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CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble’s former chairman and CEO John Smale — who was instrumental in creating a new vision for P&G to be a truly global company focused on providing an even broader range of innovative products to the world’s consumers — died on Nov. 19. He was 84.

Current chairman and CEO Bob McDonald reflected on the influence Smale had on himself and others, "I will remember John most for his character and how he represented the soul of the company: Purpose-inspired, caring yet demanding, principled, and humble."

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Kodak has entered a partnership with a provider of Web-based fulfillment for photo merchandising products to co-market a suite of preintegrated retail photo merchandising services.

Kodak and LifePics now offer retailers nationwide their private-labeled net-to-retail photo order fulfillment and in-store photo specialty gift catalog ordering. Kodak said its partnership with LifePics allows retailers that use Kodak photo-finishing equipment to offer consumers the convenience of ordering photos online and picking them up the same day at the retail location.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Zak Designs has introduced new on-the-go drinkware items that allow adults to bring out the kid in them.

Zak said its Metallix tumblers are made from durable materials and patented technology that creates an outside shimmer on the tumbler, while the HydroCanteen is made of BPA-free tritan material and feature a leak-proof lid and a carrying loop. Both on-the-go items are adorned with popular licenses from Disney and 20th Century Fox that provide adults with "new ways to show off their inner child," the company said.

MINONG, Wis. — Jack Link's has expanded its beef jerky offering to include a new line of smokehouse beef jerky.

New smokehouse beef jerky includes four products, including:

• Mega jerky, a home style jerky slab available in original, hot and teriyaki flavors, which carries a suggested retail price of $2.29 per piece;

• Meat stick, an old-fashioned style, smoked stick available in hot, pepperoni and teriyaki flavors, which carries a suggested retail price of $1.29;

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Peeps has introduced chocolate dipped caramel-flavored marshmallow chicks in time for the holiday season, the company announced Monday.

The marshmallow chicks are a creamy caramel flavor dipped in either milk or dark chocolate, the company said. The new flavor is available 3-count packages.

NEW YORK — A new machine from a company based in Wando, S.C., gives retailers a new way to sell ice cream, according to published reports.

RetailWire reported that Robofusion, founded by Allan Jones, had developed an eponymous robot that allows customers to create their own ice cream desserts.

According to the company's website, customers walk up to the machine, choose 1-of-4 "Robot Characters" that program the robot movements and effects and then design a five-layer ice cream and candy treat.

STRATHAM, N.H. — Lindt announced that it has launched a new collection of chocolate treats in line with the holiday season.

The Lindt Bear collection — which includes Lindt Bear, mini Lindt Bears, Lindt Bear and Friends, and the Lindt Beary Sweet bag — joins the Lindt family of iconic seasonal figures, including Santa, snowman and gold reindeer. Each Lindt Bear item is made with premium Lindt milk chocolate, dressed in gold foil and finished with a red ribbon.

NEW YORK — A few months after announcing a test run of its reduced-sugar cola in Iowa and Wisconsin, PepsiCo unveiled plans for a nationwide rollout of Pepsi Next.

According to published reports, Pepsi Next is expected to hit store shelves in spring 2012.