Nike quickly backs away from Oscar Pistorius.

Volkswagen putting plug-in hybrid into production.

Google unveils touch-screen laptop.

Apple sees hedge-fund manager press his case against it.

Avon weighs exits from more countries.

Billabong posts record loss.

Boeing CEO stays in background to work on Dreamliner problem.

Citigroup toughens rules for executive bonuses.

Facebook COO bombs glass ceiling with new book.Continue reading...

Airbus may change battery system in its 350 aircraft to avoid problems faced by Boeing.

American Airlines stands to gain vast route network in looming merger with United Airways.

Apple faces battle over proposed preferred stock.

Michael Bloomberg builds empire in U.K.

Boeing Dreamliner fire was caused by battery short, investigation finds, as Poland's LOT finds bet on the aircraft turning dicey.

Bud Light Platinum presents Justin Timberlake as its new face.

Conan O'Brien and late-night competitors try bigger stunts to hold on to fans.

Daimler sees flat earnings this year as Europe and China mar results.Continue reading...

Amazon buys publisher of romance and mystery books and cools down its warehouses.

Bona Film Group of China talks with Hollywood outfits.

Coca-Cola's Australian JV says cheers to beer.

Cosi tries for dramatic turnaround under new CEO.

Disney to restrict junk-food advertising on its shows.

EA offers much of new Star Wars game for free.

Goldman Sachs outlook dims.

Google buys Meebo to bolster Google+ as its battle with Apple expands to mobile maps.

Groupe Danone fails Chinese entry inspection for Evian water.Continue reading...

As Google and Verizon defend a net neutrality proposal that exempts wireless services, Google faces privacy questions over an alleged order of a “microdrone” from a German company.

BSkyB challenges Skype over logo.

BP nears a deal with U.S. government on guarantees for $20B compensation fund.

Dish Network experiences slippage in subscribers even while rival DirecTV posts gains.

H-P navigates its future after the resignation of CEO Mark Hurd in an ethics scandal, as customers by and large remain loyal – but investors knock down the company’s share price.Continue reading...

• Add India and Germany (but not Oman) to the list of countries giving Research in Motion a hard time about BlackBerry security, as RIM reportedly reaches an agreement with the government of Saudi Arabia.

• H-P's slide on the New York Stock Exchange today was its worst in six years, as Oracle chief Larry Ellison denounced Hurd's ouster, which is being questioned on Wall Street. Reuters asks: What does this mean for "The HP Way"?

• Google and Verizon's net neutrality proposal today is parsed in Salon, Wired, NYT, TechCrunch, AllThingsD, and beyond, while the Wall Street Journal examines Google's seven-page internal memo "agonizing" over privacy and advertising.

• LeBron James' Miami Heat debut isn't generating a rush for tickets due to team's real-time sales.

• Lowe's settles a class action suit over defective drywall with $6.5 million in customer gift cards.Continue reading...

BP tells U.S. officials its cement plug for damaged well was a success, and that its Gulf clean-up costs have passed $6 billion.

H-P faces questions over whether its board acted too rashly in demanding the resignation of CEO Mark Hurd, as the woman at the center of his ethics scandal identifies herself. The New York Times writes, "turning the page on the scandal won't be easy" for HP.

BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion faces a deadline of today to test proposed solutions to its security challenges in Saudi Arabia, as a temporary agreement keeps its services intact there.Continue reading...

In pre-recession days, branding was a big deal for technology companies. Splashy, lavish marketing campaigns were used to tout a tech brand's key attributes and get consumers to take notice. Those days are gone, but now H-P (Hewlett-Packard) is bringing back the glitz with a new eight-week, $40 million ad campaign – its first in more than five years.

The new branding campaign, "Let's Do Amazing," breaks this weekend and will run on high-profile television shows, such as the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament on CBS. The ads sport a slick dimensionalized version of H-P's staid logo, and the campaign has a hip, humorous tone.Continue reading...

Faberge and Louis Vuitton market high jewelry in different ways, to much success. [NY Times]

Will a buyer shell out the case for the "Tavern On the Green" name? [NY Times]

Diamond Foods' Emerald Nuts gains market share, improves sales. [WaPo]

Bratz dolls live another day. US appeals court suspends court order demanding brand be handed over to Mattel. [Times of London]

Dell announces own corporate data center plan, aimed at competing with H-P and Cisco. [WSJ]

Tesco to offer a £20-a-month iPhone. [Times of London]Continue reading...