Al Jazeera plays 'galvanizing' role in Middle East, as Egypt blocks web and messaging as unrest escalates, and WikiLeaks releases US/Egyptian cables.

Amazon grows at the cost of profits; announces winners of first script contest.

Borders seeks possible bankruptcy financing.

BP spill claims in the thousands challenged as fraudulent.

Caterpillar beats analyst estimates on China sales.

Bratz/Mattel trial is underway in Los Angeles.Continue reading...

On the second day of the press preview at the North American International Auto Show – which opens to the public on Saturday – the automotive brands were relatively silent. For the most part, they had made all of their news on Monday.

Ford executives did get pretty rosy about the company’s future in a presentation to automotive securities analysts. And Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne made the news that Fiat’s Maserati brand would cooperate with Chrysler on a new luxury SUV that would be at least developed – and perhaps manufactured – in America.

But much of today’s activity involved others’ assessments of what the automakers touted on Monday. Honda’s new Civic Concept debut (above) attracted some skeptical reviews of an important vehicle platform, for example.Continue reading...

Chevy Volt wins top car and an ebullient, expanding Ford wins top truck for Explorer at the North American (aka Detroit) Auto Show, which the Wall Street Journal sees as an indication that US auto industry has "its swagger back." BC's Dale Buss is there; follow our coverage.

More from day one at the Detroit Auto Show, including Ford's new EV campaign with actor/environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr., after the jump.Continue reading...

Toyota unveiled two new vehicles today that extended its single-vehicle Prius brand to a “family” of models that now includes a larger Prius and Toyota’s first plug-in hybrid. 

And showing that it has a sense of humor, the brand's marketers played on consumers' confusion over what to call "a family of Priuses (Prium? Prii?)" with the video above to kick off "our search for the proper plural, but the ultimate decision is up to you." Cast your vote at toyota.com/priusfamily, and the winner will be announced on Feb. 20th.

Speaking today at the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota US GM Bob Carter said that the company is re-intensifying its dedication to the hybrid segment overall. He said that Toyota plans to add 11 new hybrids to its worldwide product lineup over the next 23 months, including seven models that are all-new.Continue reading...

BC's Dale Buss is at the North American International Auto Show (aka NAIAS, or the Detroit Auto Show) and filed this report:

After the company spent nearly $50 million last year in fines related to its safety recalls, Toyota executives want to turn the tables for their brand on the safety issue by investing another $50 million. Only this time, Toyota plans to spend that much investing in safety research at its Michigan-based technical center.

On the eve of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the company announced the opening of its Collaborative Safety Research Center at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.Continue reading...

It may be a cold January outside, but inside Detroit’s Cobo Center convention hall starting Monday, the US auto industry will be warming up for what participants hope will be at least a 10% gain in sales over a year ago.

OEMs and suppliers from around the world will be unveiling new models, systems and technologies that they’re counting on to help fuel a second consecutive year of double-digit percentage gains in the American auto market.

As the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) opens on Monday with a couple of days of press previews, it won’t be like the return of the happy days of the middle of the last decade, when OEMs regularly sold 16 million or more vehicles a year in the US.Continue reading...

Altria, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard face tougher tobacco marketing rules in US.

Apple launches app store for Mac software.

Bank of America categorizes clients, adds fees.

Boeing loses major 747 order due to delays.

BP spill inquiry to report that disaster "likely" to recur; and hears that microbes may have mitigated methane damage in the Gulf.

CNN books Oprah as first guest for Piers Morgan's post-Larry King debut on Jan. 17; Madonna still banned as "boring."Continue reading...

No individual anywhere likely will be happier to see the auto industry report year-end 2010 sales results today than Bob Carter, GM of the Toyota brand in the United States. Month after month, he’s had to address the brand’s sputtering finish in the American market after decades as its star.

Toyota today reported its Dec. 2010 US sales as slightly down from a year ago, and overall 2010 sales as flat. Carter and his fellow Toyota executives tried to get ahead of that glum news by talking with auto analysts and the vehicle-industry press about their much rosier forecast for 2011.Continue reading...