The Bottom Line
The RUWT? (stands for aReyoUWatchingThis?) Toolbar alerts you whenever a sporting event is reaching a fever pitch, whether it be a no-hitter going into the 8th inning or a 12 seed upsetting a favorite with a few minutes remaining. By utilizing a game watching robot as well as community input, this unique Firefox add-on makes sure you never miss those exciting moments while browsing the web.
Pros
- The toolbar's alerts ensure that you rarely miss a historic or exciting ending to a game or event.
- Local television information is shown for every applicable game, making it easy to quickly find it.
- Short news blurbs summarize or preview completed or upcoming events.
- Easy configuration options let you only see the sports that you desire.
- The RUWT? Bleachers let you participate and comment on games and events while they are in progress.
Cons
- The RUWT? button on the toolbar contains white text that is barely visible.
- At the moment, TV listings outside of the United States are not supported.
- Two key sports missing from the toolbar are golf and horse racing.
Description
- The RUWT? Toolbar displays a ticker in your Firefox browser containing scores and news from the sports of your choice.
- The ticker can also be configured to display television channel and station information for each game, based on zip code.
- Different levels of alerts can be displayed when games reach certain excitement or "Root" levels.
- By registering with RUWT?'s web site, you can also receive these alerts via email or text message.
- A game's Root level is determined by a combination of user input and the RUWTbot.
- The RUWTbot is an automated bot which searches for games that meet conditions considered noteworthy such as overtime, etc.
- You can vote for games yourself to increase their Root level directly from the toolbar.
- The toolbar's ticker speed can be set at three different levels.
- Score and news update time intervals can range from as quick as 30 seconds to as long as 1 hour.
- A Points Threshold filter can be configured to only display games with specific Root levels.
Guide Review - RUWT? Toolbar
When I first discovered this toolbar, I was intrigued by the idea behind it. For a sports fan, missing out on a classic moment can be heartbreaking. However, I was also somewhat skeptical about this so-called "game watching robot" as well as the participation of the RUWT? community. As the days passed, my skepticism quickly morphed into a healthy mix of optimism and excitement as I began to see how well this add-on did its job. The features are definitely as advertised, and the steady growth of the community makes the RUWT? Bleachers a good place to chat up a game or race. A lot of toolbars and add-ons can give you the latest scores, but this one does so much more. I'd love to see major golf tournaments added, as well as some of the bigger horse races such as those in the Triple Crown. Also, the toolbar is only available for the Firefox and Flock web browsers. Aside from that, I cannot really complain about much else here. Don't miss out on another big sports moment. Install the RUWT? Toolbar right away.
