Dirce Navarro de Camargo, Brazil's richest woman and owner of Havaianas, dies at 100.

Apple faces criticism over Siri's long memory as market expects it to report profit drop.

Nutrisystem joins forces with Walmart in retail push.

Amazon asks viewers for help in selecting which pilots to turn into original TV series.

Ahold donates a half-million dollars to Boston fund.

Boeing will see timeline of Dreamliner return to skies vary widely around globe.

Chipotle sees expansion of US investigation into its hiring.

Clorox aims to expand market for Green Works beyond niche.

Coach fights to keep its cachet as competition rises.

Comedy Central plans to use Twitter to host comedy festival.Continue reading...

American Airlines and United 9/11 lawsuits may finally get resolved.

Andy Murray is poised for endorsement deals after historic U.S. Open win.

Apple will boost carriers and U.S. economy with release of iPhone 5 as Samsung is ready to sue and iPad Mini pictures leak.

Burberry rocks luxury sector with warning of lower sales and profits.

Chevrolet disputes Reuters' Volt report.

Chrysler unveils new models to dealers, prices new Viper around $100,000.

Dallas Morning News launches social-content marketing company.

FedEx and UPS gain ground in China.

GM stops deliveries of several popular 2013 vehicles to fix OnStar glitch.Continue reading...

It turns out Walmart and Tom Cruise have something in common. They both turned 50 this week. And the odd pairing share something else: Both quinquagenarians have set a lot of tongues wagging.

Cruise, of course, set the gossip world aflame in the summer heat for the announced split with his wife of five and a half years, Katie Holmes. Walmart, on the other hand, had a problem that affected a lot more people: some very unhappy folks who want the retailing powerhouse to treat their workers better and be more considerate to small businesses and not steamroll into new neighborhoods.Continue reading...

Apple plans smaller iPad to compete with Google Nexus, as Nokia gets touchy too.

Getty Images bidding nears $4 billion.

Barclays ex-CEO Diamond faces UK MP grilling as Bank of England faces tough decision.

Asian tourists flock to Europe for luxury bargains.

Asus aims to help athletes "find their zen."

Branded content shown to have limited impact in US.

China bans shark fin consumption in luxury crackdown, as mainland slowdown affects Hong Kong luxury spending.Continue reading...

Apple pays $60M to end iPad trademark dispute in China, looks to secure ipad3.com domain.

Barclays scandal forces out chairman, saying "the buck stops with me."

Bristol-Myers agrees to buy Amylin Pharmaceuticals for $5B in cash, expands diabetes alliance.

Rupert Murdoch will rebrand the Wall Street Journal as WSJ as part of News Corp. split.

AMC parent ends AT&T U-verse TV dispute with long-term agreement, as Dish feud continues.

Applebee's rolls out fresh menu, look and campaign.Continue reading...

Paramount Pictures turns 100 in 2012, but it’s getting the party started this week.

When the studio’s latest blockbuster — Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, starring Tom Cruise — opens on Friday in IMAX theatres (and everywhere else on Dec. 21), observant moviegoers may notice that the studio branding has had a little work done, which some might miss as they turn off their phones or tear open their Junior Mints.

Paramount’s famous mountain logo has been redesigned, adding “100” at the center in honor of its upcoming centenary. According to its press release,

"The studio’s first logo, a symbol of a rugged, snow-covered peak from the Wasatch mountain range, was created in 1916. The 100th Anniversary logo was created by Devastudios, Inc. Paramount will use the (new) logo throughout its centennial year in 2012. Beginning in 2013, the wording about the 100th anniversary will be removed from the logo, with the rest of the design remaining in use."

Entertainment Weekly points out that the original semi-circle consisted of 23 stars back then while the new centenary logo only has 22. (Perhaps one was whacked when the studio released The Godfather?)Continue reading...

This weekend, Captain America will burst from the screen in 3D, dispatching Nazis while wearing a spiffy leather jacket.

The last year alone has been a fine one for leather jackets onscreen, including those in Harry Potter, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Green Lantern, X-Men: First Class, Inception, I am Number Four, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Takers, Limitless, Tron: Legacy, True Grit, and The Expendables.

Hollywood has had a longstanding love affair with leather jackets (books have been written on the subject), dating back to the Schott Perfecto motorcycle jackets worn by Marlon Brandon and James Dean.

But nowadays, connecting the hero onscreen with the leather on his (and her) back is a challenge. Enter Filmjackets.com, a website that connects those looking for that big screen coat with those who made it (or who can at least make a passable facsimile).Continue reading...

The Navy Seals' next mission? Trademark themselves before Disney does.

Last week we reported that NovaLogic, Inc. had attempted to trademark "Seal Team 6" in both 2002 and 2004, years before Disney applied for the same trademark just days after the announcement identifying that specific team as the one that killed Osama bin Laden. Both of NovaLogic's applications were dormant at the time of Disney's application.

They weren't the only ones sensing a branding opportunity. On May 13, ten days after Disney's post-bin Laden application, the U.S. Department of the Navy filed two trademark applications.Continue reading...