Alibaba takes on Baidu for dominance in China.

Android rises to #2 smartphone platform in Europe.

Apple ponders disposition of its cash horde.

California Pizza Kitchen plans brand revival.

Cochlear recalls line of ear implants.

Deutsche Bank launches Autobahn App Market.

Ford unveils new three-cylinder EcoBoost engine at Frankfurt auto show.

GameStop to sell branded gaming tablet.Continue reading...

Apple and the Weather Channel sued over location-based advertising.

Chrysler may hire up to 3,000 workers.

Cisco, struggling, reveals that AT&T will power its Cius tablet.

Duncan Hines tries to broaden its appeal.

eBay stands to make $1.4 billion on Skype's sale to Microsoft, as Skypers brace for more ads.

Facebook can't keep its Mark Zuckerbergs straight.

FOX releases biometric study assessing brand effectiveness.

Gilt valuation puts web brands to test.

Google will launch Chrome laptops in June.Continue reading...

At least some bunny loves Playboy.

Yes, the brand's founder Hugh Hefner has succeeded in his buyout bid for the company, meaning Playboy will once again be private. Plus, the old swinger is getting married again; indeed, everything old is new again.

But, like other, ahem, things in Hefner's life these days, he needed a little help getting the job done.

A private equity group that ponied up that cash will own a 60% stake in Playboy, with Hefner claiming 37%.

It's a management change and business dealing, but what will it mean for a brand that, of late, has been making news — not all of it particularly sexy?Continue reading...

Apple opposes proposal on CEO succession planning, and reports iPhone in-app purchases almost equal to download revenue.

Billboard & Nielsen SoundScan list Taylor Swift as the top-selling and most-played artist of 2010.

FDA warns public of continued extortion scam by FDA impersonators.

Ford unveils Focus Electric with MyFord Mobile smartphone integration.

Emmanuelle Alt takes over as editor at French Vogue.Continue reading...

"Unevolved brands" (above). More here. Can you ID all of them?

Thanks to Internet porn, Penthouse founder Bob Guccione lived to see his magazine become iconic and quaint. Bob Guccione died yesterday at 79.

Axe calls out Old Spice Guy ... as Old Spice salutes its 1 million Facebook fans most magnificently.Continue reading...

Aetna CEO Ronald Williams retires next month.

Apple flips mobile technology into its PCs.

Baidu launches Lekeutian (meaning "Happy Cool Day") online shopping mall with Japan e-commerce giant Rakuten as rival to China's Alibaba.

Coca-Cola seeks to boost brand equity, expand in emerging markets and boost corporate social responsibility.

D.G. Yuengling & Son expands its approach to growing the large regional-brewery brand. 

Gap logo post mortems continue.

Google sees 224,000 Germans pull out of mapping service.Continue reading...

Not content with the vast array of questionable products already out there bearing the Playboy brand, the media company is launching a new web venture named The Smoking Jacket (for founder Hugh Hefner's favorite attire). As Hef says in his welcome video, "It's Playboy's new safe for work website. Next to the mansion, it's the best hangout on the planet."

Meanwhile, a press release from Playboy's editorial director promoting the site's launch reads, "Cube dwellers and office drones alike shall rejoice at this fun, sexy, satirical antidote to the drudgery of the workday." Congratulations, Playboy! For years, everyone's been talking about how the brand was turning into Maxim. Now, the transformation from Playboy to AnnoyingFratBoy seems complete.

Somewhere, Norman Mailer is rolling in his grave. Why?Continue reading...

Penthouse owner FriendFinder Networks has submitted a $210 million bid for Playboy, having expressed interest on Monday after Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's surprise proposal emerged to take the company private. Its formal bid tops Hefner's proposed private equity-backed buyout offer, and invites Hef to the party — and to continue residing in the Playboy mansion, literally and figuratively.

FriendFinder states in its press release today that the company "believes its proposal is in the best interest of Playboy Enterprises and its stockholders, providing a basis for future growth of the Playboy brand and enhancing the Playboy legacy. With over 200,000 affiliates in its network, FriendFinder Networks maintains one of the world’s largest internet affiliate programs, providing the Playboy brand the ability to help extend its global reach."

The offer also opened the door to partnering with Hefner, with FriendFinder president and CEO Marc Bell adding, "We look forward to Mr. Hefner and other key members of management being an integral part of the combined companies." Judging by Hefner's Twitter comments, he shouldn't hold his breath.Continue reading...