Cheap Beer Disappearing Thanks to PBR

The main reason plenty of people have ever even tasted a Pabst Blue Ribbon is because they come cheap. However, its price has been rising in New York City thanks to the hipster population that has been consuming it, according to food and beverage sales analyst Restaurant Sciences.

The word is that PBR’s price increase has affected all the other “sub-premium” brands in the city and they’ve collectively gone up 9.4 percent in the last seven months, the New York Daily News reports. "I believe the single biggest driver in sub-premium beer price increases is indeed specifically PBR," said Chuck Ellis, the research company’s chief. "It has become quite fashionable."Continue reading...

For those of you keeping score, Jennifer Aniston and her famous hair have found a fella to get married to again. But before they do, Aniston has also signed on for a different engagement, this one is with a beauty company that she’s now a part owner of as well as the clean-scrubbed, shining, big-smiling face of.

The brand, Living Proof, has announced that Aniston is now an investor and the hair-care spokesperson for the company, which was founded by a professor at MIT, Dr. Robert Langer, and venture capitalists Polaris Venture Partners.

According to a press release, “Living Proof has distinguished itself by attracting world class scientists and utilizing advanced scientific technologies that originated from MIT to solve women's toughest beauty problems.” In other words, they’re not fooling around.

"Jennifer embodies everything we stand for – a unique combination of beauty and brains,” Living Proof’s CEO, Jill Beraud, stated. “She not only has the most fabulous hair but is an amazing creative talent, and has shown she is a savvy businesswoman with a serious interest in developing small, innovative companies.”

If nothing else, you can be sure you’ll be seeing more of Aniston’s hair in the near future.Continue reading...

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University are joining the ranks of elite universities jumping into the burgeoning MOOCs — massively open online courses — business. The schools' new partnership, dubbed edX, is also spurring the boom in online video education.

Stanford, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan recently partnered in Coursera, a commercial company with $16 million in venture capital. 

Beyond academia, the just announced TED-ED website offers customizable tools for educators, while Khan Academy has helped countless students, teachers and parents with its free treasure trove of online videos, offering more than 3,000 tuturials on everything from math to physics.Continue reading...

Amazon leads Klout list of most influential retailers.

Avon ousted CEO Andrea Jung's two-year exit deal criticized by former CEOs.

Bank of America settles fair-lending case for record $335 million.

Beats by Dre pumps up headphone sales.

Diddy plans to launch tequila brand.

Facebook tests private messaging between users and brand pages.

FedEx disciplines delivery man who tossed computer monitor.

Frito-Lay sued over "all natural" claims.Continue reading...

Apple and Google are pressed on tracking and privacy by House committee.

Barnes & Noble target book lovers with new campaign for Nook reader.

Coca-Cola misses profit forecasts because of Japan quake aftermath.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros find their music all over adland (incl. MINI Wanderlust campaign).

Electronic Arts selects a different Madden to lead digital push.

Facebook introduces Deals service to rival Groupon and LivingSocial.Continue reading...

Here's the official Lady Gaga for MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam commercial. More brandbitems this week:

• Toyota tweets from Japan. Open for business.

• Chrysler's Twitter feed got in hot water over tweeting that nobody in Motor City "knows how to (bleeped!) drive."Continue reading...

MIT's famed Media Lab would, tapping a couple of alumni designers to reimagine its visual design and logo to celebrate its 25th anniverary. Check out the explanatory video above, and read more on Fast Company's Co.Design.

Amazon sued over instant search patent.

American Express powers Foursquare specials at SXSW, where Apple opens pop-up store for iPad 2 sales.

Angry Birds raises $42 million. 

AOL readies post-Huffington Post deal layoffs of 20% workforce reduction.

Bluefly tries social gaming.

Caesars plans Asia hotels, without gambling for now. 

Chrysler’s Twitter account accidentally drops the F-bomb, fires social media agency tweeter.Continue reading...