J&J aims for Spanish mums

Agencies and Ad Platforms:

• Microsoft acquired YaData, an Israeli company that creates software enabling marketers to target online ads by consumer segment.
• Otto Digital's Jonathan Mendez started his own firm, Ramp Digital.
• curious@horizon is a new unit of Horizon Media. Its mission is to find hidden signals in consumer behavior and devise platform-agnostic tactics to reach them.
• Hoffman York launched Kaleidoscope Group, a Midwestern think tank targeted to women.

Email:

• Hotmail and Live users were locked out of email on Tuesday due to a software glitch.

Gaming:

• Video game publishers have adjusted to the idea that games are for more than a few hard-core players.
• Bolt.com founder Jay Gould launched GamersMedia, an ad network for casual online video games.

Mobile:

• Google will now be the default search engine for users of Opera's mobile browser, leading to speculation that it bought its way into the mobile browser field.

Newspapers:

• An Interpublic initiative shall allow advertisers to target print newspaper readers geographically with more accuracy.
• Ad revenue continues to fall at the Washington Post Co., with income down from $573 million in 2006 to $496 million in 2007.

Online Video/Video Rental:

• Akimbo is debuting an online video distribution platform. The service will include rental and download-to-own options.
• HBO created a YouTube channel to promote its programming.
• Warner Bros. TV content will appear on Hulu when the video site goes public next month.
• TidalTV, a project by Advertising.com's Scott Ferber, raised $15 million in venture capital.
• Pacifico, a Mexican beer brand, finds online video a cheap way to reach consumers.
• Netflix doubled online ad spend last month to bait Blockbuster users put off by the latter's high subscription fees.
• YouTube is encouraging magazine publishers to create video channels for use as ad revenue streams.

Social Networking:

• MTV appointed of Christina Glorioso to head a department focused on virtual worlds and new media.
• The WeeWorld virtual world has joined GoFish's kid-targeting online ad network.
• Bill Gates set up a profile on LinkedIn, a move perceived as the first sign of a business deal.
• TMZ is launching a celebrity gossip channel on MySpace.

Traditional Media:

• Entercom Communications and CBS Radio are using Oddcast's Voki to improve the radio experience. Users can create avatars to communicate with other visitors.
• Johnson & Johnson enlisted animated webisodes to reach Spanish-speaking audiences with a campaign for baby lotion.
• CBS Outernet is adding digital ads to LifeClinic's vital signs monitoring stations.
• The Magazine Publishers of American rewarded Time and Sports Illustrated for excellence of online presence.

Legal, Government and Regulation:

• Yahoo has seven lawsuits filed against it by shareholders saying it dropped the ball on Microsoft's bid to buy it.
• A federal judge gave Google two months to turn over documents related to the lawsuit filed against it by Viacom.
• European regulators slapped Microsoft with a $1.35 billion fine as a result of non-compliance with an anti-trust order.
• Senators say the FCC's wireless spectrum auction was a "disaster" designed to allow big telecoms to win.

Websites and Online Services:

• Philly.com will feature more video and e-commerce options as publishers look to increase visits from women over 35.
• About.com and MSG Interactive entered a partnership. About sites shall provide coverage of MSG events, among other sponsorship opportunities.
• UStream is partnering with Veoh to create a "Viral LIVE" daily show that goes behind the scenes of online podcasts and shows.