This year’s Super Bowl is now the most-watched show, ever

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Does that post title sound familiar? Well that’s because you saw it last year right around this time.  Super Bowl XLV attracted 111 million viewers last night, besting last year’s viewership of 106.5 million people to become the most-watched program in TV history. In case you were wondering, the M*A*S*H series finale had already been dethroned by Super Bowl XLIV since it attracted a slightly smaller audience in 1983 (106 million). Super Bowl viewership has climbed every year since 2005 and this year’s marks the fourth consecutive “big game” to set a viewership record. And as Deadline points out, last night FOX became the first network to exceed 100 million viewers (100.9 million) for a night of primetime. Impressive stuff.

And how did the post-Super Bowl Glee episode fare in ratings? Compared to previous years, not that great. Glee garnered 26.8 million viewers, significantly less than what the series premiere of Undercover Boss received last year on CBS (38.7 million). However it did manage to best NBC’s The Office from two years ago (22.9 million). Comparisons aside, this was unmistakably the highest rated Glee episode to date and the most watched scripted series since 2005’s post-Bowl House episode (29 million viewers). Taking a look at the big picture, Glee attracted the third largest audience for a post-Super Bowl scripted series in the past twelve years after a 2006 Grey’s Anatomy (37.9 million) and the aforementioned House ep.

Too bad the commercials and half-time show were nothing to call home about. Needless to say, history was made last night…again.

[Via Deadline]

Super Bowl XLV commercials

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This shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but #BrandBowl was trending right next to #SuperBowl in the Twittersphere during the big game today.  While the sports-loving percentage of the country kept their minds focused on the Packers and Steelers, the rest of us admittedly didn’t care so much for the game and instead invested our time in watching the commercials placed neatly between timeouts and end of quarters.  As you know, companies spend millions of dollars for a 30-second spot during the most watched (sporting) event on TV.  So how did they fare this year?  All in all they were alright; nothing wildly spectacular caught my attention but they were definitely some stand outs worth mentioning and watching again.  From beer to cars to Doritos, tech, and movie trailers–it’s all after the break for you to peruse. Continue reading Super Bowl XLV commercials →

Verizon iPhone launch information

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The Verizon iPhone is almost here. Here’s the scoop on how to get yours.

During the wee morning hours of Thursday, February 3, Verizon Wireless allowed its current subscriber base to preorder the Verizon iPhone 4 on a first-come, first-served basis. After the first two hours of the preorder window (precisely between 3AM and 5AM) VZW ceased online orders of the phone due to high demand and ended the most successful first day sales in the history of the company. Missed out on this opportunity? Not a current VZW customers? Read on.

Beginning Wednesday, February 9, you can order the phone through the Apple Store online for delivery OR reserve it for in-store pick up beginning Thursday, February 10. At at 7AM local time on Thursday the 10th, run–don’t walk–to a brick-and-mortar Apple Store to purchase the phone; they’ll be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.  On launch day you’ll also find the phone being sold at over 2,000 Verizon Wireless Stores (also starting at 7AM), Best Buy, select Wal-Mart stores, and online at verizonwireless.com and apple.com. Verizon’s got a nice Special Upgrade Offer happening right now; it’ll help you save money on purchasing an iPhone if you bought your latest handset between 11/26 and 1/10.

Got it? Good. Starting brewing some coffee now and prepare for the online and retail insanity to begin. The day you’ve been dreaming about is just around the corner.

[Via Engadget, here & here]

Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases

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This week Google held a brief Android-themed event where they highlighted elements of the tablet-specific Honeycomb UI, introduced the Android Market Web Store, and previewed Android Market in-app purchasing. Hop after the break for all the details. Continue reading Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases →

News Corp. unveils ‘The Daily’, the first iPad-driven news publication

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“New times require new journalism. Our challenge was to take the best of traditional journalism, competitive shoe-leather reporting, good editing, a skeptical eye, and combine it with the best of contemporary technology.” That’s how News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch opened up the launch event for his company’s brand new digital newspaper The Daily. It’s being described as “the industry’s first national daily news publication created from the ground up for iPad.” News Corp. and Apple worked together to come up with a news source tailor-made for the tablet community. The Daily will push out new content every day and publish up to 100 pages focused on these specific areas: news, sports, gossip and celebrity, opinion, arts and life, and apps and games. It takes advantage of the iPad’s multitouch display by providing interactive methods of implementation.  For example, the home screen of the app provides readers with a carousel view of the day’s news, and you can easily swipe through them and tap on the ones that interest you most. Also, you can use your fingers to take a 360 degree view of a photograph. In addition to photos, the paper will highlight news using text, embedded videos, audio, information graphics, and real-time data and social feeds. For example, inside the gossip and celebrity section you might find a Twitter feed of a celeb who is making headlines and discover what she is up to that way. In short, The Daily allows its editors to deliver stories to their readers in new and exciting ways that simply are not possible in the realm of TV, radio, and traditional papers.

The Daily also includes… A selection of articles can be read aloud to you by actual people (read: no GPS-like robotic voices); the paper can be customized with your preferences (think: weather, sports teams); the apps and games section provides reviews and ratings for select iPad applications and will link you directly to the App Store if you decide to purchase an app; Sudoku and crossword puzzles are available to play within the app; readers can leave comments on Daily stories in either written or audio form; said stories can be bookmarked and saved for reading later; stories can be shared with others via Facebook, Twitter, and email (those who receive shared stories can read Web-friendly versions of the articles even if they’re not subscribers).

Readers are promised a new Daily to be automatically downloaded to their iPad straight from the either 365 days a year with new content everyday. If a day happens to be packed with breaking news, the editors can jump into the paper at any time and provide readers with the latest news (they can even change the cover story if they like). All of this comes at a price; since The Daily is an iPad-driven news source News Corp. does not have to worry about paper, factory, and delivery costs and the savings trickle down to the subscriber. It’s priced at $.99 per week or $39.99 annually, not bad at all. The first two weeks of use are free, thanks Verizon Wireless. It’s first application made available on the App Store featuring a subscription model; subscriber fees are billed directly to an iTunes account. The Daily app is available to download today right here.

The Daily promises a new voice for a new technologically-advanced era. I’m excited that a powerfully influential force in Murdoch’s News Corp. is behind the first digital paper made from the ground up for the iPad, and I’m equally curious to see how newspaper readers respond to it. It’s easy to assume that the young crowd of 20-somethings will take the charge in signing up for subscriptions, but what I’m most interested in seeing is whether or not those people who are used to reading traditional (read: physical) papers will take a liking to The Daily and transition over to it. At the get-go it certainly takes advantage of Apple’s tablet in terms of browsing and visually immersive experiences, so we’ll have to see if the editorial team can keep things up all throughout the year. If they continually pump out new content and update the app appropriately with readability improvements, I envision a bright future for the newspaper readers of tomorrow.

Look after the break a visual tour of The Daily and official PR.

[Via The Daily] Continue reading News Corp. unveils ‘The Daily’, the first iPad-driven news publication →

Captain America poses for ‘AVENGE’ poster

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As Captain America: The First Avenger inches closer to its July 22 release, Marvel plans to release content the ramp up anticipation.  First up is this war-themed poster featuring Cap, his shield, and dirt flying everywhere. The word AVENGE sits in the middle–is this a hint as to what’s to come in the movie (will he avenge Pearl Harbor?) or is it simply a nod to the upcoming superheros fest The Avengers? Time will tell, but for now I like what I see.

[Via SlashFilm]

Creator Mitch Hurtwitz aims to shoot and release ‘Arrested’ film this year

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That post title is music to your ears, isn’t it?  Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz told Digital Spy that he wants to shoot and release the long-awaited film based on the short-lived FOX series this year. But don’t take my word for it; here’s what the man behind The Bluths had to say:

Hurwitz: “We’ve started that process and it is our sincere hope to shoot it this year and get it out this year. That’s what we’re hoping, but a lot of things have to fall into place for that to happen. I want to keep whatever it is we end up with as a surprise, which kind of betrays the fact that we might not have the whole thing worked out! But I don’t like to toy with the affections of our fans. They’ve been so supportive and we’re so grateful, so I kind of hate to answer the question until I can say, ‘Yep, we’ve shot it, it opens next week’. Otherwise it feels like we’re toying with people and we do not mean to do that. It has just taken a while to get it going.”

The last time Arrested Development news hit, Hurwitz admitted he was “about halfway through” writing the script, and that was back in August 2010.  He continued, “We will make this movie.  The only stumbling blocks will be scheduling.  Everybody wants to play together.”  And, “It’s not going to be a big money maker.  It’s going to be fun, like a family reunion.”

If you’re not shaking with excitement, there’s something terribly wrong with you.  Not familiar with the show?  All three seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, so you’ve got no reason not to watch arguably the smartest comedy ever produced.  Five times over.

[Via Digital Spy]

‘The Event’ returns this March to NBC, award-winning cinematographer tapped to direct “pivotal” episode

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With The Cape on its way out, NBC is prepared to bring back its fall sci-fi serial The Event a bit early.  The Event returns from its lengthy hiatus Monday, March 7 with a two-hour presentation and the show will air eight more episodes leading up to its epic finale this May.  In related Event news, it’s being reported that Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, War of the Worlds) is going to direct episode 15, which EW describes as being a “pivotal” one.  Producers have hinted in the past that the actual “event” will be revealed to viewers sometime during the latter half of the season, so episode 15 just might be the one we’ve been waiting oh-so-patiently for.  Producers have also stated that when the show ends this May it will wrap up all current storylines to satisfy fans just in case NBC decides to drop it going into the fall 2011 TV season.

[Via EW]

Meet singer/songwriter Skylar Grey

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“Love The Way You Lie” is a Grammy-nominated song performed by all-star rapper Eminem and Barbados native Rihanna.  Great song, isn’t it?  Wouldn’t you like to know the the true artist who originally invented it?  Her name is Skylar Grey and if you haven’t heard of her yet that’s because she’s just now stepping out of her songwriter role and into the artist spotlight.  But you’ve certainly heard her.  In addition to writing RiRi’s smash hit, the 24-year-old talent has been credited with penning T.I.’s “Castle Walls”, Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Coming Home” and most recently she’s showing off her vocal chops in the hooks for Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” and Lupe Fiasco’s “Words I Never Said.” After living a life under her birth name Holly Hafferman experimenting with music since 2003 (she’s the one featured in Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go”), Skylar Grey admits today that “I’m not primarily a songwriter for other people. I really am an artist.”  And she’s proving that on the Dre and Lupe cuts for sure.

Let’s back track to “Love the Way You Life” for a minute.  Contrary to what you might have thought, the track that’s currently featured on Rihanna album Loud actually started out as a demo track written and performed by Grey. “I wrote the demo initially for myself because I thought, ‘Oh, I have this big song, and now I have a little bit of a launching pad to put out my own stuff,'” she says. “As soon as Rihanna and her team heard my demo, they were like, ‘Oh, we want it for Rihanna’s album,’ so I had to make the decision if I was going to let them have it or not. But I did and so it was on Rihanna’s album, too.”  “I still felt like it would be cool to let people hear my version of it, too,” she says and so there it is embedded above for you to hear.  She’s damn good, isn’t she?

She’s on her way to stardom.  Mega-producer Alex Da Kid recently signed her to his record label Wonderland Music and she’s going to the Grammys expecting to scoop up to five awards for “Love the Way You Lie.”  Masterful pianist, singer/songwriter in the making–watch out for Skylar Grey.  Sneak a better look at her after the break.

[Via Popeater] Continue reading Meet singer/songwriter Skylar Grey →

Single: Lupe Fiasco – “Words I Never Said” (Featuring Skylar Grey)

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The second single off Lupe Fiasco’s much anticipated album Lasers is here.  Lupe calls the politically-charged track “a big, controversial record.”  Skylar Grey’s vocal talents are delegated to the chorus which goes like this: “It’s so loud inside my head with words that I should have said/ As I drown in my regrets, I can’t take back the words I never said.”  There’s some powerful messages and themes living inside this track, and it don’t hurt that the Alex Da Kid-produced beat is wicked.  Listen above, get ready for Lasers coming March 5.

Single: Dr. Dre – “I Need a Doctor” (Featuring Eminem & Skylar Grey)

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It’s happening, it’s really happening.  Dr. Dre’s Detox is for real and it’s coming out this year.  Need proof?  Two singles off the record are out now.  We’ve had “Kush” since November, and today we got “I Need a Doctor.”  The new track is dominated by Eminem, with up-and-coming artist Skylar Grey belting the hook and Dre closing things out with a single verse at the end.  Producer Alex Da Kid had mentioned When it [the track] comes out, it will probably be the biggest song in the last 10 years.”  Though the song is definitely growing on me, I don’t know if I’d go that far.  When the song released earlier today it instantly skyrocketed to the #1 spot on the iTunes top ten chart, so what do I know?  People are diggin’ it, so give it a preview at Dre’s new website and download it at iTunes. Detox is expected to drop this April, God-willing.

[Via Rap-Up]