Gerald Longo has been named Vice President-Conferences and Events at the 4As. He reports to Mike Donahue, Executive Vice President-Member Services and will be based at the 4A's New York City office. He joins the 4As from the Direct Marketing Association, where he was vice president-executive director of conferences and event operations.

So after a few days here at the monstrously expansive South by Southwest Interactive extravaganza in Austin, a few observations on various topics: Interactive is a big draw, with attendance as of last year (14,000) passing music (13,000) and film (10,000). While many of the 1,000-plus sessions are housed in the convention center, many others are in various hotels throughout the city. There are people everywhere but because Austin is so low key, it's a relatively stress-free environment. Late-day sessions are relatively full, with highly engaged audiences. Media mogul Barry Diller told a large audience that he …

are spending more time in supermarkets, and women spending more time on the couch watching the tube. Women are still doing the majority of shopping in all retail channels (with the exception of convenience stores), writes Todd Hale, SVP/consumer & shopper insights, in his analysis. And they also ring up bigger totals at checkouts, which implies they still do the heavy-duty weekly stock-up trips. But men aren't just running out for beer and chips: At the grocery store, women spend an average of $44.43 per trip while men spend $34.81, and at dollar and warehouse club stores, women are …

Google's AdMob Tuesday announced the rollout of several new mobile products including a beta version of its software development kit (SDK) for Windows Phone 7 so developers can integrate advertising into apps on the Microsoft platform. The SDK is designed to support text and banner ads along with a variety of post-click actions including opening a Web page and linking directly to the App Marketplace, according to a Google blog post today. Publishers can download the new software tools  by logging into their AdMob account and adding Windows Phone 7 as a site type. AdMob has also updated its …

Organic Tuesday unveiled a social media-driven publication for the iPad, the first app released by a new development team at the agency focused( on building applications on emerging platforms and testing new technologies. The group will be led by Organic VP of Technology Todd Drake and Chief Creative Officer Conor Brady. As part of the initiative, all Organic employees will given iPads and will serve as test users for the newly introduced BroadFeed app and other iPad apps. The 99-cent BroadFeed app delivers content shared on Twitter in a newspaper format, complete with headlines, teasers and photos. …

Time Warner and Comcast have joined wireless carriers such as AT&T and Verizon in allowing customers in waiving fees for calls to Japan following the earthquake and tsunami that have ravaged the country. Time Warner said direct dial calls to Japan for residential Digital Home Phone and Business Class Phone customers will be free through April 15 and retroactive to March 11. Comcast is providing free calls for its Xfinity Voice and Business Class Voice customers from March 11 to April 10.

Kicking off day three of South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, media heavyweight Barry Diller shared his views on many things digital. Billed as a distinguished speaker rather than a keynote, Diller sat in an interview format before a standing-room only crowd in the main ballroom at the Austin convention Center. On whether the current tech valuations are reflective of there being a bubble, Diller quipped: "We're pumping it up pretty nicely. The place to be is on the invention of things." He said that because of bandwidth and the ability to do video, with mobile and apps, …

Preparing to gear up for more deals, Facebook has hired Amin Zoufonoun, a director of corporate development at Google, to lead its M&A efforts. Zoufonoun, who led acquisitions including On2, Grandcentral (Google Voice), Feedburner, and Simplify Media at Google, is expected to join Facebook next week, according to a Reuters article. Facebook last year acquired 10 companies, its most to date, including HotPotato and Chai Labs. Most recently, it snapped up mobile marketing startup Beluga. More deals are expected this year as the rivalry between Facebook and Google heats up to capture ever larger online audiences and ad market share. …

In its ongoing attempts to smooth the rough spots off American men, Unilever says its Dove Men+Care is unveiling the latest in its "Journey to Comfort" videos, including one of basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson. And in the first-ever iAd for iPad, fans can also play a trivia game that will give them a shot at meeting Johnson in person, as well as win tickets to the 2012 NCAA Men's Final Four in New Orleans. Additionally, "Johnson will appear in a series of :30 TV commercials in support of the "Journey to Comfort" program that will air throughout the …

Add Ann Taylor to the list of one-name wonders: Like Cher and Madonna, the retailer thinks a first name is sufficient, and will henceforth be known simply as Ann Inc. T