Amazon sees online retail rivals rise in 4Q and reign as most expensive stock end as company may have smartphone ambitions.

Facebook phone, no longer a rumor, is coming to Android.

Toys 'R' Us pulls planned IPO.

American Express tests geo-targeted ads in London cabs.

American Greetings decides to go private.

Apple apology by CEO Tim Cook seems to satisfy Chinese authorities.Continue reading...

Facebook details ding Zynga shares as partnership ends.

CNN needs more vibrancy in programming, incoming CEO Jeff Zucker says.

Lipitor generic cholesterol pill production halted by Ranbaxy following glass contamination.

Amazon tops Walmart with wealthy Americans, study says.

AT&T named best 4G network in Consumer Reports annual ranking, but places last for voice/text quality to #1 Verizon.

Chevrolet partners with Dailybreak for holiday push.

Chuck E. Cheese sees revamped mascot lose consumer appeal.

Cool Whip breaks new ground with frosting.

Duke Energy forces out CEO in settlement.Continue reading...

Absolut Vodka Cut, above, is just the latest in a series of the Swedish brand’s embrace of the LGBT community which dates back to 1981, before it was fashionable.

Starting with ads in The Advocate and After Dark, and extending to charitable and cause-related donations and outdoor advertising, Absolut is marking its three-decade relationship with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community with a yearlong anniversary campaign, “Absolut Outrageous” (“Out” appears in pink), featuring the tagline: “Celebrating 30 years of going out and coming out.”

Now that it’s popular, established marketers like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, General Motors, Macy’s, Campbell Soup, Orbitz, PepsiCo and American Airlines are all on the LGBT bandwagon. But Absolut was the “first big brand to commit to and pursue the market” by being “the first continuously present major brand in gay media,” said Michael Wilke, former executive director of the Commercial Closet Association, now senior U.S. consultant for Out Now Consulting.Continue reading...

Apple misses first earnings target since 2002, as iPhone sales disappoint (although Mac and iPad sales set new records).

Cheerwine expands US footprint with PepsiCo distribution deal.

GM is reportedly in talks to back a Cannonball Run remake by British director Guy Ritchie.

IBM named the greenest company in America by Newsweek.

James Franco suits up for Gucci.

Orbitz fined for misleading advertising.

RIM announces BBX OS for BlackBerry tablets and smartphones.

Yahoo beats estimates.

Afar.com, launched in 2010, is the digital extension of the travel magazine of the same name. As the above video explains, for founders Greg Sullivan and Joe Diaz, “experiential travel is a way of life,” and their brand nuance is getting "out of your comfort zone," delving beneath the surface to real places and real people.

It’s one example of how travel is trending as one of the hottest online verticals for disintermediation, with a slew of start-ups seeking differentiation in a crowded field.

Following the early crop of online booking sites – Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz and Priceline – a second wave of sites like Kayak made search the currency for iterating online travel. Now, leveraging social media is the Shangri-La for targeted trip advice, crowdsourcing experiences and recommendations from the most trusted sources – friends, and friends of friends.Continue reading...

Acer sees stock tumble after questionable financial audit.

Amazon rolls out Groupon rival, Amazon Local.

American Airlines and Orbitz forced to play nice.

Android assails Nokia in Europe.

Anthony Weiner's Twitter scandal continues.

Asos bottom line dinged by warehouse move.

Audi sued for allegedly using Eminem's Chrysler ad music.

Borders sees bidder emerge also with Michigan roots.Continue reading...

As UK mobile payment startups join forces in $87 million merger, Google is expected to announce mobile wallet with Macy's, Subway and American Eagle Outfitters as charter retail partners.

Fiat chairman and James Murdoch vie for control of F1 racing brand.

Google harnesses ocean water to cool Finnish data center.

L'Oreal and other luxury brand execs project strong 2011, more M&A.

Orbitz targeted for advertising on Fox News.

Rick Santorum is expected to throw his hat in the GOP race for the White House.Continue reading...

Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion. Skype CEO Tony Bates will become president of Microsoft Skype.

Google launches license-free Music Beta cloud-based online music service.

Greece is on the brink of another financial disaster.

Android surpasses iPhone in Japan.

Apple and Google face US lawmakers on location tech today.

Bank of America has billions of dollars in new losses at stake.Continue reading...