The social media technology company Ning has launched a set of tools designed to help publishers and social community leaders to identify their most popular users—and potentially turn them into brand advocates.

The Time Inc. magazine said the app was always supposed to launch in August and that the timing was unrelated to its talks with its photo agency suppliers. Instead, the title was ironing out a subscription interface, which it claims is an App Store first.

ShortTail Media, a company that helps publishers deliver video ads to text-based portions of their Web sites, has inked a deal with the Web video network/technology firm TidalTV.

Vevo, a rapidly growing online hub for music videos—the company boasts 20,000 videos from over 7,000 artists—has rolled out a free application for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch.

Digital rep firm Gorilla Nation has rolled out a new branded entertainment series for the Mediterranean foods brand Sabra on the social media–infused cooking site BakeSpace.com.

Stepping up its coverage of local high school sports, Gannett announced plans Wednesday (Aug. 18) to launch more than 100 hyper-local Web sites co-branded with HighSchoolSports.net. The TV and newspaper owner also plans to increase its coverage of high school sports on USAToday.com.

TLC.com has launched a branded entertainment Web video series in conjunction with sponsor partner Volkswagen of America.

AOL’s Patch initiative is no longer just a handful of pet project–style local sites in the tri-state area. In fact, the company is planning a massive expansion of its fledgling local journalism project by the end of this year.

To accompany the five ESPN local Web sites, the sports brand launched Tuesday (Aug. 17) local-based applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. ESPN also launched Passport, an app that allows fans to chronicle their at-the-game experiences by building digital sports scrapbooks and sharing commentary via social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Sporting News, one of the oldest names in sports journalism, has also been one of the most vulnerable. Two years ago, it slashed its print frequency in half, while launching a daily digital edition of the magazine. Today, it’s dwarfed by big rivals like ESPN and Sports Illustrated in print and online.

MOG, a digital music company which operates a fast-growing ad network of 1,300-plus music blogs, on Monday (Aug. 16) will launch MOGMusicNetwork.com, which will compile the best and most popular content from its network.

Cameron Death has been promoted to svp and gm of NBC Universal Digital Studio. Death, who joined NBCU in 2008, was previously vp, digital content.

In-game advertising firm, IGA Worldwide, which was left for dead by many last year as the recession took hold, has earned a new set of lives.