If you’re sick of incessantly staring at your mobile while madly pushing buttons to virtually chuck wingless birds at pigs in various structures with giant slingshots, Angry Birds Live is here.

If you were lucky enough to be in Singapore over the weekend, you may have caught the debut of the Angry Birds live crowd game. Rovio, in partnership with Singapore telco SingTel, worked with Uplause Ltd. to turn 50,000 Formula 1 Grand Prix fans into live controllers in a gigantic game of Angry Birds.

The co-branded event (see shaky video footage here) was the first in an ongoing partnership between Rovio and Uplause that's coming to major events around the world. Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka commented, “We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters.”

And on the unlicensed live Angry Birds front, trust China to take this to a new level.Continue reading...

Amazon launches YoYo portal for kids toys.

American Express buys virtual currency monetization platform for $30 million.

Angry Birds is poised to expand as Rovio works with Starbucks and other brands to expand footprint.

Apple's stock closes at all-time high.

Braun announces theme for 2012 BraunPrize.

CNN opens first CNN Cafe, in Seoul.Continue reading...

After China's fake Apple stores debacle, Apple moves to open real Apple store in prestigious Peking University library. (Not so fast, say officials.) And scoring two knock-offs in one, Chinese consumers are now being tempted with fake Converse sneakers bearing Apple's logo. They sell for about $5; click here for the fall lineup.

Below, check out legit branded kicks exclusively for the China market — Angry Birds sneakers! — and more.Continue reading...

Can Angry Birds be stopped?

The mobile game that has reduced worker productivity in America by half (at least in my household) was already global, but now it's "glocalizing" as well to meet those new markets. For China's Autumn Festival, Rovio released a special "Moon Festival" theme for the game.Continue reading...

Al Gore prepares 24-hour global warming Climate Reality live-stream event.

Angry Birds spurs 1M t-shirts and 1M plush toy sales per month for Rovio.

AT&T will use plant-based packaging for accessories as Coca-Cola's PlantBottle arrives on UK shelves.

Bank of America announces 30,000 job cuts.

Boston Globe newspaper puts up online paywall.

British American Tobacco gears up for legal battle vs. the Australian government.

Broadcom bets on web traffic for mobile with $3.7 billion NetLogic deal.

Glenn Beck says his new TV network is "not for slugs."

Google - just another ad company?

Groupon sued by its own employees.Continue reading...

Global stock markets rise this morning in last day of trading in wild week.

American Airlines plans to spin off its Eagle commuter unit.

Angry Birds parent Rovio seeks $1.2 billion valuation.

Anheuser-Busch InBev counts on NFL to lift Bud Light in a big way.

Apple holds sway in tablet wars.

Brinker’s increases focus on value at its restaurant brands such as Chili’s Grill & Bar.

Coca-Cola stumbles on Facebook post in Portuguese.Continue reading...

Apple edges past Exxon to become the biggest public company in the world (while AOL has a bad day); and stops Samsung's Galaxy Tab in Europe with legal ruling.

Barney's NY hires former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld as model and consultant.

Disney profits from sales of Cars 2 and Marvel merchandise, and ESPN revenues.

Facebook rolls out mobile Messenger feature.

Ford manages expectations of eager Focus electric car buyers.

Hero MotorCorp unveils brand identity.

J&J reaches agreement with U.S. on Risperdal charge.Continue reading...

Airbnb crime victim claims company tried to silence her.

Apple iPhone ousts Nokia as world's best-selling smartphone, has more money than the US government.

AT&T plans to throttle data-hogs.

Bloomberg reportedly plans Arabic-language TV channel.

BMW i sub-brand starts to take shape with new concept cars.

Bulgari sales rise 23%.

Delta partners with LivingSocial to offer local deals.Continue reading...