Walmart posts mixed results, expects "challenging" quarter; earnings report also discloses $73M expenses related to foreign bribery probes.

Microsoft to Google: We need APIs to fix YouTube app.

Abercrombie & Fitch signs Bangladesh safety agreement as deadline passes for Gap deal.

Apple defends brand (but not Steve Jobs) in US book price-fixing suit.

Boeing and GE hunt for engine defect in 777s.

Campbell Soup uses digital marketing to target Millennials.

Capri-Sun targeted by German ad watchdog for misleading marketing.

Cisco profit is boosted by services.Continue reading...

YouTube close to launching paid subscription channels, reports say. 

Amazon launches first Android app-store in China, ahead of Google. 

Pfizer lets bashful buyers get Viagra online.

Al Jazeera America plans to open Detroit bureau.

Asustek plans to make small Windows 8 tablets.

Audi considers doubling production at Mexico factory under construction.

Berkshire Hathaway provides peek at era after Buffett.

BuzzFeed takes steps to expand foreign news.Continue reading...

Social media has long been a digital driver for the hybrid sport/entertainment brand that is World Wrestling Entertainment. WWE now boasts more than 73 million Facebook fans, 30 million Twitter followers, one billion video views on YouTube and an average of 50 trending topics weekly on Twitter. 

Now WWE has tapped social video startup Tout to leverage and amplify WWE’s assets including television, live events, digital and print. The partnership has helped the WWE garner 100 million fans globally. One of them — 27-year-old Alex Guerrero, Jr, from San Antonio, Texas — became WWE's 100 millionth fan, winning a free trip to Monday Night Raw’s 1,000th episode on USA Network, which is broadcasting live tonight from St. Louis, Mo.Continue reading...

Air France says preliminary data points to pilot error in crash.

Apple manufacturer Foxconn suspends production.

Barclays hires former Federal Reserve official.

Google hires P&G digital marketer to boost YouTube ad sales.

Lady Gaga's 99-cent album launch overwhelms Amazon.

Nicola Formichetti, Lady Gaga's stylist and Mugler's creative director, plans pop-up shop.

Sony attributes stunning $3.2 billion loss to Japan quake and its aftermath.Continue reading...

Apple signs cloud deal with Warner Music as Google reportedly in talks with music service Spotify. 

Android called up by the US Army.

Kate Middleton reportedly strikes "obey" from Royal Wedding vows.

McDonald's expresses shock at employee non-action during beating of customer in Baltimore.

Muammar Gaddafi wants NY Met's Costume Institute honor.

Pabst sees more political pressure on marketing of Blast by Colt 45.Continue reading...

Having lost its battle with the World Wildlife Federation in 2002 over the acronym WWF, World Wrestling Entertainment is now formally rebranding to WWE "to expand beyond the ring as an entertainment company with a new TV network, scripted and reality shows and animated programs," reports the Associated Press.

"We will always be loyal to our core business that made WWE a globally known entity, however, the future of WWE will be the addition of new entertainment content opportunities beyond the ring," said Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon in a statement. That includes pursuing "acquisitions and outsourcing of parts of its core business, such as TV and film production, live event production and licensing its content to third parties."

To that end, its reality show, a search for "the next WWE superstar" called Tough Enough (above), just debuted on the USA Network following three seasons on MTV; while its WWE Studios division has a slate of theatrical movies coming out, including That's What I Am on April 29, starring Ed Harris, Amy Madigan and WWE wrestler Randy Orton:

Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley told CNN in an interview at South by Southwest that he's focused on growing his business, which hit the 2.6 million check-ins this past weekend thanks to frenetic checking-in at SXSW. More than half of those check-ins took place outside the US.

Having just launched Foursquare 3.0, he also told Mashable founder Pete Cashmore in another SXSW Q&A (above) that the plan is to evolve the check-in to more than just a social game, collecting badges and becoming mayor of _____. 

Crowley aims to translate that check-in data to better connect users with their passions and dreams, to make cities easier to use, and generally keep things "interesting and fun" for its users.Continue reading...

Brands in the news:

Apple greets “phenomenal” second-quarter sales results, including 3 million-plus iPads sold.

Burger King ad gets rapped in the U.K. for overstating burger size.

Denny’s turns to new CMO for brand revival.

EA Sports counts on regional spice in new NCAA Football game campaign.

Fiat reorganizes to accommodate Chrysler takeover.

Genentech receives FDA rebuke on popular cancer drug Avastin.

Jennifer Aniston launches her first fragrance exclusively at Harrods today.

Johnson & Johnson gets hit with a federal subpoena over possible contamination of over-the-counter brands.Continue reading...