Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Software : In depth: The apps that could help Olympians win gold at Sochi 2014

Software : In depth: The apps that could help Olympians win gold at Sochi 2014

In depth: The apps that could help Olympians win gold at Sochi 2014

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In depth: The apps that could help Olympians win gold at Sochi 2014

If the US bobsled and skeleton team win big at this year's Winter Olympics, they'll have more than their coaches to thank. For these athletes, along with a number of other competitors, training for the Sochi games has involved an awful lot of screen watching.

The US bobsled and skeleton team, speed skating team and snowboarding team have been perfecting their technique using using free video analysis app Ubersense Coach on the iPad. It's an unusual approach, but for some of these Olympians it might also be the promise of gold.

How does it work? Ubersense Coach uses the iPad or iPhone camera to record video footage of the athlete's technique at up to 120 frames per second. That footage can then be played back in slow motion for frame-by-frame analysis.

"The difference between a gold and silver medal is sometimes a millisecond or less, and when you're going by at 80mph it's impossible for even the coach to identify what they may be doing wrong," says Ubersense CEO Krishna Ramchandran. "The slightest fractional adjustment in posture can have a huge difference in speed."

Ubersense

Designed to be used by Olympians and amateurs alike, Ubersense Coach is useful for a wide spectrum of sports that require attention to technique.

"Whether it's a golf swing or a tennis serve, or gymnastics or weightlifting, they can basically use the device to record themselves and their technique, and do a side by side comparison," says Ramchandran.

"Most people do not see what they're doing and if you can't see what you're doing then you can't improve."

That footage can then be instantly shared with other coaches wirelessly. But why not just use the standard camera app? "If you record video using the regular camera you can't do accurate frame control," he says. "And every frame is important."

Partnering with the US Bobsled team was obviously a big win for Ubersense in getting its name heard. "We've been working with them for about a year and a half," says Ramchandarn. "When they first approached us, they were looking for a solution that would help them identify what their athletes were doing wrong."

Of course, coaches have employed various camera recording techniques in the past, but nothing offered the same pinpoint accuracy. "It was impossible for them to annotate it and give good feedback to their athletes," he adds.

Coach's eye

But Ubersense has plenty of competitors out there, one of the biggest being Techsmith's Coach's Eye app. Like Ubersense Coach, Coach's Eye is all about using pinpoint video accuracy to improve technique. It's also designed to be as used with as many different sports as possible, particularly those involving swing mechanics.

"We actually have a little bit of everything," says Mike Kujansuu, head of marketing at Coach's Eye. "The way we designed it was to be not exclusive to any specific sport. With every sport or activity there is at least one element that would be enhanced by video review."

Coach's Eye also lets athletes share footage with their coaches wirelessly. For something seemingly so small, the impact on training (and potentially the result) is huge.

"Just look at the progress that has been made in the four years since the last Olympics. They [once] had to set up special video review sessions," says Kujansuu.

"Now every day can be a video review day. We've got people out on the hillside who are videoing and can review when they get to the top."

Among the names that have have been using Coach's Eye in preparation for Sochi are US freestyle skier (and 2010 world champion) Patrick Deneen, speedskater Heather Richardson and Nordic Combined skier Billy Demong.

For these athletes, preparation for Sochi has taken an interesting, hi-tech turn. As for the US bobsled team, the proof will be in the pudding at the first event on February 16.

Google Admin app brings remote support functionality to iOS

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Google Admin app brings remote support functionality to iOS

Google has launched an iOS version of its Google Admin app, which gives admins a slew of options for managing user accounts on the go.

The app launched for Android last May, but is now finally available for Apple devices. It lets super admins access Google Enterprise products, such as Google Apps for Business, Education, or Government, Google Coordinate and Chromebooks.

The app requires API access to be enabled and also requires iOS 6.0 or higher. It can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store.

Admin by mobile

Some of the things admins can do remotely via their iPhone or iPad include adding or suspending users, resetting passwords, managing group memberships, directly calling or emailing specific users, checking audit logs, or contacting support.

Google recommends that all devices running the app have a lock-screen PIN for security. It also recommends its business users enable remote wiping in case a device is lost or stolen.

The app is only available to super administrators.

Via V3

Broadcasters change channel on YouView with Freeview Connect plans

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Broadcasters change channel on YouView with Freeview Connect plans

The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 have formed a new alliance aimed at ensuring their respective catch-up TV platforms are built into new connected televisions as standard.

The new group, dubbed Freeview Connect, will aim to ensure the free-to-air web-based offerings like the iPlayer, 4oD, 5 on Demand and the ITV Player are on-board, without users having to download apps.

The new pact comes at a time when the public service broadcasters have been pondering their ongoing investment in the YouView platform.

The YouView proposition was aimed at securing the future of free-to-air television, but has been increasingly used as a pawn for BT and TalkTalk to hawk broadband and pay-TV subscriptions.

Boo-hoo for YouView?

This new initiative, put forward by the Digital UK group funded by all four broadcasters, will help PSB's "get back to their free roots," one source, who also suggested Sky could possibly be involved, told the Guardian.

Just last week, the BBC Trust published a report advising to corporation to "seriously reconsider" their commitment to the YouView platform.

The report read: "In practice, nearly all YouView 'sales' have been of subsidised equipment offered by sponsoring internet service providers [BT and TalkTalk] in exchange for a subscription payment of some kind. This may have implications for the BBC's strategy of promoting "free" access to its services."

Could the new initiative deliver a crushing blow to the YouView service? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

iTunes Radio international roll out officially starts in Australia, UK to follow?

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iTunes Radio international roll out officially starts in Australia, UK to follow?

Apple's iTunes Radio service is now officially available in Australia, marking the first time the customised radio service has been available outside of the United States.

In a press release sent out to the Aussie media, the company announced the availability on devices running iOS 7, the set top box and PCs and Macs with the latest version of iTunes.

The internet radio service, which rivals similar offerings from Spotify, Pandora and more, rolled out in the United States in September 2013, alongside the launch of iOS 7.

It allows users to create free radio stations based on songs and artists, as well as access stations created by Apple and guest musicians.

There's also 'first listens' where albums from the likes of Eminem have made debuts and the opportunity to add songs to an iTunes wishlist where they can be purchased to own.

UK-bound?

Since Apple launched iTunes Radio in the United States, the company's fans have patiently waited the international roll-out.

There have been a few false starts, with the service becoming briefly available to a few iTunes users in the UK and Canada in recent weeks.

Will the Australian launch mean an arrival in Blighty to give Spotify a run for its money is imminent? We've reached out to Apple and will update this story should a response be forthcoming.

Nokia 'Normandy' Android phone to launch at MWC sans signs of Google?

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Nokia 'Normandy' Android phone to launch at MWC sans signs of Google?

The Nokia "Normandy," the long-rumored Nokia Android phone, looks squared away for an official reveal at MWC 2014.

Normandy will also be released this month, the Wall Street Journal reports.

While it's good news for 'droid lovers, apparently Normandy will be specially tailored so that some Google features won't be promoted as heavily as they might be on a traditional Android phone - you know, one not made by a company now owned by Microsoft.

That means no Google Play Store, and the Normandy will instead feature a selection of apps created by Nokia and Microsoft, like Here maps and Mix Radio, plus a Nokia app store full of Android apps, the Journal's sources said.

Let's be practical

Nokia has long been focused on Windows Phone, but its work on an Android handset has been rumored for months. The Normandy's debut at MWC has even been touched on before.

However, ever since Microsoft picked up the Finnish phone maker for $7.4 billion (about £4.4 billion, AU$7.9 billion) in 2013, the Nokia Android phone's fate has presumably been up in the air.

Considering it was never officially announced to begin with, it seemed Microsoft could put its foot down at any time and cancel it altogether.

But the WSJ report says Nokia's engineers were working on the Android phone long before Microsoft began conducting due diligence leading up to the purchase, and the Windows company will reportedly let Normandy continue all the way to retail.

The apparent reason for that? Pragmatism. If the phone is debuting in a matter of weeks, then the legwork was likely completed months ago, and Microsoft would likely rather make some money off of it - even if it does run Android - then scrap it entirely and throw away all of Nokia's hard work.
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