Lonelygirl15 Breaks New Ground

Lonelygirl15 has gone corporate.

In a clever move to boost financing for the show, the creators have begun integrating product placement ads for Ice Breakers Sour Gum into the production.

Big deal.

Advertising has been a part of television entertainment since it began. In the early days of television, viewers were treated to 10 to 15 minute advertising segments produced by the show’s sponsors. Thank goodness I missed those days.

Product placement is just the latest and least offensive method to boost the necessary advertising ratings that keep independent shows like Lonelygirl15 afloat.

Does it really hurt the episode if Bree and her friends chew Ice Breakers Sour Gum and the camera zooms in for a close up shot? I don’t think so.

I would rather see a product placement ad than lose the flame of inspiration found in episodic shows produced by independent filmmakers.

Bravo to the creators of Lonelygirl15. You have once again shown your ingenuity and resourcefulness as you forge the identity of a new entertainment medium.

Wiki's Weak War of Words

Wikipedia now has a competitor.

If one somewhat dubious on-line reference site wasn’t enough, Citizendium has thrown its hat into the community-based wiki world.

Created by Larry Sanger, a co-founder of Wikipedia, Citizendium claims to improve the Wiki world “by adding ‘gentle expert oversight’ and requiring contributors to use their real names.”

Like many things in the Wiki world, there’s already debate about Sanger’s claim to be a Wikipedia co-founder. Surprise, surprise.

I am personally not a fan of Wikipedia. That being said, I have used the site on numerous occasions to find quick tidbits of information that were surprisingly unavailable at other reference sites.

I have even verbed a word and begun “Wiki-ing” things. It’s as much fun as it was when we started Google-ing things.

I find it amazing that so many people have taken the time to research, write and publish so much information. Is that what we are supposed to do with all of our free time?

Citizendium thinks so. In fact, Sanger believes that community contribution is so important to everyone that they will recreate Wikipedia all over again. Yeah, right!

If you can't already tell, I believe that Citizendium faces an uphill battle in taking on Wikipedia. Here’s why:

• The name, Citizendium, just isn’t as catchy as Wikipedia.
• The .com extension would have been better than .org.
• Techies and uber-geeks love to create acronyms and nicknames, and Citizendium doesn’t seem to lend itself to those things.
• Wikipedia is almost ubiquitous. Even the Citizendium home page calls the site a new wiki project. Duh!
• Does anyone really want to create all of the same entries that can already be found on Wikipedia?

Good luck, Citizendium.

Nintendo Wii Changes the Gaming World

The simplicity of the Nintendo Wii has allowed it to crack the rapidly growing senior citizen market and make video games a healthy diversion for a segment of the population who often eschew strenuous physical activity.

While older generations often fund the video game purchases of their children and grandchildren, it’s rare to find them purchasing a game console for themselves. Until now.

The Wii’s ease of use and physical interaction make it an outstanding game console for gamers of all ages. A recent Reuters story illustrates the demographic shift that Nintendo is successfully leading as they expand the $30 billion video game market.

Many video game mavens, including this writer, wrote the Wii off as a novelty. However, Nintendo has gotten the last laugh in this battle as their comparatively inexpensive $250 console has captured the limelight over more technically advanced gaming systems like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Instead of focusing on cutting-edge graphics and overly complex games, Nintendo made the console simpler and the games more fun to play. Bingo!
While that logic makes sense now, I think that hard core gamers didn’t pay much attention to the Wii because of the stunning graphics and advanced technology found in the Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

The Wii, like the Atari Flashback, is really a family oriented gaming console. Anyone can pick up a controller and do moderately well with very little practice. Plus, games such as bowling and tennis are just plain fun.

For seniors, and anyone else who gets little physical activity, the console can provide some moderate health benefits. While the Wii will never replace a good aerobic exercise such as walking, it could definitely provide some lighthearted activity that can be shared across generations.

If you’re searching for the perfect gift, you might consider the Nintendo Wii. Not only is it fun, it’s also a good bridge to help connect several generations of the family. Imagine everyone gathered around the big screen clambering for playing time at your next family gathering.

Think it can’t happen? Nintendo dares you to try.

Multi-layer Displays Revolutionize Slots

A slick new type of 3-D multilayer LCD display designed for use by the military is now being adapted for use by the gaming industry with the hopes that it will revolutionize their slot machine business.

I think that these hi-tech slots are going to improve the odds for the already heavily favored $85 billion U.S. gambling industry.

The cool new displays, being developed by PureDepth, Inc., make slot machines seem more like a video game than a gambling device. With a large segment of the older generation already hooked on slot machines, it appears that these new machines are designed to lure younger gamblers away from table games such as Blackjack and Poker.

According to Gambling.com, approximately 80 to 85 percent of U.S. residents participate in some form of gambling at least once a year. This same report also indicates that approximately 2 to 3 percent of gamblers are considered to be compulsive gamblers.

Younger gamblers are almost guaranteed to boost these numbers as the gaming industry blurs the line between virtual games and the games that have real life consequences.

According to a study by Sanju George and Vijaya Murali called Pathological Gambling: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment, “Pathological gambling typically begins in early adolescence in males (later in females) and runs a chronic, progressive course, punctuated by periods of abstinence and relapses.”

Beware Gen-X, Gen-y, and everyone who is too young to remember when the Macarena was hip. The gaming industry has definitely got your number.

Despite my fear at the potential danger of these hi-tech slot machines, I am actually looking forward to seeing these new devices. New technology is always exciting, and the new multilayer display has the potential to revolutionize the way we currently look at images on the screen.

In addition to gaming and the military, PureDepth is also targeting cell phones, televisions, PCs, in-car navigation displays, and other hand-held devices. There is definitely the potential for great good to come of this new technology.

My advice to you, however, is that you keep the Gamblers Anonymous link handy if you run into these new displays in a casino and suddenly find yourself uncontrollably drawn to these hi-tech money pits.

Help End Cyber Hunting

Imagine sitting in front of your computer and anxiously waiting for a deer to walk across the window displayed on your monitor. When the unlucky animal enters the view, you use your mouse to position the crosshairs over the kill zone and click the mouse. If your aim is true and your hand wasn’t shaking while you aimed the mouse, the head of your trophy will be shipped to you via UPS or FedEx.

Does this sound like hunting? It sure doesn’t sound like it to me. However, Texas entrepreneur John Lockwood has found a way to make hunting a virtual sport. Now, with a subscription to his Web site, you can sit in your jammys, sip a warm latte, and kill an animal.

Lawmakers are, pardon the pun, up in arms about cyber hunting. Illinois state Rep. Dan Reitz has proposed banning cyber hunts in Illinois, and I believe that other states should follow suit. Giving a virtual customer control of a loaded gun is as dangerous as it is unsporting.

Although some may make the argument that cyber hunting allows the disabled to experience hunting, I believe that very few disabled people will take advantage of this technology-based imitation. I doubt that many disabled people would liken this experience to actually hunting. Lockwood disagrees.

“Ever since we stopped running after our prey and killing with our hands, we've evolved by distancing ourselves further and further from the game and making it more and more efficient for whatever reason we want to take it," Lockwood said.

Improving firearms and hunting weaponry has been a part of hunting since cave men figured out that using rocks and spears to kill a Wooly Mammoth wasn’t a very good idea.

In today’s world, the thrill of hunting is derived from the experience of stalking the animal, lining up your shot, and actually pulling the trigger. Cyber hunting eliminates all of these elements and cheapens the experience by making it no more exciting than shopping on Amazon.

For once in my life I actually agree with the NRA. Hopefully this powerful lobby will persuade lawmakers to ban cyber hunting and keep the sport free of pseudo thrill seekers who are too scared to get in the field and fire a real gun loaded with live ammunition.

To help ensure that this mockery of hunting is forever banned, consider doing at least one of the following:

• Write your local, state, and federal representatives and ask them to ban cyber hunting.


• Spread the word about cyber hunting to build a groundswell of support against it.


• Write to the NRA and ask them to lobby against cyber hunting.
  

Recessed Mirror TVs a Must at Miller Park

A few weeks ago my family visited a recently rebuilt McDonalds in the area. Surprisingly, they regaled me with stories of the ultra-cool television mirrors that were installed in the bathrooms.

It seems as though McDonalds has gone hi-tech and installed recessed mirror TVs in the bathrooms of their new stores so that customers can watch the big game (or some other favorite show that McDonalds deems appropriate) while washing their hands. Sports fans must love this idea. I sure do.

While I wonder whether or not this is a wise economical move for McDonalds, I know of another venue where using this technology is a no-brainer.

Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, is an amazing facility. The Jumbotron scoreboard, LED ribbon board, and other state of the art electronics provide fans with a wealth of information and cool eye candy. Even the concourses are littered with television so that fans won’t miss a pitch while waiting in line for their food or buying other concessions.

It’s virtually impossible to miss any of the action while you are in the concourse or seating bowl. Technology has definitely made Miller Park a sports fans dream.

However, the spacious restrooms are completely void of electronics, and the only way that you can keep up with the game is through the radio telecast. Over the years I have seen plenty of folks burst out of the restrooms to check the concourse video monitors or run up the concourse when something happens on the field.

Knowing that these people have probably not washed their hands because of their mad dash to see what’s going on sure makes me think twice about using the handrails or touching the concession counters.

Putting TV monitors in the concourse so that fans won’t have to leave their concession line to keep up with the action makes sense. But keeping the same monitors out of the restrooms speaks volumes about the capitalistic intent of the Brewers.

McDonalds understands that installing cool technology in their stores adds to the comfort factor that their customers demand. This organization is obviously going after the Wow! factor that will reward them with return visitors.

Miller Park apparently just wants to provide the extras to those customers who are buying something. Never mind that virtually everyone who visits Miller Park will use the restroom at least once during the game, especially if they visit the concession stand.

I understand that installing TV monitors and recessed TV mirrors in the restrooms would be a huge expense. However, the Brewers would be able to sell additional advertising, which would undoubtedly pay for this cost and eventually provide them with an additional revenue stream.

It’s time for the Miller Park administration to step up to the plate and hit another home run with Brewers fans. Instead of encouraging fans to rush out of the restroom without washing their hands, they should use this cool new technology to increase the Wow! factor once again in this amazing facility.