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io910 Ways the Olympics Could be Different in the Future
The modern Olympics have already changed a great deal since their early years. Arts events like architecture, literature, painting, and music went out the window in 1954, and many events, such as mountain biking, synchronized swimming, curling, and table tennis were added only in the last 30 years. So how might the event change in … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech NewsGadgetsThis Robotic Swimming Humanoid Is No Match For Phelps
If Tokyo Tech’s swimming android robot—awkwardly dubbed the Swumanoid—is any indication, our Olympic athletes don’t have to worry about any cybernetic competition for at least a few more years. But for the time being, this robot is actually designed to help improve a human swimmer’s performance and gear. Created using a 3D scanner to measure … Continued
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Tech News
Inventor of the Web Given Hero’s Welcome at Olympics
Yesterday’s Olympic opening ceremony was a hallucinatory ode to western history, questionable British music, a giant baby, David Beckham’s body, and—amid the athletic sprawl—one of the greatest geeks of all time. During one strange portion of the ceremony that honored technology’s role in turning us into phone-gazing status zombies, the action abruptly broke away to … Continued
By Sam Biddle -
Tech NewsAlready Tired of Olympic News? Block Any and All Mentions With This Handy Browser Extension
The Olympics are a grand spectacle that can take the host city years to prepare for—but mere hours for audiences to tire of. So if less than a day in you’ve already had your fill of Olympic updates and recaps, do yourself a favor and download F.A.T.’s browser blocking extension. Olwimpics is available for Chrome, … Continued
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io9
Jetpacks! Voldemort! James Bond! The Most Delightful and Ridiculous Images from the Olympic Ceremony
Was this the most science fiction and fantasy-filled Olympic opening ceremony yet? With director Danny Boyle at the helm, there were bound to be a few fantastical elements in his kickoff to the 2012 Olympic Games. Here are some of the strangest, most wondrous, and most fantasy-fuelled images to grace London’s Olympic Stadium. Yesterday’s opening … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9Television
How To Watch Every Second of the Olympics (Updated)
In 1996, 176.5 hours of the Olympics were broadcast in the U.S. This year? Try 5,535 hours across NBC’s channels and sites alone. Holy crap, how are you going to watch all of that? Don’t worry, there are ways. This is a guide for U.S. users (I know, I wish we were based in French-Polynesia, … Continued
By Brent Rose -
Tech NewsPentathlon: You Win the Gold Medal or You Die
DOLPH LUNDGREN. COMMUNISTS. STEROIDS. OLYMPICS. There’s really nothing else I feel like I need to say about this film, except that it was a wonderful piece of Olympic-themed, paranoid propaganda from the mid-’90s, seemingly hellbent on rubbing it in the face of the fallen communist regimes of Europe. After you watch all the goodwill being … Continued
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Tech News
Who Does Military Overkill Sports Flyovers Better: USA vs UK
The opening ceremony of the Olympics is happening right now, kicked off by a giant, colored-smoke flyover by the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows squadron. Pretty cool! Your pounds at work! But does it beat… The Super Bowl? Those RAF boys just dropped thick ropes of red white and blue (no, not that kind) over … Continued
By Sam Biddle -
Tech News
Which Olympics App Is Right For You?
The Opening Ceremonies today mark the beginning of 17 full days of athletic awesomeness, live from the London Olympics. More than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries have descended on the city to compete in 26 sports spread out across 302 events. There are about as many apps that help you follow the games. Whether you’re … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech News
The 9 Best Buildings of the London 2012 Olympics
Though not nearly as ostentatious as the buildings from the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the stadiums and arenas for the London 2012 Olympics are still quite lovely. Here are the best buildings you’ll probably see over and over again for the next few weeks. A lot of the focus for the buildings of the London Olympics … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech News
How Were These Ever Considered Olympic Events?
Ribbon Dancing, Synchronized Diving, Curling? These Olympic events push the definition of “sport” nearly to its breaking point but aren’t even close to the oddest in the Games’ 116 year history. Our friends at Oobject have assembled twelve contests that take the gold for absurdity. Be sure to also check out what happens after the … Continued
David Galbraith - Oobject.com -
io9Television
To Stream or Not to Stream: How Will You Watch the Olympics?
The 2012 Summer Olympics kick into full gear tomorrow, which means there will be a million and one events happening concurrently. Thanks to the magic of the internet, we have the ability to watch pretty much any event we want, whenever we want. On one hand, choice is great, and the ability to have multiple … Continued
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Tech News
The Contents of an Olympics Photographer’s Bag
If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to be a photographer at a major sporting event, Pop Photo has the next best thing: an in-depth interview with Getty photographer Streeter Lecka, who’s going to be shooting the London Olympics in intimate detail. In the interview, he goes into some depth about the contents … Continued
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io9
Will Oscar Pistorius’ Prosthetic Legs Give Him an Unfair Advantage at the 2012 Olympic Games?
Have Oscar Pistorius’ carbon-fiber lower legs crossed the line between prosthetics and enhancements? And is it fair for him to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games? Scientists and sports experts alike are being drawn into the debate, as Scientific American’s Rose Eveleth explains. Her piece begins: Runners who’ve faced off against Oscar Pistorius say they … Continued
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Tech News
Olympic Gymnasts Use Honey, Coke, Melted Gummy Bears and Other Hand Goop to Stay on the Bars
If you’ve ever wondered how the heck gymnasts manage to keep a grip on the parallel bars, know this: it ain’t just chalk. Olympic gymnasts use any and all forms of hand goop, from honey to coke and beer and sugar to melted gummy bears and a special concoction created by a chemist and more. … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech News
The 2012 London Olympics Will be the First to Use This Recyclable Basketball Stadium
Designed jointly by Sinclair Knight Merz, Wilkinson Eyre and KSS, this first-of-its-kind recyclable basketball stadium will make its debut at the London games. But! Because if its strategic built-to-be-broken-down design, the 1,000 ton steel structure can be reused after the games are over! The recyclability factor and temporary nature of the structure conceivably means such … Continued
By Molly Oswaks -
Tech News
Why Is this Classic London Double Decker Bus Doing Pushups? (Spoiler: Olympics!)
When you’ve got millions of dollars from the International Olympic Committee to blow on preparations for the big games, in addition to beautiful venues and breathtaking stadiums, you’re also going to end up with a bit of bizarre local art that’s supposed to highlight and reflect the culture of the host country. And at this … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsA Look At the Awesome Camera Gear the Associated Press Will Use To Photograph the Olympics
If you don’t want to feel inadequate about the camera gear you tote around all day, you might want to skip this behind-the-scenes look at the gear the Associated Press will be using to capture the 2012 Olympic games. In addition to the remotely operated robotic camera rigs that will snap photos as close to … Continued
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Tech News
Nothing Tells Your Guests They’re Not Welcome Like Making Them Sleep In a Pod
Do you deal with visiting family members during the holidays that more than overstay their welcome? This year try putting them up in one of these Podtime tubes, they’ll quickly get the message that maybe they should have booked a hotel instead. They’re not exactly ideal for those who suffer from claustrophobia, but as a … Continued
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io9
Get lost within the walls of a massive labyrinth made of books
It’s easy enough to get lost in a book, but what about getting lost in meters and meters of books? As part of the London 2012 Festival, two Brazilian artists are setting up a giant maze made entirely out of books. Marcos Saboya and Gualter Pupo are creating this installation, which can be found inside … Continued
By Lauren Davis