ESPN apologizes for comments by commentator after NBA player announces he's gay.

Honda recalls almost 46,000 Fits in North America.

Chrysler sees profit tumble on poorly executed product launches.

Alibaba and Sina form alliance of China online businesses.

Apple files for new technology that tells whether to text or call friends.

Asos prepares marketing drive to grow global brand.

BP reviews safety after oil leak in North Sea.

Best Buy sells Europe unit back to Carphone Warehouse.

BlackBerry CEO questions future of tablets (which brand doesn't have).Continue reading...

Tens of millions of Americans tuned in to President Obama’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night and a few brands benefited from getting a mention. Caterpillar, Ford and Apple were all named for bringing jobs back to America. Apple CEO Tim Cook even got a few seconds of airtime since he was sitting with First Lady Michelle Obama. Siemens America got a few sentences dedicated to its CEO saying that, “if we upgrade our infrastructure, they'll bring even more jobs.”

IBM snuck in there, too, as it has partnered with the City University of New York to create P-Tech, the Pathways in Technology early college high school in Brooklyn that serves grades 9-14 with a focus on technology and innovation. As Bloomberg Businessweek reports, "The 18-month-old experiment has caught not only the president’s eye but the attention of companies, politicians, and educators across the nation."

Students graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in engineering or computers. The school, which opened in September 2011, has already inspired five more similar programs to start up in Chicago, Obama’s adopted hometown. Idaho has announced plans to open a similar school as well.Continue reading...

AT&T sees end of copper-wire era, and agrees to pay fee to settle overcharging dispute.

McDonald's monthly sales drop for first time in nearly a decade.

Coca-Cola plans to boost corporate social responsibilty as growth key.

Burberry rethinks small-cities push.

CNN edges Fox News in overall election-night cable ratings.

Carlsberg says SAB Miller faces organizational "challenges" in Russia.

Dunkin' Donuts partners with Universal to tap into Latin music.Continue reading...

BBC sees editor step aside amid Jimmy Savile sex scandal as director goes before government inquiry.

McDonald's teams up with Rovio for Angry Birds promotion in China.

Google defends trademark challenge to its AdWords service.

Adobe campaign uses blunt language.

Apple tests ability to stay ahead of the curve with new iPad reveal today.

Brand India is promoted with China trade show.

Denny's launches menu inspired by The Hobbit.

DuPont cuts outlook and plans to cut 1,500 jobs.

Facebook surges in fan engagement with restaurants.Continue reading...

AMC stages World Zombie Day to lobby Dish Network.

Audi contemplates minivan.

Best Buy plans to match online prices.

Bugatti goes social with its super-car brand.

Burger King seeks the next new big marketing idea.

Cadillac considers sports car.

Carrefour lifts recovery hopes.

Coca-Cola Hellenic, Greece's biggest company, quits the country.

Fila pursues Adidas market share.Continue reading...

It’s hard to know right now how the good people in the swing states of Florida, Ohio, Virginia, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and Nevada will be voting on Nov. 6, but you can get a sense of what the campaign managers for President Obama and Mitt Romney think by watching how they spend their ad dollars.

Romney seems to have given up on Michigan, where he was born and his father served as governor, for the time being since his campaign has “abandoned their (advertising) efforts” in those two states, according to CBS Boston. Wherever the money is spent, though, there will be heaps of it. Total political ad spending this year is expected to add up to $1.1 billion, and only a third of that has been spent so far, according to Kantar Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group.

With the Romney camp sharpening its messaging and Team Obama getting tougher on China by filing a complaint via the World Trade Organization, get ready to see a whole lot of political ads, America, such as the latest from the Obama and Romney campaigns, above and below.Continue reading...

Siemens, #8 on Interbrand's 2012 Best Global Green Brands ranking, released this video today highlighting its renewable energy solutions. The description: "In times of increasingly complex challenges for sustainable energy supply, Siemens provides a leading portfolio of economically efficient solutions for renewable power generation to address the changing requirements of generations to come."

Apple profit rises 94% on global iPhone demand, while iPhone also boosts Sprint.

Benetton founder hands reins to son.

bmi airline future hangs in the balance.

BMW stretches 3-Series for China.

Burger King makes commitment to animal welfare standards, expands Whopper Bar in Canada.

Citigroup takes over ATP World Tour tennis sponsorship from Legg Mason.

Facebook may be developing a smartphone with HTC.

Ford faces UK strike action.Continue reading...