Caring.com -- an ad
network for Boomers

Ad Networks and Analytics:

• Say hello to Caring.com, an ad network targeted to Baby Boomers — particularly those caring for aging parents.
• Over 300 online ad networks have saturated the tubes in the past couple of years. Is there enough advertising to support them all?

Agencies and Marketing Execs:

• David Yovanno, former COO of ValueClick, joins widget firm Gigya as CEO.
• Scripps' HGTV makes an SVP/Program Development out of Freddy James, formerly Site Director for HGTV.com.
• Mzinga adds Patrick Moran, CMO.

Biz Buzz:

• Yahoo is finally launching its own app platform.
• This may not be immediately relevant to online advertising, but here goes, in any case: Google adds a fighter jet to its expanding hangar.
• Rumor has it that, if Microsoft fails to seal any sort of deal with Yahoo, it may exit the online ad business by 2010.

Campaigns of Note:

• Spoofs on Budweiser's old "Wassup" commercials take a political, pro-Obama spin. Other memes follow.

Legal, Government and Regulation:

• Google's being sued again, this time by Harvard professor Benjamin Edelman, who argues the search giant is profiting from "typo-squatting."
• Watch out when leaving negative feedback on eBay; one seller plans to sue a buyer that left him some.

Mobile:

• MySpace has made a step toward bringing its platform to Google Android-built phones.
• Silicon Alley Insider reports that iPhone enjoys 550% more online searches than Google's "Gphone" (or Android-built phones).

Overseas:

• Europe has approved proposals to knuckle down on cyber-bullying and internet violence.
• Mangrove Capital has parked investment financing in Vente-Privee, a Russian online shopping site.

Social Networks:

• LinkedIn launched an improved search feature for members. Among other things, it enables professionals to search based on what they have "in common" with others.

User Experience:

• In efforts to expand its scope, Microsoft has begun studying technology's affect — and potential benefit — upon emerging markets.
• Xochi Birth, co-founder of social networking site Bebo, now owned by AOL, gets personal about her journey from hard-up to startup.
• Cutting PC start time may be the latest priority at a time when the internet is increasingly considered a utility, not a luxury.
• Blogs purportedly influence purchases more than social sites do.