• Independence Day Burgers
    Here's the monthly list of some of the best burgers in the U.S. -- some with Fourth of July themes -- in time for the long weekend. The names of the places that sell them are pretty good, too: Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers in Flint (of all places); Burgers to Beer in Ohio, which is offering "Fire Cracker Burger" with Jalapeno cornbread stuffing, honey-peppered bacon, BBQ sauce and habanero cheddar; Slater's 50/50 in SoCal with the 'merica Burger: bacon patty with sunny-side-up egg, thick cut bacon, bacon dressing, bacon cheddar atop bacon pretzel bun, made with rendered bacon fat. Cardiologist included.
  • Best Buy Nabs The Pebble Smart Watch
    The Pebble smart watch launched last year as a Kickstarter project, became one of the most popular Kickstarter projects ever, getting 85,000 orders and more than $10 million. It will be available at Best Buy stores, starting July 7. It began shipping in January to Kickstarter backers for $99, but will cost $149.99 at all Best Buy stores and on bestbuy.com. The watch's e-paper display makes it visible in sunlight and pairs with a phone to show you text messages, email and incoming calls right from your wrist. It has already shipped 100,000 of the watches. Expect Apple's iWatch soon(ish).
  • Usain Bolt Sprints For Sir Branson, Virgin Media
    Global track & field star and six-time Olympic gold medal winner Usain Bolt stars in a new campaign for Virgin Media, which turns Bolt in the company's fast and efficient Internet broadband and pits him against the slower competition, much to the delight of Sir Richard Branson.
  • Fuel Prices Lower For Holiday
    U.S. fuel prices have taken a sharp tumble over the past week, dipping below $3.50 a gallon on average across the country, just in time for the Independence Day holiday. That's not to say we won't see many service stations jacking up prices to take advantage of holiday travelers, a Fourth of July tradition as familiar as hot dogs, apple pie and fireworks. But the latest weekly survey from the Energy Information Administration finds that a gallon of regular has tumbled to $3.496, down from $3.577 just a week ago.
  • Walgreens Gets Makeover
    Proliferation of discount chains and web stores has been a challenge for Walgreens, and the company is responding with new store design and product assortment. Graham Atkinson, SVP and CMO, wants to stay focused on health and wellness but also compete with dollar stores, Walmart and Amazon. The company will change store fronts, and tout health-related items over convenience products. That means a renewed focus on the pharmacy and immunizations.
  • As NBA Woos Dwight, Adidas Backs China Trip
    Dwight Howard spent two days hosting teams that want to pay him upward of $118 million for the next five years, but before the season starts he will take a ten-day trip to China to help build his global brand and support the release of the Adidas D Howard 4 signature shoe, a jaunt that is being promoted via a campaign in which Howard and fellow Adidas/NBA spokesman John Wall are interviewed, and respond, in Mandarin.
  • PR Headache For 7-Eleven
    According to YouGov BrandIndex, consumer sentiment about c-store chain 7-Eleven has plummeted since federal officials seized 14 7-Eleven franchise stores in Long Island, N.Y., and Virginia, last month. The Feds had charged nine owners and managers with harboring and hiring illegal immigrants and paying them using fake Social Security numbers.
  • Nissan Expands U.S. Production
    Nissan continues to expand its manufacturing base in North American despite a devaluation of the Japanese yen, which is making it cheaper to produce vehicles in Japan. With a goal of boosting local production climb to 85%, the maker will add the Nissan Rogue to the list of models assembled in North America, a move that will add another 900 American manufacturing jobs. The move will mark the first time Rogue has been produced in the United States.
  • USDA Predicts Food Price Jump This Year
    Food prices this year will rise 2.5% to 3.5%, according to a forecast just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. Much of the rise will result from the delayed effects of last year's drought in the Midwest. Even though the drought was severe, destroying a huge amount of field crops, food prices remained flat during 2012.
  • Boston's Pedroia Turns Cartoon For Bank
    A new TV ad campaign from Boston's Salem Five bank features an animated version of Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia saying Salem Five is as passionate about banking as Pedroia is about baseball. The script for one spot has Pedroia saying things like this: "Baseball's not just my job, it's my life. I eat, drink and sleep baseball. I breathe baseball. If I ever cried, I'd cry baseballs. But I don't cry because I'm the laser show, man."
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