Items tagged with world cup
I find it interesting at the end of each year when Google reveals the top search queries of the past 12 months. It's like taking a condensed trip back in memory lane, and for better or worse, it's also a reflection of society as a whole, the things that interested us and captured our thoughts. In 2014, it was the untimely death of actor, comedian, father, husband, and friend of many, Robin Williams, and if we're picking out silver linings, there's reason to smile about that. Let me explain. I don't find any happiness in the fact that Williams was disturbed during his final days, and that he ultimately chose to end his life to escape whatever pain -- physical and/or emotional -- he was going through....
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If you want to beat the Las Vegas odds makers, you might want to look at the available software at your disposable. To wit, EA's Madden NFL franchise has correctly predicted the winner of the Super Bowl in 8 of the last 11 tries (but got it wrong this last time around), and Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant for Windows Phone 8.1 devices correctly pegged Germany to win the 2014 World Cup. That alone is somewhat impressive, but even more so is that Cortana was on a 14-game win streak before the digital assistant incorrectly blemished its once-perfect record by picking Brazil to beat the Netherlands. Instead, the Netherlands emerged victorious by snuffing out Brazil 3-0. We're sure Cortana would...
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Soccer might not be the most popular sport in the U.S., but it's certainly growing on Americans. Of course, soccer enjoys an enormous global audience, and if anyone needs reminding of that, just check out the World Cup activity on Facebook. At only halfway through the tournament, there are more than 1 billion related posts, likes, and comments on the world's most popular social playground. That makes this year's World Cup -- a tournament that's held every four years -- the most active topic ever on Facebook, according to data obtained by Reuters. Mighty impressive, especially since there are two more weeks of World Cup action, giving the tournament ample time to set new records. Image Source:...
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Technology isn't just about improving the speed of graphics cards to push more pixels on a display, nor is it limited to the pursuit of bigger and faster storage devices, though we're fans of such advancements. More than that, we're passionate about technology because of the wonderful things it can accomplish. Case in point, at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil this year, the first kick will be made by a teenager who is paralyzed from the waist down. Say what? There's no voodoo magic involved, just awesome technology. The teen will use a mechanical exoskeleton that he'll control with his brain. Yes, it sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it's real, and it's going to happen very soon....
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With the World Cup over and the sound of vuvuzelas thankfully fading away, you might think it's time for business as usual to begin again. Toshiba, however, appears hooked on the excitement, fun, and motonous buzzing a PR crisis can deliver. Back in early June, the company ran a series of ads in Germany, England, Portugal, Italy, and Spain. The terms were (seemingly) simple: Buy a Toshiba product prior to the end of the world cup, and if your team won it all, Toshiba would refund your purchase. According to our crack team of translators, if Team Red wins, you win. Provided you used your Toshiba decoder ring to find the hidden information underneath the bathmat in your mother's apartment....
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Vuvuzelas, those cheap plastic horns that are blared at soccer games as a South African tradition, have been saved by FIFA. They will not ban them during the World Cup. That said, if you don't have a vuvuzela yourself, and want to see how horrific they are, you can install an Android or iPhone app to get the South African flavor. Both the App Store and the Android Market are overflowing with vuvuzela apps. One of them, Vuvuzela 2010, has been downloaded more than 750,000 times. It is currently the most popular free app in the Entertainment category. Another, Virtual Vuvuzela, is the seventh most popular free sports app. However, they're not all that highly rated, 2.5 stars for the former and...
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Up until now, 3D has been mostly a joke. It required unsightly glasses, it was only available in a few places, and most 3D content was hardly entertaining. Today, however, 3D is experiencing a revolution. Movie producers are backing it, cinemas are spending money to support it, and even TV makers are marketing it. Only time will tell if consumers will buy in, but one thing is for sure: it'll be hard to ignore the World Cup in 3D. The World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting spectacle in the world next to The Olympics, with it involving many countries and being a competition for national pride across the globe. The event, which will be hosted in South Africa, will be shown the world over in...
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