Boeing sees Dreamliner pass a battery inspection in Japan but planes are still grounded, and company faces possiblity of a $5-billion writedown.

Barnes & Noble plans to close as many as one-third of its retail stores over next several years.

Daimler, Ford and Nisssan ink deal on fuel-cell cars.

ABC sees advertisers such as Hyundai and University of Phoenix connect with network for Oscars telecast.

Apple shares may not be as important as IBM stock in terms of a market bellwether.

CBS scores nearly $4 million for average Super Bowl spot.

Cracker Barrel rolls out plan to expand into groceries.Continue reading...

Cadillac sees its ATS named North American Car of the Year at the North American International Auto Show, while Ram celebrates naming of 1500 as truck/utility vehicle of the year.

Hostess strikes a deal to sell Wonder Bread and other brands plus production facilities to Flower Foods.

HP CEO Meg Whitman receives $15.4 million.

American Express travel cuts point to end of an era.

Apple cuts orders for iPhone parts.

Billabong receives another takeover bid. 

Deutsche Bank reportedly considers 20-percent bonus cuts in Europe.

GM's Chevrolet division relaunches Corvette brand.Continue reading...

Hostess Brands makes good on threat to to go out of business because of strike, selling off Wonder Bread, Twinkies, Ding Dongs and other iconic brands.

5-Hour Energy sees parent's bond ratings hurt by FDA probe into deaths as Rockstar is added to energy-drinks probe.

BP doesn't end brand woes with Gulf settlement as U.S. shifts toward holding individual executives responsible for disaster.

Apple sees stock hit by panic selling.

Applebee's introduces spirits-infused menu.

Burger King expands home-delivery test to Houston.Continue reading...

AB InBev sees continuing market-share losses by Budweiser in U.S.

Weather Channel hopes to maintain Sandy ad dollars.

Hyundai and Kia take hits on EPA mileage claims.

Amazon gets major push-back from traditional booksellers.

Best Buy may be facing existential questions soon.

Boeing to get big helicopter order from India.Continue reading...

While fashionistas bring their stilettos to the streets of New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week spring runway shows, wool is likely one of the last fabrics on their minds.

Woolite is hoping to change that, opening its first pop-up store in New York's Soho district an extra week, through Sept. 16. The installation promotes the brand's new laundry detergent — all of the items sold in the store have been washed in the detergent and carry its distinctive scent — and will be promoted with a Twitter party today.

According to the press release,

True to the brand's campaign slogan, "WooliteWashed. Clothes look like new, longer", each item showcased will be washed in Woolite® so that consumers can experience firsthand and be amazed by the brand's product benefits. Consumers will be able to purchase limited-edition garments and accessories (which have been) pre-washed in Woolite, from five notable designers – Dannijo, Felix Rey, LNA, Laundry by Shelli Segal, and Timo Weiland. Items will retail from $28-$60, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Save the Children, a non-profit creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world.

Halfway around the world, one of wool’s top wool-producing nations and trademarks – Woolmark – has partnered with famed Australian photographer Anne Geddes, who has made a name for herself taking photos of babies in flowers and other fairytale-like settings, “to photograph them nestling in cradles of wool,” as Stock and Land notes, for a 2013 calendar that features what may be the cutest interpretation of a logo ever.Continue reading...

Apple's iPhone beats BlackBerry in its homeland; and could one day be made out of glass and function as a universal remote control.

AT&T sued over alleged deaf calls scam.

Bank of America tests rental program as alternative to foreclosure.

Bit.ly ranks U.S. news outlets.

Credit Suisse cuts CEO's pay 55%.

Dove launches self-esteem campaign in the U.K.

Etch A Sketch owner capitalizes on Romney-spurred attention.

Facebook strips privacy from new user policy, reportedly buys 750 patents from IBM.

FedEx called to task by Obama administration.Continue reading...

Apple tightens up on apps again, frustrating developers.

Blip.tv gets fresh funding, drops .tv from brand name.

Chrysler CMO personally approached Clint Eastwood about Super Bowl ad just as he did Eminem a year ago.

Corona supports cancer research with promo.

Google nears launch of cloud-storage service.

Groupon reports net loss in first quarterly filing after IPO.

Honda aims to reclaim its luster.

Mattel launches new global campaign for Barbie.Continue reading...

Sick of Trojans and whatever else you’ve found in your pharmacy’s aisles to aid your to pregnancy-free sexual adventures? Well, there may soon be a new condom in town and it’s coming all the way from China. 

The Financial Times reports that Chinese condom maker Safedom is “seeking European partners or acquisitions as part of a bid to go global.” The company is, um, rising fast with 200 million sales expected this year in China and sales of a billion next year, the FT reports; now it's eyeing Bangladesh and African countries for expansion.

Safedom’s CEO, Brian Fu, recently visited the United Kingdom to meet with potential partners, and funding “will either come from existing shareholders, bank loans or possibly through an overseas stock market listing,” Fu told the paper.

Of course, condom makers have an edge in China, where couples are (officially) still subject to the country's controversial one child policy. Still, Fu is taking his product global, though he says that his company’s strength is “in manufacturing and technology,” so he will look to have “branding and marketing expertise” brought in from outside sources.

Meanwhile, a British "Viagra in a condom" concept is making waves for "unprofitable" drugmaker Futura Medical.Continue reading...