Microsoft signs patent deal with Foxconn to get cut of Android production. 

Dove uses forensic sketch artist to "beautify" women.

Tesco expected to announce the sale or closure of 199 of its Fresh & Easy stores in the US.

American Apparel comes under fire again for "offensive" ads in UK.

Apple has been ordered to remove obscene content from its App Store by Chinese government officials.

Bank of America struggles for growth.

BBC Worldwide partners with Foxtel to build BBC brand in Australia.Continue reading...

It seems the great divide still exists—a great mother or a great worker. Now, two of the most powerful female executives have set their own standards for work/life balance, but there are faults to be had in both arguments.

Late last week, via an internal H.R. memo that was leaked to the press, Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer banned working from home. The Google transplant has been in the process of turning around embattled Yahoo! since taking over in July 2012, but her latest move is inspiring more backlash than anything. 

"Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home," says an internal memo from HR director Jackie Reses, obtained by tech blog All Things D. "We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together."

“Even if that was what was previously agreed to with managers and HR, or was a part of the package to take a position, tough … It’s outrageous and a morale killer,” an employee told All Things D.Continue reading...

Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers, as critics and viewers evaluate Super Bowl commercials, and CBS deals with half-hour second-half blackout by honoring its high-priced ad units and advertisers take advantage of lull with social-media frenzy.

AB InBev faces familiar game plan in U.S. opposition to merger.

BP heads to next phase in Gulf spill litigation.

Bank of America faces fresh questions over Countrywide settlement.

Clearwire weighs merger offer from Dish Networks.

Coca-Cola uses Super Bowl campaign as springboard for year-long efforts.Continue reading...

AIG considers suing U.S. government despite federal bailout aid.

J&J sells Roloaids brand to Sanofi.

Samsung caps best year ever.

ABC spurs questions for marketers with move of Jimmy Kimmel's show.

Apple sees CEO Tim Cook make second visit  to China as mainland footprint doubles.

Bacardi snaps up St-Germain liqueur brand.

Bank of America extends retreat from mortgages.Continue reading...

Hostess is in talks to sell off bread brands, as makers of Thomas' English muffins and Tastykake snacks emerge as two of the bidders for Wonder Bread according to the Wall Street Journal.

Hulu CEO resigns as web TV startup faces impasse.

NHL resolves labor dispute, faces shortened season.

Apple envy one of Fast Company's suggested New Year's Resolutions for brands.

Bank of America settles with Fannie Mae for $10 billion.

BMW is paring back car discounts in Germany.

CES lures brands and marketers to Las Vegas.Continue reading...

Back in January 2011, Starbucks became the first national retailer to offer its own mobile payment technology combined with a loyalty program. It led to more than 100 million mobile transactions occurring in its U.S. stores since the launch. 

Now, in a move to push mobile commerce even further, Starbucks is accepting payments in some 7,000 retail locations via Square, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's mobile payment app for iOS and Android smartphones. In addition to laying out cash for that latte, users of Square Wallet can browse menu information and store hours, gain access to their transaction history, and even explore nearby businesses. Since Square Wallet is linked to a debit or credit card, there's never a need to reload a balance, and a digital receipt appears instantly.

It's not only been a huge boost for the Square brand (as Dorsey tweeted, "Immensely proud of the teams at Square and Starbucks: 7,000 stores launched 3 months TO THE DAY after signing the deal. #nailedit"). The announcement by Starbucks seems to come at a time of increased activity that could make 2013 the year of mass adoption of mobile payment technology. Indeed, Dorsey this week announced that "Square is now facilitating over $10 billion of commerce annually for small businesses across the US. Up $2 billion in just 2 months."Continue reading...

Amazon swings to loss on aggressive spending on future growth, worries about Apple's iPad mini, while Apple disses Microsoft Surface tablet.

BBC sees dimensions of Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal grow.

Bank of America still dealing with fallout from collapse of Countrywide.

Chanel benefits from buzz created by Brad Pitt campaign.

Cheesecake Factory bucks casual-dining traffic decline.

Chipotle considers once-forbidden veer toward fast-food platform.

Citigroup CEO exit reportedly was planned for months.Continue reading...

Five years after the housing market crumbled, the U.S. government is still sorting out who to blame. The latest indictment is of Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. bank, now facing a $1 billion lawsuit for allegedly (along with predecessor Countrywide Financial) selling fraudulently approved loans to government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The civil mortgage fraud suit was filed Wednesday by Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, accusing Countrywide, acquired by BofA in 2008, of promoting “HSSL,” (High Speed Swim Lane), a.k.a. “the Hustle” (no, not that "Hustle") in order to eliminate quality checkpoints and push higher volumes of mortgages between 2007 and 2009.Continue reading...