GM sells more vehicles in China than in the US for the first time. GM also plans to award a new Chevrolet Camaro convertible to the Super Bowl MVP. 

The Kings Speech leads with a dozen just-announced Oscar nominations.

Adobe survey finds readers engage with iPad ads.

Amazon steps up push into home-delivered groceries.

Apple plans to introduce a service that would let users pay with iPhones.

Bacardi rethinks web strategy.Continue reading...

American Airlines' fee battle with travel sites such as Expedia snares Sabre.

BMW mulls adding artificial sounds to make EVs safer.

Borders asks publishers for longer-term IOUs.

Cathay Pacific expands long-haul flights.

CES now a must-attend for media companies.

Cisco joins race to mix TV and web video.

Facebook financing deal spurs SEC review.Continue reading...

It may not have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but Avatar, the biggest box office smash ever, has helped to ignite interest in 3D movies. In fact, there has been a rash of 3D movies lately – and film studios are planning to release more this year.

If you watched the Academy Awards last night, you saw an ad for a 3D TV from Samsung. Now other TV manufacturers are getting ready to flood the US market with 3D televisions. Panasonic is hooking up with Best Buy, the leading electronics chain, to promote its 3D TV offering this month in 300 stores. Best Buy has agreed to show 3D videos on behalf of Panasonic in "exhibition corners" in 300 stores now, and 700 more stores by the end of 2010.Continue reading...

When it comes to advertising, The Academy Awards can't compete with the Super Bowl. However, a slew of brands paid more than a million dollars per spot for some serious exposure during last night's ceremony. Some wasted their money. Some didn't. A couple really stood out.

American Express and Hershey's went the Good Samaritan route, linking their brands to charitable works. Specifically, AmEx promoted its Takepart.com site while Hershey's raised awareness for its Milton Hershey School. The latter was impactful, employing the line "Every Hershey's product you've enjoy supports the Milton Hershey School."Continue reading...

Many see the 2010 Academy Awards best film field as groundbreaking because the number of nominees has been increased from five to ten. There is however another way this year's nominee field is groundbreaking; for the first time, product placement plays an important role in a number of the best picture contenders. Continue reading...

Diet Coke's latest ads target a younger generation of consumers. [Brandweek]

Netbook manufacturers are tailoring products for children. [Reuters]

Stop & Shop will see a 24-hour strike by its workers starting tomorrow. [Boston Herald]

Diane von Furstenberg will lend her talents to Claridge's in London. [WWD]

YouTube initiates an auto-captioning feature to aid searching. [Econsultancy]

Borders begs for another loan in order to save its failing business. [Daily Finance]Continue reading...

It is said that the Academy Awards are the Super Bowl for those who don't love sports. Well, the comparison may be more approriate then originally intended. Whereas football fans have suffered game blackouts thanks to fights between cable carriers and the NFL Network, Oscar fans may face similar blackouts as Disney's battle with Cablevision Systems heats up. And it's not just the viewers who may suffer; awards-show advertisers face a loss of millions of eyeballs.Continue reading...

JC Penney is as iconic as American department store brands come. Since the early 20th century, it has been a reliable source for back-to-school outfits, office uniforms, underwear, and socks – all the basics. However, few would use the term "high fashion" to characterize the brand. But if JC Penney has its way, that is going to change, and soon.

Chairman and Chief Executive Myron E. Ullman made the brand's intentions clear after the store posted very positive Q4 results: "We intend to expand our market share. This means we work to increase visits and spending from our existing customers as well as find ways to reach new ones." He added that JC Penney would not reach these new customers by further discounting, but instead by expanding its exclusive lines: "Our focus for [2010] is driving top-line growth."Continue reading...