No one can dispute the power of the Cadillac brand. Its identity is so strong that it lingers in our cultural consciousness — and that’s precisely the problem. First, Cadillac couldn’t shake the decades-old association with drivers “between the age of 80 and deceased,” as former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca said. Then a half a dozen years ago, the brand acquired new status among the hip-hop crowd, which enthroned the $60,000 Cadillac Escalade as the ride of choice. It’s not that General Motors hasn’t been trying to change Cadillac’s image and broaden the cars’ appeal. The embattled...

Instead of commenting on the retail sectors ups and downs for this past weekend (looks like shopping was up but basket size was down), I thought I would write about my favorite apps for the holiday shopping season. I spent about two hours online last night searching for gifts for the kids on my Christmas list and did manage to find some great deals.  But now that the deals have expired and I still have some shopping to do, I am tapping, literally, into some retail apps to help me find the best deals. *RedLaser*:  I like this one a lot.  I was at Target this morning and scanned a toy with my...