Media Digest (8/16/2011) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) makes a $12.5 billion offer for Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI) to enter the smartphone hardware business and pick up a large pool of patents. (Reuters)

Germany’s GDP growth falters in the second quarter. (Reuters)

InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC) shares drop on news of Motorola Mobility buyout, making the smaller firm’s IP position weaker. (Reuters)

Chinese manufacturers step up competition with Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT). (WSJ)

The prospects for Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) sales may be helped by the Google/Motorola deal. (WSJ)

High frequency traders make huge profits due to recent unsettled markets. (WSJ)

WSL/Strategic Retail research finds that consumers no longer think Walmart (NYSE: WMT) has the lowest retail prices on many goods. (WSJ)

Stocks have recovered their losses since the downgrade of U.S. debt. (WSJ)

Cargill to buy Provimi Group for $2.14 billion. (WSJ)

Google’s Motorola deal puts it into competition with Android customers, including HTC, LG and Samsung. (WSJ)

Moody’s Analytics cuts its growth forecast for the U.S. (WSJ)

Banks lower lending standards slightly in the second quarter. (WSJ)

Germany and France are under pressure to support the issuance of eurozone bonds, which would mean members would support the debt of the entire region. (WSJ)

A study by the Council of Graduate Schools finds that enrollments by Chinese students have surged. (WSJ)

Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) earnings hurt as it closes stores. (WSJ)

Foreign owners of Treasuries sold in June as QE2 ended. (WSJ)

The battle between Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and some of its unions worsens. (NYT)

A slowing economy has done little to slow the pace of M&A. (NYT)

Germany’s economic growth slowed last quarter. (FT)

The ECB bought 22 billion euros of bonds issued by governments in the region last week. (FT)

Interpublic (NYSE: IPG) sells half of its Facebook stock. (FT)

Samsung will try to prove that its Galaxy tablet should be allowed in Europe despite Apple’s accusation that it violates patents. (Bloomberg)

The Conference Board says China’s economy is rapidly slowing. (Bloomberg)

Douglas A. McIntyre