With dizzying 3D animation, zoom ins and outs and a map recreation, the Foursquare Time Machine visualizes a user’s past check-in history because—why not?

The social check-in app, which has seen a gradual decline in usage as of late, teamed up with Samsung to get users' attention with personalized heat maps that deliver recommendations on places to visit. The South Korean multinational conglomerate is footing the bill in part, after the two joined forces at South by Southwest when Samsung promoted its charging stations on the Foursquare app.

The new tie-in inlcudes branding for Samsung's new Galaxy S4 smartphone and features a tab titled "The Next Big Thing," which was an integral part of Samsung's marketing campaign for the latest device.Continue reading...

Microsoft and Best Buy plan mini "Windows Stores."

Amtrak hires esteemed chefs to ramp up its train food.

YouTube becomes overwhelming platform for fan-made branded content.

US Supreme Court strikes down gene patents.

Airbus lifts A350 to maiden flight ahead of schedule even as it copes with losses from aircraft's predecessor model.

Arby's franchisees helped get CMO ousted.

Audi is top choice of marriage cheaters in UK, survey says.

BMI sues Pandora over fees.

Bloomberg sees reporters' practices become critical issue for company.

Cadillac boosts sticker on new CTS by whopping $6,000.

Chevrolet believes racing on Sunday still sells on Monday.

Chrysler recalls sprinkling of trucks, Darts.Continue reading...

Zynga cuts staff to pre-IPO level.

Lululemon brings back yoga pants.

Monsanto plans to quit lobbying on GMO issues in Europe.

Apple is accused by prosecutors of helping drive up e-book prices.

Birchbox rebrands its beauty and lifestyle subscription service. 

Cadillac posts biggest sales surge since 1976.

Chipotle expands ShopHouse Asian concept.

Dunkin' Donuts to roll out glazed-doughnut sandwich nationwide.

eBay forms partnership with India's Snapdeal.

FedEx parks jets sooner to cut costs as economy slows.Continue reading...

As it explores new revenue streams and strategies to build out its web platform, Yahoo may be looking to invest in a platform that is sure to bring it plenty of the millennials it craves. 

According to a report by All Things D, sources close to Yahoo! have said that the company may be considering a "strategic investment in or outright buy" of social blogging mecca Tumblr. After all, the startup, which is valued around $800 million, is one of the most popular social platforms and has become increasingly a part of branding arsenals as companies take advantage of its photo-heavy community.

Update: The acquisition was approved by Yahoo's board on Sunday, and announced via a press release, David Karp's Tumblr post and Marissa Mayer's first Tumblr post on Monday morning. The tl;dr version: Yahoo promises to leave the Tumblr brand independent and "not screw it up," leaving Karp as CEO and its staff intact. Yahoo will get access to Tumblr's 300 million monthly unique visitors; Tumblr gets the backing to continue its product roadmap and Karp's vision.Continue reading...

JCPenney seeks to raise $1 billion as Martha Stewart loses a round in JCP-Macy's case.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg launches FWD.us with Silicon Valley heavyhitters on immigration reform.

Apple agrees to settle suit on iPhone and iPad warranties.

Argos plans digital "store of the future" to fight Amazon.

Bibigo Korean food brand partners with Psy.

Bitcoin finds Winklevoss twins rise in digital money as crash continues.

BlackBerry looks to apps and China for growth.

Burger King CEO leaves to take top job at H.J. Heinz.

Douwe Egberts goes to JAB for $9.8 billion.

Eli Lilly plans to lay off 30 percent of sales reps in major restructuring.Continue reading...

Social media mavens gathered in New York City Monday night for the 5th annual Shorty Awards, which honors the best short form content across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare and more. 

Considered the Oscars for Twitter, the of-the-moment awards ceremony garnered more than 1.8 million tweet nominations during this year's voting process. With acceptance speeches limited to 140 characters, the awards capture the brightest spots on social, from the most viral memes to the most shared social campaigns. 

Started in 2008 by tech startup Sawhorse Media, the first Shorty Awards catered to a small audience of 300, but since then, the importance of social media campaigns have grown exponentially.Continue reading...

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has begun its annual run at Lincoln Center, and several industry firsts will be on display — including a live stream of every runway show and video on-demand provided by Rightster and IMG Fashion.

"We constantly look to provide innovative solutions for designers to connect with buyers, press and consumers around the globe,” said Peter Levy, senior vice president of IMG Fashion Worldwide Events and Properties. “Our extended partnership with Rightster will allow us to bring the rich content live from the runways to fans and media who support the event, opening the doors for designers worldwide.” 

Last year, IMG Fashion and Rightster’s distribution of live streamed shows brought a 165% increase in viewership.Continue reading...

The International CES show in Las Vegas put branding on the main stage on Wednesday.

The "Brand Matters" keynote focused on the social media aspects of marketing. Moderated by Michael Kassan, chairman and CEO of MediaLink, the keynote began with a one-on-one with Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com. Benioff discussed social marketing, the explosion of consumption and sharing of content thanks to the proliferation of wireless. “The mobile revolution has taken over everything,” said Benioff. “When you walk the show floor like I did yesterday, you see in real-time that everything is connected.”

The keynote then broke into a panel discussion with executives from AT&T, American Express, Coca-Cola and Unilever to explore the magic of unlocking a brand. As CNBC noted, Benioff quipped: "It's amazing that a software professional is on a panel with CMOs; that's never before happened at CES," Benioff said, chalking it up to a shift in CMOs' spending. "These marketers are going to spend more on technology than their Chief Information Officer counterparts in a very short amount of time."

The Brand Matters SuperSession (watch above) then focused on how consumers are really engaging with digital media.Continue reading...