Facebook appears ready to go public with $10 billion IPO in early February, despite ire at leak.

Exxon Mobil sells Japanese subsidiary for $4 billion in move to cut refining.

News Corp. reportedly woos Bloomberg exec as Twitter-happy Murdoch sees weekend arrests at The Sun tabloid.

ABB buys Thomas & Betts for $4 billion.

Angry Birds boss doesn't fear piracy.

Apple aims to sell 40 million iPhones in China next year.

Altria sees tobacco users embrace discount brands.

Bank of America shakes up investment banking division.

Barnes & Noble takes on Amazon with fifth Nook device.

Beyonce sees university class focus on her.Continue reading...

You may not have heard of Astalift, but you will soon. The line of skin creams, which promises to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, is expanding from Asia to Europe. Its claims may not be unique, but the brand behind it is: Fujifilm.

Cosmetics, specifically anti-aging creams made from the same antioxidation technology used in preventing photos from fading, are the backbone of a brand extension which has kept Fujifilm alive in Asia, where Astalift has been available in Japan and China for the past couple of years, in a rapidly changing world where its core product, photography and film, shifted 180 degrees, leaving one major brand, the newly bankrupt Kodak, in its digital dust.

Applying its patented chemicals in new ways, with Astalift Fujifilm claims that Pico-Collagen penetrates the skin through cell gaps, working from the inside-out to restore suppleness and elasticity, and has built its Fujifilm Beauty brand around that claim, first in Asia and now coming to Europe. Using collagen in cosmetics is relatively new, but its use in preventing photographic images fading is tried and true.Continue reading...

AT&T risks customer defections with higher data pricing.

Baskin-Robbins utilizes coquettish voice of Mad Men's Christina Hendricks.

David Beckham, happily back with LA Galaxy, mulls becoming Major League Soccer franchise owner.

Carnival suspends some cruise marketing in wake of Italian shipwreck.

Chevrolet launches Game Time App for "immersive" Super Bowl marketing experience.

Fox makes American Idol available by VOD as first-week ratings dip.

GM claims 2011 global sales crown (incl. record for Chevrolet) but sparks dust-up over tally.Continue reading...

ABC deals with sensitive issue of airing Marianne Gingrich interview before South Carolina GOP primary.

Aetna refreshes its "brand promise."

Apple is expected to unveil digital-textbook service today.

BP agrees to a $20-billion to $25-billion oil-spill deal with Department of Justice, report says.

Christian Louboutin celebrates 20 years of his red-soled shoes.

Citroen ad banned in the UK as seizure-inducing.

Mark Cuban, Ryan Seacrest, AEG and CAA partner on AXS cable network launch.Continue reading...

The CES announcements, the patent lawsuits against Apple, HTC, Samsung and Fujifilm, the restructuring of its business operations, have all been a precursor to this: as expected, Eastman Kodak and its U.S. subsidiaries have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

"After considering the advantages of chapter 11 at this time, the Board of Directors and the entire senior management team unanimously believe that this is a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak," Kodak chairman and CEO Antonio Perez stated. "Our goal is to maximize value for stakeholders, including our employees, retirees, creditors, and pension trustees. We are also committed to working with our valued customers.

"Chapter 11 gives us the best opportunities to maximize the value in two critical parts of our technology portfolio: our digital capture patents, which are essential for a wide range of mobile and other consumer electronic devices that capture digital images and have generated over $3 billion of licensing revenues since 2003; and our breakthrough printing and deposition technologies, which give Kodak a competitive advantage in our growing digital businesses."

Kodak's restructuring website reassures consumers that it will be business as usual during the reorganization process, for which it has secured $950 million from Citigroup to maintain operations. The 131-year-old film pioneer, founded in 1880 by George Eastman, expects to complete its U.S. restructuring in 2013, while legal challenges loom over pensions in the U.K. Read the full press release below.Continue reading...