Avon's Jung to leave board early, shifting focus to new CEO.

Mondelez creates Oreo and Cadbury Dairy Milk hybrid chocolate bar, acquires Italian biscuit maker from Danone.

Foxconn faces more unrest at iPhone factory as new battle brews between Apple and Samsung.

BAE deal with EADS is questioned by major shareholder.

Baxter looks to its medical-product pipeline to sustain growth.

Budweiser donates to military families via tie-in with Major League Baseball.

BuzzFeed bets on online sharing of sponsored content.

Coca-Cola India signs Bollywood star Salman Khan as brand ambassador.Continue reading...

Jay-Z may only own a smidgen of the NBA’s new Brooklyn Nets team and the rusty-looking arena that was just built for them to play in, but he’s definitely playing his role to the hilt. The rapper supposedly helped design the team’s logo and pick the color scheme and sold out a slew of shows at their Barclays Center home.

And now, he and his wife, Beyoncé, are continuing to spread their influence for the Nets wherever they go — including, over Labor Day Weekend weekend, in Philadelphia for the Budweiser-sponsored Made In America festival, a music festival that Jay-Z had organized and headlined.Continue reading...

Apple and Samsung urged to make peace by patent trial judge.

Apple retail chief rehires employees he "mistakenly" fired, as brand's vision for TV set-top box becomes clearer.

Samsung launches Galaxy Note 10.1 in three major markets.

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange gets caught in a diplomatic stand-off as Ecuador offers him asylum.

Facebook shares drop to lowest point yet.

Best Buy founder presses his case for company takeover.

Budweiser sponsors Jay-Z documentary.

Heineken reportedly in talks with F&N to raise APB bid.

Macy's sues JCPenney over Martha Stewart deal after suing Stewart.

Nestlé loses bid to prevent sales of rival coffee capsules.Continue reading...

If Amy Sedaris pitching Downy in a perky new campaign rings a bell, it's because celebrities have been sudsing up for brands since the early days of Hollywood. Think back to the golden days of radio, when Jack Benny plugged Jello in his opening line, "Jello, everybody, this is Jack Benny," and Bob Hope promoted Pepsodent toothpaste. And in the early days of television, George Burns and Gracie Allen peddled Carnation Milk, Groucho Marx touted Prom Shampoo and Ozzie and Harriett shilled for Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix. Before he was President, Ronald Reagan stumped for Chesterfield cigarettes.

In today’s world of 24/7 social media, celebrity endorsement, backing and entrepreneurship (from Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop to Jessica Alba's Honest Company) have reached new digital platforms. This week Stamped, a mobile app and website that lets people share reviews of anything they like, announced new celebrity backers including Justin Bieber, Ryan Seacrest and Ellen DeGeneres, and investments from Columbia Records, Eric Schmidt and The New York Times Company, bringing its financing to over $3 million.Continue reading...

In an unusual partnership, New York rap legend Jay-Z and Proctor & Gamble's billion-dollar Duracell brand are joining forces to market wireless charging systems and deploy wireless hotspots in New York, including one at the multimillionaire’s own 40/40 Club on Madison Square Park in Manhattan.

“Mobile devices have become essential tools in business, entertainment and managing our social lives,” said Jay-Z, an investor in the Duracell Powermat joint venture. “Being able to charge wirelessly is a necessary step into the future.”

The 24-Hour Power System contains a charging mat that serves as a wireless power transmitter and a portable backup battery with micro-USB output and iPhone connection when in between hotspots. The kit is designed specifically for the iPhone 4 and 4S, but Duracell is working on greater device compatibility.

It hits select retailers today (just as Apple announces its new iOS 6 features) and is also available online. The complete system costs $99.99, with additional (colorful) cases for $34.99 and additional batteries for $49.99.Continue reading...

Nike execs must think that they don’t have enough market share or aren’t known by enough consumers or need more clout with the digerati. Unthinkable, we know. Be that as it may, the sporting-goods maker announced at the E3 video-game conference this week a partnership with Microsoft to get into the video-game business together. 

“We’ve moved from being a product company to a services and product company,” commented Stefan Olander, Nike’s VP of digital sport. "Nike+ Kinect Training’ gives everyone access to the same training we give professional athletes. It combines our unique understanding of the greatest athletes in the world with the amazing sensor technology of Kinect for Xbox 360.”

The new product, Nike+ Kinect Training, will hit store shelves before the 2012 holiday shopping season and will only be able to be played on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect. The new add-on, Bloomberg reports, will allow “users to receive feedback from on-screen personal trainers and have a workout designed for them."Continue reading...

The social video sharing app Socialcam, just scored the NBA’s (and Jay-Z's) Brooklyn Nets, formerly known as the New Jersey Nets.

Their “Hello Brooklyn” campaign (watch below) is a pitch to the team’s community of fans, 35 million and growing, and takes users on a subway ride to their new home for the 2012-13 NBA season at the new Barclays Center.

The mobile app for shooting, editing, and sharing videos via smartphone is jousting for position in an increasingly competitive arena fueled by Facebook’s $1 billion acquisition of Instagram.Continue reading...

Best Buy, JPMorgan, Yahoo CEO stumbles put ethics and mismanagement in the spotlight. JPMorgan closes ranks around embattled CEO Jamie Dimon as mega-loss is probed; and Yahoo's interim CEO Ross Levinsohn reportedly close to getting role permanently.

Amazon reportedly prepping front-lit Kindle for July.

Facebook eyes historic $12 billion to $15 billion IPO windfall and up to $104 billion valuation.

Activision Blizzard goes back to the future for new games.

Apple plans iCloud upgrade, and thinner laptops with Intel chips.

Baidu enters China's crowded low-cost smartphone market.

BMW touts "ultimate service" in new campaign.

Budweiser strikes deal with Jay-Z for annual concert.Continue reading...