Winter Olympics Was Hacked

Game organizers have verified rumors that the Olympics were hacked during Friday’s opening ceremony. However, the source of the attack has yet to be revealed. While systems including the internet and television services were affected on Friday evening, organizers assured media that the breach “had not compromised any critical part of their operations,” according to a Reuters report.

Cybersecurity experts noted in January that there were early suggestions that Russia-backed attackers may have wanted a payback as a retaliation against the nation’s ban from the Pyeongchang Games. The Russian federation has not been allowed to compete as a result of anti-doping regulations (though Russian athletes have been taking part of the games as the Olympic Athletes from Russia, or OAR).

Russia denies the hacking and North Korea may also serve as a prime suspect. The hack was short-lived and quickly addressed. “All issues were resolved and recovered yesterday morning

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eSports & The Olympics

Olympic decision makers are still debating over the possibility of esports entering the world’s leading international sporting competition. The discussion opened in April, with the news that esports would be making an appearance at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games in Jakarta and Hangzhou, with esports being elevated to medal sport status in the latter event. In August, it was announced that esports was up for contention to be added to the roster of sports at the 2024 Games, despite an earlier comment from IOC President Thomas Bach that some “violent” esports titles are “contrary to all theiir values”.

Four major decisions were made when leading representatives of the Olympic Movement met in Lausanne, Switzerland on the 28th of October, following invitations from the IOC:

• Firstly, acknowledgement of esports’ burgeoning growth helped lead the Summit to recognize the potential for engagement of the youth with the Olympic Movement;
•  esports “could be considered as a sporting activity”. This follows some research which suggests that the preparation, training and capacity for physical demands at esports’ highest level mirrors that of traditional sports
• For IOC recognition as a sport, esports titles’ content “must not infringe on the Olympic values”. This statement parallels earlier concerns outlined by Bach;
• Additionally, the IOC necessitates the existence of “an organization guaranteeing compliance with the rules and regulations of the Olympic Movement”. This body would manage issues such as anti-doping, betting, and match-fixing.

The decision of what constitutes an Olympic sport is an ever-changing, growing thing, alive with the context of its time and the preferences of its committee.

 

New York Yankees Investing In eSports

The New York Yankees has announced an investment partnership with Vision Esports, the largest single shareholder of three esports-related companies. The two organizations will create and manage an “ecosystem” of esports properties that include Echo Fox, Twin Galaxies, and Vision Entertainment.

The New York Yankees and Vision Esports will seek to accelerate the growth and increase the global brand awareness of the three companies – Echo Fox, a leading professional esports organization founded by three-time NBA Champion Rick Fox; Twin Galaxies, a one-of-a-kind League Operator considered an authority on performance validation, statistics and skill indexes; and Vision Entertainment, a studio that creates esports-specific content for scripted and non-scripted platforms.

Team Liquid Wins The International 2017 Grand Finals For $10.8M

Team Liquid has sponsored champions in games such as Starcraft, League of Legends and more. Formerly, Liquid’s Dota team was American, but their European one took the crown in a more volatile and profitable environment.

The current roster had varying success throughout the pre-championship season. They performed well in the grand Russian event Epicenter but failed to do as well in the Dota 2 Asian Championships. Still, their victory was foreshadowed in their victory at DreamLeague Season 7’s Atlanta finals, where they took first over other international teams.

The most impressive—and game winning—was one final Juggernaut slash by Miracle-, superpowered by a Double Damage rune that helped to wipe out the entirety of Newbee.

eSports May Soon Be Included In 2024 Olympic Games

Nothing is certain just yet, but discussions are a positive step forward for the recognition of esports at the Olympics.

Esports will be present at the Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia announced in April. An event recognized by the IOC, the Asian Games’ esports program will likely help push along the Paris Olympic bid committee with their discussions.

Team EnVyUs has secured a major investment from Hersh Family Investment and Interactive Group, according to an ESPN report.

The group is led by Kenneth Hersh, an executive in the oil and natural gas industry, and is based in Texas. The company reportedly offered EnVyUs a $35 million deal, which would make it one of the biggest acquisitions in the esports sector. EnVyUs is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, but will relocate to Dallas to align with its reported Overwatch League slot, ESPN said.

Disney Breaks Up With netflix

Disney will be launching a new, stand-alone ESPN streaming service in 2018. This is wonderful news to those who have left cable behind but still yearn to watch sports. It is also big for ESPN, which has had a rough couple of years. The sports media empire lost 12 million subscribers since its peak in 2011, and the company fired a number of high-profile employees in 2017, including NBA reporters Marc Stein and Chad Ford. Former ESPN writer Bill Simmons claimed that the company was too slow to recognize the importance of digital infrastructure. 

The new ESPN service will offer “approximately 10,000 live regional, national, and international games and events a year, including Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, Grand Slam tennis, and college sports. Individual sport packages will also be available for purchase, including MLB.TV, NHL.TV and MLS Live.”

The NBA Africa Game Fantasy League

 

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They’re saying That eSports Has Became Cutthroat: What It Takes To Get Paid

They’re saying there’s cutthroat competition, cash prizes, gambling, spectators, even juicing controversies in eSports. Adderall ( used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD) is a particular favorite among hardcore gamers. And the eSports business is booming; Newzoo Research estimates that eSports will be a $1.1 billion business by 2019.

 

Earnings can depend on the  person and the game. the gamers are signed to a contract and paid to play.They may not make Major League Baseball–level cash, but there are similarities between the lives of professional gamers and professional athletes. Competitors often wear sponsor-backed jerseys or other branded gear.

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Video Game Designers Are Getting Better At Creating Hair For Black Characters

 

This year’s E3 black character’s hair is seen as refreshing. io9‘s Evan Narcisse says in his essay for anthology State of Play, As a black gamer, I’ve also noticed these problems, particularly for black women. A lot of black characters have permed, straight hair, or textures that aren’t quite right

He says “The hair, for the most, part looks great. Not only does their hair have the physicality of black hair, which tends to grow out and not down, it appears to have the coarse, kinky texture of it. For the above character from Wolfenstein II you can even see where exactly she’s picked out her fro, and the imperfections in that circle”.

 

eSports Players World Champs Are Females

They entered the tournament, their first event as a team, and no one thought that they would even get past the group stage. They ended up placing second in the entire tournament. In their next event, in Copenhagen, they came in first place. Now, that same group of six females, performing under the Team Dignitas banner, are taken very seriously. They operate in accordance with the tag CSGO WOMEN, and happen to be fully comprised of ladies, but they have zero interest in being compared to anything less than the esports industry as a whole.

 

 

 

London To Host virtual Bicycle Race

The Cycligent Esports World Cup takes place at Kachette, 347 Old Street, on Tuesday June 6th. It will be shown in front of a live audience and broadcast on Twitch.

The London race is part of a series of events around the world that will culminate at the World Cup Finals in April 2018. 20 riders will race side-by-side in the Kachette tunnels.

Organisers said in a statement: “The Cycligent esports race will showcase top virtual cycling talent brought in from around the world. They will compete against one another on
Zwift’s online course environment.

“Five cyclists representing the UK will race five cyclists from around the world, including the US, Ireland, Australia, the Netherlands, and Poland.

 

MORE Millennials Prefer Watching eSports Over Traditional Sports

L.E.K. Sports Survey found that Professional sports leagues “officially have a millennial problem.”

• 40% of millennials prefer watching esports to traditional sports
• 26% of millennial eSports enthusiasts reported a significant uptick in eSports viewing over the past year
• 61% of esports followers said they spent less time watching TV over the past 12 months, and 45% said they had cut back on traditional sports viewing
• Together millennials — ages 17-34 — and Generation Z peers — age 16 and under — comprise 45% of America’s consumer base

Major League Baseball’s video streaming company recently paid $300 million for the right to stream League of Legends through 2023.

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Seventeen NBA Teams Will Appear In NBA 2K Esports League

The 17 Teams Are:

 

• Boston Celtics
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Dallas Mavericks
• Detroit Pistons
• Golden State Warriors
• Indiana Pacers
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Miami Heat
• Milwaukee Bucks
• New York Knicks
• Orlando Magic
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Portland Trail Blazers
• Sacramento Kings
• Toronto Raptors
• Utah Jazz
• Washington Wizards

The league will draft teams of five players to compete in a five-month season, which will mirror the NBA with a regular season, bracketed playoffs and a final championship match to wrap it all up. Players will create their own avatars for competition, so no one will be using avatars of the recognizable basketball stars that appear in NBA 2K, like LeBron James or Kyrie Irving.

The NBA is the first pro sports league to co-own an esports organization in the United States. In Europe, several soccer leagues have signed on to participate in a FIFA esports league. Earlier this year, ESPN partnered with EA for broadcasting rights of these FIFA matches. FIFA has also been chosen as one of the esports games to appear as a medal event in the 2022 Asian Games.

 

The Boston Celtics & eSports

 

NBA teams are seeking to invest in eSports teams, with a number of current and former pro athletes purchasing stakes in eSports leagues and teams around the globe.

The creation of the NBA 2K eSports league stands to be the most appealing investment opportunity for NBA teams, however, offering a means to directly enhance the brand within the pro gaming circuit.

The Celtics appear deeply invested in the process, and are actively looking at housing a Boston-based team for the NBA 2K league.

Celtics Managing Partner, Governor, and Chief Executive Officer, Wyc Grousbeck, said the organization is in a “trial phase” for testing out the technology, finances, and marketing of the pro gaming scene.

e NBA 2K eLeague will start with around 8-12 teams, with the expectation that all 30 NBA teams will eventually be represented in some capacity.

New Technologies Super Bowl

 

 

Intel installed 38 5K cameras high above the field at NRG Stadium in Houston, bolted onto the building’s metal structure. Pointed downwards, these cameras operate more like sensors, feeding visual data back to a rack of servers elsewhere inside the stadium. These servers can digitally reconstruct the 3D world of the game, representing real objects using 3D pixels, known as voxels. To reduce the data processing load—around one terabyte for a 15 to 30 second clip—during a game many of the features inside the stadium, including the field itself, are pre-rendered by the servers. Only moving objects like the players need to be added in real time.

The Patriots, who faced the Atlanta Falcons, are one of six teams now using a VR training system designed by Palo Alto startup StriVR. Others include the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and Arizona Cardinals. The system, inspired by work done at Stanford’s VR lab, uses 360-degree video to put players—primarily quarterbacks—through their paces, with less physical risk and wear-and-tear than on-field practice, and more interactivity than just watching game video.

Research shows that seeing real humans in action helps the brain refine its timing and stay focused. And because football is based on coordinated plays with fixed timing (at least in theory), rote repetition helps program players’ muscle memory.

Intel’s 360 video system allows a ‘virtual’ camera to recreate a first-person perspective by compiling film shot from a variety of outside angles. If teams could get access to the full feed of game cameras, they could give QBs virtual run-throughs of past real games, even if there was nobody on the field wearing a 360 camera.

The AAA Tipsy Tow Program

The AAA Tipsy Tow program will offer free tows to drinking drivers on Super Bowl Sunday. The service will provide a one-way ride for drivers and their vehicle to the home from 6 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday. Drivers can call 800-222-4357 (AAA-HELP) for a free tow home of up to 10 miles. Tipsy Tow doesn’t take reservations.

Serena Williams Is Engaged

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$333.00 for Adidas 3D Printed Sneakers

 The 3D Runner, features a similar design as the one Adidas gifted its medal-winning athletes during the 2016 Rio Olympics. It has a black Primeknit upper, like what what you see on Yeezys or Ultra Boosts, and a midsole made from 3D-printed materials — that’s the main highlight here. Unfortunately, you’ll only have the chance to buy a pair if you live in New York City, London or Tokyo, with pricing set at $333 this Thursday. It has been said it’ll end up on the resell market for hundreds of dollars above its original MSRP.

 

Michael ordon Wins major Ruling In China

Michael Jordan won a major ruling in China

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China’s Supreme People’s Court has Ruled in favor of former basketball superstar Michael Jordan in a trademark case against Qiaodan Sports, a popular Chinese sportswear company.Jordan took his case to China’s highest court last April after unsuccessfully pursuing the case in China’s lower courts. In 2012, the athlete initially requested the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to suspend the sportswear company’s use of multiple trademarks, including Qiaodan, the Chinese transliteration of his surname, the number 23, and logo, which bears a resemblance to the silhouette of a basketball player. Chinese consumers deserve to know that Qiaodan Sports and its products have no connection to me. Nothing is more important than protecting your own name, and today’s decision shows the importance of that principle,” Jordan said.

Jordan, who is popular in China, had argued that the Chinese sportswear company had put his legal right to use his name in the country in jeopardy.

he said, “In the end, I think companies need to be very aggressive about registering their trademarks in China”

Russian Hackers leaked Confidential medical Files of Olympians

Russian hackers accessed medical files of several Olympian s in Rio. The Russian hacking team goes by the name Tsar Team (Apt 28) gained access to WADA ‘s anti doping administration and management system (ADAMS). Tsar Team is also believe to be behind the Democratic Party Hacks. The investigation into the breach is ongoing, but WADA believes spear phishing was the technique of choice and that other ADAMS data is unaffected. Athletes affected include Serena Williams and Simone Biles.

Athletes affected include Serena Williams and Simone Biles. Medical reports listing drugs they were cleared to use are posted on the website of the hackers. WADA is regretful about this situation.

 

 

NFL Is Putting Sensors In Their Footballs

The NFL has inserted a lightweight, quarter-sized sensor inside each football this preseason to measure actual game data as things unfold on the field.

The sensors, which rest just under the ball’s laces, can capture information like velocity, acceleration and distance, and send that info back to computer monitors in just half a second. The League has been using the sensors during preseason games this summer, but hasn’t yet decided if the sensors will be used in the regular season.

The point is for the NFL and its organizations to know every little detail, from how much players run at practice to which vendor you buy your hotdogs from inside the stadium. The sensors are like a GPS.

Lookout Uber-Here Comes Google!

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The NFL has added a lightweight, quarter-sized sensor inside each football this preseason to measure actual game data as things unfold on the field.

The sensors, which rest just under the ball’s laces, can capture information like velocity, acceleration and distance, and send that info back to computer monitors in just half a second. The League hasn’t yet decided if the sensors will be used in the regular season.

Zebra created the sensors the NFL is testing with its footballs and is in its third season using similar sensors inserted into players’ shoulder pads to track their location, speed and distance traveled.You can think of these sensors like a GPS. Small receivers placed throughout each NFL stadium issue radio waves that ping the sensors in the shoulder pads to collect information.

T

Fair Competition

Felix becomes the most decorated woman in U.S. track and field history

MAGE: MATT SLOCUM/AP

 

 

Athletes & Technology

To rise above the competition, the modern athlete must train intelligently and use the most innovative techniques to outfox opponents. And technology can help with that.

Stephen Curry is considered by many to be the greatest shooter in National Basketball Association history. Curry’s complex, next-generation regimen involves an excessive amount of “Steph drills,” which often involve doing two things at once, like dribbling with one hand and catching a tennis ball with the other. To make it even harder, he uses military-grade goggles with strobing effects that produce blanks in the visual space, requiring him to react based on partial information. As a result, he’s cognitively and physically prepared for virtually anything his defender throws at him.

Tracking technology devices have the ability to provide intelligent feedback on various physiological properties. Sensors embedded in jerseys can now track a player’s performance metrics in order to calculate their risk of being injured, and they can also alert them when it is safe to return to play.

France’s Terrorism Alert App

The official SAIP (système d’alerte et d’information des populations) app from the French authorities is a new hub that can alert users of any potential exceptional events or terror attacks that may occur. The app is available for both Android and iOS. Highly recommended when traveling to France.

The app is in both French and English, depending on your preference. With the SAIP app installed, it will alert the users as to when they should be within or enter an at-risk zone. It’s also possible to set up to 8 cities to receive notifications should events trigger in one of them. Advice and instructions will be provided for the alert that may be shown.The government said the app was developed after November’s attacks in Paris. The country remains on high alert, especially with the upcoming Euro 2016 football tournament. You can download the SAIP app for Android from the Google Play Store.

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