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MLB's Winter Meetings Stocked With Baseball Gadgets

by Caleb Johnson on December 14, 2010 at 10:10 AM

Pocket Radar gun for baseball.At Major League Baseball's annual winter meetings, general managers didn't just shop for free-agent players or discuss potential trades. According to The New York Times, they also browsed a trade show with a bevy of gadgets -- including the popular hand-sized radar gun and a smartphone app for concessions and souvenirs -- that could not only improve their teams, but also make a trip to the ballpark more enjoyable for fans.

This tech might sound dated to some, but understand, any technological advances in baseball, which is a game notorious for its refusal to change, are a big deal. Instant replay was finally used in this year's playoffs, and we told you a couple months ago about an iPhone app that lets fans order food from their seats. A similar app called Bypass Lane, which was also on display at the winter meetings, lets fans order food, and notifies them via text message when it's ready to be picked up. Executives from nearly all 30 MLB teams stopped by the Pocket Radar booth to see the radar gun (pictured right). The size of an iPhone, it is supposedly accurate to within 1 mile-per-hour. To baseball execs, the thought of a scout holding a radar gun in his palm, or of fans buying food with their phones, is downright revolutionary.

Tags: app, apps, baseball, bypass lane, BypassLane, cellphones, future, MLB, radar, sports, top

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