Consumer Electronics Association has dropped CNET as a partner in light of CBS Corp.'s decision to put the kibosh on its digital review site intended efforts to give a big award to Dish Network's "Hopper". Not only that but CEA itself has decided give a Best of Show award to the Hopper -- an honor it will share with existing winner, Razer Edge. CNET was to give a Best in Show award to Dish's Hopper at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. But CBS Corp. nix the award saying it …

Mobile payment service Square has added a pair of big-name partners: Verizon Wireless and consumer ratings and reviews site Angie’s List. Verizon Wireless stores nationwide began selling the Square Card Reader today for $9.97 along with $10 in credit for a Square account. After downloading the Square app, a merchant completes a sign-up process, links the service to their bank account to start receiving payments through the Reader. The Square attachment that plugs into iOS and Android devices allows a merchant’s customers to swipe credit or debit cards to pay. Square charges a flat fee of 2.75% per transaction, …

The NHL has renewed its North American media partnership with BlackBerry. Under the agreement, the mobile device maker will continue to support league properties including the NHL Network and NHL.com as well as NHL broadcast partners. BlackBerry will be the presenting sponsor for the Trade Deadline show airing on April 3 the NHL Network in the U.S., will feature BlackBerry 10 integration in the broadcast. Separately, the leagued is bringing the NHL GameCenter app to the new BlackBerry 10 platform. The app provides live scores, post-game videos, and video on demand along with player profiles, season schedules and standings. …

Telecommunications company Vonage selected Horizon Media for media planning and buying chores and WPP's JWT for creative ad duties after separate reviews, the company confirmed today. The firm spent more than $130 million on ads in 2011, according to Kantar. Adweek reported that the business is worth $10 million in revenue for JWT. "Advertising is one of the most public-facing manifestations of Vonage's business strategy, and we selected JWT and Horizon after a very competitive review, in which all of the agencies showed an impressive effort and high-quality work," stated Barbara Goodstein, Chief Marketing Officer of Vonage. Contenders for the …

Diana Bald has joined MDC Partners' TargetCast tcm unit as executive vice president-director of marketing and business development, a new position reporting to President Audrey Siegel. She joins from senior vice president-director of marketing at Interpublic's ID Media unit.

AccuWeather International has reached a deal to distribute its weather services in China across digital media and any device with an IP address. As a result of the company’s cross-licensing agreement with Huafeng Innovative Network Technology Co., AccuWeather content will now be available to its device-manufacturing partners in China. At the same time, Huafeng, a subsidiary of the China Meteorological Administration, will supply weather service products from China to AccuWeather across all digital media. AccuWeather CEO Barry Lee Myers said the pact would eliminate uncertainty for digital device makers and distributors about who to deal with in relation to weather …

A new forecast from U.K.-based Juniper Research projects mobile coupon redemptions will grow more than 50% this year to 10 billion. The firm said retailers are increasingly adopting mobile as a tactic to help drive footfall and enhance customer engagement and retention. While mobile still accounts for a relatively low volume of coupons issued, retailers have been encouraged by the 10% redemption rate of mobile coupons compared to 1% for traditional print and PC-based ones. The higher rate stems partly from mobile coupons acting as a link between a company’s digital and physical assets. Among other key findings, the report …

Apple's newest iOS software, released on Tuesday, lets users reset the advertising identifier on iPhones and iPads. The new feature marks Apple's latest attempt to give users more control over mobile tracking

Harley-Davidson today announced an exclusive partnership with musician Kid Rock, including a Saturday night performance for the company's 110th Anniversary celebration in Milwaukee over this Labor Day weekend.

Though not an "official sponsor," LG Electronics will have presence at the Super Bowl in New Orleans this weekend, sponsoring a series of events showcasing the "ultimate home viewing experience" (including tips and recipes from celebrity chef Sandra Lee).