Last week, we noted for the 40th anniversary of the release of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that the film was the "greatest reverse product placement of all time."

Now, with the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean helping itself to moviegoers' booty —its weekend box office tally of $90.1 million in the US and $346.4 million worldwide makes it the fourth-biggest global movie opening in history, on track to become "the biggest film of 2011 so far" — we're declaring the franchise the greatest "branded content" reverse product placement of all time.

And it's a miracle it worked, considering nearly the same concept became an epic failure eight years earlier.Continue reading...

Amazon "gives away" Lady Gaga's new album for 99 cents.

AOL shuts down India portal.

Apple rumored to be planning a store in NYC's Grand Central and a curved glass iPhone.

Barnes & Noble's Nook "crushes" Amazon's Kindle in the glossy magazine department.

Cisco accused of aiding Chinese crackdown on dissidents.

Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean 4 scores fourth biggest global weekend opening.

Ellen DeGeneres boycotts Twitpic in wake of Twitter app's photo agency deal. 

Ford plans in-car driver health monitoring with Medtronic.

Foursquare and Groupon reportedly in partnership talks.Continue reading...

Weekend news: Lance Armstrong's former teammate, Tyler Hamilton, accuses him of taking performance-enhancing drugs (including during a Tour de France) in an interview on CBS's 60 Minutes — a charge the cycling champ denies. Click here to watch part 1 and part 2 of Hamilton's interview.

Also: Lady Gaga pops up on NBC's Saturday Night Live (and in a Google commercial); Tim Pawlenty confirms he's running for president; Beyonce, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift earn Billboard nods; Disney's box office Pirates booty; the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh and LeBron James prevail against the Chicago Bulls' MVP Derrick Rose; and more.Continue reading...

The first preview for the weighty, moody new NBC TV series (coming this fall) about the iconic brand, The Playboy Club, is out.

The question is, will Playboy be able to capitalize on the attention to bring a little of its former luster to a brand that many now know more as a E! reality show staple? Besides paying homage to house that Hef built, it's also a potential windfall for the city of Chicago following the cancellation of FOX's Chicago Code.

Clearly, when it comes to new releases, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has the weekend nearly to itself. So before we get to our look at upcoming releases, here's a look at another retro 60's brand that popping up on US TV screens this fall.Continue reading...

Lipton is promoting its green tea line in Asia with Japanese screen idol Takeshi Kaneshiro in a new campaign by DDB Shanghai. The spot, above, premiered last night in China at screenings of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.Continue reading...

Fashion collaborations have produced some odd bedfellows before, but none that intrigue our inner child—while befuddling our outer grown-up—like the projects of Walt Disney Signature, Disney’s adult lifestyle consumer products brand extension.

Working with high-profile design talents in art, home and fashion design, the brand has produced a series of unlikely products, from Italian armchairs with a TRON: Legacy motif to $1,000 pavé diamond “dinosaur” bracelets inspired by Fantasia.

The latest Disney collaboration to set fashionistas abuzz is the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection from hip accessory label Hayden-Harnett. It seems an offbeat choice for the Brooklyn-based business, which is better known for It bags and retro rags than for swashbuckling style.Continue reading...

Microsoft revives "I'm a PC" tagline to promote Windows 7 PCs (above) in tough market ... to mixed reviews.

Below, new TV commercials from McDonald's, Disney, Volkswagen, Land Rover, George Clooney and more.Continue reading...

Trending on YouTube today is the latest digital short from NBC's Saturday Night Live: Jack Sparrow by The Lonely Island. Uploaded just 2 days ago, and with almost 3 million hits already, it’s safe to say The Lonely Island knows how to produce a hit.Continue reading...