Amazon sued over instant search patent.

American Express powers Foursquare specials at SXSW, where Apple opens pop-up store for iPad 2 sales.

Angry Birds raises $42 million. 

AOL readies post-Huffington Post deal layoffs of 20% workforce reduction.

Bluefly tries social gaming.

Caesars plans Asia hotels, without gambling for now. 

Chrysler’s Twitter account accidentally drops the F-bomb, fires social media agency tweeter.Continue reading...

Walmart's first Express mini-store is coming to Arkansas.

Morgan Stanley is preparing layoffs.

NPR Ombudsman will be interviewed by CNN's Piers Morgan tonight, as PBS confirms it was targeted by the same sting operation.

ANA responds to FTC on "do not track" issue.

BBC reports that its news crew in Libya was detained and beaten by Gaddafi forces.

Carlos Slim tops Forbes' 2011 list of world's richest; Bill Gates is #2.

Foursquare rolls out biggest product launch in its history, including deals-based "specials" for advertisers.Continue reading...

This is the video that yesterday brought down the head of fundraising — and today, the CEO — of NPR.

It's a self-styled bit of muckraking — a covertly taped conversation with Ron Schiller, who until yesterday was president of the NPR Foundation and SVP of development (read: fundraising) for America's National Public Radio. His was a critical role, as NPR has been fighting to maintain funding and political support in the face of criticism from the political right in the US.

Today, he was followed out the door at NPR by Vivian Schiller, no family relation but certainly related as a fellow executive at NPR — one also caught in the crosshairs of rising political tension between the left and right in the US.Continue reading...

Alfa Romeo lures European auto giants. 

AOL said to acquire Outside.In, a hyperlocal media network.

Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Nelly Furtado caught up in Gaddafi scandal.

BP denies bonuses to three top executives over oil spill. 

Burberry designer lauded for tech savvy by Vogue.

Chevrolet readies experiential events for SXSW. 

Chrysler recalls a quarter-million vehicles, while spider prompts Mazda recall.Continue reading...

The King's Speech won four Oscars including Best Picture at the Academy Awards last night, unseating early favorite The Social Network; click here for more coverage.

Apple's iPad 2 rumored to come in white as design guru Jony Ive may return to the UK.

Audi counts on accelerated sales in the US.

Baseball Hall of Famer Duke Snider dies.

Berkshire Hathaway is looking for “more major acquisitions,” Warren Buffett says.

Blackstone wins bidding for U.S. assets of Centro for $9.4 billion.Continue reading...

The budget knives in Congress may be out for a particularly sacred cow – or should we say, fowl – and the Muppet world is striking back. Sesame Street even found some friends to come and play in the political fray.

PBS Kids icon Arthur, a beloved animated aardvark that sprang from books to the screen, along with Sesame Street stalwarts Big Bird and Elmo, lined up on Wednesday morning as props for Democratic congressmen who are opposed to Republicans’ targeting of government funding for their broadcast homes.Continue reading...

Apple is #1 on Fast Company's list of 50 most innovative companies.

Apple's new iPad subscription policy begins signing up magazine titles, with Elle, Nylon and Popular Science agreeing to terms.

Archie Comics go digital with Graphic.ly.

CBS revenue is up, while CBS College Sports channel to be renamed CBS Sports Network.

Cisco will help city of Barcelona with '2020 Vision' for sustainable urban and economic growth.Continue reading...

Amazon booted WikiLeaks off its servers following political pressure, the whistleblowing site confirmed on Twitter. Bank of America, meanwhile, grapples with rumors it's next on the WikiLeaks hotseat as Julian Assange sets sights on corporate reputations.

Apple's iPhone takes top spot in US smartphone market.

Bloomberg's annual World AIDS Day breakfast disrupted by activist bagel protest.

EU proposes end to branded cigarettes.

USA makes final pitch (incl. Morgan Freeman, Bill Clinton) to host 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Google Doodles expand to mobile; clamps down on business trolling.

Groupon expands in Asia with three acquisitions ahead of Google deal.Continue reading...