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...

ABC handles product placement delicately for Modern Family.

American Ethanol sponsors NASCAR drivers.

Apache makes $3-billion acquisition in U.S. oil business.

Apple raises "made-in-America" questions about iPhone manufacturing.

BlackBerry future questioned as RIM's new CEO takes the reins.

Carnival CEO lies low during crisis as his company mishandles communications with survivors of shipwreck.

Cisco tests LinkedIn marketing campaign.

Facebook wants to become a bigger news player.

Fisker battles problems across the EV company.Continue reading...

The annual indie-film extravaganza known as the Sundance Film Festival got underway Thursday night in Park City, Utah, and the New York Times noticed something there that had been missing at recent fests: many corporate sponsors.

Eight brands are officially sponsoring this year's festival, which launched as an offshoot of Robert Redford's Sundance Institute in 1978: Adobe, GE, Sprint, Yahoo!, Bertolli, Grey Goose, Time Warner, and Hilton. Last year, the festival had two — Honda and Trident — and neither of them are back.Continue reading...

In the branding world, Las Vegas stands out as a city so well known that it is in a class by itself. The hotel brands that occupy the Vegas strip are just as famously iconic, so it's a rare event when one of them changes its name.

But on Tuesday, some Sin City visitors may have thought an extended New Year's hangover had them seeing things. That's when the long-standing Hilton name was removed from the Las Vegas Hilton and a new marquee appeared: The Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. 

Opened as the International Hotel in 1969, the property soon became the Las Vegas Hilton when the hotel chain bought it in 1971. But last year, financial troubles led to the hotel-casino seeking to end its agreement with Hilton, and new ownership took effect this year.

The new owners, an investor group that includes Colony Capital LLC, were determined the hotel will remain open for business without any big changes beyond a new name and website (indeed, Flavor Flav used the hotel to launch his vodka before the holiday, LeFlav Straight Up). However, guests staying at the hotel can no longer take advantage of Hilton's hotel loyalty program.Continue reading...

Of the handful of movies opening this weekend, only one -- Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" -- has anything to offer the practice of product placement. But that one promises to make up for all the others.

This year has already seen one product-packed Adam Sandler movie. February's "Just Go With It" featured nearly 50 brands, from YSL to Budweiser to Pizza Hut and Pepsi to Sony Ericsson.

And sure, the best Adam Sandler movie jokes now appear in the reviews before the film's release, but in the last 13 years the actor/producer has 12 $100-million films. So when Adam Sandler farts, brands listen. Continue reading...

Aloha Petroleum redefines brand.

Apple sees its biggest product launch ever with one million pre-orders in 24 hours for iPhone 4S.

Arista and Jive iconic music labels close, bumping Britney Spears and other artists to RCA.

BankUnited repositions brand.

Chevrolet turns 100, amps up green cred, plans new Camaro.

Chrysler whittles vehicle plan.

Conde Nast to increase branded content under new entertainment head.

Discovery banks on Rosie O'Donnell to save Oprah Winfrey's OWN network.Continue reading...

Yahoo's former CEO Carol Bartz reportedly receives $10M severance package as issues that led to her firing emerge.

Weight Watchers outperforms rivals (and medically supervised diets) in new study.

Target takes New York Fashion Week by storm with 25-foot doll to promote Missoni collaboration.

Amazon cuts deal on California taxes, plans to bring click and collect service to UK.

AOL severs ties with TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington.

Apple cries foul on Chinese logo (when it should be LG); gets nod for clean, green store design; and may need a third campus in Cupertino by 2015.Continue reading...

The White House and Republicans in Congress have reached a deal to raise the debt ceiling, agreeing to about $1 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years to lower the deficit and prevent the first government default in U.S. history.

HSBC plans global layoffs as banks sells 195 U.S. branches to First Niagara for $1 billion.

PBS plans to launch a digital TV channel in the U.K. as network's president talks it up to TV critics.

Airbnb sees another crime victim come forward as suspect is arrested in first incident.

Alibaba resolves dispute with Yahoo.

Apple's Taiwan vendor FoxConn to replace workers with robots, while iPhone rises, iPad tops tablet brand survey for customer satisfaction, and iPod sinks.Continue reading...