It’s our distinct pleasure to introduce the eighth episode of The GE Show: Manufacturing. (Don’t know about The GE Show? It’s a episodic series we make with GE, showcasing their technology, people, and problem-solving in inventive ways.) This was an exciting episode for us, not just because we got to visit enormous factories and play computer games all day, but because we got a chance to delve into the guts of a company that makes real physical things — a rarity these days.

A couple weeks ago I started getting excited about effect Twitter has on event based television. It gives us a way to interact in real-time and make those not watching feel left out. Tonight, we’ll put that to the test again with the Oscars… and I’m pretty sure this too will be one of the most watched episodes, ever.

But it isn’t just Twitter that will have people tuning in. ABC has an app that extends the experience into your lap. Not only can you follow along with the show (like previous iterations of their apps) you can switch camera angles and see things that others will miss… which is pretty cool. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the cameras happens to pick up something it shouldn’t… just to get some press out of the deal.

Anyway, this is a good start… but this is just the beginning. AppleTV, Google TV, and a lot of manufactures are trying to figure out this next big leap forward, between the screen on your television and the one in your hand. In my mind, there is complementary content rather than redundant content. I’d like a TV guide in my hand, maybe some reviews, suggestions, or live updates about the show… but the action should happen on the big screen.

We’ve progressed to where everything can be live and streaming. Tonight I’ll follow along on my iPad as I watch on television… but I really hope the next step is that my devices start talking to one another, and instead of multiple simultaneous passive experiences, the whole thing gets interactive.

I’ve found myself watching more event-TV lately, and I can’t help but think that Twitter is a big reason why… With so much happening with trending events… you start to feel like you’re missing out if you aren’t watching. Right?

Not only am I watching, but I’m paying attention, sometimes rewinding, and looking for things to happen once I realize that we’re a few seconds behind on the DVR.

I don’t remember the last time I watched the Grammy’s... But tonight’s show had me hooked. I followed along with my computer and participated in the conversation. For the first time the event felt big… and like I was part of the action (not really, but it felt like more of an interactive experience than just a viewing passively).

An hour after the show and all of the top ten trending topics are related to the Grammys. It should be interesting to see if like the Super Bowl, this is one of the most watched Grammys ever.

Bring toy guns, then #GTFO.

There was an interesting post by Peter Bregman on HBR blog Why I returned my iPad. His experience with a new iPad was so engrossing and immersive, he had difficulty disengaging from it. The device built a cognitive enclosure robbing him of his me-time. He finally returned it in order to regain his self.

Our entertainment eco-system is going through a metamorphosis. The single biggest contributor is disentanglement of content from the form. Thanks to digitization, content can be delivered through myriad forms and devices. This disintermediation is empowering consumers to self-select and consume content at a time and screen of their choice.

Consumers are foraging for entertaining stimulation like never before. Their average home entertainment spending has been up, defying negative economic sentiments overall. According to Census data , the average American spent $771 annually on services like cable TV, internet connectivity and video games in 2004. In 2008, that rose to $903. By the end of 2010, it would be just shy of a $1,000 mark. Add to this $1,000 for cellular services, and the total commutainment expenses would total $2,000 per annum.

As the consumers’ daily intake of entertainment grows, there are concerns rife over shrinking attention spans and less control over own time. The volume of reading has been going down. According to eMarketer, reading got a mere 3% share of the total time devoted to all media in 2009. This was down 60% over the same period in 2008. Cognitive scientists like Nicholas Carr worry that the digital culture might take a toll on our deep reading capabilities. The motivation of going beyond the glut of text to analyze, infer and build insights is dwindling according to these skeptics. Edward Tenner sounds downbeat – “It would be a shame if brilliant technology were to end up threatening the kind of intellect that produced it”.

Steven Pinker, on the other hand, puts the debate in a historical perspective. He says critics raised a similar outcry after the invention of the printing press, newspapers, paperbacks and television. He recognizes that our brains will no doubt be rewired. Neuroplasticity of human brain suggests we will undergo a restructuring of our neural networks as a result of new digital experiences. He exhorts we do not view it as a one-off phenomenon but as part of a work-in-progress cerebral reorganization since time immemorial.

As long as our interactions with the devices do not turn dysfunctionally obsessive and we make room for introspective self-talk, we will be pumping sufficient goal-directed behavior. And will continue to drive up innovation and productivity.

I’m convinced this is going to happen to my family. This will be my luck. And it will most likely happen to my own children at their own birthday party.

When I went to summer camp, we made dream catchers, got bitten by spiders and mosquitoes, sang “Quinn the Eskimo” with vegan camp counselors that viewed river bathing as the only necessary form of hygiene for weeks on end. I’ve had a leech stuck to my butt cheek, tie-dyed fingers for 7 days straight, and splinters in unmentionable places. I even pierced the ears of other girls while wearing socks and Tevas at the same time. I learned what a moon pad (gross) was and read Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

This morning, I drop off my son at his super chic urban summer camp, and see this wild torture device sitting in the playground:

Great, more vomit at summer camp.

But seriously – how COOL is this? It definitely makes my summer camp look like a gauche amputee with a lazy eye and unibrow who chews with her mouth open and has headgear.