American Olympic Shaun White will compete in his third Olympics in Sochi, Russia this week. (Credit: USA Today)
Good morning, and Happy Friday! The XXII Winter Olympic Games get underway in Sochi, Russia today.
The technology we use has changed considerably since the last time the world came together for the winter Olympics in Vancouver, back in 2010.
When those games were held, Apple had yet to ship its first iPad, BlackBerry was the top selling smartphone, and most people still watched the Olympics on a television. Here’s how technology and the internet have changed the sporting event since then.
Streaming Video: Gone are the days of racing home to catch the primetime figure-skating finals, or staying up late to watch your favorite athlete. NBC, the official network carrying the games in the US, will stream every event online.
Even when you do turn on a TV to watch the games this week, you’ll likely have a smartphone or tablet there with you. Be sure to download these apps to get the most out of the games [iMore].
https://twitter.com/SochiProblems/statuses/430811128793292802
Social Media: There has been a lot of buzz on Twitter leading up to tonight’s Opening Ceremony. Little of it has been about sports.
Instead, we’re seeing pictures of awkward toilets and unfinished buildings. The account @SochiProblems has become an instant hit as spectators from around the world have arrived in a city not quite ready to welcome them.
Security: Hundreds of cameras have been set up throughout the venues and Olympic Village. The safety of athletes, spectators and everyone in Sochi is the top priority of the International Olympic Committee, which will use state-of-the-art surveillance technology to monitor the event.
Here’s what else you should know this morning.
Google Sends a Subtle but Strong Message with Doodle
Today’s Google homepage, http://www.google.com.
- Google posted a rainbow-colored “doodle” featuring winter sports on its homepage today, marking the opening of the Olympics with an expression of support for gay rights [WSJ Digits].
- Russia made headlines last year when it passed a discriminatory law banning pro-gay “propaganda” [The Telegraph].
- The doodle is accompanied by a quote from the Olympic Charter, which calls for games “without discrimination of any kind,” and appears on Google’s homepage in every country, including Russia [Gizmodo].
Also Making Headlines This Friday Morning
- HP announced yesterday that they will release a “Chromebox” this spring, a desktop device running Google’s Chrome OS which has mostly appeared on “Chromebooks” so far [ZDNet].
- Apple is gearing up to release products that help us monitor our health, according to a new job posting on the company’s website. Cue more iWatch rumors [Mashable].
- A new California bill would require smartphone manufactures to equip their devices with anti-theft technology, known as a “kill-switch,” in an effort to reduce cellphone-related crimes in the state [New York Times].
- Pinterest has radically redesigned their mobile website this morning, bringing powerful features to the mobile web, great for customers who do not use Pinterest’s app but want to pin on the go [CNET].
- If you’re a PC and Firefox user, Mozilla has a new touch-friendly version of their browser for you to try this morning [TNW].
And Finally, Great Tech Reads for the Weekend
- Here’s Why Facebook Isn’t Going Anywhere Anytime Soon, by Caroline Moss. [Business Insider]
- Prosthetic Hand Gives Man the Ability to Feel Again, by Alex Magdaleno. [Mashable]
- Our Love Affair With the Tablet Is Over, by Zal Bilimoria. [Recode]
- How Amazon Forced CVS to Stop Selling Cigarettes, by Marcus Wohlsen. [Wired]
- And just for fun: The 19 Sochi Olympians You Should Follow on Instagram, by Leslie Horn. [Gizmodo]
Thanks for joining me on TechToday this week. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Thanks starting your day with TechToday, a new morning roundup of the tech stories you’ll want to know. What would you like to see here Monday morning? Let me know by leaving a comment, or by reaching out to me on Twitter @DrewRapp.
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