Adidas kicked off its World Cup campaign with "Fast vs. Fast" spot (above) featuring Lionel Messi, David Villa and Zinedine Zidane. Other brands in the news today:

Reuters is streaming today's US Senate hearing with BP and other oil industry executives addressing the Gulf spill and clean-up. (Or, read Vanity Fair's blog.)

Intel is "transforming into a computing company," even as it approaches the "one billion chips sold" mark, says CEO.

Mercedes-Benz is one of 25 advertisers kicking the tires on new Firefly Video ad network.

P&G, NBC team up for Life Goes Strong, a portal targeting the still-hot boomers' segment.Continue reading...

GM plans deep discounts to unload additional Saturn and Pontiac vehicles. [WSJ]

Yahoo's act of kindness campaign helps weary holiday travelers at San Francisco and San Jose airports. [AdAge]

Apple shares rose on news of the iSlate. [Times of London]

Trendspotting: Mobile augmented reality will reach its zenith in 5 - 10 years. [BrandWeek]

Netflix lobbies Hollywood studios to bolster on-demand Web offerings. [Bloomberg]

AT&T restores online sale of iPhones with no explanation. [WSJ]Continue reading...

While basking in the launch of their Android operating system for mobile devices, Google is feeling a little left out of its own party. Verizon Wireless and Motorola borrowed, tweaked and sort of hijacked the Android brand through the massive Droid campaign. Lacking a device of its own till now, Google is finally ready to compete with the big boys.

Finally, Google is about to give the world an actual Google phone, running on the HTC G1 cellphone. The device will include a branded handset and includes free phone service. Though the G1 has already been (mis)identified as the "first Google phone," this new phone will be emblazoned with Google's company logo. It will feature Google Voice, the company's phone service, which recently overcame its FCC troubles, and connect users to that ominous (to some) Google Cloud. A touchscreen display and an extremely fast processing system, “far exceeding that of the iPhone 3G S” are also included.

The mobile dance for positioning has made for some interesting bedfellows, or maybe better, bed-frenemies. Motorola, Verizon and Google have partnered on the Droid. (Google has a lot of catching up to do after spending a reported $100M in marketing the collaboration). But with its free phone service, and patch-in to the full range of Google services, Google's offering could easily damage efforts by its Droid partners. Meanwhile, Apple's beefed-up iPhone, touted as a possible Droid-killer, will reportedly be available with Verizon service, putting Verizon on the possible outs with Motorola as well as with Google.Continue reading...

The Google phone -- HTC's Passion/Dragon, a Droid without the keyboard -- is coming. [TechCrunch]

MySpace bolsters its entertainment positioning with music charts. [CNET]

Interactive mobile video ads, courtesy of new Google acquisition AdMob. [Mobile Behavior]

BusinessWeek plans layoffs of about 100 under new owners Bloomberg. [paidContent]

Cadbury rejects Kraft bid. [WaPo]

European antitrust authorities object to Sun-Oracle merger. [WSJ]

Lehman's creditors claim Barclays underpaid $5 billion in Lehman deal. [NY Times]

Google and partners ask for an extension in book case settlement review. [NY Times]

Moving toward mobile phone advertising, Google buys AdMob for $750 million. [NY Times]

Pfizer broke the law promoting drugs for off label usage. [Bloomberg]

Sony to release "Cloudy..." on-demand on Sony Bravia Internet-enabled TV's and Blu-ray, not DVD. [NY Times]

(More headlines: Talbots, Burberry online, MacLaren stroller recall.)Continue reading...

Verizon's brand perception propelled by Droid ad blitz; AT&T's lags. [AppleInsider]

Google boosts mobile ad presence with AdMob purchase. [Econsultancy]

Beer choice: smart psychographics or dumb stereotyping? [stltoday]

Is resentment growing against Apple's Mac vs. PC ads, or against their pitchman? [BrandFreak]

Comcast and GE near agreement over NBC Universal, $30 million dollar valuation. [Daily Finance]

Hachette folds Metropolitan Home; December will be the last issue. [Gawker]