Those fine folks in charge of TV ratings that don’t work very well, Nielsen, have come up with a new way to monitor your home, or at least your Tv viewing habits. Maybe both. It’s an official ABC app that uses the iPad’s microphone to figure out what you’re watching, no matter if it is live or recorded, and offer interactive content based on this.

Nielsen says the app uses the same audio watermarks that are embedded in almost every US television show to do its thing. I guess that means that your household conversations are safe. For now. It has only been announced for the show My Generation so far.

I haven’t really worried about the digital transition; I have a newer TV and use satellite rather than watching over-the-air broadcasts. Many people are like me, but there are lots who will be affected by the digital transition. The big switch happens tomorrow.

According to Nielsen Company despite the fact that today is the last full day of analog TV broadcasts, 2.8 million homes across America are not ready for the digital transition. That number represents 2.5% of the entire TV viewing population around the country.

Nielsen just released their report on console usage. I wish I could say that there were some shocking developments, but it all pans out pretty much how you might think. Almost. The report was conducted in December of 2008, with Nielsen keeping track of the use of the big three consoles.

According to their numbers, Xbox 360 users used their console the most: 11.4 percent of the time during the poll. The PS3 came next at 10.6 percent. The original Xbox came in next with 10.2 percent. while Wii owners gamed a sad 6.8 percent of the time… far less than that of even PS2 owners. What I fond surprising was that the Wii came in last place in total days used during their research. People don’t like hitting others in the nads with a Wiimote all the sudden?

Anyone who watches TV has to have seen the constant public service announcements and ads that are talking about the digital transition happening next month. Despite the tons of commercials, many homes in America who watch over-the-air broadcasts have yet to get a converter box.

Nielsen reports that 6.5 million homes across the U.S. are still not ready for the transition. This is despite the fact that coupons for free or greatly reduced price converters have been available for a year or more.