Dell will launch a new low-cost notebook built by Taiwan-based Compal as early as June. The new computers will come in a variety of sizes and may use software from Dell subsidiary Zing--the music-player company it acquired last year --to make it easy for users to manage music and video from the Web, Dell officials say. Dell is joining rivals such as Hewlett-Packard and Asustek Computer in the emerging market for low-price notebook computers, which has several names including netbooks, mini-notebooks and ultramobile PCs, or UMPCs. One of the best-known entries is Asustek's Eee PC, with a starting price of …

Saddled with complaints from environmentalists that its plastic bottles are clogging landfills, Coca-Cola has come up with a unique solution: turning recycled bottles into "Drink 2 Wear" apparel. It has also introduced a line of rPet merchandise that includes tote bags, caps, purses and notebooks made from plastic bottles. This week, T-shirts that read, "Make your plastic fantastic" and "Rehash your trash" will appear at nearly 400 Wal-Mart stores as well as at Walmart.com. They retail for about $7.50. "These fun T-shirts merge trend with consciousness, reminding shoppers that small steps like recycling a few bottles can go a long …

Word-of-mouth--especially from family and friends--leads the pack in terms of influence on brand choice, but marketers still face a major challenge making it scalable, according to new data from Publicis media network ZenithOptimedia. As powerful as it may be, "we as an industry are not doing as good a job as we could do in generating it," says Bruce Goerlich, ZenithOptimedia's president of strategic resources, North America. Consumer touchpoints were each given a "contact clout factor"--a number on a scale of 1 to 100 that indicates relative influence on purchasing. Recommendations from family and friends led the pack with …

Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark Penn, who was forced to resign from the Clinton campaign over divergent views on a free-trade pact with Colombia, is in full damage-control mode and is shoring up relations with clients and colleagues. The affair has been embarrassing for Burson, which is supposed to get good headlines for its clients, not bad ones for itself. Penn plans to visit regional offices in the coming days and confer with his executives. "I'll be talking one-on-one," Penn says, "and making sure that this is resolved, behind us, and the company moves on." Penn began working with Burson-Marsteller in …

Toyota Motor and Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries say that they will expand their ties and develop a compact, rear-wheel drive sports car by 2011. Toyota says the step is part of its plan to revamp business alliances with Fuji Heavy and Daihatsu, a Toyota subsidiary. The move will also expand the scope of the joint car production among the three. Daihatsu specializes in minicars, which are limited to an engine size of up to 660 cubic centimeters. The tiny cars are growing in popularity because of soaring gasoline prices and ecological concerns. The latest agreement will strengthen an …