The median age for TV viewers hit 50 last season. That means less than half of network TV viewers now fall into the coveted 18-49 demo, according to a new study from Magna Global. And, the percentage of older viewers is likely to rise. Don't chalk up this shift to the graying of the baby boomers. Although they're certainly passing 50, they aren't the only thing driving this trend. These numbers don't count anything recorded to watch later and younger people have figured out how to get their TV fix in other ways. Yes, cable is still a major player, but idle surfing, social networking, YouTube viewing, MP3 downloading, and email has pulled Americans away from the small screen and toward an even smaller one.

Music, martial arts and chess... how could members of the Wu-Tang Clan not be involved? RZA and GZA are participating in the Hip-Hop Chess Foundation's first-ever Chess Kings Invitational, set for October 13 at the San Francisco Design Center. The rappers will talk on the tournament's Life Strategies panel about how music, martial arts and chess have affected their lives. WuChess.com is the worlds first online chess and Hip-Hop community. You can create and share profiles with your friends and triumph over enemies on the 64 squares. Not just against people in your neighborhood but from all over the world. WuChess.com lets you get knowledge from real chess masters online, or train in chambers against the computer to refine your skills. You can also watch chess clans do battle and check out exhibition matches with RZA, other Wu-Tang members and stars from across the planet.

CNN will begin airing a series called "Black in America" available on CNNHD and on its website. The first episode, "The Black Woman & Family," airs Wednesday, July 23rd, and the second, "The Black Man," the following day. Black in America is an ambitious documentary that aims to reveal the real lives behind the stereotypes, statistics and politics that frequently frame the national dialogue about Black America. Go to CNN.com for more information.

WuChess

Worth WatChing

the graying of television

Lil Wayne's latest album, Tha Carter III, hit stores on June 10th and within the first week of sales, became the first since 50 Cent in 2005 to sell more than 1 million copies. Now, Lil Wayne has a starring role in the upcoming movie, "Hurricane Season," which features Forest Whitaker, Isaiah Washington, Taraji Henson, and fellow rapper Bow Wow. The movie, based on a true story, takes place in Marrero, Louisiana where five basketball players from different high schools end up on the same team one year after Hurricane Katrina. The film is being directed by Tim Story of "Fantastic Four" fame. "Hurricane Season" hits theaters on Christmas Day.

Radiohead has a new single called "House of Cards." What makes it super special is the fact it's the first music video shot without cameras. Using 3D video acquisition systems, the band was able to create a clip that eschews traditional video recording for haunting, complex data visualizations. In simple speak, lasers and scanners were used to produce 3D images of Thom Yorke's head, along with the party scene, the cul-de-sac, and the electric towers landscape. Look for the video on YouTube, and then watch the cool "making-of" version. There seems to be a vast opportunity to manipulate images captured through the scanners--one can only wait and see what other cool things we can expect from this. Check it out on YouTube.

lil Wayne's feature film

musiC video sans Camera

brought to you by

07.21.08

no. 23What’s good?

Google controls over 80% of the search market and is now is an advertising company with aspirations to become your media planner, media buyer, and research department. With Google offering a wide range of products from AdWords to AdPlanner users can now buy and track advertising in almost every medium including online, television, radio, and newspaper. Recently, Google expanded their catalog of products targeted at advertisers through the launch of Google Insights for Search, allowing users to see real time data on search behavior. By entering a search term you can see how popular the term is in a specified time period and/or specific region. With an endless amount of user data and free new products like this Google is on pace to become the “Agency of the Year.”

Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre’s cognac and vodka brands will hit liquor stores in the next 60 days. The products are the results of a joint venture between Drinks America and Dr. Dre’s Interscope Geffen A&M Records label. “Aftermath Cognac” will come out first, followed by an 80-proof flavored and unflavored sparkling vodka. The marketing for the beverages will be tied in with the release of Dr. Dre’s long awaited “Detox” album. In late, July Dr. Dre told USA Today that the album would be out in “November or December.”

•http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/06/exclusive-inter.html •http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAX_3Bgel7M

Park Your Car With Your Phone

GooGle loves advertisers

Someone has finally solved the problem with playing games on your tiny cell phone screen – just play it on a Jumbotron. MegaPhone, a mobile gaming company offers technology that allows cell phone owners to play multiplayer games and interact with others on large screens. One of their games is being featured in Times Square on the MTV’s Jumbotron – fans dial a special number shown on the screen and an avatar of them appears on the Jumbotron (named the last 4 digits of your phone number). Players can then control their avatar by using the phone’s keypad or by shouting into the handset. You can play on MegaPhone at select conferences, supermarkets, and NBA games (where if you yell, “Shoot!” into your cell phone your basketball player avatar will shoot a basket).

•http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-06/st_alphageek

No doubt you’ve heard Chris Brown’s top 10 hit called “Forever”. Well, in due time you may not be able to get it out of your head because “Forever” is part of a deep mental product placement scheme. Brown is one of three pop stars hired by Translation Advertising to help upgrade the sagging images of the Wrigley gum brands. All three singers have created new songs based on jingles from Wrigley’s past. The song’s chorus contains a line that seems at first to be a clever reference to the old Doublemint gum jingle: “Double your pleasure/double your fun”. The placement was intentional though to prime the listeners to be receptive to the Chris Brown Doublemint jingle featured in commercials coming out next month. The campaign was conceived and executed by Steve Stoute, who opened Translation Consulting & Brand Imaging together with Jay-Z earlier this year. The idea was to connect the hit song and the jingle in listeners’ minds. That way, Mr. Stoute says, “by the time the new jingle comes out, it’ll already be seeded properly within popular culture.” Up next, BigRed Gum’s song for “Kiss A Little Longer” to be written and preformed by NeYo.

Cell Phone GaminG Gets Jumbo sized

doublemint Gum a hit sinGle

People who live in San Francisco are getting some much-needed parking help from their phone. The city is in the process of installing a $95 million system whose aim is to help ease the stress of trying to find a parking spot and metered parking. Drivers will be alerted to empty parking places by displays on street signs or maps on their Smartphone, made possible by embedding 4x4 inch sensors on each parking space. More importantly a person parking at one of the 6000 spots equipped with these special sensors could potentially have the ability to add money to their parking meter from their phones without ever having to return to the car.

dr. dre’s neW sPirits

brought to you by

08.12.08

no. 25What’s good?