Apple, now worth more than Google and Microsoft combined, is hit with stores protest over Foxconn treatment of workers in China, while fans anticipate new iPad and iPhone models.

Barclays caps bonuses as profit falls.

Beyonce and Jay-Z move to trademark daughter's name.

Bing and Viggle partner for second-screen Grammy effort.

Citibank bill-pay app charged some users twice, bank concedes.

Continental pushes past Southwest in customer loyalty.Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts of the week include The iPhone 4S, Steve Jobs' Passing, Friendly's, Starbucks' Howard Schultz, and more:

#1 Coca-Cola Puts Fans on the Can in Australia

#2 Steve Jobs 1955-2011

#3 Who's Siri Now? Apple Unveils iPhone 4S, iCloud and Tim Cook [Video]

#4 Apple's Core: Steve Jobs, Remembered

#5 Apple Rises Into Top 10 on Best Global Brands Ranking

#6 Google Launches First Branded Store in London

#7 Nielsen to Marketers: Get Over TV and Click-Throughs

#8 Unfriendly Economy Eats Friendly's Lunch

#9 When it Comes to Sports Brands, Michael Jordan is Still the King

#10 Starbucks' Howard Schultz for President?

Steve Jobs is eulogized worldwide as Apple CEO Tim Cook figures out how to carry on.

BBC to cut 2,000 jobs.

Costco raises membership fees.

Friendly's finally files for bankruptcy protection.

Groupon may have to settle for smaller IPO.

HP to forego any more big software acquisitions.

NBC shows rare weakness in the mornings as Today battles Good Morning America on ABC.

Oracle's Ellison embraces the cloud.Continue reading...

Friendly Ice Cream Corp., which operates a chain of Friendly's restaurants primarily in the northeast US, has filed for bankruptcy.

This comes as no surprise to me. In August 2010, I wrote about my experience at a Friendly's restaurant during which, it seemed, time stood still. I was heartened to learn at the time that the slow-serving restaurants were to be revitalized. Part of the plan was to open smaller "Friendly Express" locations.

But now instead of expanding, Friendly's is closing 63 locations, keeping 424 restaurants running as it restructures. In a statement, CEO Harsha V. Agadi said, "We have made a lot of progress, but our company continued to face significant financial challenges. This was exacerbated by the weak economy and rapidly rising commodity costs that have impacted the entire restaurant industry."

True, restaurants have taken a hit in the recession, but some have managed to reinvent themselves. Not so with Friendly's.Continue reading...

Apple could lure customers with pricing despite lack of iPhone 5, even as its new iPhone 4S fails to wow. AT&T, meanwhile, claims its iPhone 4S will be the fastest, while Samsung moves to ban the device in France and Italy.

Amazon Kindle Fire pre-orders top 2,000 per hour.

BNY Mellon gets sued by feds, state of New York.

Coca-Cola Amatil eyes Foster's assets in Australia.

Diageo to open "Happy Hour" on ESPN in two languages.

Disney gets 3-D fever.

Estee Lauder launches breast cancer awareness Facebook app.

Friendly's files for bankruptcy.Continue reading...

All Nippon Airways triggers security jitters with near-overturn.

AOL kills off Seed news service.

Apple's iPhone 5 rumored to feature deep Twitter integration, as Twitter's valuation soars and Blockbuster CMO falls in love with Twitter.

Friendly's ice cream chain prepares to file for bankruptcy protection.

Gamestop and Coke partner on largest Scvngr game to date.

Google shakes up web analytics with $150K paid service.

Microsoft is adding Comcast and Verizon pay TV to Xbox Live.

Netflix stock tumbles to new low.

RIM denies it's killing the BlackBerry PlayBook.Continue reading...

I became quite familiar with the Friendly's restaurant in the small Massachusetts town in which I lived for many years. In fact, familiarity bred contempt.

While the chain's ice cream was superb, sitting down for a meal at the quaint '50s-style eatery was another story altogether. The service was so S-L-O-W that our family used to look up at the clock on the restaurant wall and joke about time standing still.

That's why I'm especially glad to hear that Friendly's has introduced a concept it calls Friendly's Express — and hopefully, it knows the definition of "express."Continue reading...