Brands in the news:

* AIG's sale of Taiwan unit is on the brink of collapse.

* Autodesk will reintroduce its AutoCAD design software for Macs.

* Capital One is preparing customers for end of Chevy Chase Bank name.

* The Emmy Awards may eliminate miniseries and other “long-form” categories after HBO cleaned up (yet again) this year.

* Exelon is buying John Deere's wind energy unit for $900 million.

* Ford sets its sights on India as a market for sales and a hub for technological innovation.Continue reading...

* SABMiller and Asahi are eyeing Fosters (sending shares higher), but no formal bids have been placed.

* Morgan Stanley is the first Wall Street firm to offer research-on-the-go via Apple's app store.

* PepsiCo tries to rekindle demand for its Pepsi Max low-calorie brand.

* Tesco tests UK's first drive-through supermarket.

* UBS features astronaut Neil Armstrong, starchitect Zaha Hadid and fast cars in new advertising campaign.

* HP is hoping to outbid Dell for 3Par with today's $1.3 billion bid.

* HSBC is in talks for a $6.8 billion majority stake in South Africa's Nedbank.Continue reading...

Walmart discounts iPhone 3GS to $97, sparking rumors of its demise next month, when Apple will reveal the next iPhone (possibly with video chat).

Facebook ads attract brands including Lexus, Wendy's, ESPN, Sony Pictures, Bose, and Hardee's.

As the Times of London puts up its paywall, the New York Times says its paywall will be "blogger-friendly."

BP sticks with chemical dispersant, expert confident in oil well plan as the spill spreads. Mock Twitter feed is least of worries.

Budweiser is producing a special editon metallic World Cup bottle.Continue reading...

If merger activity is a sign of a global economic recovery, then the coming together of two big mobile players in the U.K. is jolly good news. Last month, European regulators cleared the merger of Orange (owned by France Telecom) with the UK division of T-Mobile (owned by Deutsche Telekom) to create the UK's largest mobile carrier. It's a clear sign that the EU will not be unkind to major consolidations, even as one British consumer watchdog questioned how the companies' union would benefit mobile users.

The merged entity is sure to change the competitive marketplace in the UK. The merged company, which will begin operating under a new brand name in 18 months, will have as much as 37 percent market share and more than 28 million customers. It will compete with three other companies--O2, Vodafone, and 3--in the UK market.

The story behind the story, though, is the demise of yet another iconic brand.Continue reading...