkyCaddie any day of the week. The SkyCaddie is up to debate if you want to use it to improve your golf game, but for me I would much rather not use this device and rely on my feelings about the distances of shots and how far I can hit the clubs in my bag.
The Approach G5 from Garmin is the newest high-tech golf range-finder from Garmin, a worldwide leader in GPS technology. Garmin has been successful in many areas dealing with GPS technology, including marine, aviation, automobiles, sports and fitness. The Approach G5 is placed in the sports category of this very well-established name in the industry.
The first range-finder from Garmin, the GolfLogix, was a success itself. It was endorsed by such golf personalities as Gary McCord and Peter Kostis. It was a touchscreen model, one of the first of its kind, and seems to be very well-liked. The new Apporach G5 is a revolutionary breakthrough in this type of technology. It full color, touchscreen, and has features that are the first of its kind.
The Approach G5's touch screen feature allows you to point to exact points on the golf course that you need distances from or to. For example, simply touch a bunker, and it will give you the distance to the front of the bunker or the distance needed to carry it. Once you approach the green, you will receive distances to the front middle and back if desired. Also, there is a feature that allows you to point to and drag the pin to the exact position that it is in on that specific day.
The digital scorecard is another revolutionary feature that is included in the Approach G5. During your round, this allows you to keep score for up to four players. When your round has concluded, it is compatable with your computer and allows you to enter you score into your computer for personal reference.
Garmin is continually updating the Approach G5 by both adding new courses to its database and improving current course maps that are available for download. The Approach G5 just recently came onto the market in March of 2009. Therefore, since it is a brand new product, there have not been significant reviews, but judging by the reputation of Garmin, you can count on quality.
Sportvision is the leading company for advancement in television. The products they have created have transformed how sports broadcasts are being watched.
The products they have are used in a variety of sports broadcasts from football and baseball to horseracing and motorsports. Some of the most famous products that they have are the yellow 1st and 10 Line and the Down and Distance Line for football and The K Zone for baseball. All of these products virtually display information on the television screen to enhance the viewing of the game for fans.
Cisco Systems, Inc is beginning to venture into the very lucrative and fast growing sports industry. But wait a minute, who in all of corporate
The
Pioneers of TelePresence, Cisco have used this to equip and connect two separate rooms with video and audio capabilities. It is meant for users to be able to interact as if they were in the same room. This state of the art videoconferencing technology has been used for player "meet and greets" during both the NHL and the NBA All-Star breaks. Kevin Durant attracted quite a crowd as he was seen on a big screen high definition television using TelePresence to interact with fans and answer questions. Cisco has recently talked deals with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on a future partnership.
StadiumVision and Venue Management are the newest innovations being incorporated in the latest sports complexes. The new Yankee Stadium has installed the former, with 1100 HD monitors around the park, and IPTV phones in place within the fifty some luxury suites. Cameras are strategically placed all over the facility to help manage events. 
They can be used in combination with the televisions to provide live scores and updates around the stadium, assist patrons with stadium traffic flow, and can be used to regulate the flow of personnel and guests in the event of an emergency. One of the coolest things about this technology is how precise mangers can be in their control of events. For instance in 80,000 person capacity Santiago Bernabéu Stadium of
Cisco has been very successful in the past with communications products and employs over 64,000 people. It is now branching out into the wide world of sports and will register on the radar the next time you have the money and are thinking of investing.
via theregister.co.uk via Chicago Sun Times
The long and short of it? A guy decides to watch his Chicago Bears game on a cruise ship while waiting for departure. The cell phone picks up on some international signal, goes into roaming, and garners a charge of $28,067.31. The folks at the Sun Times get involved and have the charges reduced to a more reasonable $290.65.
Collegiate Images has the vast sports video library and XOS Technologies has the power to make that library more accessible, so it made sense for the two companies to join forces. XOS is making what it calls a strategic investment in Collegiate Images that will make them partners in the business of distributing collegiate video content. CI owns the video and still photo rights to about 80 percent of the top 75 schools and 125 collegiate properties overall, including the BCS and conferences. With XOS's ability to move CI into the digital age, video that used to take about five days to move from campus to customer will soon be available in a matter of hours. Instead of calling up athletic departments for video highlights, networks and others now go through CI and pay a licensing fee, which generates a royalty for the schools. The problem is that CI has been working primarily in an analog world, which meant that schools had to overnight their video (usually beta) to CI, CI editors would spend a few days editing the video and then overnight it to the customers for their promotional use. In all, it was about a five-day process. By digitizing the process, that video can be sent from campus to customer electronically. XOS has been working with CI since the summer to digitize the collection of videos and still photos. Randy Eccker, CEO of XOS, said the library should be fully digitized by the end of the year.
Have you watched PGA golf game and noticed all the people in the background at every different hole? The fans have always had problem with getting information from different holes because the coarse is so wide spread. With a devices like WiseDV made by Livis and In-Your-Ear made by DevTech, getting information on the coarse will not be a problem anymore. WiseDV is an audio, video and data handheld device that gives the fan a current update on what's happening. Fans are able to see live video footage, stats, listen to music, look at photographs, and the most fascinating thing is that you can even order food! In-Your-Ear is a device that literally sits in your ear. It gives
The reason for these two devices to be born was rules on electronic devices on the coarse. Fans have been restricted from using their cell phones due to the distractions they endure. Also, because of how wide spread a golf coarse is, the fans can not be at numerous places at the same time. The fans were in high demand of something that would keep them updated at all times.
