With the head of the Federal Trade Commission arguing that self-regulation has not worked to keep private the online browsing of Internet users, the panel has unveiled a plan for a universal "do not track" plan that would let people decide whether they want to be tracked. Today, a House subcommittee is hearing the matter separately. The Digital Advertising Alliance, comprised of several advertising and marketing trade groups representing more than 5,000 corporations, initiated an opt-out effort last month that would allow for the prohibition of targeting. But the FTC says efforts aren't moving fast enough and supports an …

Walmart and Target are among top American marketers who are trying to limit a new federal law that would require them to report whether their store-brand products contain so-called conflict minerals from war-torn Central Africa. The law is aimed at reducing violence, specifically in eastern Congo, where income from those minerals fuels conflict. Many U.S. companies, including makers of medical devices, cell phones, airplanes and machine tools, will be affected by the requirement because the minerals are in the products they manufacture. But those who carry private-label goods argue that, since they don't control the manufacturing process, they shouldn't …

Talk about David and Goliath! After US Internet Minnetonka used billboards to tsk-tsk Comcast for its CEO's pay, the cable giant now refuses to air a TV ad for its tiny competitor. Comcast refused to air the ad on the grounds that it was for a direct competitor of Comcast's Internet service, which costs $39.95 to $114.95 for non-cable TV subscribers. The TV ad features Fancy Ray McCloney, head of Minneapolis-based ad agency Chocolate Orchid Productions, as a fast-talking salesman who says: "Why pay $30 to $60 a month when you can get the same quality service for as …

It's the cutest thing. There's Steve in his trademark black shirt and jeans with wire-rim glasses that are removable. And, he's holding a tiny iPhone. But, after the first 300 Steve Jobs dolls sold out, it looks like there may not be more coming.

While the rest of the industry saw stellar sales gains, Toyota sales sank 3.2% in the U.S. last month. The Detroit Bureau notes that Toyota also saw a decline in October. The auto news and review site says Toyota simply hasn't had the vehicles to compete, and has been had ongoing pain from recalls and the perception among consumers that its build-quality and durability isn't what it used to be.

PepsiCo said on Thursday that it had agreed to pay $3.8 billion for a two-thirds stake in the Russian dairy and juice maker Wimm-Bill-Dann. The deal is among the largest by an American company in Russia.

Never say never. Chrysler's Dodge division had planned to kill the Viper sports car but the Detroit Free Press says no. The paper reports that Chrysler will bring a new Viper to market in mid-2012, though it hasn't decided on a locale for production. The company stopped making the car in July after 18 years, during which it was manufactured solely at Chrysler's Conner Avenue plant in Detroit.

Max Wolff has been tapped for the position. He was lured from GM, where he had been director of exterior design at Cadillac.