Air France replaces CEO, Mercedes-Benz USA CEO is ousted in Daimler exec shuffle, and Olympus shares plunge as its CEO is fired.

Apple sells 4 million iPhone 4S units in first weekend, as Samsung sues to block the device in Japan and Australia and HTC loses Apple patent case in US. Steve Jobs' Silicon Valley memorial service reportedly filled with humor and music, as company prepares to honor late co-founder and report earnings on Tuesday. Starbucks and Apple are also partnering in the UK on free music downloads.

Mattel eyes UK's HIT Entertainment, home to Thomas the Tank Engine and other kids' properties.

Bank of America posts $6.2 billion quarterly profit, while Goldman Sachs reports $428 million loss.

BlackBerry customers receive free apps and tech support to make amends for outages.Continue reading...

News Corp. shares tumble as company goes on PR offensive with print apology as News International's former head Rebekah Brooks was arrested Sunday, London's police chief quits and actor Jude Law claims his phone was hacked. Prime Minister David Cameron called in Parliament to deal with the scandal, as speculation rises about possible harm to Murdoch's US empire.

ABS by Alan Schwartz balks at design copyright protection.

Amana introduces new online shopping tool.

Australia's government launches campaign for carbon tax.

Borders faces liquidation.Continue reading...

BMW and Mercedes outpace rivals in China, as Shanghai auto show opens and a new report shows the most popular brands in China are predominately foreign. Ford's China JV execs mull own brand, while Volkswagen reveals the new Beetle at events in Shanghai, New York and Berlin today. The Volkswagen Group also saw record first quarter sales as China deliveries boom.

VH1 woos female viewers with new programming, while siblings BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nick, and Spike remain holdouts on Time Warner Cable's iPad app due to Viacom lawsuit, although Cablevision's iPad app gets only grumbles.

Toyota resumes production at all Japan plants for first time since tsunami, as its Lexus brand slips behind rivals in the US. TEPCO also laid out a plan for shutting down nuclear reactor.Continue reading...

And on the twenth-eleventh day, the Lord said, "Let there be light — and let it not be incandescent." Yes, the image of the light bulb (one that normally connotes a bright idea) is being dimmed as environmentalists, brands and politicians take sides in the battle of the bulbs.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn is lobbying her fellow Republicans in the US Congress to support bill H.R.6144 (dubbed the Better Use of Light Bulbs act, or BULB), which proposes a nationwide rollback on the ban of incandescent light bulbs.Continue reading...

Abercrombie & Fitch to launch Gilly Hicks, a 'cheeky' lingerie line, in the UK.

Adidas makes big China push.

Amazon launches Amazon Studios, a $2.7 million fund to develop movies.

Apple's Steve Jobs reveals private side in just-released photos.

BMW rejects sales incentives as profits trump volume in US.

Boeing and Airbus waver on reworking small jets. 

BP ignored warning signs in the Gulf of Mexico, according to new report.

Chevrolet promotes Cruze on coffee cup sleeves.Continue reading...

Philips is crowdsourcing ironing. Specifically, the electronics brand has teamed up with crowdSPRING and issued a call for a new steam generator iron.

The deadline is October 13th to submit ideas. The creative brief:

“Philips is looking for break-through designs which are advanced, distinctive, easy to experience and designed around people’s needs. It must be a true winner in the stores/ shelves. Please remember we are not looking for a ‘re-Design’ of the existing products(s), the awards will be granted to concepts showing a great deal of creativity: which are innovative but also feasible. Your entry should consist of designs for a new ‘iron’ accompanied by the ‘base’.”

More details after the jump.Continue reading...

* AOL is introducing a bigger, splashier ad format.

* Bell Canada owner BCE Inc. is retaking control of the CTV network for $1.3 billion and re-entering the TV business.

* BP is back in the news as its landmark legal battle looms, an executive shuffle clears way for Tony Hayward's next role, more oil from the spill is found by researchers, and the smarta$$ behind @BPGlobalPR Twitter account steps forward.

* Chrysler dealers will get the chance to meet CEO Sergio Marchionne this week, while more than 450 execs including ex-chairman Lee Iacocca sued Daimler AG and Cerberus, claiming they lost 100 million dollars in pensions in the automaker's bankruptcy.

* Disney's ABC is pushing its TV brand anew after the arrival of Paul Lee at the helm.Continue reading...

(Warning: that coffee on the right may be cold — this is coming to you late due to technical issues this morning. Thanks for your patience!)

Apple’s charter iAd advertisers are happy with early results.

U.S. cable operators Comcast and Time Warner Cable and competitor Verizon are racing to develop iPad apps.

Facebook stands to garner nearly $1.3 billion in advertising worldwide this year, about double last year, says a new outside study.

GM's incoming CEO Dan Akerson is known as a "pragmatic leader" whose relationships with Wall Street and enthusiasm were keys to his getting the nod to replace Ed Whitacre Sept. 1. He also isn’t expected to disrupt the momentum of new CMO Joel Ewanick.

HP’s latest headache: a bribery probe by the U.S. Dept. of Justice.Continue reading...