Sound check: An online company has begun marketing an "Anti Vuvuzela Filter" that promises to silence the sound of the controversial plastic trumpets that have become the trademark of South Africa's World Cup. The company's web site, antivuvuzelafilter.com, sells an MP3 audio file for €2.95 that the company says will cancel the vuvuzela noise for TV viewers by producing a sound wave similar to the horn's that cancels the noise.
No points: Hartlepool's appeal against the Football League's decision to impose a three-point deduction on the club for fielding an ineligible player has failed. Midfielder Gary Liddle appeared in April's 2-0 win against Brighton despite being suspended for two games. Last season, Hartlepool finished in 20th position and avoided relegation to League Two on goal difference.
No action: Sheffield Wednesday will not face any action from the FA over crowd disorder after their relegation decider against Crystal Palace on May 2. Several fans confronted players on the pitch in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Palace, which condemned the Yorkshire club to League One.
St Pauli: St Pauli have completed the signing of Moritz Volz, who returns to Germany after an 11-year absence. The defender, who started his career as a 16-year-old with Arsenal, has joined the Bundesliga newcomers after signing a two-year contract.
Legal rights: North Korea has secured legal rights to air World Cup matches live, Asia's broadcasting union said, denying the communist state had pirated a recording of the opening fixture. According to South Korean broadcaster SBS, the North's Korean Central Broadcast Service aired Friday's opening 1-1 draw between hosts South Africa and Mexico without permission.
Basketball: A judge ruled that former NBA player Antoine Walker must stand trial over unpaid gambling debts of nearly one million dollars to three casinos. The 33-year-old Walker, who won an NBA title with Miami in 2006, remains free without bail until his June 30 arraignment in state court. If convicted, Walker could face up to 12 years in prison on the combined charges.
Tennis: Russia's Elena Dementieva, suffering from a calf injury, announced that she had been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon. The world number five had to pull out of her semi-final at the French Open on June 3 because of the tear in her left calf and said on her website that she would not be ready in time for Wimbledon, which starts Monday.
Basketball, NBA: Larry Drew was introduced as head coach of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, his first head-coaching job after 17 years in the assistant ranks. Drew was hired after a search that also included Dwane Casey and Avery Johnson, both of whom have had prior head coaching experience. Hawks general manager Rick Sund said he believed going with a coach familiar with the club was more important than landing a big name from the coaching ranks.
Rugby Union: All Blacks coach Graham Henry has promoted flanker Victor Vito in the only change to the starting line-up to face Wales in the first of two Tests on Saturday. The 23-year-old Vito takes the place of Jerome Kaino, while prop Tony Woodcock, flanker Adam Thomson and midfield back Richard Kahui have been brought onto the reserves bench in the team named yesterday.
Technology: South Korea is planning to stage robot taekwondo bouts, blending the country's ancient martial art with cutting edge technology. The Taekwon Robots will face off at an international robot contest being staged by the Knowledge Economy Ministry and Gyeonggi province in October. In bouts guaranteed to be bloodless, the robots will detect their opponents' movements with sensors and respond according to the data. They will fight under the same rules as human contestants - three rounds each of three minutes, with three judges.