Brands to Watch: Microsoft, Tim Pawlenty and Facebook

Dow closes above 12,000 for first time since Japan quake on momentum from big deals, easing nuclear worries as Japan reports progress (though contamination fears linger) and the nation starts to rebuild its infrastructure.

With shares of AT&T and Deutsche Telekom trading up, Verizon and Sprint attract speculation in wake of AT&T/T-Mobile deal.

Facebook is getting serious about payments.

Microsoft is suing Barnes & Noble over the Android OS in its Nook e-book reader.

NFL and players' legal jousting continued today.

Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty eyes the 2012 Republican presidential candidacy.

AP updates stylebook to change "e-mail" to "email" and "cell phone" to "cellphone." 

And Classmates.com is now part of Memory Lane, a site dedicated to nostalgia: