A123 Systems hit with recall of batteries for electric cars.

Apple plans to make greater investment in China as CEO Tim Cook meets with Chinese officials.

AT&T and Verizon threatened by freebie services fueled by Clearwire.

BMW tabs 1.3 million cars in massive recall.

Chipotle recycles old billboards for Earth Day.

Coca-Cola supports Michigan tourism campaign.

Corona evolves beach campaign.

Enterprise Products and Enbridge plan rival pipelines to Keystone XL.

Google warms to advertising its new services.Continue reading...

American Apparel may have a knight in shining armor: George Soros.

American Express sees millions of Twitter Sync coupons redeemed within first five days.

Ann Taylor tweaks brand lineup.

Apple finds iPhone falling behind Samsung in China.

BBC America bets on New Yorkers as tastemakers for new cooking show.

Barnes & Noble tests Penguin publishing boutiques in its stores.

CNN reportedly in talks to acquire Mashable.

Chevrolet shows off networked car at SXSW.

Chevron plays catch-up in shale gas.

Chipotle gets a big bang for the little buck.Continue reading...

The fast casual market is growing rapidly and Panera Bread Co. doesn’t want to lose its grip. The company is increasing its media spend this year in order to keep pace with the growing marketing, according to the Wall Street Journal.

And it's not just growing its ad spending incrementally. The Journal reports that the increase is expected to be on the 26 percent range up to somewhere between $55 million and $60 million. However, Panera isn’t expecting its customer base to grow much this year, the paper notes.

"A lot of people think, if you do nothing, you will stay at zero. But the reality is, if you do nothing, you'll be at a negative," said founder and chairman Ron Shaich to WSJ.

Part of that spend will go towards producing more commercials in the vein of last year's "Make Today Better" campaign featuring Shaich and his employees.Continue reading...

McDonald's is taking another step to mollify critics as it agrees to push its pork suppliers to stop confining sows in small pens. These "gestation stalls," as explained above, are "not a sustainable production system," the chain said, and there are alternatives that "are better for the welfare of sows."

The move is the latest by McDonald's to engage some of its many critics, demonstrate concern about issues such as animal welfare where it's deemed possible for the business, and make some changes. Recently, for example, McDonald's decided to stop using ammonium hydroxide in its burgers after celebrity chef Jamie Oliver criticized the use of the filler ingredient as "not fit for a dog."

McDonald's announced its move in conjunction with the Humane Society of the U.S. The stalls confine adult female hogs whose offspring are raised and slaughtered for bacon and sausage, giving the sows enough room only to stand up and sit down. They're among the practices criticized by Chipotle on Sunday in its lengthy ad during the Grammy music awards.Continue reading...

Amazon expands into original programming for web and TV, while Senate bill may close Virginia's "Amazon loophole."

Angry Birds lands on Facebook.

Apple shares close above $500, breaking more records, while brand announces iPad 3 release for March 7, testing "iPad Mini" tablet with smaller screen.

Burt's Bees launches spinoff aimed at Gen Y.

Chipotle steals buzz at Grammy's with Willie Nelson/Coldplay commercial.

Ford may have last laugh over Chevrolet with Super Bowl truck ad.

Google sees Motorola Mobility acquisition approved by EU and US.Continue reading...

Old Spice Man is back — this time, it's Terry Crews — in a trio of commercials directed by comic writers Tim Heideker and Eric Wareheim from Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! 

Crews video-bombs other P&G brand spots: for Charmin, Bounce and, for fun, a vending machine full of snacks.Continue reading...

AMR CEO defends job cuts at American Airlines.

AOL doubles down with investment in Huffington Post streaming TV network.

Apple dealt legal setback against Motorola, expands patent fight with Samsung.

Amazon could burn through its cash.

AstraZeneca plans to cut another 7,300 jobs.

Banana Republic brings back Mad Men collection with AMC.

Chipotle holds the line on pricing.

Chrysler re-launches in U.K. with Super Bowl spot on Sky.

Coca-Cola ties effort encouraging teens to Black History Month.Continue reading...

Taco Bell has been marketing itself for a long time as an inexpensive place to eat rather than as a quality eating experience and now it turns out that those who went the other direction, such as Chipotle, are actually winning the consumer dollars. Motley Fool reports that Taco Bell has closed down 1,000 of its locations since 2000. Even with that, the restaurant makes up 60% of restaurant behemoth Yum! Brands’ profits in the United States.

Yum!’s attentions are focused on expanding Pizza Hut and KFC in China, but concern for Taco Bell has some trying to figure out how it can rebrand. One of the main reasons it needs to refresh its image is because the restaurant is still reeling from a lawsuit that alleged that the restaurant used meat that was only 35% beef, even though the accusations were later withdrawn, as Taco Bell president Greg Creed announced on YouTube.

While Taco Bell — with hopes high for a Super Bowl bump — has been suffering, rivals like Chipotle are booming.Continue reading...