IBM may sell part of its server unit to Lenovo, misses estimates for first time since 2005 and struggles to deal with mobile computing shift.

AB InBev reportedly strikes deal with US on Modelo acquisition, as Busch heir resigns from NRA in wake of gun control bill's defeat in US Senate.

Dell sees Blackstone end its pursuit.

Adidas brings out "Boston Stands As One" t-shirt as CVS Caremark pledges to raise money for bombing victims, along with JetBlue and other companies.

Al Jazeera pushes back U.S. launch date.

Amazon may be unveiling mobile payments solution according to patent filing. 

The Atlantic magazine plans to launch paid digital content.

Avis taps celebrities to target "professionals" in new ad campaign.

BBC America and Twitter announce content-sharing partnership.

Boeing may see FAA clearance for Dreamliner as early as today.Continue reading...

As Wall Street embraces the inevitable tide of social media, fiduciary responsibility is taking on new parameters.

In a different kind of security risk as Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is stepping up its social media reach, granting its 17,000 financial advisers partial access to Twitter and LinkedIn over the next several months. The move expands a year-long experiment with 600 employees to test whether social media would be a helpful tool for its employees.

Of the 600 advisers involved in the trial, 40% cited new business through their social media use and of those 240, 60% said those new customers had more than $1m worth of assets. “The big takeaway is that it works,” commented Lauren Boyman, director of digital strategy at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, to the New York Times.Continue reading...

On day 57 of the Gulf oil spill, BP is ramping up its global digital campaign, including more videos (such as the meeting, above) on its YouTube channel.

President Obama, set to address the public tonight on all things BP, yesterday promoted tourism to the Gulf of Mexico as BP accelerated cleanup efforts in the Gulf. Gulf Coasters are skeptical of promises, whether from BP or Obama.

As U.S. senators demand that the oil giant set aside $20 billion in escrow for claims and a congressional panel charges the company with cutting corners before the Deepwater accident, BP denies bankruptcy rumors while it seeks advice from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone Group and Credit Suisse.

Billionaire T. Boone Pickens is defending the oil giant, as it faces doubts on all sides.

BP truly isn't British Petroleum any more - 39% of the company is US-owned, and half its board is American.

Stanford b-school professor Jeffrey Pfeffer has this advice for Tony Hayward ahead of his appearance on the Hill tomorrow.

Stop & Shop is negotiating with workers, but a strike may still be in the works. [Boston Herald]

Lufthansa pilots refuse to cease demands, strike scheduled for tomorrow. [Businessweek]

Upcoming horror movie 'The Crazies' has a multitude of promotional products. [BrandFreak]

Though net profit was down by 42%, Nestle saw sales growth in overseas markets. [WSJ]

With less people working, sales for early-morning fast-food meals drop. [Washington Post]

Visa advertisements tug at the hearstrings of Olympic audiences. [Adweek]Continue reading...

UK antitrust regulators oppose Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger. [NY Times]

Alcoa reports first profit in 9 months, lifts Asian and European markets. [NY Times]

With no new cars to promote until mid-2010, new Ford ads (aimed at policymakers) tout innovation. [LA Times]

As Versace abandons market, analysts signal the end of luxury in Japan. [Times of London]

Hermes thrives in a "booming" Chinese market; US market is "slightly positive." [Bloomberg]

Kraft renames iSnack2.0 Vegemite "Cheesybite" after complaints. [Bloomberg]

Music industry relies on brand partnerships to finance marketing campaigns. [Bloomberg]

(More headlines: Starbucks sues Dunkin' exec; Wendy's, Estee Lauder campaigns.)Continue reading...