Technology research firm IDC projects the worldwide smartphone market will grow 55.4% this year, with nearly 270 million devices shipped compared to 173 million in 2009. IDC also expects Android to edge out Apple's iOS as the third most pervasive mobile operating system in 2010, with a 16.3% share to Apple's 14.7%. The surge in smartphone sales will help the overall mobile market rebound this year with a 14.1% gain after a decline of 2.8% in 2009. The outlook for 2011 is also bullish. Despite continued economic uncertainty, smartphone sales are expected to increase 24.5% next year.  Growth, however, …

Healthy, smealthy.  Crispin Porter + Bogusky's new, $25-million TV, online/social media and outdoor campaign for carrot growers avoids the "veggie" word at all costs, instead playfully positioning the baby carrots as "the greatest junk food on the planet."  Message: "Eat 'em like junk food."

WPP's GroupM division this morning announced that its B3 media trading platform has launched what it touted as display advertisers to "dynamically measure, value, buy and optimize placements on a real time, impression-by-impression basis, with machine-learning algorithms based on success in achieving a brand's desired goal." GroupM said the platform differs from existing mobile ad trading systems that optimize primarily on click-through results, because the B3 system also provides advertisers with the ability to "control media investments based on downstream consumer activity on mobile applications and across branded mobile sites." GroupM said the platform will be led by …

The biggest TV show in the U.S. has solve one of its many mysteries going into tenth season. Kara DioGuardi is stepping down from her role as a judge on "American Idol" - this after two seasons on the job. Previously, Ellen DeGeneres pulled herself out as a judge after her first and only season with the show. She said she was after having trouble being very critical of promising singers. Two judges positions are left to choose. High on the list -- but not confirmed -- is rocker Steven Tyler and singer Jennifer Lopez. Randy Jackson …

The Texas Attorney General is investigating Google for potential antitrust violations, the search company confirmed on Friday. Google said that the Texas authorities are asking for information about three companies: Foundem (a British price comparison site backed by Microsoft), TradeComet's SourceTool, and comparison shopping site myTriggers. TradeComet and myTriggers recently filed antitrust lawsuits against Google. A court dismissed TradeComet's lawsuit and the company is now appealing. The lawsuit by myTriggers is still pending, but it's not clear how far that case will get. myTriggers alleged in its complaint that Google raised the cost of myTriggers' pay-per-click …

Mazda's re-emergence after 2000 involved more than the success of its Zoom-Zoom campaign, which launched that year. It had as much to do with a vehicle design revolution. The automaker, whose U.S. sales, marketing and design headquarters is in Irvine, Calif., went from a lackluster has-been brand in the late 90's and early millennium -- a marque with little meaning beyond the collective memory the car that goes "hummmm" -- to a sporty, design-leading brand that helped force the competition to develop mass-market cars that actually looked good. Now Mazda is about to make a big change to its design …

Burger King Holdings Inc. announced that it has agreed to sell to private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal worth about $4 billion, including debt. The deal values the company at $3.26 billion, or $24 per share – about $1 more per share than analysts expected, and a 46% premium on BK's stock price as of closing on Aug. 31, before news of the deal negotiations leaked. Burger King has until Oct. 12 to solicit higher offers from other interested buyers.  However, some analysts have noted that the 3G price is a good one for shareholders that …

Search Engine Land points to cartoon in Times Square sponsored by a Consumer Watchdog group. The video cartoon, “do not track me,” depicts Google CEO Eric Schmidt luring children to the truck with “free ice cream.”

Procter & Gamble says a comprehensive review by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada found no cause linking Pampers Dry Max diapers to diaper rash and other skin conditions. The brand had come under scrutiny this year when some parents reported rashes on infants who used the product. The company says it is sponsoring the distribution of comprehensive educational materials produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on how to care for and treat infant skin conditions.

With strong performances by such brands as Victoria's Secret, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Costco, retailers posted somewhat better-than-expected results for the month of August. Despite experts' concerns that consumers were spending less as economic news worsened over the summer, Kantar Retail says that retail sales grew by 3.4% in August, better than the 2.9% same-store sales gain last month, and a happy improvement from the 2.4% decline in August of last year. The International Council of Shopping Centers says its index, which tracks a slightly different group of stores, posted a 3.2% year-over-year comparable-store gain, slightly above expectations.