Clear Channel Unveils Spectacolor HD Billboard — with Free WiFi, Ad Ops Galore

CNN is joining the ranks of Reuters, breaking ground with a giant Times Square-based digital display.

This isn't just any billboard. CNN, now the content provider for Clear Channel's new Spectacolor HD billboard, will not only boast the highest quality of any digital billboard in the US; it's also packed with outdoor advertising options galore.

Going up on the corner of 47th and Broadway, the billboard will run multiple ad spots in conjunction with streaming news, weather forecasts and HD broadcasts from CNN.

Advertisers can buy Bluetooth downloads that allow visitors to bring "a piece of the billboard with them home," as well as interactive content via short code that will turn people's phones into a remote controls.

Finally, the board will serve as Time Square's first free public Wi-Fi spot.

The Billboard have eyes..

A Canadian academic has created technology enabling billboards to track and count the number of people who look at it, reports The Associated Press.

The portable device can recognize when eyeballs are actually turned toward signage, an improvement over previous, more expensive devices.

The Xuuk eyebox2 was developed by Roel Vertegaal and costs $999. Broad use and data resulting from the eyebox2 could affect rates charged for billboard ads over the long-term.