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When Tim Tebow decided to participate in the 2010 Senior Bowl, college football fans from all over flocked to Ladd-Peebles Stadium. But following the game, critics and draft analysts proceeded to pick apart his throwing motion from his awkward release to his unorthodox throwing base. And it may have been the best thing for him. He immediately began to rebuild his motion, which appeared to be the only flaw in his brand. When he decided not to throw in this year’s NFL Combine, the criticism started all over. But there’s no denying his leadership, his faith, his likeability, his will to win — perfect combination for the face of any franchise.

Joining Tebow in the “I’ll throw during my Pro Day” club were Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy all of whom are working through some sort of injury. Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan added his name to that list as he also continues to improve his throwing form. And the criticism continues. But will it even matter come draft day? All of the above are among the best at the quarterback position, and have walked the walk throughout their respective careers.

Not The Size, But The Motion. This seems to be the appropriate theme for this year’s crop of QBs. Of the top prospects, only Tony Pike & Sam Bradford have the height that scouts regard as “ideal”, but the knock for both has been their weight…or lack thereof. Dan LeFevour is the closest thing to the perfect package at 6′3-1/4″, 230. Unfortunately, he doesn’t share the same spotlight as the aforementioned group.

The focus has been throwing motion, specifically that of Tim Tebow. Although he does not plan to unveil Tebow 2.0 until his March 17 Pro Day, we’ve already had a sneak peek at Tebow’s new throwing motion. Dan LeFevour is another QB who has displayed tremendous ability to win, to lead, and to execute (30 TDs & only 3 INTs in the redzone this season); but teams raise their collective brow at his not so compact, less snappy release. His Pro Day is March 24. Jevan Snead is another throwing motion project. I noticed that he holds the ball low by his waist and has to bring it up to throw. His release is quick, but he’s just killing his arm as it is an all-arm throw. To his credit, his accuracy was second to none. But the bad taste he left in the mouths of scouts as a result of his lackluster season will leave teams with a huge question mark by his name.

Zac Robinson had the best overall combine performance in my opnion. He threw well, he looked like he was having a good time out there…comfortable, and he performed well in all of the events (unofficial 4.69 and 4.66 in the 40-yd dash [3], 35″ vertical jump [2], and 9′2″ broad jump [T-5]). Tim Tebow ran an 4.70 and 4.72 in the 40 [4], clocked a 6.66 (how ironic) in the 3-cone drill [1], produced a 38.5″ vertical [1], and leaped 9′7″ in the broad jump [2]. Colt McCoy only covered 40 yards in only 4.79 seconds. And for two QBs that displayed an uncanny ability to elude defenders, these times aren’t impressive. Regardless, they have proven their abilities on the football field.

Speaking of abilities, in case you missed Mike Kafka’s 4th QTR performance in the East West Shrine Game, it’s worth watching. Check it out here.

Running Backs Carry Their Weight. Sure it’s impressive when a RB runs a sub-4.40 40-yd dash, but it might be more impressive when a RB that weighs over 225 lbs blasts through the 40 under 4.7. Although unofficial, Stanford RB Toby Gerhart (231 lbs) did it in 4.53 and 4.58 seconds. LaGarrette Blount, who weighed in at 241 lbs, did it with unofficial times of 4.62 and 4.69 seconds. He also covered the 3-cone drill in 6.85 seconds [3]. Aside from his impressive accomplishments at the Senior Bowl and Combine, he has remained focused on the big picture.

Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon is another prospect with a skeleton in his closet — a July 2009 DUI — but has managed to put it all behind him. The 233-lb RB [unofficially] covered 40 yards in 4.65 & 4.67 (official 4.70) seconds to which some reacted with a yawn. But his run-catch-block toolbox and durability puts him at the top of the list for consideration.

Auburn’s Ben Tate leaps into draft position — The Birmingham News / Hal Yeager

Some RBs helped themselves at the Combine rather handsomely. Auburn’s Ben Tate weighed in at 220 lbs and covered the 40-yd dash in 4.43 seconds [3], threw up 26 reps in the bench press [T-1], launched 40.5 inches in the vertical jump [2] and 10′4″ in the broad jump [T-1]. Tennessee RB Montario Hardesty weighed in at 225 lbs and breezed through 40 yards in 4.49 seconds [6]. His vertical jump was half an inch better than Tate at 41″ [1]; he matched his broad jump at 10′4″ [T-1].

Ambi-Dexter-ous. When asked if he was a running back or wide receiver, Dexter McCluster responded, “I’m both”. There’s no denying his big play ability. But he didn’t meet expectations — both his and that of the scouts — when running his 40-yd dash. He produced an official time of 4.58. Regardless, he ought to be one of the top players taken in this draft. At only 5′9″, 172 lbs, he cut through defenses like a hot knife through butter…as a tailback…in the SEC.

Mardy Gilyard, who is also referred to as an undersized playmaker, didn’t produce the same “wow” factor at the Combine that he does on the field. He’ll have another chance to woo NFL teams during his Pro Day on March 10. His production speaks for itself.

Beyond Dez Bryant and Golden Tate, the draft forecast looks pretty cloudy. Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech looks great…when he’s not hurt. And Taylor Price from Ohio may be the diamond in the rough, or more appropriately the needle in the haystack. Taylor remained under the radar until the Senior Bowl. He capitalized on the momentum during Combine workouts, and topped it off with a 4.41 40-yd dash [2]. His soft hands are reminiscent of Brian Robiskie.

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On the plus side, this SD 3.0 card reads at speeds up to 15 MB/sec. And thanks to exFAT file structure, this card will undoubtedly improve rapid shooting of still images not to mention the increased capacity for HD video.

If there is a downside to this memory card, it would be the limited number of devices that are currently compatible with the SDXC** (SD eXtended Capacity) format. That includes the recently-announced camcorders from Panasonic, the Canon PowerShot SX210IS, and likely the Samsung TL350 just to name a few. SDXC devices will eventually include a handful of HDTVs, Blu-ray recorders/players, camcorders, cameras, mobile phones, navigation systems and computers yet to hit the streets.

The card is available immediately on SanDisk.com for $349.99.

**The SD Association lists some important points for early adopters to be aware of when using SDXC cards.

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For now, the free BlackBerry app is available for download on the Bold 9000 & 9700, Curve 8520 & 8900, Storm 9530 & 9550, and on the Tour 9630.

If you already have a Kindle, you can access your Kindle books from your BlackBerry smartphone even if you don’t have your Kindle with you. With the Whispersync technology, the app automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations across all devices registered to the same Amazon.com account. Amazon help has more information on how to do things like sync across Kindle devices and applications, download content, and delete books.

It appears that most titles are $9.99 with a “decide to buy” first chapter preview. Unfortunately, Kindle newspapers, magazines and blogs are not a BlackBerry feature…yet.

To download the Kindle For BlackBerry app, visit amazon.com/kindlebb from your BlackBerry browser.

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[Hat Tip: Nan Palmero - Jeff & Erin's Cinema]

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DIRECTV.com

According to the DIRECTV website, multi-room viewing (MRV) provides a single, combined playlist of all your recorded programs on any connected TV. You can also record and delete shows from any TV connected to an HD receiver, not just the one connected to the HD DVR.

The folks over at DBStalk.com have been testing the service for several months now, and provided their readers with a First Look (pdf link) of the service with some details of their findings and some tips and tricks for future beta testers.

The kicker is that DIRECTV plans to charge for the service. Hey. It’s a great service, but not one worth paying for in my opinion. Regardless of what I think, keep the enhancements coming, DIRECTV. Especially to Video On Demand.

[Hat Tip: DBStalk.com]

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Once I got it on my phone, it didn’t work properly. CaptureIt was saving the screenshot as a blank white screen. Here’s how you fix it:

Go to Settings > Options > Applications.

Select the CaptureIt application and then select Edit Permissions.

Make sure all permissions are set to “Allow”. In this case, my Interactions permission was set to “Custom”. Click the return button, and your BlackBerry will prompt you to Save your changes. Once you’ve made and saved these changes, you can produce screenshots for days.

You can download the CaptureIt app for BlackBerry. Just go to m.thetechmogul.com from your BlackBerry browser.

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We’ve all seen Tim Tebow react to similar situations with intensity, emotion and class.

You can always expect the same from Colt McCoy. Best of luck next year, buddy.

Peter Thamel of the New York Times reflects on The Agony of Colt McCoy.

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Got a PowerPoint® presentation coming up? Imagine having the ability to leave your laptop at home, and delivering the entire thing from your BlackBerry. That will soon be a reality.

Sometime this year, Research In Motion will deliver its BlackBerry Presenter, which will allow you to do just that…present…wirelessly. Plug it in to a monitor or projector, and slides come out of the magic box. It will also offer a variety of features including a loop mode and a freeze mode. What would be even better is the ability to ‘present’ a slideshow of photos or videos, which it does not currently do. Looks like it’s only PowerPoint® slides for now. According to shopblackberry.com, it will cost $199.99 when it is released (go there to sign up for updates on availability).

Compatibility includes most BlackBerry smartphones with at least v4.6 of the OS to include the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520, 8530 and 8900; BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 and 9700; BlackBerry® Storm™ 9500, 9530 and 9550 (Storm2); and BlackBerry® Tour™ 9630.

It’s no pico projector, but it’ll do.

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Will Grandma Millie & Grandma Fran join the ranks of past Internet sensations? I have no idea, but I can’t stop watching this. It’s Internet gold.

[Hat Tip: Joanne Casey]

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Kindle For BlackBerry Coming Soon

Amazon has finally added a page dedicated to the BlackBerry app’s release. By adding your email address to the “Notify Me” field, you’ll be notified when it is ready to download. The app is already available for the iPhone via Apple’s App Store.

Quick Facts About Kindle For BlackBerry:
– Search and browse more than 390,000 books
– Books you purchase can also be read on a Kindle, computer, or other Kindle-compatible mobile device
– Kindle newspapers, magazines, and blogs are not currently available for Kindle for BlackBerry

So while Sony & Amazon try to decide who’s best and a rumored iSlate Apple reader tries to find its way to fruition, why not use your existing device to fulfill your reading needs…until, of course, you can decide on a proper reader.

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Kodak was kind enough to send me a Zi8 to tinker with. While I prefer black or silver — simple colors — my review unit was an impressive aqua blue. Regardless of anyone’s color preferences, the Zi8 isn’t ugly. But at first glance, it isn’t as striking as its Flip competitor. But it’s certainly an improvement over the Zi6. The Zi8’s big personality is what sets it apart.

It’s easy to differentiate the Zi8 from its competition based on its features alone: it films in 1080p at 30 frames per second (fps) and at 720p at 60 fps, electronic image stabilization eliminates fidgety filming, it shoots 5.0 megapixel stills, and it provides support for both Facebook and YouTube. There are a handful of other important features including help with low-light filming, face tracking, and compatibility with both Mac & PC operating systems.

Included on the list of “may or may not annoy you” is the Zi8’s built-in rechargable battery, which “may or may not” depending upon the frequency with which you use the cam. And the small red light signaling the camera’s recording status is a tad annoying, but nothing a little electrical tape can’t fix…and something that can be turned off on the Flip UltraHD. Add to the cost of the cam your choice of memory — the Zi8 has an expandable SD/SDHC card slot that can hold up to 32 GB. Personally I’m a huge fan of the built-in battery and the expandable memory option.

The Macro setting on the Kodak Zi8 is one of the features that sets it apart from the competition.

The Macro setting on the Zi8 is very impressive for a camera of this size. The stills above were taken at the same distance and using low light.

The external microphone jack is also a refreshing feature, which means a notable improvement in sound quality for your videos with the use of a shotgun microphone or wireless lapel microphone. The video below was filmed with my review unit for wine review site, 1337wine, using a tripod and an external mic.

You’ll also notice that the camera is constantly adjusting its lighting levels…probably a result of the whiteboard in the background. So, not the typical result of filming with the Zi8.

My only real gripe is with regard to shooting distance. There seems to be a fine line between just right and too far. For example, while filming a performance by my son’s class from the 2nd row, I realized that I could have afforded to move back another 2 or 3 rows. I was constantly panning back and forth to include the entire stage. But move too far, and the already average sound would have decreased in quality without the use of an external mic.

The digital zoom is only an advantage if you set the zoom prior to filming, otherwise you get a pulsing zoom-in action. And while the video above was filmed using the 1080p setting (with a tripod), I would argue that the ideal setting for handheld filming is definitely at 720p @ 60 fps.

There is no doubt that Kodak has succeeded in raising the bar with this pocket HD cam. And at $179, the Kodak Zi8 is certainly the ‘bang for the buck’ choice.

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The O’Brien honors the nation’s best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O’Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate.

Christian Ponder – Florida State Seminoles | GETTY—–

So what if Florida State’s record is 3-4.

Ponder has racked up impressive stats. The junior signal caller from Colleyville, Texas has passed for 2,176 yards (6th) and completed 70 percent of his passes (4th). And while he struggled with turnovers last season, he has only thrown 1 INT this season (vs. 13 in 2008). His direction has resulted in 12 scores through the air, and 2 on the ground. His 155.8 passer rating ranks tenth in the nation.

Fans can still help determine which of the semifinalists advance as finalists by voting at voteobrien.org. Fan votes account for 5% of the process in each round. So far, Jake Locker leads the fan voting with 24% of the vote. By the way, Washington is 3-5 this season.

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The high-resolution display features over 65,000 colors. The new trackpad will undoubtedly be a refreshing upgrade to the trackball, which has a tendency to get stuck.

AT&T and T-Mobile were among the few carriers that also announced they would be carrying the phone sometime in November. For more information and a list of features on the 9700, visit blackberry.com/bold9700.

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Bob Lutz issued a challenge. Journalists accepted. Run What You Brung, GM!

Auto blog, Jalopnik, quickly jumped on the opportunity. And now everyone will have a chance to do the same. The CTS-v Challenge will take place on October 29, 2009 at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, NY. To sign up, visit ctsvchallenge.com. More information is also available on the GM Fastlane Blog.

Who knows…maybe a Porsche Panamera will be available.

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This college football season has been enigmatic at best. But the uncertainty has also realigned the Heisman race…not to mention two of the three top Heisman candidates suffered serious injuries early on, and Colt McCoy started off slower than anyone expected.

A new group of candidates has emerged. Ok…let’s not use “emerged”. Based on their performances last season, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford were placed on the pedestal before the first snap was taken. But now those that were destined to be noticed are getting the attention they deserve. Despite the discernable nepostism in the beginning, we can focus on some new candidates for now.

My Top 5 Heisman candidates through Week 5:

[5] Jahvid Best. There’s no denying his talent. His acceleration is second-to-none. His video game moves are responsible for many broken ankles. (Random stat warning) He’s second among active players in number of career rushing attempts of 70 or more yards [thanks, HP]. But Best’s Heisman run is quickly coming to a halt. Oregon held him to 55 yards and USC to 47 yards…both resulting in only 3.4 yards per carry. Assuming he and his team can get back on track, he’s still worth a top nod. One more poor performance would definitely knock him off his perch. Next opponent: UCLA (3-1)

[4] Colt McCoy. Colt may have had a sluggish start, but the gunslinger is beginning to show his true colors once again. Coming off a bye week, McCoy doesn’t boast the huge Heisman stats in yards and TDs. Despite 5 picks to date, he has completed 71.0 pct of his passes, which is second in the nation. And he’s still sitting on a respectable passer rating of 151.0. Next opponent: Colorado (1-3)

[3] Tony Gerhart. Tony who? Tony “Leads The Nation In Rushing” Gerhart. With 650 yards rushing and 8 TDs, he’s the current pacesetter for rushing yards and only two scores away from the touchdown title. It’s also worth pointing out that the Stanford running back shares a conference with three other names you’ve probably heard: Jahvid Best, Joe McKnight and Jacquizz Rodgers. And don’t forget the exiled LaGarrette Blount. It’s probably safe to say that Stanford is 4-1 as a result of Gerhart’s efforts not to mention they’re #1 in the Pac-10. Next opponent: Oregon State (3-2)

[2] Tony Pike. While it may be surprising to most college football fans that Cincinnati is undefeated and ranked #8 in the nation, it’s more surprising that they’re the highest ranked team in the state of Ohio. While the debate for the best team rages on, there’s no debtate as to which Ohio QB is better. Pike has racked up nearly 1,500 yards through the air resulting in 13 TDs. No. 23 South Florida will arguably be Pike’s stiffest competition. This natoinally-televised matchup will be his best opportunity to impress voters. Next opponent: University of South Florida (5-0)

[1] Jimmy Clausen. Jimmy’s got a gun, and he’s definitely on a run. Despite the fact that the Irish can thank their lucky charms that they’re 4-1 (last three wins by 3, 2 and 7), Jimmy continues to shine brightly beneath the watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus. He boasts the highest passer rating (179.3) and is fourth in passing yards (1,544) with nearly 40% of those coming from playmaker, Golden Tate. But most impressive might be the scarcity of turnovers. He’s thrown 2 INTs to his 12 TDs thus far. Next opponent in 2 weeks: USC (4-1)

Don’t Forget These Guys. When your three sexiest Heisman hopefuls don’t pan out, the Heisman race becomes such a crap shoot. The five guys on the list above might be the most photogenic, but there are a handful that are making their case week after week. Up until last night, Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert had impressed fans and experts with his athleticism. University of Miami QB Jacory Harris reminds me of Pat White — a great talent that just doesn’t seem to attract enough Heisman attention to make a case. If you ask him, he’s definitely made one.

Jake Locker is more than just the signal caller for the University of Washington. He’s their leader…their savior. As he goes, they go. He plays well under pressure and is unphased in big game situations. While he may not garner Heisman consideration, he’ll undoubtedly be one of the most sought after QBs in the upcoming NFL draft.

While Jevan Snead was destined to do big things at Ole Miss, teammate Dexter McCluster has shown why he’s just as important to that offense. Neither will separate themselves as the superstar, but their team better for it. Alabama should give them every opportunity to highlight their respective talents.

University of Houston QB Case Keenum may make the best case to be in that list above. He’s already passed for nearly 1,700 yards and 13 TDs…the only blemishes on his stat sheet are 2 INTs. The Cougs suffered an unfortuntate loss to UTEP last week after two impressive wins against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The remainder of their schedule gives Houston an opportunity to bounce back and therefore Case another moment in the spotlight.

Alabama QB Greg McElroy—–

Under The Radar…For Now. Alabama QB Greg McElroy has flown way under the radar. It’s probably because his numbers aren’t eye popping. But his passer rating of 165.5 ranks fifth nationally. Tim Tebow isn’t the only leader to use an eye bulging, red-faced “talkin’ to” to get his team fired up. McElroy used some choice words in their win over Kentucky before leading them down the field on a 97-yard scoring drive.

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Looking for a great smartphone application to provide live box scores and stats (perfect for fantasy football)? Look no further. TheScore.com offers such an app for free. The app is available for most BlackBerry smartphones including the Tour, and, of course, it is available for download on the iPhone.

As a sports fan, this should definitely be included on my list of must have BlackBerry apps. I also use it to stay current on college football scores.

To download this app to your smartphone, visit thescore.com from your phone’s browser. It is also available on BlackBerry App World.

UPDATE — March 11, 2010: Score Mobile has been updated to v1.3.2.6.

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