"See the Ball, Hit the Ball"

(NEWSER) - Branch Rickey once complained that “there is nothing on earth anybody can do with fielding,” but that's about to change thanks to a complex new camera and computer system, the New York Times reports. The system, which will be unveiled for baseball executives tomorrow, records the exact speed and location of every ball and every player, giving stat geeks a mountain of new data. The idea is to get a better handle on intangibles such as which outfielder has the best arm. More»

(NEWSER) - The NFL is embracing new technology and exploring the possibility of broadcasting games in 3-D, the Wall Street Journal reports. Select industry insiders and executives have been invited to watch the Dec. 4 Chargers-Raiders game live at private screenings in theaters in LA, Boston, and New York. "We want to demonstrate this and let people get excited about it." says an NFL exec. More»

Radio hookup aims to keep foes (ie, Patriots) from stealing signals

(NEWSER) - NFL defenders are hearing voices in their heads—often the screams of their coaches. An off-season rule change allows select defensive players to use the same helmet communication devices quarterbacks have long been using, USA Today reports. While kinks are being ironed out, the system means incidents like the Patriots’ stealing of opponents’ hand signals will be a thing of football past. More»

'T-rays' provide speeds 20 times faster

(NEWSER) - Japanese scientists have set a whopping record for wireless data speeds—20 times faster than typical WiFi—by using an unconventional part of the electromagnetic spectrum known as the "T-ray" band. The researchers were able to transmit data at 3 gigabytes per second. "T-ray" technology could eventually lighten the load on lower WiFi frequencies that have become jam-packed by data-hungry consumers, reports BBC . More»

OK, technically they're terahertz band phones

(NEWSER) - Soon, your phone could let you see through walls, superhero-style. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have devised a way of harnessing the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum with inexpensive microchips much like those already found in most consumer electronics, and a way of creating images from that data. The result? "You could put this chip and receiver on the back of a cellphone, turning it into a device carried in your pocket that can see through objects," Dr. Kenneth O says. More»