Apple has announced that it will discuss "the outcome of the company's discussions concerning its cash balance" at 9 a.m. It said it will not be talking about any other topics other than its $100 billion piggy bank. The call will be led by CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer. Read the whole story...

A new study by IHS Automotive predicts that car sales in India will reach 4.88 million by 2016, which would move that emerging nation past Japan, which the consulting firm forecasts will see automotive sales of just 4.51 million that year. Japanese auto sales have been running at barely half their peak rate during the Asian nation's bubble economy and show little sign of recovery. Read the whole story...

The Marketing Measurement In Transition Study conducted by Columbia Business School's Center On Global Brand Leadership and the New York American Marketing Association said brands have a data problem: too much. Read the whole story...

At the jump is a great interactive timeline about how, from 1962 on, Walmart, Target, Kmart and Kohl's opened their first stores in Arkansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, respectively, and drove a retail revolution. Read the whole story...

As part of its official sponsorship of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, Mars Chocolate is encouraging Facebook users to make a personal pledge to their health once a week and share with other like-minded athletes what inspires them to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Read the whole story...

Select Sears hometown dealer stores and Sears Hardware stores will be closed by Sears Holdings. The company will close 43 Sears hometown dealer stores and 10 Sears Hardware stores over the first half of 2012. Read the whole story...

NetZero is taking its nearly free model to wireless: it has launched NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband, a wireless service rolling out in 80 US cities and offering value-priced monthly data plans without activation fees, contracts, commitments or overage charges. Read the whole story...