Will Vending Machines Be Your Phone's Next Tandem Screen? by Steve Smith

Vending machines are about to become smart and connected. They could be the next opportunity for mobile devices to activate, interact with and pay for physical world services and products. ...Read the whole story

• The Cure For Boring Teachers: Why Mobile Gamers Play by Steve Smith

  the lure of mobile gaming may tell us a bit about why people engage with their phones generally. Yeah -- games are fun, but they also underscore how desperately many of us rely on our phones for habitual distraction. ...Read the whole story

• ESPN, Twitter Co-Create Ad Programs For Sports Events by Gavin O'Malley

  Starting with the NBA Finals, ESPN is teaming with Twitter to create new ad programs around major sporting events. These new programs will be promoted online and on-air across Twitter, ESPN and ABC and ESPN's digital properties. ...Read the whole story

• Trad TV Competes With Mobile For Video Viewing by Wayne Friedman

  Worldwide video usage on computers is now as common as watching it on traditional television among online consumers. The growth is helped by the rise of video usage of mobile devices. Looking at 56 countries, Nielsen says 84% of viewers watch video on computers at least once a month. ...Read the whole story

• Google+ No Rival To Facebook On Android by Mark Walsh

  Facebook's app and Web site were used by nearly three-quarters of U.S. Android smartphone users in March, making it the most popular social-networking property on the Google platform. New data from NPD Group also finds that Facebook has maintained its dominance on Android over the last six months. ...Read the whole story

• Socialcam Beefs Up Privacy Features by Wendy Davis

  As with other social apps on Facebook, Socialcam spreads news about the videos people watch to their social networking friends. Socialcam revised its program so that it no longer automatically resumes sharing users' information with friends. Socialcam will keep sharing turned off until users affirmatively reactivate the feature. ...Read the whole story

According to IAB-sponsored research, people juggling multiple screens in the living room may actually be more attentive to ads. Interestingly, smartphone and tablet owners appear to be using their second screens for different things. ...More

• Is Social TV a Gimmick or a Must-Have? by Daisy Whitney

  There's no question that social video, social media and social TV are hot. Nearly every network has some sort of social media tie-in for a show, be it USA Network's recent work with Viggle for "To Kill a Mockingbird," or Discovery integrating tweets into shows. Are social tie-ins like this a gimmick or do they last? ...More