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I just put the Vuzix M100 on my face, a device that's supposed to be the future of all tech: wearable computers. It's a nice idea, sort of, but if this is the future of tech, I hate the future.

that screen is horrible. It's 480 x 272, which is at once too much and too little. Details are too minuscule to discern, and the entire thing still looks too far away, despite being less than an inch from your socket.

This holiday season, 52.9 percent of those who own smartphones and 64.1 percent of those who own tablets plan to use their devices to research and purchase holiday gifts, décor, food items and more. The bigger expected role for tablets points to the strong experience for shopping-related activities that these devices provide thanks to their larger screen sizes.

The report found tablets are the most popular mobile devices, with 18 percent of consumers using them for viewing paid video content, while mobile phone usage isn't far behind at 16 percent, a J.D. Power and Associates said. Gaming consoles remain the overall leader when looking at all digital devices for viewing video -- 6.3 hours per week, compared with 5.3 hours on a laptop/desktop, 4.9 hours on a wireless phone, 4.5 hours on a music player and 4.4 hours on a tablet, the survey results indicate. Still, gaming console viewing has yet to match traditional TV viewing, Frank Perazzini, director of telecommunications at J.D. Power and Associates, said. "These findings illustrate that while customers appreciate the convenience and value that gaming consoles provide, the TV screen is still a preferred viewing media," he said.

In the past, an advertiser would have counted on TV to make the point. But as younger audiences increasingly turn to other screens, TV airings alone don't necessarily have the impact they once did. So more TV networks are pitching programs that make use of the chatter it generates in some of the new venues. This week's upfront sessions are likely to include a sizable amount of talk about how Fox, CW and their brethren can use popular TV shows to harness consumer interest in social-media outlets. "Making sure that you've got a layer of digital and social amplification as part of the plan is paramount," said Brent Poer, exec VP-executive creative director at Starcom MediaVest Group's LiquidThread unit, which specializes in weaving ad messages into content and was involved in the pact between CW and Microsoft. Earlier this month, CBS unveiled "CBS Connect," a digital hub where TV fans can aggregate updates about their favorite shows from Twitter and Facebook, and interact with actors from the programs. On Tuesday, for example, members of the cast of "NCIS: Los Angeles" will connect with fans who use the show's hashtag in their tweets and posts during the program's season finale.

The network also said Watch ESPN, the authenticated TV Everywhere app introduced last year, is now in 40 million homes. ESPN predicted that figure would double by 2013. "Whether we televise the game or not, there is an audience consuming it via ESPN platforms," said Sean Bratches, exec VP-sales and marketing. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, Mr. Bratches said. ESPN is working with companies including Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, Netflix and Microsoft to further expand the offerings. "Young males spend more time consuming media" on Xbox than playing video games," he said. ESPN is making content for these digital platforms, reviving the "30 to 30" franchise with "30 for 30 Shorts," which will roll out monthly on Grantland, the sports-plus-pop-culture site created by sports journalist Bill Simmons. To visualize just how advertisers can partner with its various digital platforms, ESPN presented three case studies from partners Gatorade, Goodyear and Diageo. Gatorade partnered with ESPN across multiple screens in an effort to embrace female athletes and moms, an audience that ESPN is making a concerted effort to tap into with espnW. This includes "Nine for IX," a series of nine documentary films about women in sports in celebration of Title IX's 40th anniversary.

AOL is launching a series of premium ad formats for mobile devices and tablets today, extending its Pictela platform across multiple screens. The technology enables brands to build and tailor cross-platform campaigns in real-time. Advertisers can incorporate five applications in mobile ads running on the technology, including Facebook, Twitter, a photo gallery, video gallery, and content feed. Icons in the ads associated with the apps will open a larger window displaying content without leaving the ad. Pictela desktop ads can feature 25 different apps.

tore sampling, Kraft and Intel recently teamed up to launch iSample to create such an experimental element to impact the customer experience. iSample is truly a unique technology that blends various elements to impact the consumer. This includes digital signs to attract consumer attention to the device, an interactive touch screen that dispenses the customer-selected product sample and anonymous video analytics to ensure, in the first iSample product test, that only adults are trying the product. (The product being tested is a dessert aimed only at adults.) Kraft’s objective through the deployment of these cutting-edge technologies is to create a personalized shopping experience that emotionally engages the consumer with the product to build interest and sales.