Microsoft Kinect: Disruptive Technology

A disruptive technology is one that changes the way that people think about a process.  Some examples of this type of technology are the car vs. horse/carriage, cell phone vs. house phone, etc.  Microsoft Kinect, a gaming system put out by the makers of the Xbox, is such a type of technology.  Instead of gaming with a controller connected to the console or wirelessly, the console instead uses a motion sensor to detect the movement of the players body.  The body of the player is the controller!  It tracks movements, and these movements are then seen on screen.  While their have been constant advantages in the quality of gaming over the year, this Kinect device is totally transforming the gaming world.

Where could this industry go next?  Or is this as real as it can get?

Summary of Technology in Sports

My blog all semester has been predominately about the impact of technology on sports.  What better to do then than a summary of technology in sports?

Technology has changed the way we prepare and play games, what we wear and equipment we use during the games, and how we even view the games as fans.  It has allowed for better information to be available for competing athletes.  This allows them to be better prepared for the games, which leads to a better quality game by both teams.  Technology in shoes has helped athletes to run faster and jump higher.  Technology has helped make jersey materials lighter, making athletes split seconds faster.  Sometimes, a split-second is the difference between a touchdown being scored or not, or a runner being safe or out at a base.  Equipment advances because of technology has allowed athletes to perform better as well.  For instance, the way tennis rackets are put together is much more advanced now than in the past.  Different materials are used for the strings, leading to faster hit speeds and more solid contact.  And finally, as I talked about in my last blog, the many options available to fans to view the game is growing rapidly.  It is almost impossible for a fan to be oblivious to what is going on in the sporting world with all the avenues we now have to watch games.

Just like any firm or market needs to adapt to technology, the world of sports had to do the same.  The sporting market has been willing to do so, and it has led to a better overall experience for the fan because of increased performance by the players.  This better performance and viewing capability was made possible by technology.

Technology Changing the Way We Watch Sports

With the many technological advances in television, internet, and cellular devices, the accessibility of watching sports and keeping up with teams is at an all-time high.  Back in the "olden days," people were lucky if they could catch their favorite football team on television as the game of the week.  If their team was not televised, then they had to resort to listening to the radio.  Now, if our favorite team is not on television, we can watch the game being streamed live on the internet.  If they are not streamed on the internet, then you can usually follow the game on gamecast.  This allows you to see what is going on in the game, though you are not watching the actual live action.  There are also now apps and internet on phones that allow up to the minute updates on all sports. 

It is amazing how much more we can follow the sporting world because of technology.  How much more can technology actually change the way we follow sports?  Have we hit the ceiling?  Or are the possibilities endless?

Golf Ball Technology

http://www.sportstechreview.com/

Many people love to play golf.  Some play it well, while others (like me) play it very poorly.  I have lost many golf balls on my many errant shots.  It is estimated that about 500 million golf balls are lost per year.  Prazza is trying to change this.  They are developing a golf ball that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to help golfers locate their lost balls. The price is being is significantly higher than regular golf balls, but the added value of not losing balls makes up for the increase in price. 

Ducote Outsourcing: Cisco

I recently saw a Cisco commercial that highlighted one of their clients:  Ducote Motorcycles.  The commercial showed a Ducote motorcycle and talked about how good they were.  The commercial then shifts directions, saying that Ducote knows what they are good at, which is motorcycles.  It then says that they use Cisco for their networking and systems. This is a real life example of outsourcing.


Ducote sticks to their core competency of making quality motorcycles.  They then outsource what they are not good at performing.  This commercial would not have ever stuck out to me without this class, as I would not have been thinking about outsourcing and core competencies.

Technology in Shoes?

Can shoes become so technologically advanced that they are banned by the NBA?  Apparently, the answer to this question is yes.  While many training shoes have claimed to help increase performance, the Concept 1, also known as the "Launch 'N Load, is thought to increase performance so greatly that it was banned by the NBA this week.

The shoe was invented by two former walk-on basketball players at the University of Southern California.  It has a proprietary, springlike device under the balls of the feet.  The NBA claims that it gives too much of a competitive advantage to those who wear them.

This just shows the broad implications of technology.  Of course we hear about how technology is changing things such as electronics and businesses.  However, it is not often that we hear about a shoe being banned because of technology employed in it giving a huge competitive advantage to the wearer.

Anyone else have a technological advancement something like this, where you would not ordinarily expect one? 

NBA Innovations

For years in basketball, videotape of games from many different angles is broken down for players to study their shots, dribbles, and overall fundamentals.  While this technology was good at serving its purpose, there is a new wave of technology being implemented in the NBA now.  This technology is similar to the technology used in the movie Avatar.  It captures every movement of the player throughout the game.  Sensors would be put on the uniforms and shoes of the players to allow for this capture of information.  For example, the sensors could measure the release points of shots of a player, determining which release point is the best for that certain player.

This shows that all companies and industries need to be open changing their processes.  Here, the NBA, a sports league, looked to technology in Avatar, a movie, to make its product better.  I believe that being open-minded to change is key for companies and industries.  Using this technology to increase efficiencies in players can lead to a better product, leading to better customer happiness, ultimately leading to an even better overall NBA experience.