For sale: Slightly used, slightly abused, completely iconic mobile phone brand. Real fixer-upper, tons of potential.

Yes, in a move that has been suspected by fans of the brand for some time now, Palm has put itself up for acquisition. The move comes after recent sales numbers for Palm's Pixi and Pre units disappointed already low expectations, making the company's independent survival all but impossible. Existing mobile brands HTC and Lenovo are rumored to be interested. Some question the wisdom of HTC buying the brand, as Palm's operating system, WebOS, would clash with HTC's Android system.

But Lenovo? A purchase by Lenovo might be the perfect brand-building fit. Continue reading...

Google, Intel, and Sony will be bringing Google TV to your living room soon. It’s a partnership made in heaven – as Sony has fought to maintain a competitive advantage and Intel and Google want nothing more than to take their considerable computing sway into the television arena.

The fourth wheel is Logitech, with peripheral device expertise in computer speakers and remote controls. The partnership is focused on delivering transparent technology – enabling web applications with ease of use comparable to channel surfing.

Based on its Android operating system, the technology is powered by Intel’s Atom chips. Google will give access to developers via a toolkit in the hopes of tapping into a wealth of creativity, and having products come to market by summer.Continue reading...

Microsoft's Bing search engine will appear on Motorola smartphones. [AP]

Apple will launch a multi-tasking platform for the iPhone by this summer. [Big Money]

Disney would rather stick with established characters than create new ones. [WSJ]

The latest innovation in caffeine and chocolate is inhalable. [Boston Herald]

Geico employees groove to Warren Buffett in a new commercial. [BrandFreak]

Video game sales were down by 15 percent in the U.S. last month. [LA Times]Continue reading...

Odwalla will disperse its drinks to all 50 American state parks. [Brandweek]

Yahoo.com search results now say "powered by Bing" as an ad trade-off. [CNN Money]

AT&T is set to launch the Motorola Backflip, an Android-powered phone. [LA Times]

Alexander McQueen's brand will continue despite his death. [AP]

Verizon is handing its users something they’d never expect from a phone company – free telephone service. No, it’s not just one of those catch-filled ploys to get people to switch over or buy a phone – though it might help – but instead, they’ve partnered with Skype, the notoriously free computer phone service.

Skype, the formerly Swedish-based company that was founded in 2003, is a computer software application that enables users to make phone calls over the Internet. The application is free just as long as users call computer-to-computer – however, if one were to call a cell phone or landline, there would be varying, yet still reasonable, fees. eBay purchased the booming startup in 2005 for $2.6 billion, and has propelled its user-ship to over 520 million worldwide.Continue reading...

Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble to collaborate on made-for-television movie. [WSJ]

Motorola to combine hand-set units and set-top boxes into one company. [WSJ]

Apple contemplates $1 television shows for iTunes store. [TechCrunch]

Google will speed up Internet with 100x faster broadband service. [Washington Post]

Dogs can now tweet on Twitter with the help of Mattel's latest toy. [LA Times]

Loyal Barbie collectors get the chance to pick her 125th occupation. [BrandFreak]Continue reading...

The year 2010 holds great potential for mobile advertising, and retailers are poised to take full advantage of emerging trends.

A new "Mobile Loyalty Solution" introduced by Motorola offers retailers the ability to "digitize store-branded membership cards on customers' mobile phones." Once a customer opts in, stores can proactively send offers and incentives to the customer's mobile phone, eliminating the need for membership cards and paper coupons. The customer's phone carries a bar code that acts as a unique identifier and can be scanned at the point of sale.Continue reading...

MetLife is in final negotiations to purchase AIG. [WSJ]

AMC purchases Kerasotes Showplace Theatres. [LA Times]

Verizon raises termination fee. [Washington Post]

Motorola launches a rewards program for loyal customers. [AdWeek]

Toyota seeks out lithium battery supply in Argentina. [WSJ]

Citigroup experiences a fourth-quarter $7.6 billion loss. [CNN Money]Continue reading...