The Dark Knight Rises was a blockbuster, but as the final installent of a trilogy, the future of the Batman series was unclear—until now. The next installment for the genre-redefining Dark Knight is as a spokesperson for Canon cameras in China.

In a series of new ads, the Dark Knight promotes Cannon's line of point and shoot digital cameras, with the superhero personally using—from his utility belt no less—the IXUS model. "Out of the darkness comes color" reads the tagline, meant to draw attention to the brand's superior image capture in low light. Canon has even built a special Dark Knight microsite to promote the partnership.Continue reading...

The Dark Knight Rises' opening this week makes it as good a time as any to ask, do you know what the difference is between Gotham and Gotham City?

The former term associated with Batman/Bruce Wayne's hometown is not trademarked. But a recent filing by the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation aims to change that. It also raises questions about why the filing wasn't made by DC Comics or Dark Knight movie studio, Warner Bros.Continue reading...

Nokia is going all out to cross-promote the July 20th Batman reboot — Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises. It launched a Limited Edition Nokia Lumia 900 in the UK on June 1st that's subtly branded with the Batman logo on the back, and is offering a free app for the Windows Phone-powered Nokia smartphones that ties into the movie's release with exclusive content. Next up: the first 3D mapping of the franchise's iconic Gotham City, powered by Nokia Maps.Continue reading...

For a series of Batman movies that takes itself so seriously, it's a surprise to see it right there so prominent as one of only five menu items on the official The Dark Knight Rises website: "Imported From Gotham City."

The Dark Knight Rises has a number of other official partners. There is Nokia (remember them?) and No Fear (remember them?) and Mountain Dew, which features at the core of its tie-in "Sad Batman." But none of these brands even get a mention on the film's official website, let alone being featured on the site navigation.

It seems that the heavyweight "Imported from Detroit" campaign, which debuted with Eminem at the 2011 Super Bowl and was reborn with Clint Eastwood at the 2012 Super Bowl, is now so ingrained in the American psyche that it's worth lampooning. But the first rule of auto product placement is "be serious." Be so, so serious.Continue reading...

BlackBerry-maker RIM plans to slash staff.

P&G will change candy-resembling Tide Pods on child safety concerns.

Formula One wins court challenge overturning 'F1' trademark‎.

Amazon will sell pre-paid wireless service in Japan.

Apple applies for patents on advanced stylus.

Two years after BP oil spill, tourists return to US Gulf.

Cisco pulls the plug on its Cius tablet.

ExxonMobil to vote on gay protections.

Facebook is reportedly developing a smartphone (with ex-Apple engineers).Continue reading...