cups

Vuvuzela sim: Goooooaaaalllll, bzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Vuvuzela 2010 is a free vuvuzela simulator--an iPhone and iPad app for reproducing the droning buzz of the globally infamous stadium horn heard in every World Cup 2010 soccer match.

Vuvuzela 2010 has a simple interface: a long vuvuzela fills your screen lengthwise, and you just tap it (or, even better, shake your device) to produce a loud, realistic "vuvu" drone, which sounds even better on speakers or headphones.

You can tap (or shake) it repeatedly to create a looping--and potentially even more irritating--sound, and you can customize the horn's color by tapping one of 10 jerseys … Read more

The 404 608: Where we score in extra time (podcast)

YES. WE. DID. The 1-0 American victory over Algeria in the Group C World Cup game this morning caused us to start the podcast a little later than normal, but we're back and feeling proud to be Americans--not even two disallowed goals can keep us from victory!

On today's episode of The 404 Podcast, Jeff gives you a First Look at Microsoft's Kinect motion control system, Google Voice is finally out of beta and available to the masses, and we're still reminiscing about toys from the '90s, stuff like the TalkBoy, Duncan YOYOs, and K'Nex!… Read more

Why Twitter still has to get its game on--fast

In March, Twitter CEO Evan Williams first unveiled @Anywhere, a new platform aimed at media outlets to knit Twitter more deeply into their own sites. After all, Twitter has become more or less synonymous with real-time, breaking news--so it seems like any publisher would want to work @Anywhere into its code to put the latest, freshest information front and center. Right?

Unfortunately, Twitter has recently indicated that it still can't handle breaking news.

On Wednesday, when the U.S. soccer team defeated Algeria 1-0, advancing the team to the next round of the FIFA World Cup in South … Read more

Justin Bieber out-tweeted by French World Cup drama

Like you, I heard rumors that the World Cup had sent the Internet into a record paroxysm of activity.

However, Tuesday, I tried to perform an experiment to see if Twitter motion reflected that of the Web at large.

So I asked the vast and swift brains at Kosmix, who have created tweetbeat.com/worldcup to have at least 11 fingers on the soccering pulse of the Twittering world, to perform an exclusive analysis and tell me just how Tuesday morning's games were being reflected on Twitter.

Tuesday morning's games were important, because their results would lead to … Read more

Lakers victory defeats World Cup Twitter records

Sports fans are raising Twitter's usage to a new level: A goal by Japan's World Cup soccer team against Cameroon on June 14 led to a record number of "tweets per second" for Twitter, only to see the record beaten again a few days later when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in the deciding game of the NBA championships.

The Japanese goal, which led to a 1-0 victory for the team, resulted in a peak of 2,940 tweets per second in the 30 seconds following the game according to a post on the Twitter blog. … Read more

The 404 605: Where we pull the yellow card (podcast)

Today's episode of The 404 Podcast is all about techy gift recommendations for Father's Day, OpenBook exposing more Facebook privacy issues, and an amazing video of a Japanese beatboxer performing the Super Mario theme song.

We begin the show by pulling our own version of a yellow card in response to the questionable officiating in this morning's World Cup match between USA and Slovenia, but you'll have to tune in to hear our twist on the penalty.

Father's Day is this weekend, and if you still don't know what to get for your Dad, … Read more

Great, now vuvuzelas are tweeting too

I'll admit it: I have World Cup fever [BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ]. I can't help it. I have some friends who are very into socc--er, futbol--and it's dominated their conversations the last week or so [BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ] so I sort of had to take it up. But one thing I was ignorant about until I started watching is the vuvuzela.

For those lucky few who haven't [BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ] watched a World Cup game match yet, the vuvuzela is a long plastic horn that the fans blow continuously during play. It doesn't let up, and it's driving some people crazy, … Read more

Geeks join crusade to kill grating vuvuzela

Poor vuvuzelas. It seems like everyone's trying to kill them.

First, the fans and TV viewers complained about the noisy plastic horns responsible for the mosquito-like soundtrack during World Cup matches (and, possibly, flus, hearing loss, stray pets). Special ear plugs were deployed at stadiums in South Africa.

Then sportswriters got testy and called for their demise.

Now tech nerds have come up with a way to silence the omnipresent buzz.

Lifehacker is offering a video primer on how to filter the din during soccer broadcasts. Basically it involves adjusting your equalizer to muffle the vuvuzela frequencies. "If … Read more

The 404 603: Where we cram it up your vuvuzela (podcast)

Jeff's skipped out on yesterday's show to cover the press conferences at E3, but he's back today and excited about the Nintendo 3DS, the first portable 3D gaming system on the scene. It might look like a DSi, but the 3DS actually has major graphical enhancements that allow for 3D gameplay, including dual lenses on the outside of the clamshell for 3D photos and a depth slider that lets you adjust the effect to your personal preference.

And, of course, a console is only as good as the games you can play on it, and an impressive … Read more

Vuvuzelas blamed for flus, hearing loss, stray pets

Just as the World Cup was getting underway last week, the Associated Press ran a story about vuvuzela horns that probably didn't register with most people outside of South Africa.

It does now.

These tuneless plastic horns are found to emit a sound--make that noise--equivalent to 127 decibels, according to a study issued by the hearing aid manufacturer Phonak. (If you want to hear a sound sample, click here. For the sake of comparison, Phonak noted that the sound from a drum was 122 decibels, while that of a referee's whistle came in at 121.8 decibels.

According … Read more