Apple flirts with first trillion-dollar valuation for a company as iPhone 5 first weekend sales top five million and Apple tops YouTube and Aston Martin as "coolest UK brand." Apple also halted production at Foxconn factory after mass brawl, and seen hogging new iPhone for its own stores. Its legal team has also asked CA judge to boost award from Samsung.

Alfa Romeo plots return to USA, with Chrysler helping Fiat.

American Airlines racks up flight delays and cancellations.

Applebee's reboots its marketing with inflatable dolls.

Boeing struggles with makeover of 777.

Conde Nast launches French Vanity Fair into economic headwinds and skepticism.Continue reading...

Apple shares reach $700 as iPhone 5 shatters sales record.

Belvedere owes Bruce Willis for years of representing Sobieski vodka.

Burberry says strategy won't change as brand brings capes to London Fashion Week.

Chrysler and GM will get a chance at deal similar to new labor accord between Ford and Canadian Auto Workers.

Conde Nast plans French Vanity Fair.

Dole Food to sell businesses to Itochu.

Dos Equis finds some fans unimpressed with Obama endorsement by its "most interesting man" actor.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...

Zynga prices IPO at $10/share (which CEO Mark Pincus played early). Its $7 billion valuation could lift all social gaming.

BlackBerry crisis mounts as troubled RIM co-CEOs announce they're deferring smartphone relaunch until late 2012.

Amazon reports selling more than 1 million Kindles a week.

Apple struggles to take a bigger bite of China.

Covidien to spin off pharmaceutical unit.

Dell abandons netbooks.

eBay counters Amazon's shopper incentive.Continue reading...

Vanity Fair's October issue cites Dockers' Alpha Khaki line as the 'it' pants for fall. Yes, Dockers.

Now GQ magazine, long known as the place to check out for men’s fashion news, has cozied up the Levi Strauss owned brand. GQ is spreading the word about its annual Menswear Awards by matching Dockers with its award winner and nominees for a limited edition “collectible” capsule collection.

Fibre2Fashion.com reports that Dockers has partnered with the publication’s Best New Menswear Designer Winner, Alexander Wang, along with five other designers to produce a limited-edition collection.Continue reading...

Yes, you read that headline correctly. In its first foray into branded entertainment, Butterfinger (you know: the candy brand) has asked Rob Lowe to direct a 25-minute short film, titled Butterfinger the 13th, that will debut on Oct. 13th, just in time for Halloween. Watch its Facebook page for details on how the actor (and now director) plans to incorporate the public into his shoot this summer.Continue reading...

Alfa Romeo lures European auto giants. 

AOL said to acquire Outside.In, a hyperlocal media network.

Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Nelly Furtado caught up in Gaddafi scandal.

BP denies bonuses to three top executives over oil spill. 

Burberry designer lauded for tech savvy by Vogue.

Chevrolet readies experiential events for SXSW. 

Chrysler recalls a quarter-million vehicles, while spider prompts Mazda recall.Continue reading...

The protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's proposed budget bill continue into day 17 in Madison. But now anger has shifted from politicians to include the billionaire Koch brothers, who many see as the patrons (and architects) of Walker's proposals. Much of the Koch empire consists of oil interests, but it also manufactures retail paper products (in part through its subsidiary Georgia-Pacific in Wisconsin).

Now protesters are calling for a boycott of Koch Industries products. But in the confusion of identifying those linked to financing Walker, activists are mistakenly calling for the boycott of at least one brand name that really had nothing to do with the governor's campaign.Continue reading...