Activists yesterday threw out their best lines against a genetically modified fish for which AquaBounty has been trying to gain Food and Drug Administration approval since 1995. Dubbed "Frankenfish" by opponents, it's an Atlantic salmon with a growth hormone gene from a Chinook salmon, as well as an "antifreeze" gene from the eel-like ocean pout. It can grow to market size in 18 months, half the usual time, Lyndsey Layton reports. "Science cannot prove that this new gene-spliced salmon is safe for human consumption over a long period of time," Darrell Rogers of the Alliance for …

Dhanya Skariachan reports that Toys R Us is hoping that a wide assortment of toys -- from Mattel's $13 plush toys that sing when squeezed to "Leapster Explorer," a $70 handheld gaming device that doubles as an e-reader and photo-and-video recorder -- will make for a Merry Holiday Season at the cash register. The 587-outlet retailer will officially unveil its 36-item Holiday Hot Toy List later today. Other products that make the cut include squishy pencil-toppers called "Squinkies," "Disney Princess & Me" dolls, and a Lego board game. "Our list has a wide range of prices on …

When I first saw this list, it was indeed so oddball that I wondered if it was a spoof. Apparently not.

Starbucks is rolling out caramel, vanilla and cinnamon coffee beans in a Natural Fusions line for retailers, Natalie Zmuda reports, after having discovered that 60% of its bagged coffee customers were buying flavored coffee from competitors. Created in partnership with Kraft, the line lives up to Starbucks' standards, according to Michele Waits, director of packaged coffee at Starbucks. That means it's more "coffee forward" than flavored coffees produced by competitors such as Dunkin' Donuts, Millstone and Godiva. Waits says 75% of consumers tested say they intend to buy the product. They tend to skew female, particularly women aged …

The rise of camera-equipped smartphones has put a damper on sales of digital still cameras -- the market was down 7.5% in 2009 -- but that isn't stopping Samsung Electronics from bringing its sizable muscle to the category, Bruce Einhorn reports. "When it comes to serious occasions, people pick up a camera," says SangJin Park, president of Samsung's digital imaging unit. But it appears there's an additional reason for entering the fray: Beating Apple by playing its game. The thinking goes like this: Because Apple doesn't make cameras, there's an opening for Samsung. "Just as the …

Cadillac is resurgent after four years of sliding fortunes, thanks to the new CTS coupe and SRX crossover. Sales through August are up 50% -- twice as much as any competitor -- even as it rolls out its "New Standard of the World" marketing theme and a popular leasing program. But its 9.4% share of the luxury market trails Lexus, BMW and Mercedes, which all have more than 14%, Brent Snavely and Chrissie Thompson report. "They've got to make people realize that Cadillac isn't what you thought it was," says Jim Hall, a consultant with 2953. "They're setting …

In November, Hyundai is launching a $55,000-plus sedan called the Equus that John Krafcik, CEO of the Korean automaker's U.S. unit, calls "a beacon for the brand." It follows on the heels of the modestly successful Genesis, a car priced in the $40,000s that has many of the features of a Lexus or Mercedes, Mike Ramsey reports, except the key one for many upscale buyers: cachet. Hyundai's Krafcik believes that, unlike brands like Toyota (Lexus) and Nissan (Infiniti), Hyundai can forge a luxury niche without creating a separate line. "We are proud that this is a Hyundai," he …

Toning shoes have been on the market since at least 1996, Andrew Adam Newman reports, but the segment really took off last year with the introduction of Skechers' Shape-Ups and Reebok's EasyTone. The pitch is that they "tone" your extremities or help you "get in shape" with no more exertion than simply wearing them when you put one footsie in front of the other. Now New Balance is out with a Truebalance line that purports to be more stylish than its competitors. The thought is that it will appeal to women. It's a yet another "transformational" concept …