AT&T unveils flagship store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Amazon challenges Netflix with movie-streaming service.

Barclays names one of its own as new CEO.

Carrefour narrows loss.

Caterpillar says China growth may recover this year on government stimulus.

Chrysler sees sales of new Dodge Dart drift because of emphasis on manual transmissions.

Citigroup to settle suit connected to financial crisis for $590 million.

Daikin of Japan buys Goodman Global in U.S. air-conditioning market.

Facebook is cleared to buy Instagram by California authorities. Continue reading...

Ad Age honors China's women to watch.

AT&T faced with technicians' class action suit; promotes anti-texting campaign.

Axe brand releases music track.

Ben & Jerry's gets a boost on Robert Pattinson's The Daily Show segment.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports next-generation toilets.

Condoleeza Rice and Serena Williams endorse new NFL women's clothing line.

Facebook tests promoted newsfeed posts for non-fans.Continue reading...

"Crowdsourcing" was coined in 2006 by Wired's then contributor Jeff Howe, evolving into a marketing tool by 2010 for brands of all sizes — and it's still going strong. Harnessing and rewarding user-generated contributions to your brand or project is no longer a trend but a way of life, as brands large and small embrace the technique for monetary gain, product identity, entertainment and social good. The latest iterations of inviting the masses to weigh in:

• Heineken has launched its second Open Innovation Challenge, asking fans to 'Reinvent the draught beer experience' and employing comedians Adam Fields and Samba Schutte pull it all together. Users are asked to submit ideas and an accompanying ‘elevator pitch’ to the Ideas Brewery website and six finalists will participate in an ‘idea-enhancing’ workshop in Amsterdam in November.Continue reading...

KFC degrees now an educational option in the UK.

NBC Universal says Olympics ad sales reach $1 billion.

Roku raises $45M from News Corp. and others.

Alcatel-Lucent to slash jobs after loss.

Amazon and Apple heat up their war on multiple fronts.

Boeing improves forecast.Continue reading...

Apple plans smaller iPad to compete with Google Nexus, as Nokia gets touchy too.

Getty Images bidding nears $4 billion.

Barclays ex-CEO Diamond faces UK MP grilling as Bank of England faces tough decision.

Asian tourists flock to Europe for luxury bargains.

Asus aims to help athletes "find their zen."

Branded content shown to have limited impact in US.

China bans shark fin consumption in luxury crackdown, as mainland slowdown affects Hong Kong luxury spending.Continue reading...

Google’s Android mobile operating system is #1 on the top 20 brands favored by the LGBT community, according to the researchers at YouGov BrandIndex. Last year, Google's YouTube topped the annual LGBT ranking.

The 2012 LGBT buzz list includes four Apple-related and several other tech and social media brands, and looks quite different from last year’s ranking, with 12 new brands making the top 20: Android, iPad, Target, Samsung, Aleve, Kindle, Advil, PBS, LG, Starbucks, Comedy Central, and Skype. Disneyland and Disney World share fourth spot, reflect the parks' annual LGBT days and outreach to the gay community.

“Gay consumers number 15 million and counting, spending $743 billion annually” in the U.S., according to LGBT marketing agency Prime Access. Falling out of the top 20 this year: Google, Amazon, Whole Foods, Claritin, HBO, Lowe's, Cheerios, Food Network, M&Ms, Nike, Trader Joe's and Bose.Continue reading...

As social check-ins and chat are now driving TV tune-in and engagement, the long-anticipated disintermediation of the entertainment-to-home ecosystem has arrived.

A new study by Frank N. Magid Associates, reveals that one of every five consumers are using video game consoles, Blu-ray players or other devices to bring the Web into their living rooms on their television screens. The seachange has led to a flood of social TV partnerships in what Ad Age calls the "Exploding Social-TV Ecosystem."

"Connected TVs will bring the Internet to the large screen, in contrast to how the smartphone has brought the Internet to the small screen. Consumers will be able to watch and browse what they want, when they want, on a big screen through connected TVs," commented Mike Vorhaus, President of Magid Advisors, a unit of Frank N. Magid Associates, to the Los Angeles Times.

The research, part of the Magid Media Futures 2012 study, found that:Continue reading...

CNBC joins with Yahoo to bolster web reach via content, programming and distribution alliance.

Comcast and fellow U.S. cable operators face DOJ inquiry over treatment of Netflix and Hulu.

New York's proposed big soda ban goes to public comment as former Coca-Cola exec switches sides.

American Express sponsors Kenny Chesney concert for live-streaming on YouTube.

Apple is likely killing Ping.

Burger King's summer BBQ menu rolls out with sweet potato fries and bacon sundae.

Citi partners with USAID to foster mobile commerce in developing nations.Continue reading...