Volkswagen has been on a business-building tear for some time now, but the July 4th acquisition of the part of Porsche that the company didn't own will likely be considered the crowning achievement for the leader of what has become the world's most ambitious automaker.

Ferdinand Piech is the grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche. So when the 75-year-old chairman of Volkswagen AG agreed to buy the rest of Porsche SE's automaking business for 4.46 billion euros this week, it marked a fitting cap to Piech's two-decade effort to put VW atop the pinnacle of the global automotive business.Continue reading...

Jeremy Lin signs free agent deal with Houston Rockets, ending "Linsanity" in NYC if the Knicks don't make him a better offer.

Yahoo considers CEO of Hulu for top job.

Porsche tries to adjust to Volkswagen embrace.

Anheuser-Busch encourages responsible drinking.

Bausch & Lomb could go public by year-end.

Chevrolet plans to show off vehicles at MLB All-Star Game in Kansas City next week.

Chuck E. Cheese burns long-time voice with new mascot.

Dynegy files for bankruptcy.Continue reading...

Volkswagen acquires remaining Porsche stake for nearly $6 billion.

Aetna and California doctors face off over business practices.

Barclays former CEO apologizes in grilling by U.K. lawmakers.

Alibaba clamps down on staff corruption.

Avon introduces his and her fragrances with Jon Bon Jovi's help.

BBC names new director general.

Best Buy makes its stores look sleeker.

Boeing plans new green technologies.Continue reading...

The good news for the auto industry is that product quality in the traditional sense — fit and finish, the integrity of components, the lack of mechanical problems — is at an all-time high. The bad news is that the industry seems to be botching the transition into a new era in which "quality" largely is being defined by how automakers perform as manufacturers of high-tech connectivity platforms for which consumers have the same (Sirius) expectations of intuitive and smooth use as they do for smartphones.

The latest JD Power report shows that new cars are being made with fewer defects than ever, though tech complaints are on the rise. While consumers perceived fewer overall problems with new cars in JDP's latest annual survey of initial quality, there was an increase in the number of complaints about hands-free in-car connectivity technologies. The problems centered on the now nearly ubiquitous voice-recognition systems that are supposed to help drivers communicate relatively effortlessly with the outside world while curbing distraction.Continue reading...

AB InBev closes in on buying remainder of Mexico's Grupo Modelo for more than $12 billion.

Apple adds Yelp check-ins to iPhone maps app, sees Motorola Mobility patent case shut down by federal judge and retail workers described by NYT as "loyal but short on pay."

Best Buy tries to regain edge before back-to-school season.

BlackBerry owner RIM reportedly considers a plan to split its company in two.

Cadillac surprises with integration of Apple's Siri voice.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's set Spider-Man movie tie-in.

Dewar's announces three-year partnership with TED.

Dairy Queen gripes about New York menu restrictions as it enters the city.Continue reading...

While Audi and Toyota racers will be battling it out with one another in the 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France on Saturday, the two companies — along with several other automotive marques — also will be waging an important battle of the brands.

Audi has managed to win 10 of the last 12 runnings of Le Mans, the world's oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since 1923. Now, the 24-hour race that is televised in some 60 countries and rivets millions of automotive and racing fans to their TVs is revving up for tomorrow's 24-hour event.Continue reading...

Kubang! It's not Chinese, it's Italian. But Maserati is aiming its new luxury SUV Kubang concept vehicle at the growing China market in the hopes of eating some of Porsche's lunch.

While it's rare to see a Porsche Cayenne SUV on streets in the West, the model is an astoundingly common sight in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing. The driver is almost always a woman. China is Porsche's largest market in the world for the Cayenne SUV. And while sales of Porsche in China may be slowing due to a flattening of China's luxury car market, sales of the Cayenne specifically may slow because the marketplace is about to get a lot more crowded.

While the West is still nursing its SUV hangover, Chinese drivers are just entering the nation's SUV age. Brands, luxury and less luxurious, are lining up to cash in as mainland consumers begin delusionally rationalizing SUVs.Continue reading...

Apple wins legal round in U.S. over iPad trade name in China.

Birds Eye commits to "GenVeg" effort to get kids to eat vegetables.

Chase pitches pre-paid debit cards.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo carry calorie fight into New York subways.

Delta pulls ads from Comedy Central's The Daily Show.

Disney gets earnings boost from cable.

Dole considers breakup.

Domino's gluten-free crust challenged.

Facebook IPO bandwagon moves to Boston, ditches video.

Ford struggles with Thai suppliers after last fall's floods.Continue reading...