Apple loses iPad Mini trademark, and finds a fan in Kim Jong-un as North Korea rattles saber and tensions rise with U.S., while increased China headaches include hacking threat and iPad regulation.

Discovery Communications expands global channel reach and launches scripted programming.

Novartis loses cancer drug patent battle in India.

Amazon buys Goodreads community-driven user reviews website.

AMC reveals new tagline and logo.

Armani hires Cate Blanchett for $10M campaign.

AT&T scores with March Madness Twitter campaign.Continue reading...

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby - bit.ly/11GYnaj

— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) December 3, 2012

For all my followers who believe this is some kind of spoof account, here's a photo to prove that it is me. #royalbaby twitter.com/IamRoyalBaby/s…

— Royal Baby (@IamRoyalBaby) December 3, 2012

Any chance of the first interview @royalfoetus ?

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 3, 2012

Well, that didn't take long. Minutes after Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting, spoof Twitter accounts popped up including @IAmRoyalBaby and in an Atlantic-spanning move, @royalfetus and @royalfoetus. The British Monarchy was not amused, as the former account was swiftly suspended, despite an interview request by CNN's Piers Morgan. (Never mind: @IAmRoyalBaby is back.)

Clarence House broke Kate and William's good news, which quickly spawned #royalbaby as a trending topic on Twitter. The Guardian and the BBC are covering the news in live-blogs. Also joining Twitter today in a royal blessing for the social media platform: @pontifex, the official account for the Vatican's iPad-handy pontiff, Pope Benedict.

Airbus and Boeing compete for major deal from AMR.

Albertsons ends self-checkouts.

Apple loses “app store” battle with Amazon, picks new target.

Arby’s launches “casting call” contest.

Audi to build cars in North America, reports record first-half global sales.

Campbell Soup needs immediate help from new CEO.

Citigroup leverages digital to engage Asian consumers.Continue reading...

A big plug for Aston Martin today, as the newly wedded Duke and Duchess of Kent chose a Volante convertible (a loaner from Prince Charles) for their first drive as man and wife. The license plate? JU5T WED. The fuel? Wine. What we'd have loved to see them hop into instead? This.

See the royal ride in action below.Continue reading...

Back in 1981, the Office of Lord Chamberlain sent out a small collection of "acceptable" designs to use on commemorative items for the royal wedding.

According to the Associated Press report on April 1st of that year, these designs included "Lover's knots, the names of Charles and Diana, a picture of St. Paul's Cathedral… and the British flag, the Union Jack." It continues, "manufacturers were told the faces of the young couple should not be used on any articles of clothing except headscarves."

The piece added that most British manufacturers comply with the royal request despite that "the ban has no legal force." Of course, foreign manufacturers had no compunctions about the royals, leading to 70 members of Parliament introducing a motion to revoke the ban so that domestic producers would be as competitive as foreign counterparts.

30 years later, things are a little different.

These days, capitalizing on the royal wedding doesn't involve the word "taste." Unless of course you mean the taste of the royal wedding-themed heart-shaped donuts offered at select Dunkin' Donuts or its sibling brand Baskin-Robbins' Royal Wedding ice cream cake or the grotesquely hammy Will and Kate Papa John's pizza.Continue reading...

The world watches Prince William and Kate Middleton — now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — as the Royal Wedding dominates TV and the web (esp. Google) today, breaking live streaming records. Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton won the derby as designer of the wedding dress, which Kate helped design and was inspired by Grace Kelly. The event (being rebroadcast on YouTube's Royal channel) also shines a spotlight on the UK — and the British monarchy and its challenges.

Berkshire Hathaway tries to distance itself from former exec David Sokol as the company’s annual meeting nears on Saturday.

Caterpillar boosts forecasts on strength in developing countries.

Discovery Communications posts solid gains.

Dunkin’ Donuts rides product innovation and differentiated marketing to strong first-quarter results.

Exxon and Shell profits soar on higher oil prices.Continue reading...

YouTube will stream Friday's Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton on The Royal Channel. Check out the official "Royal Wedding invitation" to YouTubers below.Continue reading...

How times have changed. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, today released the above video urging prayers and support for Prince William and Kate Middleton. The spiritual leader of the world's 80 million Anglicans calls the couple, whose wedding he will preside over on April 29th, "deeply unpretentious" and "sensible, realistic young people."