Parental concern about online behavioral tracking of teens seems to have surpassed other privacy and security concerns, including worries about how teens manage their online reputations and whether they are interacting with strangers, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Mobile could represent about 12% of e-commerce sales this holiday season as a result of higher smartphone and tablet penetration, according to a new research note from JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth. He projects e-commerce spending overall in the fourth quarter will grow 19% across desktop and mobile, compared to 18% in the prior quarter. Among other top holiday shopping trends, Anmuth expects showrooming to be bigger than ever, with 37% of consumers browsing products in physical stores but buying online or on mobile devices at lower prices. The online holiday shopping season begins earlier and ends later as Web shopping …

For the second straight year, Houston was ranked as the nation’s most “mobile shopping savvy” city, according to a study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Runner-up was Seattle-Tacoma, moving up from No. 10 in 2011, with San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York rounding out the top five. Breaking into the top 10 this year was Boston at No. 9. The results are drawn from a biannual survey of over 20,000 consumers conducted in June about their media behaviors and influences. The trade group’s Mobile Center of Excellence based the rankings on four criteria: ownership of a mobile device …

Mobile shopping service shopkick has added Sony Stores as its latest retail partner in time for the holiday season. Shopkick is also rolling out a series of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals with Sony and other participating retailers including Old Navy, Sports Authority, American Eagle Outfitters and Best Buy. Besides deals on specific products, shopkick is offering additional walk-in rewards points at select retailers during the Thanksgiving holiday. On Black Friday, for instance, users can get 200 walk-in points via the shopkick app at Target, Best Buy, Macy’s and Sony, among others. The points can be redeemed …

USA Today launched a new version of its iPad app that presents news differently based on the time of day and lets users select the kind of updates they want to see most. The updated design also offers a more visual experience, adding more photos and video to stories along with increased audio. Larry Kramer, USA Today president and publisher, said the redesign “goes beyond a news-reader and provides greater utility and a more dynamic experience that allows consumers to get their news quickly when and how they want it.” In that vein, users will see a quick-scan text …

Now, half-way into the key November viewing period and two networks have figured out some new shows aren't going to make the grade -- in this case CBS and ABC. On Friday ABC pulled the plug on two dramas. The nuclear submarine series "Last Resort" has been cancelled, averaging just a 1.7 rating among 18-49ers on a tough Thursday night, with its most recent effort grabbed just a 1.3 number. Sunday soap drama "666 Park Avenue" also pulled the same rating number for its most recent episode, a 1.3. It was averaging a 1.6 rating.  …

In time for the holiday season, Facebook late Thursday announced adding hundreds of gifts users can buy and send to friends through the e-commerce offering it rolled out in September. New retail partners through Fadcebook Gifts include babyGap, Fab, Brookstone, Dean & Deluca,L'Occitane, Lindt, ProFlowers, Random House, Inc. and NARS Cosmetics. People can also opt to give subscriptions to services such as Hulu Plus, Pandora and Rdio. Facebook said more gift partners are on the way including Robert Mondavi Winery and Chandon.

Thanks to an 8% surge in digital ad sales, overall radio advertising revenues avoided a fiscal cliff, and "remained flat," according to just-released estimates from the Radio Advertising Bureau.

In her first big shakeup as president of ad sales for all of NBCUniversal, Linda Yaccarino just announced a restructuring of the sales teams running Telemundo, its cable entertainment and news networks, digital media, and, taking a play our of her old Turner Broadcasting Sales book, created a "Client Solutions Group."

John Cate has been named president-COO of San Francisco-based digital media shop Mediasmith. Cate, who joined Mediasmith three years ago from Carat, has been executive vice president and COO.