The Facebook/Google wars are heating up.

Google is enticing sign-ups for Google+ — which zoomed out of invitation-only mode and into public worldwide release in just under the 90 days — by touting its "Hangouts" video-chat feature.

The virtual lounge, which lets up to nine people link up and chat on video and host online broadcasts, will be demonstrated via a live demo tonight, when The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am hosts the first "Hangout on Air" at 7pm Eastern.Continue reading...

Visa leverages Fundamo unit to boost growth in emerging markets.

Google+ opens up to all and renames group messaging app, while Hangouts API could open social video and +1 function expands to display ads.

UBS grapples with corporate culture in wake of rogue trader.

Amazon nears Kindle Library Lending service launch.

Anthem Blue Cross drops customers who pay by credit card.

Apple iPhone 5 speculation for October continues as brand beats its own American Customer Satisfaction Index performance.

Bombardier signs John Travolta as a brand ambassador.

Comcast aims to bridge digital divide with low-cost broadband plan. 

Disney plans to bring Avatar to its theme parks.Continue reading...

Best Buy faces investor skepticism of its big-box strategy amid stiffening online competition.

BP may avoid gross negligence conviction in Gulf Oil spill.

CBS drops What's Trending web TV series after Steve Jobs flub.

Cisco sets more conservative growth target.

ConocoPhillips tries to fuel more natural-gas use.

Dell sets $5-billion share buyback.

Dreamworks masters YouTube and Zynga marketing.

Facebook chases Google+ with "smart lists" feature.Continue reading...

Amazon.com tests "more airy" website redesign, as delivery locker test with 7-Eleven looms.

Apple designer Jonathan Ive enters a new era, as iPhone 5 speculation mounts and brand announces first store in Hong Kong.

Baidu taps Dell for mobile push.

Bank of America shares decline (despite Warren Buffett's $5 billion injection) in tandem with global banks.

BMW tests 1,000 times brighter laser headlights.

Cantor Fitzgerald's post-9/11 recovery is in the spotlight this week.

Carlyle Group files for IPO.

Coca-Cola will invest $4 billion with Chinese bottling partners to spur China sales.Continue reading...

Hulu reportedly draws bids from Amazon, Yahoo and Google.

Google+ usage plateaus, while Google dominates US web brands, adds offline access to Gmail and apps in boost for Chromebook.

Dish Network revels in blocked AT&T merger with "challenger brand" T-Mobile, while AT&T forges on with $700 HTC Jetstream Android tablet announcement.

GM reboots "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign.

Amazon's Android tablet could erode Apple's iPad dominance, while @author program elevates writers' brands.

Apple may have another lost iPhone fiasco on its hands.

Britney Spears' medical records protected by judicial decision in branding lawsuit.Continue reading...

The wait is over, the mystery has been solved, and the question What the #@$% is TabCo? has been answered.  Apparently TabCo is actually Fusion Garage, and its highly-anticipated tablet is called Grid10. This morning, Fusion Garage CEO Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan revealed his company’s new product, their mission to differentiate, and their discontent with Apple's de facto monopoly on innovation in electronics.

Fusion Garage, founded in 2008, is known for having severed ties with TechCrunch over the CrunchPad and the failed JooJoo tablet, but now they’re back with a vengeance. They’ve developed a tablet, smartphone, and completely new operating system--all under the brand name Grid.

What makes the Grid OS different? Based on the Android, Grid OS seeks to change the user experience to a simpler, more intuitive, and more social interaction. The interface appears as a grid, and everything from web browsing to volume control has been rethought. The Grid OS will support apps from its upcoming Grid Shop as well as Android apps. Fusion Garage also stands up to another tech giant, Google, by choosing Bing as their search engine, offering a “chromeless browsing experience." Continue reading...

Adidas reintroduces Originals in new campaign.

Apple officially exceeds Exxon to take the biggest market cap crown.

Borders and Waldenbooks brand auction is now scheduled, with bids due by Sept. 8.

CBS sees "EcoAd" unit gain traction.

Cisco shares soar as company earnings beat analyst projections.

Facebook traffic declines in the U.K.

Gap expands Athleta brand with bricks-and-mortar stores.Continue reading...

New York's Finest is extending crime-fighting to social media, with the New York Police Dept. creating a unit to track potential law-breakers who reveal their plans or brag about crimes on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.

According to a report in the New York Daily News, NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kevin O'Connor, 23-year veteran and resident gang guru, has been tapped to head up the new juvenile justice unit charged with mining social media for signs of troublesome house parties, gang showdowns, and stings to catch predator perverts. 

The growing power of social media, in particular Twitter and BlackBerry messaging, has been evident in the London riots this week, and utilized by both sides – cops and rioters, sharing news about police positioning and targets to burn and loot, and outraged citizens posting photos of looters on Tumblr, Facebook and Flickr of the rioters.Continue reading...