Dell reports 79 percent drop in profit as takeover battle continues.

Dow Chemical is ordered to pay $1.2 billion in price-fixing case.

Google Glass expands apps and integrates Facebook and Twitter.

Apple fights back in antitrust case over e-book pricing as it loses luster in global poll.

Audi shifts to high-performance models to propel sales.

BlackBerry regains lost market share in Canada.

Citigroup bans traders from using Bloomberg terminal chat groups.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...

Even as European economies and the EU wrestle with the continent's slide back into recession, luxury auto brands are ready to show off at next week's Geneva auto show like there really is a tomorrow—at least for their upscale clients.

Alfa Romeo, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Land Rover, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls Royce are among the premium marques that will be displaying new production and concept vehicles at the annual show, which ranks as Europe's most important stage for automotive style and innovation and one of the most important auto exhibits in the world each year.

Among the brands and their scheduled delights:

Alfa Romeo debuts its 4c small sports car after unveiling the concept at Geneva two years ago. The prospect of selling this new vehicle in the United States has got many Chrysler dealers sniffing out the possibility of adding the Alfa Romeo brand to their stable along with Fiat.

Audi will display a plug-in hybrid version of its A3 hatchback, known as the A3 e-tron, which will go on sale next year. Sibling brand Volkswagen, by the way, will show off the next-generation, sporty GTI hatchback that is supposed to go on sale later this year.

Bentley is supposed to show off its second-generation Flying Spur, which it says is faster, more powerful and more fuel-efficient than its current model, according to Automotive News.

Continue reading...

Neiman Marcus has released its 2012 Christmas Book, with the fantasy gifts as over the top as ever, including a $100,000 chicken coop, a limited edition McLaren 12c Spider for $354,000, a $30,000 walk-on during a performance of Broadway's Annie, and his and hers watches from Van Cleef & Arpels for just north of $1 million. The watches, by the way, include a unique brand experience:

The package includes a first-class trip to Paris for a weekend, where you'll visit the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique and jewelry atelier. And a first-class trip to Geneva for a day of private tours of the Van Cleef & Arpels watchmaking workshops and a meeting with the designers and watchmakers. While in Paris and Geneva, Van Cleef & Arpels will arrange luxury accommodations, remarkable dining experiences, and entertainment to suit your preferences.

This also marks the first year that Neiman Marcus has released a mobile app to access exclusive content tied to its Christmas Book, and the first year it's going mass market via a tie-in with Target this season: a Holiday24 collection of 50 exclusive gifts by CFDA designers including Rodarte, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and Prabal Gurung, which will be sold starting Dec. 1st at both stores' retail and online locations.

Below, take a closer look at the 86th edition of the Christmas Book:Continue reading...

Peyton Manning brought back his aw-shucks charm and dry wit this week, resurfacing as a pitch man for the Buick Verano compact car. He's still got that commercial appeal, however he fares in his new football uniform.

After a year off from football because of a neck injury, and his release by the Indianapolis Colts and subsequent signing by the Denver Broncos, Manning is mounting a comeback on TV already that has nothing to do with NFL games. On the ESPY Awards on ESPN Wednesday evening, Manning introduced a video tribute to Pat Summitt, recently retired head coach of the women's basketball program at the University of Tennessee, Manning's alma mater.

During the telecast, Manning also appeared in the new spot for Verano, pretending to call "audibles" in the car using its voice-activated navigation system. The spot is the most notable bit of marketing for the new Buick entry since its recent TV campaign starring Shaquille O'Neal.

Meanwhile, in other developments in an auto industry where news remains hot even in the depths of a summer in the Northern Hemisphere:Continue reading...

Apple and J&J considered "most trustworthy" in a U.S. consumer survey.

Bratz dolls owner MGA Entertainment won back the rights to the brand from Mattel.

Caterpillar's healthy second-quarter earnings bodes well for the global industrial economy.

Channel Five in the U.K. has a handshake deal to be acquired by media tycoon Richard Desmond.

Comic-Con is underway in San Diego, where comic-book and movie superheroes take center stage.

Fiat pushes work ethic at Italian plant.

Ford posted its highest quarterly gains in six years, thanks to higher priced models and upgrades to SYNC.Continue reading...

Adidas 2010 FIFA World Cup giant live-in Jabulani soccer ball stunt in Australia assailed for not being green enough. Watch Adam Santarossa, aka the man in the ball, above.

GE sends giant wind turbine blade to Washington, D.C. to rally support for clean energy and smart grid technology. GE also allocated an additional $10 billion for its Ecomagination initiative.

Does Tesla's successful IPO today bode well for green cars' growth?Continue reading...