In tests last year at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, MLB experimented with the Hawk-Eye animation system that is used to judge line calls in tennis and the TrackMan radar software used by the PGA Tour.

WSJ: MLB hoping for large replay expansion in 2014

"Once video conferencing becomes as common as phone calls and e-mail, I think the majority of communication will be virtual, " predicts Nova Spivack, president and chief executive of Radar Networks, a startup software concern.

FORBES: Reshaping Reality

Despite the advent of GPS, radar technology and 3-D computer software, an exquisitely hand-drawn map and carefully collected data often can outdo what a couple of whiz kids can find on a laptop.

WSJ: In Geology, Old-Timers Can Be Worth Their Weight in Gold