A Company Is Profiting Off Of Phantom YouTube Ads

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Ad Scam Company Profits On YouTube Ads That Should Not Exist (Forbes)
Web security firm Spider.io found that an advertising company, Sambreel, baits YouTube users with a plug-in to download video content. The plug-ins then ultimately become new ad slots on various YouTube pages. The new slots trickle down to small ad exchanges and are ultimately bought up by small companies like dating sites or weight-loss companies, with Sambreel being the sole beneficiary of the zombie ad slots. Read >

Lenovo Sold More Smartphones And Tablets Than PCs (Engadget)
Lenovo became the top-ranked PC maker in the world for the first time last quarter after selling about 12.6 million computers. But, it actually sold more smartphones and tablets than it did PCs last quarter. Its mobile device sales combined for 41% overall growth in sales since last year. Read >

More People Use Roku Over AppleTV (Parks Associates)
Roku is the most popular TV set top streaming box, according to data from research firm Parks Associates. The number of households using Roku has doubled since 2011 and is now used in 14% of U.S. households. Read >

Jumptap Reveals 5 Secrets To Mobile Video Ad Success (Business Insider)
Jumptap just agreed to a huge deal to be acquired by Millennial Media, a bid which will combine the two entities into a massive mobile advertising company looking to claim the top spot in mobile advertising from Google. Jumptap SVP Lewis Rothkopf revealed five ways marketing firms can succeed with mobile video:

1. It's not just for the entertainment industry: Mobile engagement doesn't center on movie trailers or TV promos. Mobile video ad publishers should also look to automobiles, financial firms, and CPG companies.
2. Always keep a video ad to less than 15 seconds: Stay true to the medium. Instagram videos only last 15 seconds, while Vine limits videos to 6 seconds.
3. You've got to mix art and data: Target mobile video ads to the right demographic to boost engagement.
4. It's not TV — be innovative: Don't just make another standard TV commercial. Utilize rich media and layering on interactive mobile components that are unique to the mobile ad experience.
5. Seriously, use rich media: Tease your video with in-banner animation rather than a static click-to-video prompt.

Twitter Tests Alerts For Live, Local Events (TechCrunch)
Twitter will begin testing alerts, in the form of hashtags, for live, in-person events based on the proximity of the mobile Twitter user. It could be another opportunity for the social network to drive revenue in the form of targeted ads or paid placements. Read >

Google Blocks YouTube App From Windows Phone (The Verge)
Microsoft recently unveiled a native YouTube app for its Windows Phone platform. Google has decided to block that app, however, citing a violation of terms of use. A Google spokesman said, "It has been disabled. We value our broad developer community and therefore ask everyone to adhere to the same guidelines." Read >