Brent Lux has been appointed senior vice president/managing director of media shop Spark, a unit of Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest Group. The role is a new one at the agency. Lux will report to Chris Boothe, the new CEO at the agency, and will be responsible for overseeing strategy and product development, along with helping to drive business development for the agency. Operating out of Spark's Chicago headquarters, Lux will also serve on the Spark Managing Board. Previously Lux was managing director at OMD where he led the State Farm Insurance account. Prior to that he was vice president/group media …

A new study suggests the large screen sizes and impressive graphics will make tablets a growing force in mobile games. Specifically, Juniper Research predicts total end-user revenue from tablet games will grow to $3.1 billion by 2014, up from $491 million in 2011. In four years, tablets will account for more than a third of all mobile game revenue. ‘The tablet is the perfect device for playing mobile games – the screens are large enough for the user to see the action, no matter how big their hands are,” said Juniper analyst Charlotte Miller, in a statement. Because tablets are …

Mobile ad network Mojiva has partnered with blurbIQ to exclusively offer the company’s technology for adding game mechanics to mobile video advertising. The blurbIQ platform overlays standard streaming video ads with branded polling and trivia questions, turning video commercials into interactive “games.” "As we look for innovative ways to help deliver relevant advertising at significant scale, blurbIQ gives Mojiva’s advertisers another unique opportunity to increase engagement with their audiences that they can’t get anywhere else,” says Jack Hallahan, vice president of mobile innovations at Mojiva, in a statement. Through its gameification technology, blurbIQ can also recommend products based on users’ …

The mobile data market in the U.S. reached $18.6 billion in the fourth quarter, up 19% from a year ago and 4% from the prior quarter, according to the latest research from mobile consulting firm Chetan Sharma. For all off 2011, U.S. mobile data revenue totaled $67 million, accounting for 39% of overall wireless revenue. Chetan Sharma projects mobile data sales will grow to $80 billion in 2012. Smartphones continued to sell at a brisk pace in the quarter, making up 65% of all devices sold. U.S. carriers are deriving about 80% of contract sales from smartphones with Android …

Following up its earlier announcement Monday of record iPad sales over the weekend, Apple was more specific in a statement issued this afternoon: it sold three million new iPads between Friday and Sunday. That’s triple the estimated 1 million iPad 2s sold in its first weekend last year. The latest version of the popular Apple tablet features a sharper screen, a faster processor and $G wireless support. “The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold-the strongest iPad launch yet,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s SVP of worldwide marketing, in a statement. “Customers are loving the incredible new features …

Fandango has struck a deal with Yahoo to be the exclusive movie ticket seller for its Yahoo Movies site online and on mobile devices. The partnership gives Fandango, which provides tickets for 20,000 screens nationally, access to the site’s monthly U.S. audience of 30 million users. It follows the e-commerce company’s recent agreements with Regency Theatres and AMC Theatres, adding 3,000 screens to its network. Yahoo had previously used MovieTickets.com to power movie ticket sales. Terms of the new Fandango agreement were not disclosed, but the ticketing company said it plans to promote its new service offering through Yahoo …

Saveur is the latest magazine to leverage digital watermarking technology from Digimarc for an ad campaign on behalf of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. The upcoming April issue will feature a full-page ad containing a watermark that gives readers four different options to access promotional content for Starwood’s Sheraton, Westin, Luxury Collection and St. Regis brands in Hawaii. Using Digimarc’s Discover mobile app, a free download for iOS and Android devices, readers point their smartphone’s camera at the ad to be able to view photos, watch a video, make a direct call to for reservations, and share content via email, Facebook …

Euan Jarvie, COO MediaCom U.S. is shifting to a similar role for the agency's Europe, Middle East and Africa region, the firm said. Jarvie will work with MediaCom's local market teams, making sure they have the resources and specialist skills they need to deliver on client objectives, the firm said. Jarvie joined MediaCom in 1997 to establish the UK's Edinburgh office. The operation recorded double-digit annual growth for a decade and became the largest media agency operating in Scotland, per the agency. In 2009 Jarvie was named chief client officer MediaCom US and was then promoted to COO in 2010. …

Both Apple and AT&T reported record iPad sales during the weekend the latest version of the device became widely available. During a conference call Monday, in which Apple announced plans to pay a dividence and buy back $10 billion worth of stock, CEO Tim Cook said the company sold a record number of iPads over the weekend without providing details. But he did say Apple has sold 55 million iPads since 20102. AT&T issued a similar statement Monday, saying it activated more iPads last Friday than it has on any other single day previously. The carrier likewise didn’t provide any …

New research from NPD In-Stat suggests that different tablet sizes have an impact on how people use the devices. Those in the 3.5-inch to 7-inch range, for instance, including personal media players, are best suited to everyday activities like commuting, exercising and other on-the-go uses. Tablets in the 9.7-inch to less than 11-inch category are more likely to be used at home and for second-screen viewing. “As the tablet market continues to heat up, manufacturers are striving to differentiate next-generation products to compete with the iPad,” according to Stephanie Ethier, senior analyst, at NPD In-Stat. “Screen size has emerged …