Today, the 2016 Summer Olympic games begin in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. You won’t be glued to your couch for every event for two weeks (At least…I hope not!). Smartphone and the Olympics come together. Here are some tips.
The Olympics are a time of boundless patriotism. We love our American athletes, don’t we? There’s a Team USA app. It’s available on all Apple and Android devices. It gives USA profiles, updates, events, schedules, videos, photos, and other Team USA goodies. Maybe you’re a British fan? You’re in luck. The BBC Sports app does the same thing Team USA app does with American athletes. Both apps are free. Let’s move closer to home. Do you have Olympians in your hometown you’re cheering for? You’ll want the NBC Rio 2016 app. This app partners with your phone’s GPS to get the inside scoop on your hometown heroes. You can see the medal count and winners for various nations and events. There’s the Olympics app. It does what all the other Olympic apps do. But this one is owned by the IOC (International Olympic Committee). With Rio 2016, choose your language and time zone. You get updated at your convenience (it can be every 5 minutes if you want). Like all the others, keep track of your favorite countries and stars. All the apps mentioned are free and available on Apple and Android.
I notice a pattern. All of these apps pretty much offer the same thing. They all offer coverage of your favorite team, sport and athlete. They’re all free and on Apple and Android. It would be nice to have some diversity in these apps. I see no apps are telling you the background these Olympians are competing in. This background includes waterway sewage, inadequate housing, political turmoil, terror threats, poor medical facilities, a crime wave, and police threatening strike because due to lack of wages. I digress. But here are your apps. I wish our athletes the very best. And if I haven’t said it already: USA! USA! USA! USA! Which app will you follow the Olympics with?