Apple reportedly working on a lower-end iPhone.

H&M reveals launch plans for & Other Stories store brand.

Lance Armstrong to discuss doping in exclusive live-streamed Oprah Winfrey interview as new allegations arise.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos doesn't care about profit margins.

American Airlines upgrades international travel.

Asus looks to share in Google Nexus glory.

Audi A7 self-driving autopilot car goes for a spin at CES.

Beauty brands including Philosophy try oxygenating products.

Best Buy's former CMO lands at LivingSocial.

Boeing sees formal probe of Dreamliner.Continue reading...

Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers! Businesses prepare for Black Friday rush as record number of US retailers (including strike-threatened Walmart, Kmart, Target and Toys R Us opening on Thanksgiving) and consumer sentiment remains "shaky." Google notes American Thanksgiving with homepage logo nod to Macy's parade (above) and a round-up of holiday links.

Apple must disclose HTC deal to Samsung.

BBC praised for appointing outsider — Royal Opera House CEO Tony Hall — as director general.

BlackBerry 10 prep revs up RIM outlook.

Coca-Cola enters F1 with Burn energy drink brand sponsoring the Lotus racing team.

Facebook proposes to ends voting that gives users a collective ability to nix privacy policy decisions.

GE retired CEO Jack Welch "unretirement" makes cover of Bloomberg Businessweek.Continue reading...

Microsoft announces the departure of Windows chief (and Ballmer's heir apparent) in wake of Windows 8 launch.

LG breaks through with new smartphone.

Hostess Brands starts closing plants as workers strike.

Acura brings Dr. Phil and Suze Orman into its Christmas promo campaign.

Apple finally gives in on employee perks.

Bojangles recruits American Idol winner Scotty McCreery for campaign.

Cadillac shows design chops in China.

Callaway Golf drives buzz on Twitter for new high-tech driver.Continue reading...

Utah-headquartered Ally Bank today released the first two commercials in its new branding campaign. Under the umbrella of "Stages," the spots play up its customer-first focus — customers take center stage, highlighting human interaction over automation — with a new tagline, "Your money needs an ally." More details are in the press release, and check out the spots, which were filmed in on the stage of the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, below.Continue reading...

The latest TV commercial from Ally Bank, “Grocery,” (above) touts the brand’s "people sense" which translates into customer-centricity as good business sense, specifically, Ally’s Raise Your Rate CD, one of their most popular products.

Ally Bank, a direct bank in the U.S., is a subsidiary of Ally Financial Inc., and offers a full suite of financial services including 24/7 live customer care, online savings, interest checking, money market accounts, IRA Plans and products, CD’s, reimbursement of ATM fees nationwide, an Ally Perks debit card reward program, and is a member FDIC. 

"Ally Bank brand awareness has reached an all-time high throughout the duration of this campaign," said Ally Financial CMO Sanjay Gupta. "With it, we continue to see the strongest brand linkage since the Bank's launch in 2009." Indeed, Ally Bank now has over 1 million customer accounts — and it's now expanding its customer-centric offerings with the launch of Ally Mobile Banking for smartphone users.Continue reading...

Yahoo CEO and five board members step down as Ross Levinsohn named interim CEO and Scott Thompson discloses he has cancer.

Apple drops "4G" from UK iPad ads and reportedly bringing retina display to MacBook Pro while Foxconn prepares for Apple TV production.

Facebook co-founder renounces U.S. citizenship to avoid $600M in taxes as almost-over IPO roadshow focuses on mobile and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak wants in. (Also, wish Mark Zuckerberg a happy 28th birthday today.)

ABC bids adieu to Desperate Housewives.

Ally mortgage unit files for bankruptcy.

Avon weighs sweetened offer from Coty. (Update: Coty withdrew its offer late Monday.)Continue reading...

Barclays got out of the branch-banking business in the United States in the early 1990s, but now the British bank is making a digital run at the U.S. by wooing Americans to its new online banking service.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Barclays, which will have its name on the side of the new Brooklyn Nets arena when it opens later this year to basketball (and Barbra Streisand) fans, is looking to “diversify funding for its growing credit-card operations” in the U.S. The British bank, as Marketwatch notes, today went live in the U.S. with a high-yield savings account and certificates of deposit through its Barclays Bank Delaware subsidiary.Continue reading...

AT&T faces possible union walkout.

Ally promotes financial literacy.

Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz reap luxury-sales gains in China.

Burger King plans to go public again in surprise move, selling $1.4 billion stake.

Coca-Cola remains UK's top grocery brand.

Delta counters industry gloom with late-March surge.

Facebook countersues Yahoo in patent spat.

Fisker debuts new plug-in as manufacturing plans hang in doubt.

Groupon hit with shareholder suit.Continue reading...