“Three hours before a start against Florida, Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings sits in front of his locker, puts on his headphones and stares at his video iPod,” The Associated Press reports.
“He isn’t watching the latest Coldplay video or catching up on an episode of “Alias” as a way to relax before the game,” AP reports. “Jennings is doing some last-minute cramming: The Rockies’ video staff has downloaded every Marlins hitter into his iPod, and Jennings is figuring out how to pitch to them. He watches frames of himself delivering the pitch, followed by the result of the play. Everything else is weeded out.”
“‘It’s a good way to refresh yourself on how you got guys out,’ Jennings said. ‘It’s an amazing concept.’ The Rockies have taken the iPod beyond entertainment. And the idea has caught on — teams such as Florida and Seattle have called the Rockies to explore their innovative use of the iPod,” AP reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jimbo von Winskinheimer” and “Carl Carlson” for the heads up.]
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I’m famous!
This has nothing to do with iPod technology and everything to do with teh pitching staff using video editing to create a library of movies.
If the story was that they were using Tablet PCs and MediaPlayer 11 it would be a non-story.
Jimbo, is that you? It’s been years…
I use my iPod to listen to music on the way to class and watch videos.
I disagree with me. (that sounds funny). Apple has made it easy to put movies on the iPod. It’s also easy to carry them around, easy to sync up, easy to go frame-by-frame. I think me is just upset because mommy didn’t get him one for Christmas!
Actually “me,” it’s just another story in the growing list of those who use the iPod as a platform for things beyond entertainment. This is what has yet to catch on more and more with time. The iPod will quickly become a device that people carry with them that has capabilities above and beyond its original intent.
What’s really notable, though, is how it’s happening. The development of the iPod as a multi-purpose platform is happening organically, as people figure out cool ways of using it. Instead of so many companies that create devices with a buttload of features no one knows how or when to use, the iPod is growing from peoples’ interests and needs. This kind of growth is sustainable and further puts the iPod out in front– when people are interested enough to create new ways of using something, it becomes a part of them. This is what Apple’s products are famous for– they take on a personal quality above and beyond regular tools.
My 4 cents.
CARL!
Like I said before
The uses for the video iPod are numerous, educational, instructional etc etc.
Apple could do just a little bit more to make this a seemless process, especially converting any video format into a iPod friendly one automatically in iTunes.
Right now I’ve found this software to be extremely useful
http://www.techspansion.com/visualhub/
However it won’t rip DVD movies so this software is used instead
http://handbrake.m0k.org/
But since the video ipod has come out there has been a increase in doing video related stuff, which is good for everyone.
Oh
Also having a device like this comes in handy so one isn’t staring at the small screen and getting a sore arm.
http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/PhotoAlbum26.html
It’s also about using Final Cut Pro to edit, and using Compressor to run batch jobs to scale, filter, and recompress clips to iPod, and using Automator to make the workflow seamless. It’s about Apple owning the whole pipeline, including hardware, system software, applications, and devices, and keeping an eye on real customer workflows, as well as dreaming up and supporting new workflows.
To say it’s just a story about playing movies on an iPod is wacky silliness.
Jimbo – You are both childish and incorrect. I own a video iPod.
R – You make an interesting rebuttal, but I contend that had the story said “Windows Tablet PC” it would be of no interest. Yes, it is an interesteing use of the medium, but they haven’t leveraged the “device as a platform”.
They are using the device just as intended – to catalog and retrieve video clips. Instead, if they actually wrote a progam (like Nike/Apple did) that allowed the pitcher to say, use the click wheel to simulate varied speed pitches against actual batter’s modeled batting styles, then YEAH, THAT would be COOL.
I’m just saying that if it wasn’t on an iPod, it wouldn’t be a story.
Wow – I thought they figured out a way to download HGH to their iPods to sneak in the locker room…how disappointing it’s for a legit cause.
SB
Stocks have been shorted today.
most shorters called it quit after yesterdays non-stop upcline.
This morning they begun shorting.
That is whats keeping the dow at an EVEN level
altho tons of buyers pouring in as a result of the 2 day in a row rally, shorters are stopping them.
this can mean only one thing, within an hour shorters will get out, so dow will close up.
Me–
It would be a non-story about a tablet because a tablet and any other computer device offers itself as a device “that can handle the job” whatever it is. That a small, easy to use “gadget” is far more powerful and useful than originally thought is the real story. Carry a tablet in your pocket to training camp…
Its time to give in and call it the “Video iPod” despite the logical objections. In langage, the shortest phrase always wins (Zipf’s law) and usage always trumps logic.
LENNY!
Recognition on the first try! MDN over macrumors any day!
R –
Would it be a story if the coach were out of town and the player listened to a podcast of inspirational speaches or game tips from the coach?
The iPod is freaking designed to play video clips. That the video clips are of a useful learning aide rather than an entertaining music video is not terribly news worthy.
Don’t get me wrong – I think it has some ‘cool’ factor to it, but I don’t think they have done anything news worthy here.
Well, I just checked…
Colorado is currently in last place in the NL West. Florida is in last place in the NL East and Seattle is in second-to-last place in the AL West.
So I’m not sure that the iPod is helping. Maybe they should try “Origami” devices instead.
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(WHAT?! The Mets lead the NL East?!?! When the hell did that happen?!?!?)
Video clips are not the issue. The question is why do people buy iPods? Entertainment. As such, new uses stand out to raise this platform to a different and more interesting level.
Usine radio waves to transmit information was old hat mid century, yet television was a new, more sophisticated use of it. NASA then used radio waves in an even more sophistiacted way. Old idea, new implementation.
Even if you’re not impressed, the iPod is opening doors with regard to what people can do with “personal tech.” No one could have done more with a Walkman if they wanted to, for example. The tech and form factor of the iPod make it a platform that has real possibilities for expansion. That’s the issue.
Yes, it’s designed to play videos and music. Yet, it’s being extended to show 3D internal body scans, pro ball training, language learning/translation, maps of subways and cities…
Just because something is designed to do something doesn’t mean it’s utilized well. This device was made AS A MUSIC PLAYER. It’s far more.
Cool stuff.
There sending Weaver back to the minors?!?!?!?!?
No amount of iPods is going to make-up pure stupidity.