| Machines cannot rule soccer - 25/04/2006 |
I have watched with growing suspicion the number of experts who suggest that soccer needs the latest technical and technological help in ensuring the game keeps up with modern progress. Rugbys use of the TV ref for difficult try scoring decisions has been largely successful but I think the nature of rugby and in particular the occasion of a try makes it easier to use the TV ref. In a column on the News24 site, George Dearnaley says that no matter what the TV refs decision, the ball would have been dead and the game would have stopped anyway. It is then simply a case of making the decision and either awarding a try or a 5m scrum or a 22-drop kick. The reality is that soccer is a game of mistakes, made by both sets of players, even by the managers, so why should the officials (who are mostly only human) be any different. Until goalkeepers hold on to every shot, or defenders time every tackle perfectly, or midfielders land every pass on a teammates plate or strikers hit the target with every shot, I dont think we can have a go at officials who get the majority of their decisions correct.
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Read the full column on the News24 site
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| MTN to be official cellular network provider for 2010 - 22/03/2006 |
SAs second cellular network provider today announced that it had signed an exclusive agreement with the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to broadcast the Fifa World Cup 2006 on cellphones. MTN SA GM corporate affairs and marketing Bernice Samuels said that the group would be able to use the platform of soccer as a medium to grow the brand on the continent, and to broaden its footprint. Our aim is to deliver a memorable broadcast as MTN, the SABC and the nation prepare for the journey to 2010, she said.
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Full Engineering News report
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| Beware of 2010 World Cup e-mail scam - 20/04/2006 |
Police have warned the public against responding to the latest e-mail scam enticing people to forward their personal details in return for a share in millions of rands purportedly used for lobbying support for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The sender of the email, which polices commercial branch said was a Nigerian 419 scam, claims to be the chairperson on a sub-committee on finance for the SA World Cup bid.
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Full report on the IOL site
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| LG plasma TV sales to be boosted by WC - 18/04/2006 |
This years World Cup is expected to break records for TV audience numbers, and global and regional digital leader LG Electronics is hoping for a 40% jump in GCC plasma TV sales in the run-up to the tournament.
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Full Ame Info report
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| Ticket holders to be checked against database - 16/04/2006 |
Regardless of the outcome of the World Cup in Germany several weeks away, the games already have their place in history: never before have fans attending an event organised by Fifa been required to provide so much information about themselves that can be accessed so quickly.
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Full PC Advisor report
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| Internet video services boom predicted - 11/04/2006 |
Internet video services, such as Internet Protocol TV and video-on-demand, will be a $1.7bn market by 2010, the International Data Corporation (IDC) recently predicted. However, MD of World Wide Worx Arthur Goldstuck says in SA its almost impossible to forecast future revenues for an industry that hasnt even bedded down its business models.
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Full ITWeb report
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| PSL gets a technology update - 06/04/2006 |
The newly independent Choice Technologies has won a three-year deal to overhaul and extend the technology systems used by the Premier Soccer League (PSL). The contract includes installing new e-mail systems and networks based on internet protocol technology to carry voice and data traffic on a single network. Choice is also expected to come up with innovative ideas to help the PSL gather, analyse and use its soccer statistics in ways to generate new revenue.
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Full Business Day report
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| Rok brings live WC TV for cellular phones - 24/03/2006 |
We weren’t expecting to see live World Cup games on our mobs till SA 2010, but Rok has time-shifted our expectations with this black box: a TV streamer that’ll let you watch all of your channels live on a mobile. The BLCX connects to your TV and throws channels – even ones from your Sky digibox – directly to your phone via your broadband connection. Unlike Rok’s existing service, there are no extra subscription fees, and you change channels using your mobile keys. So, which phones will it work with?
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Full report in Stuff Magazine
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