3 Next Gen Sports Marketing Solutions


It’s just speculation, but I suppose the press and panel formula at the IMG World Congress of Sports (WCS) is modeled on technology conferences and not the typical sports conference event. That’s...

Microsoft backs free Boingo WiFi in NYC and San Francisco, hopes you’ll see Metro on the metro

New York City subway stop

Microsoft is about to launch a giant media blitz for Windows 8, and it wants to guarantee that even those of us heads-down in our laptops and smartphones take notice. It's sponsoring Boingo's WiFi, making it free at popular locations in New York City and San Francisco through the holidays to pitch both its new OS and the Windows Store. The San Francisco locations are already active and mostly cover signature locations such as Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square, but Microsoft is going all-out for the New York City campaign starting November 1st: the free WiFi will reach over 200 locations in Manhattan as well as the six NYC subway stations offering underground wireless. While some might not enjoy the hard sell on Windows 8 while they're checking into Foursquare, we'd say it's at least relevant that Microsoft pushes its urban sign UI in the city that was arguably the software's major inspiration.

[Image credit: pspyro2009, Flickr]

Continue reading Microsoft backs free Boingo WiFi in NYC and San Francisco, hopes you'll see Metro on the metro

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Microsoft backs free Boingo WiFi in NYC and San Francisco, hopes you'll see Metro on the metro originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insert Coin: Knut WiFi-enabled sensor hub (video)

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

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On the surface, Knut (pronounced Kah-noot) doesn't sound terribly exciting -- it's a pocketable WiFi-enabled device that beams you realtime stats over the web. But consider the possible applications, and you'll be much more anxious to pick one up. You can use Knut to measure humidity in your humidor, the temperature in your fish tank or even the status of a door or window. You can monitor stats in realtime, or set alerts so you'll know something's wrong before your goldfish cooks in the tank, those precious Cuban cigars you smuggled through Customs dry up and crumble or someone sneaks into your house through a window after you check in miles away on Foursquare. After popping in a pair of AAA batteries (which are said to last from 2 weeks to 10 years, depending on the battery and syncing options), you assign Knut an email address, which it then uses to communicate. Other Knuts can use the same email address, from which they'll send updates at pre-set intervals.

Knut ships with built-in temperature and battery level sensors, and it's compatible with a variety of add-ons, from humidity and vibration to door and water presence sensors. You can also create your own sensor using the breakout board. The project creators have developed a functional prototype, but they need to raise additional funds to pay programmers and buy materials for mass production. As usual, that's where you come in. The first 200 Kickstarter backers can hop on board the pre-order train with a pledge of $80, while an unlimited number of devices will be available for $95. A $115 pledge will get you a Knut and an additional sensor, while $175 will up the order to one Knut, three sensors and a three-port hub. There's six weeks left to go on the campaign, with a goal of $25,000 and an estimated September ship date. As always, you'll find everything you need in the demo video and source link, just after the break.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Knut WiFi-enabled sensor hub (video)

Insert Coin: Knut WiFi-enabled sensor hub (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kickstarter talks to us about product ‘pre-orders,’ won’t force refunds when creators flake

ImageKickstarter has proven an incredibly effective venue for connecting project creators with monetary support -- inventors pitch directly to consumers, indie filmmakers meet indie producers and food trucks get the financial push necessary to take their restaurants to the road. With the latter two, backers don't necessarily expect goods in return, save for an overvalued t-shirt, bumper sticker or film credit. When it comes to electronics, however, funders are often promised a first-off-the-line gadget -- one that may never arrive at their door.

One oft-overlooked, yet critical detail should help curb expectations, while also serving to filter out pledges that are motivated by the pre-order promise, from those that offer financial support without a guaranteed return. Like it or not, all transactions fall into that second category. Pre-order offers may go unfulfilled, and some pledges may be reduced to donations, if a project creator ends up unable to deliver an item as intended. And such situations may not prompt a refund, souring the experience for an increasing number of hopeful device owners. Join us past the break for an explanation from the Kickstarter team, and a closer look at some recent examples.

Continue reading Kickstarter talks to us about product 'pre-orders,' won't force refunds when creators flake

Kickstarter talks to us about product 'pre-orders,' won't force refunds when creators flake originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kubuntu 12.10 gains Blue Systems as sponsor, Canonical waves farewell

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Everyone loves a happy ending, and it's with this in mind that we share the latest round of good news from the Kubuntu team. Starting with version 12.10, the popular KDE variant of Ubuntu will have sponsorship from Blue Systems. Previously, Canonical announced its intention to drop its sponsorship of Kubuntu after the 12.04 LTS, Precise Pangolin release, but later revealed a willingness to let the Kubuntu team seek other sponsors. Fortunately, it's found a good one. Blue Systems has a solid track record in the KDE community and similarly sponsors distributions such as Netrunner and the KDE variant of Linux Mint. Likewise, it's encouraged Kubuntu developers to stay close to their roots and follow the same successful formula as before. The future looks bright for Kubuntu, and it's full of Plasma.

Kubuntu 12.10 gains Blue Systems as sponsor, Canonical waves farewell originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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