Smartphone users in developed countries are the less likely to interact with mobile ads than those in emerging economies, according to a recent Nielsen report on mobile use globally. In some cases, that may be because they see fewer ads than users in mature markets, creating a novelty factor. Indian smartphone owners, for instance, are among the least likely to receive ads, but are also among the most receptive. They’re also more comfortable providing some kind of personal information if it means getting more relevant ads. Smartphone users globally were most willing to provide personal information in return for …

Salesforce.com on Tuesday introduced Service Cloud Mobile, the first in a new series of new software offerings to power sales operations and CRM across devices. With its Touch and Touch Platform released last year, Salesforce said it’s “doubling down” on mobile with its latest product extending its cloud-based services to mobile devices. Cloud Service Mobile allows co-browsing on any device between sales agents and customers, mobile chat, and access to community support from relevant peers or experts. The co-browsing feature, for running Web demos and the like, will be available in the second half of 2013, but pricing …

Mobile video-sharing service Viddy, which less than a year ago raised $30 million in a venture funding round, is scaling back following the departure of co-founder and CEO Brett O’Brien earlier this month. The startup has cut 12 positions, or about a third of its staff, mainly in the areas of marketing and operations, as it seeks to reduce costs and rejigger its business, according to a TechCrunch report. Viddy confirmed the layoffs in a statement released Monday, saying, “As the board continues to review Viddy’s business, we’ve identified specific ways to streamline costs which include eliminating some positions.” …

There’s not much dispute Google is the market leader when it comes to mobile advertising. But who’s No. 2? Local advertising giant YP today issued a release calling itself the second biggest player in U.S. mobile advertising, with revenue of $350 million attributable to mobile last year. It cited a report from IDC last month. An eMarketer forecast in December had Facebook second behind Google, with an estimated $339 million in U.S. mobile advertising. The social network may have exceeded that projection, doubling mobile ad sales overall in the fourth quarter to $306 million from about $150 million …

Prognosticators prdicting better sales for some this month, versus last year, with domestics gaining ground over what they did in February 2012, and asian brands slipping.

Sony Computer Entertainment America has assigned its media account to Aegis's Carat unit, following a review. Interpublic's Deutsch unit previously handled media planning and buying for SCEA's PayStation brand.

The New York Times Co. is renaming its International Herald Tribune as The New York Times International.

Rising smartphone adoption continues to reshape mobile use globally. In a new report in connection with the Mobile World Congress this week, Nielsen compares how people are using mobile devices in different countries. Among the highlights:  -In developed markets with widespread 3G/4G access, such as the U.S. and South Korea, smartphone owners make up the majority of mobile consumers.  -In emerging economies like India and Turkey, however, feature phones continue to make up the majority (80% and 61% respectively) of mobile phone users. -Smartphone owners in the U.S. were most likely to watch video and use maps/navigation apps, while …

Mozilla's Firefox browser will soon block some third-party cookies by default, privacy advocate Jonathan Mayer announced on Friday on his blog.

Goodyear is racing into Daytona Beach this weekend for the Datyona 500, where it will launch a marketing campaign kicking off a new five-year partnership with NASCAR. The Akron, OH-based tire giant, which last year concluded a five-year Official Tire deal with the organization, will have new ads on the Fox broadcast of the race, experiential elements on the ground at Daytona International Speedway, it's iconic blimp in the air, and its race-ready tires on all the cars.