Microsoft and Best Buy plan mini "Windows Stores."

Amtrak hires esteemed chefs to ramp up its train food.

YouTube becomes overwhelming platform for fan-made branded content.

US Supreme Court strikes down gene patents.

Airbus lifts A350 to maiden flight ahead of schedule even as it copes with losses from aircraft's predecessor model.

Arby's franchisees helped get CMO ousted.

Audi is top choice of marriage cheaters in UK, survey says.

BMI sues Pandora over fees.

Bloomberg sees reporters' practices become critical issue for company.

Cadillac boosts sticker on new CTS by whopping $6,000.

Chevrolet believes racing on Sunday still sells on Monday.

Chrysler recalls sprinkling of trucks, Darts.Continue reading...

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...

Amazon looms as nemesis of book publishers, as children's book publisher pulls its titles.

Apple denies designer Philippe Starck's claim of 'revolutionary' device.

Arby's makes social media blunder over Rush Limbaugh advertising.

Archie comics legal battle heats up.

Audi may select its North American plant site this week, with Mexico the favorite, Automotive News says.

CBS emphasizes hard news to regain an edge.

Citigroup reports better-than-expected revenue growth.Continue reading...

AOL defends strategy.

BMW drivers can now Yelp in their cars.

British Airways parent IAG beats Virgin in BMI airline-takeover battle, as Lufthansa sells troubled airline.

Facebook (which aims to be a blue chip) is the most-searched term in the U.S. for third year running.

Geico partners with Major League Fishing and Outdoor Channel.

Hyundai launches racing game on Times Square billboard.

NBC gets sports-programming commitment from Red Bull.

Nike counts on social media.Continue reading...

Amazon considers remedy for Kindle faults.

Anheuser-Busch InBev plans reality show for Budweiser brand.

Apple and HTC face judgment day on patent dispute, as Apple celebrates 100M apps from the Mac App Store and The Beatles' success on iTunes.

AT&T reportedly gets a break in its T-Mobile acquisition plan.

Auto Nation seeks new dealerships in existing Sun Belt markets, while U.S. auto dealers get creative with promotions.

Diamond Foods faces challenge over payments to walnut growers, complicating acquisition of Pringles from P&G.

Disney Four Seasons hotel begins construction.

General Mills takes G-WIN digital innovation initiative global.

GM faces potentially long investigation of Volt fires.Continue reading...

Best Buy stores to close in the U.K. as Carphone Warehouse sells its stake for $1.3 billion. In the U.S., BB will join post-Thanksgiving "Black Midnight" frenzy.

IAG, owner of British Airways & Iberia, pursues Portugal's TAP airline after agreeing to buy bmi (British Midland International) from Lufthansa.

Barnes & Noble expects to prod Amazon's Kindle with new Nook Color.

All Nippon Airways probes glitch in Dreamliner landing as Airbus tries to exploit longer-than-expected training time for the new Boeing plane.

Apple hit by piracy claim by leading computer scientist as brand rewards top executives to try to retain them for the post-Jobs era and threatens Google with new Siri "personal-assistant" search technology.Continue reading...

Can Facebook withstand the coming Facebook movie?

Kia and Nissan run ads noting England's World Cup defeat in U.K. newspapers.

McDonald's eyes beverages to take on Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.Continue reading...

BP stops one oil leak, with two to go, as all eyes are on dome-cap plan to contain spill. Bud Light will replace Coors Light as the official beer of the NFL, and blames US weather for falling sales of Becks, Budweiser, Stella Artois, and other beers. The Washington Post Co. is selling Newsweek (and looks for buyers on its home page). Other brands in the headlines:

AOL (sorry: Aol.) expands local blog network.

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres apologizes to Apple for mocking the iPhone.

Facebook scrambles to fix security hole that exposes live chats.

Ford targets Fiestas at millennials.

Gillette Venus provides dating tips to Russians.Continue reading...