It's no longer a shock that bad-boy media brand Vice would partner with Intel in The Creators Project, a global tech arts and music festival that touched base in New York this past weekend for the second straight year. Following an equally unexpected partnership with CNN, Vice is quickly becoming as known for its establishment allies as for its still-edgy editorial content (its infamous "Dos and Don'ts"; photo sets of undressed models smoking marijuana, etc.) featured in print and online (it recently relaunched at the newly acquired Vice.com domain).

Though brandchannel's Abe Sauer dismissed the Vice-Intel partnership last year as evidence the brand had become (borrowing co-founder Shane Smith's words) an "old, fat man," it was clear from the lines of attractive, upscale hipsters waiting patiently for wristbands that Vice still has more than enough credibility to curate a crowd. And as Sauer then noted, the high-profile alliance is part of a conscious strategy to demonstrate Vice can transfer its "edge" onto an established brand like Intel. Continue reading...

Apple fans camp overnight to buy new iPhone 4S, with co-founder Steve Wozniak first in line.

Etsy's revised privacy policy includes increased use of real names.

Gap to shutter one in five U.S. stores while expanding abroad.

Google beats expectations with strong earnings despite weak economy.

Hulu stops looking for a buyer.Continue reading...

It may be hard times ahead for England, along with the rest of Europe, but Virgin Media's new UK logo is bursting with British pride. The company, who worked with creative agency Start JudgeGill, will roll out the logo this weekend as part of a promotion with TiVo.

Air Canada avoids strike for now; hits union with labor-board unfair practices complaint.

Apple defeats Samsung in Australian tablet patent case; prepares to offer movies over the "cloud."

Carrefour cuts its profit targets.

Citigroup's Vikram Panda ready to talk with Occupy Wall Street protesters; calls their concerns "completely understandable."

JPMorgan profits sink.Continue reading...

Legacy of Apple's Steve Jobs? Persuading people to pay for content.

CNN may buy iPad app maker Zite.

Exxon wins prized contract to drill for oil in the Russian Arctic.

Facebook's "bug bounty" pays out $40,000 to hackers who found flaws.

Google turns to public in fight against scrapers.

Nearly 300 Cambodian workers pass out at H&M factory.

Analysts disagree on whether Newsweek's newsstand sales under Tina Brown are strong or weak.

Chinese Volvo owner has defective car dragged through the streets by an ox in protest.

Dow surges 254 points, pulling nearly even for the year.

Forrester predicts Amazon could sell 3 to 5 million tablets in the fourth quarter of 2011.

American Airlines and others faulted for failing to respond to tweets of customers stranded by Hurricane Irene.

Patent dispute with Apple delays Samsung's Australian tablet launch.

Needing cash, Bank of America cuts investment in Chinese bank.

Facebook settles trademark suit with satiric site Lamebook.

Isis, $100 million joint venture by Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile for mobile phone payments, takes direct aim at Google.

New York's Gov. Cuomo launches "Open For Business" rebranding of the Empire State as business friendly; seeks proposals.

& Obama picks labor expert, Princeton's Alan B. Kreuger, as economics advisor.

Analysts stick up for beleaguered Bank of America.

Lawsuit accuses ComScore of violating the privacy of consumers it tracks.

Facebook concedes to Foursquare in the location wars, phases out Facebook Places.

Google pays $500 million to settle Justice Department charges it advertised illegal pharmacies. Continue reading...

A single piece of economic data shouldn't be taken too seriously, of course. But the surprise announcement that the US economy shed a mere 11,000 jobs in November -- after endless months in which the rate was in the several hundred thousands -- may give consumer confidence just the boost it needs to improve upon the shaky but promising start of the holiday shopping season.

This year, retailers are counting on what NPD Group analyst Marshal Cohen calls "frugal fatigue": consumers are tired of saving money. That 2008's dismal holiday season occurred (of course) twelve months ago shows how long consumers have been holding back, saving money to either stretch budgets or in fears of layoffs.Continue reading...