Now on iTunes

Cross Media:

• A company called the U Choose Network wants to make it easy for venue operators to select the ads that run on digital signage through a web application.
• Carat Digital is working with cable operator Cox to test the delivery of web-like banner ads for RE/MAX along the bottom of the TV screen when people are watching home improvement shows.
• News aggregation site Topix will power the discussion forums on the sites for the 10 TV stations owned and operated by NBC Universal.
• Junta42, the Custom Publishing Council, American Business Media and BtoB Magazine are joining forces to launch Junta42 Match, a site where brand marketers can find custom content providers.

Events:

• From April 2-4, the Palms Resort Casino and Resort in Las Vegas will host LeadsCon, the first conference to focus specifically on online lead generation.
• On February 29 from 1-2 EST, Chris Baggott of Compendium Blogware will host a webinar on "How to Measure, Track and Adjust Corporate Blogs."

Major Brands:

• Nike named Tesa Aragones head of a newly-created global digital brand position.
• Disney consolidated some of its online divisions in the newly formed Disney Online Studios, bringing together work on video games, virtual worlds and other social online executions.

Major Players:

• Microsoft's quest to buy Yahoo is about to morph from unsolicited bid to proxy fight as Microsoft seeks to potentially oust Yahoo's current board.
• Microsoft is allowing amateur developers to create games for Xbox Live. They can be downloaded and played by anyone.
• Google has officially launched its medical records venture in partnership with Cleveland Clinic, allowing people to consolidate and access medical histories online.

New and Improved:

• Scribd is introducing new ways to share PDFs, as well as ways for people to monetize them via insertion of AdSense ads.
• OpenAds renamed itself OpenX and brought former AOL CEO Jonathan Miller aboard as chairman.
• TribalPay is using the $12.7 million it just raised to give customers rebates or discounts when they do business with participating advertisers.
• Reed Elsevier has sold its Reed Business Information publishing arm, a move made to reduce its exposure to ad spend downturns.

Overseas:

• British ISPs have decided they too should be delivering ads to people based on behavioral information.
• BBC programming will be available through iTunes in the UK. This is the British broadcaster's virgin foray into the paid downloads market.