Margins Check: AOL’s ad future, the writers’ strike, China and more

Editor’s Note: Welcome to On the Margins, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week, the RCR Wireless News staff considers events in the wider business world and how they could affect the wireless industry.
–AOL purchased Quigo, a company that provides ad targeting and search tools for advertisers, in a deal reportedly worth $340 million. The deal highlights AOL’s increased interest in the ad space currently being dominated by Google, as well as the potential for further broadening of the offering to mobile.
–The current writers’ strike may have traditional television show producers scrambling for alternatives, but the strike could prove a boon for non-traditional content outlets. TV Week reported that online video shops are unveiling marketing and promotional initiatives targeting viewers looking for something different. If such non-traditional outlets find success, it could provide a boost for mobile-specific offerings that have so far struggled to find an audience.
–Do-everything company Google announced plans to begin dispensing directionsvia video monitors and an Internet connection at gas stations. The plan seems bound for mobile as drivers increasingly rely on their cellphones for information.
–Yahoo executives were recently grilled by members of Congress over the Internet firm’s cooperation with the Chinese government in shutting down dissident Web sites and providing the names of people opposed to the Chinese government. While mobile carriers and content providers have yet to achieve the scope of Internet brands, the rapid adoption of mobile Internet services in developing countries could soon provide such depth and thus increased attention from foreign governments looking to control the dissemination of information.