Notes from the media landscape: TV that watches you

And they called it the boob tube. Not anymore. Time Warner Cable is soon to begin testing a hyper-targeting ad system designed by Princeton, N.J.-based software firm Invidi Technologies. By figuring out where a viewer channel surfs, the software will determine age, gender and some viewer interests. Here's how it works: Invidi's software works with the cable company and its digital set-top cable box to anonymously monitor viewer patterns in order to build a digital profile. So while a senior may be watching CSI in the living room and her granddaughter the same show in her bedroom, the two family members would each receive a different ad during the same commercial break. Invidi claims its tests reading gender are scoring at 95% while age plus gender test runs are batting a 75% average. Time Warner is expecting to go into the household testing phase with the software by year end.