<![CDATA[Gizmodo: basketball]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: basketball]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/basketball http://gizmodo.com/tag/basketball <![CDATA[This Is How Michael Jordan Would Use a Kindle]]> Some people use their Kindles to read books. Others get Kindles to spend hours practicing crazy moves with them, like this reader today at the Gizmodo Gallery. Watch him spin the Kindle like a Michael Jordan would spin a basketball.

Read more about our Giz Gallery 09 here, follow @gizgallery on Twitter and see what else we'll be playing with at the event. And special thanks to Toyota's Prius — without their sponsorship, there would be no Gizmodo Gallery.

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<![CDATA[Popcorn-Flinging Basketball Bowl Shoots and Scores]]> The Wild Fling combines popcorn, basketball and a remote caddy in a single, ill-conceived bowl. And when you have tired of the hoop, lay siege to open mouths with precision popcorn shooting. [Taylor Gifts via 7Gadgets via SlipperyBrick]

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<![CDATA[Santa LeBron Gifts Unsuspecting Teammates With Flip Mino HD Cams]]> It's probably just the latest of King James's half-hourly endorsement contract fulfillments, but it's still slightly weird to see the 'Bron at the 2009 MVP rostrum pulling Flip cams out of a Best Buy bag.

First it was Beats by Dre headphones in the locker room, now it's Flip Minos awkwardly distributed onstage at the MVP crowning. By the looks of it, Delonte West is pretty used to the Santa LeBron treatment—he's still waiting for the Range. [Sporting News]

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<![CDATA[Android App of the Week: NBA Game Time Tracks the Playoffs]]> NBA's official Game Time app has hit the Market, just in time for the playoffs. On top of scores, stats and schedules, it can use Android's multitasking to track scores in real time.

Even though there's only one playoffs spot currently left somewhat up for grabs (hold on, Bulls!), you can use the app to keep track of standings. It'll deliver individual player stats for each completed game, and will tell you where to watch upcoming games on the schedule.

And best of all is the live score tracking, when you're away from your TV. And, it's free. Man, I've missed my Playoff night caps with Kenny, Ernie and Charles. Can't wait. Thanks, T-Mobile and the NBA, for keeping your mutual love going.

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<![CDATA[Kobe Bryant Can't Live Without DVR]]> It's no surprise that Kobe Bryant is a huge game film addict, but the LA Times's look at the tech Kobe uses to feed himself massive amounts of video daily is a great read.

Aside from the awesome dash-mounted screen in his Range Rover here, Kobe's primary window into getting into his opponents heads is a portable DVD player and custom-made "KB"-monogrammed headphones (eat that, Dr. Dre). He gets custom 8-12 minute montages of every player he may guard for every upcoming game, and watches them religiously.

Just like the Daily Show, the Lakers staff employs five laptops, eight DVRs and 18 DVD burners to crank out the footage for Kobe and the rest of the Lakers. Sure beats splicing together 8mm reels and getting mountains of VHS tapes in the mail; we live in a privileged age. [LA Times]

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<![CDATA[Mark Cuban To Resurrect Movie Theaters, NBA and 3D At Same Time]]> Mark Cuban thinks he can save the dying business of movie theaters, which are steadily losing out to home entertainment options as televisions get bigger and video games and pay-per-view choices get better. His plan? Enlist the help of two even more archaic forms of entertainment, the NBA and 3D glasses.

Tuesday night's Dallas Mavericks game against the LA Clippers will be shown in 3D at the Magnolia Theater in Dallas. Cuban believes that the set-up, which consists of the Fusion 3D camera system from Pace as well as two super serious Sony SXRD 4K 10,000 lumens digital cinema projectors, will promote widespread 3D adoption since "watching sports, concerts and special events" in 3-D will be something that "only theaters will be able to offer." (He does add that Samsung and others are bringing it to TVs, but somehow that doesn't get in the way of his argument.)

Let's get real here for a second, Mark. There are about 25 people who still care about the NBA (myself included), and probably 14 people who have worn a pair of 3D glasses in the last decade. Finding a single person in Texas interested in doing both at the same time sounds next to impossible. You've already banned bloggers from your team's locker room because they said some things you didn't like. For a so-called technology pioneer, you sure seem out-of-touch. [Reuters]

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<![CDATA[Gizmodo's March Madness Fantasy Gear Guide]]> It's that time of year again, when basketball, beer and betting join forces to create the most exciting month of sports known to man. You already called in sick, filled out your brackets and took a seat at the bar, but the following Elite Eight (plus one bonus!) are things you'll definitely need to prepare for the Big Dance.

pana%20big%20tv.jpegPanasonic 150" Plasma TV: It's called March Madness for a reason. With as many as 16 games to watch each day, don't you think you should be watching them in style? Also, we figure you could probably rig this baby to show all the games at once, but you should probably stay far away so you didn't get any drool on the screen.

remote.jpgPhilips Prestigo Remote Control: Buzzer-beaters are the name of the game when it comes to college basketball, and you never know when that history-making play could happen. Do yourself a favor, and get one of the biggest remotes money can buy. Program the buttons to switch between games, and that way you'll never miss a shot. Too bad there isn't a SAP button to have Gus Johnson calling every play.

couch.jpgHoverit Maglev Couch: Since you will likely spend an incredible amount of time in front of the television over the next four weeks, you should definitely have a comfortable place to sit. This couch is the ultimate technology statement next best thing, hovering above its base using magnets. Though it may not have the requisite beer holder, it gets bonus points for looking like the seat we'll use when Combat Basketball becomes a real sport.

beerbot.jpgBeer Robot: Speaking of beer, that staple beverage is a crucial part of any sporting event (assuming you aren't playing), but who knows what you may miss if you step away from the couch? This beer robot comes in handy, delivering a cold one straight to you so you never have to take your eyes off of the screen.

mmod.jpgNCAA March Madness On Demand: For those of you who forgot to call in sick to work, we feel your pain. But fear not, because you can watch the games right from the comfort of your desk. The NCAA is streaming the action over the web, but you better get log in early; the last time we checked, we were #141,782 in line to watch.

basketball-pc.jpgBasketball PC: If you are one of the unfortunate ones stuck watching the games from a PC, you might as well use this basketball PC-mod and show your coworkers where your heart is really focused. However, as enticing as it may look, please do not try to dribble the computer.


d3o.jpgD3O Body Armor: Who hasn't had a gambling mishap or two? What with arbitrary spreads, unexpected injuries and Cinderella stories, you can't expect to win them all. Our bookie Frankie didn't seem to get that message though, and he didn't appreciate our repeated cries to pay him next Tuesday. Well, we won't be making that mistake any more, next time we see Frankie we'll be loaded up with this D3O body armor. Suddenly those baseball bat attacks will feel just like hugs.

grand_cayman2.jpg• Offshore Bookie: Just because we aren't dealing with Frankie doesn't mean we have lost our insatiable appetite for risky betting. Luckily there are plenty of offshore betting websites to choose from. We have never tried these ourselves of course, but we hear that there's one good one involving some guy named Bo. Thankfully, their concept of credit is a bit different than old Frankie's.

Bonus:
jammer.jpgPalm-sized Cellphone Jammer: I wish I could time-travel back with this particular device to Bloomington, Indiana, a year or so ago, and stick it in Kelvin Sampson's desk. See, I graduated from IU, and I'm pretty disappointed with the way our great season went sour. All it took was a few (thousand) text messages from Coach Sampson. If your favorite coach has an addiction to text messages, I recommend you buy one of these and put it to use.

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<![CDATA[Arcade Basketball: Captain Insano Style]]>
All we can do after watching this kid play arcade basketball, beyond picking our jaws up off our desks, is apologize to our parents for wasting their money at Chuck E. Cheese. We obviously didn't fulfill the potential of the game and could have won whatever crappy toys we ended up throwing away three days later with much greater efficiency.

Best Arcade Basketball Guy Ever [Geekologie]

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<![CDATA[Exclusive: NBA Star Dwyane Wade Talks Gadgets, Sidekick 3]]> dwade-sk3.jpgI had a chance to talk to Dwyane Wade, of Miami Heat fame, about his limited edition Sidekick 3 coming out and other info. Jump to learn about why D-Wade designed his Sidekick the way he did, and other goods, including a final decision on the Mac versus PC debate (it is a shocker).

Giz: Thanks for talking to us today. Why did you decide to go with white and gold rather than red to represent the Miami Heat?

D.W.: Yeah, I thought it was pretty easy. Going off the championship round we had last year all white and then with the championship and the gold. I thought it would be a nice look, something different.

Giz: What other factors played into the unique design?

D.W.: I wanted to find a way to put my name and stuff on it and not be too much. I got the gold threes around on the front part and the screen part. I got my name and my silhouette of myself on the back of the screen, but the most important thing to me was probably, if you pick one up and see the back, it is different, it is more like a basketball kind of material.

Giz: Did you decide on the synthetic basketball from the first half of the season, or the real leather basketball?

D.W.: It does kind of look like real leather. It's a little different than the real leather; it's not real leather, per se. It's not synthetic like the basketballs we played with. It's a little different. It just gives comfort. It just gives a different look.

Giz: Do you ever get sick of the basketball texture? Would you prefer something different like maybe ... a tennis-ball, or raquetball grip?

D.W.: Nah. I stick with what I know.

Giz: So what is your preferred method of communication? Text messaging, calling or e-mail?

D.W.: Actually one of my teammates turned me onto the Sidekick. I've been using it every chance I can get, I don't talk on the phone much. You can ask anybody—I'm always e-mailing and instant messaging. It's a huge thing now with younger people. We instant message a lot, it is just new means of communication. We instant message all the time. It is always in my hand. It's always in my Sidekick holder—it is a part of me.

Giz: Would you ever consider making a special edition Dwyane Wade Blackberry to appeal to the business folks?

D.W.: You know what, haven't got there yet. It is a good idea, though.

Giz: Besides the Sidekick, what are some of your other can't-live-without gadgets?

D.W.: Can't live without gadgets? I'm not really a big gadget guy. Besides the Sidekick, the only other thing I travel with ... got to have my laptop, got to have my iPod. Besides that, that's it.

Giz: Our readers need to know: are you a Mac or PC guy?

D.W.: Neither. I'm a Sony guy.

Giz: What kind of plans do you have for future D-Wade-branded consumer electronics?

D.W.: Right now this is the first thing. It is going to be great. I think a lot of people are getting a buzz already about it. A lot of people have been hitting me up: '"Yo, I heard you have an SK3 coming out." A lot of people are excited because, you know, it's a Sidekick. It's a very hip thing to have. A lot of people, of course, are asking for it. I can't wait for it to come out.

==

So, what did we learn from one Mr. Dwyane Wade? Well, he likes to bling out a phone. He likes his basketball number, three. Unfortunately, he isn't releasing a special edition Blackberry. The man is just like me when it comes to gadgets. All I need is my phone, laptop and iPod to be happy.

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<![CDATA[Digiview Basketball Projection Clock - Official Gift of Relatives Who Don't Give a &@#!]]> Are you looking for that special gift that tells a distant cousin, "I don't really give a crap that you are a successful tax attorney blogger who makes occasional appearances on Bloomberg cropped-head YouTube stripteases. Back when you were five, you played basketball in a peewee league for a month, and since then I haven't thought of you once."

Well then here you go, it only costs $14.99. I'll look forward to opening it.

Product Page [via blogpcnews]

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<![CDATA[NBA Rolls Out Updated Official Basketball]]> The National Basketball Association has announced an improved Official Game Ball that will debut in the 2006-07 NBA basketball season, the first time the official ball has been changed in 35 years and only the second time in 60 seasons. Instead of the traditional eight panels of leather sewn together, now it's constructed of two interlocking cross-shaped panels of microfiber composite material, which doesn't need the break-in period needed by currently-used leather balls.

Spalding says its "Cross Traxxion" technology makes the ball easier to grip, more consistent from ball to ball than the old leather style, and also better able to resist moisture buildup. The $100 high-tech ball will be available online at the beginning of the NBA basketball season in October. A basketball for $100? Mkay.

NBA Introduces New Game Ball [NBA.com]

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<![CDATA[CBS Teams Up with iTunes for March Madness]]> CBS is jumping all over the NCAA hoops tourney, where first it's streaming the whole college basketball tournament for free from its own website, and now it's teamed up with Apple to bring edited versions of the games the day after they re aired for $1.99 each. If that's not enough, for $19.99 you can sign up for a Season Pass where you'll get condensed versions of all 63 match-ups. For those all-important semifinal and Final Four games, you'll be able to download those in their entirety the next day. So if you're not paying attention to sports scores, this might be a highly efficient way to stay semi-current on roundball happenings.

CBS Sports & Apple Offer 2006 NCAA Men s Basketball Tournament [Apple press release]

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<![CDATA[March Madness Webcast on CBS for Free]]> CBS is jumping into web video headfirst, streaming every game of the first three rounds of the NCAA Basketball Tournament live on the web for free. March Madness On Demand lets you follow your favorite hoops team from oblivion to the big show, and the only price you pay is watching the ads from one of the 20 sponsors of the webcast. CBS will also black out any game that s broadcast in your TV market, but so what? You can watch that game on TV while you watch the rest on your PC. Oh yeah, and you're required to sign up for the service, too—CBS is offering it on a first-come first-served basis, so get your name in before it's too late.

Sounds like some records are about to be broken. This could be a webcasting event that begins a new era. It's about time.

March Madness Webcast Free [Zatz Not Funny]

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<![CDATA[Basketball PCs]]> The only sport I'm interested in is mass slam-dunking spam email into the proverbial black hole. I'm sure, however, there are people out there that actually like playing sports. If you're one such individual, this line of basketball-style PCs from Style Gate may just be for you. They also come in soccer and American football varieties if basketball isn't your game. PC specs: USB 2.0, Firewire, Ethernet, plus bonus features like S-video out, standard, but due to their dinky size, don't expect much in terms of expandability. Not that any of this matters to the aficianado who wants to show off his dedication to the sport, computer-style.

There doesn't seem to be any pricing information on the site, and no word on the release dates, if any.

Style Gate: About Sport-Basketball [Style Gate]

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