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After six months of medical leave, Steve Jobs is set to return to Apple. While many predicted that the company would be lost without Jobs, its stock is back over $140 again, where it was in late August before the financial collapse. While Jobs is slated to return to Cupertino, the rumor mill is swirling as to whether or not he will appear at the WWDC next week to unveil a new iPhone.
Palm’s Pre is set to hit stores tomorrow morning. The much hyped smart phone, which will sell for $200, features copy-and-paste, a feature iPhone users are still waiting for, can work as an iPod and comes with a keyboard. Reviews have been positive, however, with Apple possibly launching a new iPhone next week, the Pre could get swept under the rug of well-fueled Apple hype.
Facebook has hired Grady Burnett to head online sales at the social network. Burnett, another in a recent line of Google defector’s, previously ran the AdWords business at Google. Burnett will be in charge of development tools that let users create, run and manage their own social media campaigns.
Tony La Russa is suing Twitter over an unauthorized account that bears his name and resemblance. The account in question, which is currently dormant, made illusions to both La Russa’s DUI and St. Louis Cardinal’s players who died in Chicago over the past few years. La Russa, who is seeking unspecified damages, said the Twitter account caused irreprehensible harm to his reputation.
Automotive ads were down approximately $1.1 billion during the first quarter of 2009. While this should be expected as many of the bailed out American auto companies have significantly reduced ad spending, advertising was down roughly 29%, and 41% for television. The report by Michael Nathanson at Bernstein Research, notes that GM alone has cut its brand size from 8 car makers to 4, and will spend $1.3 billion less on advertising this year.