sports

Spleak expands its microcontent portfolio

Spleak Media Network, the San Francisco-based start-up focused on creating "interactive content communities," announced Tuesday morning that it would be moving into three new content categories: fashion, television, and games.

Spleak's concept is a bit unusual: users read, rate, and create content entirely via instant messaging platforms (AIM, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk), though there's also an opportunity to embed a Spleak widget into your MySpace or Facebook page. The content--in 250 characters or less--comes from readers and from Spleak's official content partners, such as CosmoGirl and Fox Sports. Users can vote each element up … Read more

What was missing from the Nintendo E3 press conference

The Nintendo press conference at E3 2008 just ended and we're left scratching our heads. While we were glad to see the announcement of titles like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party, hardcore gamers loyal to the Nintendo brand were completely left in the dust. There was no talk of any first-party Nintendo games beyond the Wii-branded Wii Sports Resort and Wii Music. There was absolutely no mention of new franchises like Kid Icarus or even anything from the Zelda or Mario camp. This has everyone in the office wondering, "Where are the … Read more

Yahoo and TBS enter sports-centric alliance

Yahoo and Turner Broadcasting System announced on Thursday a multi-year content and advertising alliance.

Under the agreement, Yahoo Sports will gain access to content from the league sites of the National Basketball Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing that are managed by Turner Broadcasting. And, in turn, Turner Network will be able to exclusively sell all display, sponsorship, and video advertising in Yahoo Sports' NBA, Nascar, and golf pages on Yahoo Sports.

On Yahoo Sports, Turner will provide live and on-demand video, leaderboards, and editorial content for the NBA, Nascar, PGA Tour … Read more

Google now tracking the Tour de France with Street View

Summer may be a time for fireworks and barbecues in America, but halfway across the globe there's some serious bicycling under way. To celebrate the Tour de France as well as the recent inclusion of Street View in France proper, Google has created a custom Street View map for tracking the entire race route at eye level.

Along for the ride are some of the newer Street View additions like face blurring and the ground filling technology that stitches multiple images together to get rid of noticeable seams. According to Google's Lat Long blog, the Street View van … Read more

The 404 132: Where CBS is brought to you by The 404

Today's show is all about answering the questions that nobody is asking. These questions include: Is "doing the robot" considered cheating? If California legalizes marijuana, will we need to find a new co-host? Is the vibrating iPhone keypad a curse or a blessing in disguise? When will Amy Winehouse evolve into a Homo sapiens? How can we stop the Ninja Turtles from stealing our precious metals? Do the Netflix executives listen to The 404? Is there a problem that can't be solved with Viagra? All this and much much more, now brought to you by CBS … Read more

ConnectU founders score spots on U.S. Olympic rowing team

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss might not have gotten their way with Mark Zuckerberg, but they've got a different prize in mind now: Olympic glory.

The identical twins, who founded one-time Facebook rival ConnectU with their Harvard classmate Divya Narendra, have earned spots on the U.S. Olympic rowing team that will compete later this summer in Beijing. The team's roster was announced Friday and is currently pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee.

Recently, the Winklevoss twins have been in the news because of their long-running lawsuit against Facebook founder Zuckerberg, whom they had once hired as … Read more

The next big thing: table tennis triples

The Table Tennis Triples and Modular Table Tennis System (MTTS) was a finalist in the Australian Next Big Thing Awards.

I love how the invention's "unique benefits" are listed on the award site:

"- More people play on one table: social benefits, reduced waiting times

- Greater shot range, fairer 'Triples' scoring system

- Conventional tables can be reversibly 'Triples' retrofitted

- Numerous games/table shapes possible with the MTTS sectors"

(Hat tip to Jordan Kanarek from frog)

The 404 128: Where Jeff's not late

Apologies for the late start, but Jeff was with some good ole folks from Sony. Today, Russ Frushtick from UGO.com joins us today to talk about video games and the such. Justin has to leave early because of an unexpected meeting, but MTI dawns his superhero shorts to save the day. Along the way, we talk a lot about boobs. I mean a lot. And how not to make chocolate at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. EPISODE 128 Download today's podcast

Lance Armstrong launches health and fitness site, sort of

Correction: This post initially misstated the type of cancer Lance Armstrong survived. It was testicular.

Lance Armstrong, the champion cyclist who was everybody's hero until he dated Mary-Kate Olsen, is taking his LiveStrong brand to the Web much in the way that MC Hammer did with DanceJam.

Armstrong has formally partnered with Demand Media to launch LiveStrong.com, which debuted in full on Tuesday. It's a site for keeping tabs on fitness, wellness, and weight-loss goals, along with discussion forums, editorial content, and videos--other sites in this space are Wellsphere and SparkPeople.

It's a for-profit spinoff of … Read more