WHISTLER, B.C. — For decades, ski resorts have been behind the technology curve. Sure, there were lots of cool developments in the design of everything from skis to boards to goggles. But the business of buying a ski pass and using the lift system at your favorite mountain was pretty old-school. Skiers and snowboarders know the drill: Pay for your lift ticket and get a small metal triangle, a piece of paper with a bar code and sticky backing on it, which you use to put the ticket on your jacket or ski pants. But now, with RFID (radio-frequency identification)… Read More
The popularity of competitive gaming — also known as eSports — continues to rise, and some predict that it may surpass traditional sports within the next few years. Global brand agency Momentum today released a new research study that asked gamers about their media consumption habits and thoughts on the future of gaming. Momentum, which utilized Twitch’s Research Power Group to poll more than 2,600 gamers across the U.S., U.K., and Japan, found that 53 percent of respondents think people will spend more time watching and playing games than watching and playing traditional sports within the next five years. Momentum CEO Chris… Read More
More Vicis helmets are out in the wild as the Seattle startup prepares to equip NFL and NCAA teams with its high-tech product this fall. Vicis will provide its helmet to 15-to-20 players who are participating in The Spring League, a new developmental football league that will host a 6-game season this month to help players looking to make NFL, CFL, and Arena Football League teams. Former NFL players like Greg Hardy, Kellen Winslow Jr., Ahmad Bradshaw, and others will be participating in the league, which is not directly associated with the NFL. “Having NFL-caliber athletes hitting hard with the helmet over the course… Read More
IBM is using new technology to help speed up the highlight reel production process at the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. The company, which has provided technology support at the Masters for more than two decades, this year is testing a new platform that utilizes video, audio, and text cognitive recognition software — part of its IBM Watson platform — to extract exciting moments from live video streams. It uses computer vision algorithms to analyze the video content and understand what’s going on — for example, a player pumping his fist — while also converting the audio from commentators to text in… Read More
Editor’s Note: Jeff Shulman, a University of Washington Foster School of Business marketing professor, hosts Seattle Growth Podcast. His second season explores efforts to revive the Sonics in Seattle. He’s also our guest on this week’s GeekWire podcast, below. Seattle’s tech companies and workers are facing an event that would likely have an impact on their future: a return of the NBA franchise Seattle Supersonics, or at least an arena capable of welcoming the team home. “You ask any major employer how they recruit their talent, these other amenities are a part of their business proposition,” Brian Surratt, director of Seattle’s Office… Read More
