NBA star Jason Collins comes out as the first openly gay active male athlete in American sports.

Primark is first retailer involved in Bangladesh factory collapse to offer aid to victims. 

Chrysler earnings plunge on model changes. 

Samsung reveals 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3.

Burger King tweaks menu and message after first-quarter sales decline.

BYD of China plans to sell "made in USA" buses.

Bayer pays $1.1 billion for birth-control company.

Boeing returns Dreamliner to the air but must reassure passengers, as China is deemed likely to approve the plane in May.

Canon crowdsources short films.

Honda scores so far with mid-cycle remake of Civic.Continue reading...

Uhh explosions in Boston

— DeLo (@DeLoBarstool) April 15, 2013

On Monday, April 15 at 2:50pm, Twitter user @DeLoBarstool tweeted one of the first internet records of the Boston Marathon bombings. From that point on, social media users, citizen journalists and venerable broadcasters fell down the rabbit-hole of misinformation, spurred by an unprecedented eagerness to capture and respond to the first terrorist act on American soil since 9/11—when things like Facebook, Twitter and smartphones didn’t exist.

Over a week later, the conversation that frames the bombings and subsequent manhunt is not so much about old versus new media, but rather how the proliferation of digital and social tools have reframed the information ecosystem, resulting in an unprecedented and uneasy alliance.Continue reading...

With four billion hours of viewership a month, YouTube’s leaderboard position in the evolving stream of video is more secure than ever, but the web video world has radically changed since YouTube first hit the scene in 2005, which is why the streaming giant is busy evolving its platform and creating new partnerships. 

YouTube today works hand in hand with social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to make videos trends like the "Harlem Shake" (with various versions scoring tens of millions of views apiece in weeks) a viral phenomenon.Continue reading...

You want to make Reddit sensation Grumpy Cat really grumpy? Try using her name on a product without prior authorization.

The owners of the cat that took social media by storm five months ago have filed for a trademark for the name "Grumpy Cat" as well as the cat’s likeness. After all, their little kitty, whose name is actually Tardar Sauce, has since gotten her own website, Facebook fan page, retail space, an appearance on the Today Show and her own commercial for Friskies cat food, according to SmallBizTrends.com.Continue reading...

It's Labor Day in the U.S., a public holiday which has become America's biggest retail sales day of the year.

Apple takes aim at Samsung's Galaxy S III in amended patent complaint, as Samsung stock takes a beating and company's culture, strategy, labor practices and PR tactics come under fire in wake of California ruling. Samsung and other Apple mobile rivals including Nokia are rushing new smartphone announcements ahead of expected Sept. 12th new iPhone reveal.

Abercrombie & Fitch brand cools, prompting store closures.

Allstate plans addressable TV campaign in U.S.

Apple offer to Amazon revealed in European e-books price-fixing inquiry.

Barack Obama plans to focus on issues at Democratic National Convention this week as jobs debate heats up this Labor Day.

BP's former CEO Tony Hayward returns to the spotlight.Continue reading...

It’s almost redundant to mention that social media is now de rigueur for anything of import in the world today, from sports (Olympics, Super Bowl), to entertainment (Oscars, Emmy’s) and certainly, irrevocably, for politics.

As thousands gathered in person in Tampa, Florida for the Republican National Convention, overshadowed by news of Isaac in the twitterverse and blogs, President Obama made a surprise appearance on social news site Reddit, answering questions from members on their Ask Me Anything (AMA) platform.

The White House announced the President’s social media appearance around 4:15 Wednesday afternoon. Site overload issues interfered with access and performance after Obama tweeted, "Hey, everyone: I'll be taking your questions online today," with a link to the Reddit thread just before the session started. Reddit, which claims about 40 million users, almost broke: two million people tried to access it during the next 45 minutes, with more than 200,000 visits at one point -- and that number may be low because of the strain on the site. This beat the prior record of 130,000. Continue reading...

Who said the little guys lack imagination and moxie? Hiscox insurance services target small businesses — direct, online, and in real-time. But how to get that message out and stand out from the crowd? Scripted web video programming — with a sense of humor, and some heavy-hitting talent.

This summer the brand is launching season two of original "entrepreneurial comedy series" Leap Year, the story of five friends who lose their jobs, follow their dreams and start their own business.Continue reading...

Adidas taps Katy Perry for new campaign.

AFL-CIO launches image campaign.

Airbus posts record sales.

American Airlines stops flying to India, sacks 150 workers.

AOL leads companies testing crowdsourcing.

Apple expands iTunes Match, reportedly preps interactive textbooks for the iPad, while pre-earnings valuations vary.

BASF halts its genetically modified products in Europe, including its Amflora potato.

Beats Electronics breaks up with Monster.

Beyonce accused of skin-lightening in album promotion, gives first post-baby interview.

BlackBerry-maker RIM criticized by analysts for PlayBook incompatability.

BMW recalls 89,000 Mini vehicles.

Burberry quarterly profits jump 22%.

Carnival faces heat in wake of Italy shipwreck, its worst accident in 40 years, as environmental fears mount and cruise industry is rocked.

M&M's will introduce a sixth candy character — Ms. Brown — in its Super Bowl commercial, while Kia plans 60-second commercial with Adriana Lima and Motley Crue, in keeping with trend to longer Super Bowl spots.Continue reading...