The long-anticipated announcement from Sony came at 6pm sharp from New York City. The company debuted the PlayStation 4, calling it the "most powerful handheld gaming system" ever.

With 2.6 million online viewers and growing, Andy House, CEO of Sony's PlayStation division, described the improved capabilities—including better mobile technology—of the "consumer-inspired" platform, where gaming convenience takes the focus. Continue reading...

M&M’s introduced its new spokescandy during the Super Bowl Sunday evening when the bespectacled Ms. Brown, the candy brand's 70-year-old (but still looking good) CCO or Chief Chocolate Officer who made her debut in a commercial called "Just My Shell." And it was a shelluva debut indeed.

It used to be that just running a Super Bowl commercial was enough excitement for a corporation’s agency and marketing/communications teams at this time of year, but given the pre- and post-Game buzz marketing on social media that's the norm, M&M's marketers at Mars, Inc., are pulling out the stops for Ms. Brown.Continue reading...

ABC tops survey of US TV-brand popularity.

Airbus plots production increase for A320 series.

Burger King struggles as it awaits impact from new menu items.

Chevron, Exxon Mobil and other oil companies defend tax breaks.

Cisco employees brace for layoffs.

DirecTV pumps up its premium channel.

Facebook thrown under the bus by Burson-Marsteller following PR campaign against Google.Continue reading...

Japan assesses damage from the quake and tsunami as officials battle the continued threat from destruction at nuclear plants, US. nuclear-energy interests ponder the ramifications for America, the Nikkei falls and the central bank of Japan promises liquidity to help the economy, and Japanese auto plants remain closed.

General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt also vows help for Japanese dealing with reactor woes, as GE designed 23 U.S. nuclear reactors similar to the troubled ones in Japan.

Amazon is pressured by states wanting it to collect sales taxes.

Apple chalks up strong sales for iPad 2, seeing 70% first-time buyers.

Bank of America is the latest WikiLeaks target.

BP dispute over Russian JV intensifies.Continue reading...

• CNN looks at advertising on airport bathroom mirrors (best read while listening to above).

• We missed Charlie Sheen's Ustream debut Saturday night (which was panned) be see that he was skewered on SNL (with Lindsay Lohan), planning branded merchandise and being wooed by the producer of AMC's hit Walking Dead series.

• We also see that ... AmEx is teaming up with Foursquare ... Angry Birds will integrate with Facebook next month ... CBS and Turner feature Kings of Leon in March Madness campaign ... and some classic ad icons are getting a makeover.

More weekend headlines:Continue reading...

Associated British Foods, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Premier Foods and P&G join UK waste reduction pledge.

BBC to trim World Service.

Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld goes more casual with latest runway collection.

Coca-Cola hit by Venezuela strike.

Disney cuts back at videogame division.

Egypt continues blocking Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google and Ustream as two die in Cairo protests.

Facebook beefs up security after Mark Zuckerberg's FB page was hacked.Continue reading...