On the heals of the new live scoreboard integration within our iPhone Apps, InGameNow has added real-time boxs cores. The box scores appear on game pages - they update for live games and are chronicled for past games. The box scores are available on www.ingamenow.com (which renders nicely for the iPhone) and will come to the iPhone Apps shortly. Stay tuned:
The future is here. And it's on the iPhone.
InGameNow has released updates to all of its iPhone Apps - just in time for March Madness and the NCAA Tournament: - Live scoreboard - New format for in game results / chatter - Live scores in the header of each game page - Scoring alerts (live across the iPhone, Gtalk, AIM, etc)
If there is ever a time to download an InGameNow iPhone App... it's now! Below is a screenshot of the new NCAA Basketball App - click it to download in iTunes:
Get all the iPhone Sports Apps by InGameNow:
- InGameNow iPhone App
- NFL iPhone App
- NBA iPhone App
- UFC / MMA iPhone App
- NCAA Football App
- NCAA Basketball App
- Soccer iPhone App
When Adam Carolla started his new podcast series, I wrote that radio and satellite radio was officially dead... why would talent like Adam Carolla stick with those formats when they can reach instant success via podcasting?
A week later... the data is even more overwhelming:
- Carolla set a world record for podcast downloads with over 550,000 to a single podcast (Carolla with ESPN host Dave Damechek) - Carolla is averaging 2,000,000 downloads per week (thats 400,000 per show) - He still hasn't fully figured out the format - the sound quality varies and the website is still amazingly simple
This is great news for consumers:
- I get access to daily content that is available commercial free and on-demand - Carolla is clearly happy, excited and engaged... and he's producing great content - Much like the way the web moves, podcasting does a great job of introducing listeners to other content providers / sources. Dave Damechek's subscription rate must be through the roof... and so it moves serendipitously - Apple and iTunes are making it easier to download podcasts via wifi on the iPhone - making it even easier to subscribe
And most importantly, Carolla's podcasting success means that he will find financial success through the format - which in turn means that he will continue and others will follow. We all win.
I've written about Apple's innovative ad units before - in particular, on Yahoo.And, I've criticized ESPN's new ad formats before.
Today, the two came together in a great way: Apple is running another experiential, rich-media campaign on ESPN's homepage. The ad is again terrific and far more engaging than anything else on the web... you know an ad is effective when you press the replay button (again and again). Add engagement, large real estate and rich-media - and you can believe that ESPN is fetching great CPMs.
I do have two remarks though:
1. I do not like that the ad unit extends across the entire screen because it causes inadvertent clicking. I understand why it is technically positioned that way - but it is annoying and very transparent....
2. It is strange that there doesn't seem to be a user cap - I have seen this ad 10+ times today. Usually the advertiser would cap it on an IP or cookie basis? I see Rapleaf ads dozens of times a day... it kills me. And not only is it annoying - it loses its efficacy after viewing #50.
This morning, Motley Fool asks whether it is game over for Game Stop as Toys "R" Us in encroaching into their territory of video game buying / selling / trading. ... who cares?
I continue to ask why you would ever shop at Game Stop? Or Toys "R" Us or the Playstation Store (now closing) and so on for Video Games?
I just bought MLB The Show 2009 for Playstation 3 on Amazon. It arrived on 'opening' day, was discounted by 5-10% and didn't include taxes. Furthermore, it was entirely hassle free: a few clicks on Amazon.com and it arrived at my front door.
And Amazon now has a trade in program to save an additional 10% (which is about what you would get at Game Stop... if you want to extract the maximum value of trade ins, you are best served on eBay or Half.com):
The same question stands for purchasing DVDs at Borders and Barnes & Nobles. They cost nearly double the price of that found on Amazon and have far worse selection. Unless you need a movie specifically at that moment - these purchases makes no sense.
beRecruited has had some great press coverage over the last few weeks - in part because of our growth, in part because of recruiting season and in part because of the struggling economy (which puts more of a need on scholarship availability / seeking). The latest was coverage by Boston's WBZ whose coverage was both on television (see video below) and in print. The exciting theme in all of beRecruited's recent press is the service's effectiveness. Every article has mentioned (with testimonials to validate it) the overwhelming response that the subscribing athletes have received:
Between the economic crisis and soaring college tuition bills, high school athletes are feeling more pressure than ever to land a scholarship.
But finding the right school and the right offer can be a daunting task for a high school student. Private consultants can help, but they can cost thousands of dollars, a high price to pay in these tough times...
Courtney Letourneau, a soccer player at Wachusett Regional High School, joined Berecruited.com early in her college search. She said she heard from dozens of coaches.
"It's really surprising who's interested in you, how many colleges there are because I've never heard of half of them," she said.
Courtney landed a scholarship at Long Island University.
"I only have to pay $3,000 a year," she said.
Attention sports fans - InGameNow has added live scoreboards to its suite of iPhone Apps. Now you can easily access real-time scores from that day's events and navigate to the discussion for that particular game:
If you have already downloaded the iPhone Apps, they are now available for updating via the iTunes Store. If you have not, please use the links below to install:
Get all the iPhone Sports Apps by InGameNow:
- InGameNow iPhone App
- NFL iPhone App
- NBA iPhone App
- UFC / MMA iPhone App
- NCAA Football App
- NCAA Basketball App
- Soccer iPhone App
beRecruited continues to have great press. Today's Bemidji Pioneer and Post-Bulletin describes how beRecruited helped the Bemidji State's football program recruit players from across the nation:
In this Feb. 4 photo, Bemidji State head football coach Jeff Tesch announces the 2009 recruiting class on national signing day during a press conference at Bemidji State University. Tesch and the Bemidji State coaching staff relied on beRecruited.com to help reach student-athletes and fill their class.
For Collin Stoffel, Internet networking played a big role in picking the Bemidji State football team on national signing day.
Stoffel, a linebacker out of Willow Canyon High School in Surprise, Ariz., took a proactive approach to reach college football through the Web site beRecruited.com.
"For me, I was looking to outsource the information about me any way I could," Stoffel said. "It was a way that I could reach as many coaches as I possibly could."
Similar in Facebook's ability to be an Internet social networking tool, beRecruited.com is a bridge connecting high school athletes wishing to play a collegiate sport to recruiting collegiate coaches.
Each athlete on the site has a personal page that showcases abilities. Coaches can then search the site looking at the database of athletes without leaving the office.
Among the items viewable on Stoffel's beRecruited.com page is his biography, academic achievements, game photos, athletic testing information and football highlight video.
That page was where Bemidji State running backs coach Bryan Stoffel noticed Collin, who is listed at 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds.
"Coach Stoffel contacted me by e-mail initially and told me that he loved my info and loved what he saw on the page," Collin Stoffel said. "He also said he liked my name and it seemed like destiny that I would be coming to Bemidji after seeing that."