• by Michael Shields , June 15, 2004

Ziff Davis is starting a magazine for those guys who cannot seem to function without their BlackBerry, iPod or camera phone at the ready at all times.

The tech publisher has officially announced the launch of Sync, a technology- focused men's lifestyle magazine, geared more for entertainment than technological know-how. The new bi-monthly, which is on newsstands today, will attempt to capitalize on a growing trend toward what Ziff calls "Tech- Tainment," the convergence of consumer electronics, entertainment, technology and communications, representing a $400 billion dollar market.

Sync, planned as a 200,000 circulation title, is targeted not to guys who want to tear apart their hard drives, but those who want to maybe take a crack at some home networking and aren't afraid to plunk down $1,500 bucks for a flat panel TV.

The new title marks a shift in direction for Ziff Davis, publisher of IT manager-focused such as eWeek and CIO Insight and product-heavy, tech-geek fare like PC Magazine.

"This is really a different type of publication for Ziff Davis," said Tim Castelli, senior vice president-group publisher of Sync. "Everything we have done surrounding Sync is different."

That includes hiring editors and writers from outside the typical Ziff Davis sphere, and talking to a different segment of Madison Avenue. Sync's editorial will be grounded in technology, but will be far more accessible to the average user. For the debut issue, the book has signed on mainstream advertisers from the beer, liquor and fashion categories.

"Don't look for this magazine in the tech section at your magazine store," Castelli said. "Look for it next to GQ or Maxim."

The content is closer in look and feel to men's titles like Maxim, but more sophisticated, says Castelli. "Our content takes a very hip, irreverent tone," he said. "It's clever, not sophomoric."

For example, Sync's website currently shows summer-related features in which Major League Baseball stadiums are equipped with Wi-Fi, and an interview with Scott Weiland, the former lead singer of 1990's alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots.

Ziff Davis had previously made a big entry into the consumer space during the late 1990s Internet boom with the mainstream-targeted Yahoo Internet Life, which, like many Internet-related publications, folded in 2002.

This year, Sync will face another crowding market, as several new men's shopping titles try to emulate Conde Nast's hugely successful Lucky, including Vitals, a spin-off of Details, and Conde's own Cargo. Though Sync's primarily purpose is not shopping per se, the first issue contains "325 different gear and gadgets to look at," said Castelli. "Instead of focusing on products, this book is about how you use them."

Ziff expects that Sync's readership will bee predominantly male, with an average household income of more than $70,000.

As part of the company's desire to cover "Tech-Tainment," Ziff Davis will also launch a technology event called DigitalLife, a four-day special event to be held in October in New York where the latest in digital technology for the home, work and play will be displayed.

The launch of Sync and the DigitalLife conference are part of "big things yet to come," according to Randy Zane, Ziff Davis director of communications, including, "scores of new vertical websites" by the end of this year. In addition, the company's tech-enthusiast website, ExtremeTech, will launch a companion magazine this fall.