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Boston Herald - Boston Herald

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 September 2013 | 18.38

Boston Herald - Boston HeraldMagnificent Jag is a treat for allBay State defense firms get work despite cutsCambridge penthouse could be your castleMIT study: U.S. needs to step up manufacturingColonial Drug departs from Harvard SquarePipe had leak 1 year before Hawaii molasses spillScheme to snag iPhones leads to chaos in Calif.BlackBerry slashes jobs in face of $1B 2Q lossNavy suspends company implicated in schemeAllegiant delays, cancels flights to check MD-80sGOP House: Keep government open, hit 'Obamacare'Stocks drop as investors fret over budget fightSenator concerned about Apple's fingerprint techOil falls as another US budget battle loomsMoody's: Established gambling markets falteringObama moves to limit power-plant carbon pollutionAG: Rides for dead people billed to Medicaid programEmployers cut jobs in 20 US states in AugustMuch-needed Hub condos on the wayPrice-y offices rise in Seaport

http://bostonherald.com/feed/4%2039%2037%2038%2041%2036%2040 en http://bostonherald.com/business/automotive/2013/09/magnificent_jag_is_a_treat_for_all It's the chicken or the egg conundrum: Do you want to be the driver of the sleek 2013 Jaguar XJL or the passenger in the elegant cabin?The long wheelbase of the XJL affords rear passengers a playground of luxurious creature comforts. Start with the reclining soft leather seats, drop-down glass trays and personal remote controls for the headrest-mounted entertainment centers. Add a whisper-quiet ride, a footrest to leisurely stretch out your legs, cooled and heated massaging seats and you arrive at work or the weekend estate in style. Automotive Sat, 21 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Jim Mahoney 1063304386 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/bay_state_defense_firms_get_work_despite_cuts Massachusetts companies that work with the U.S. Defense Department are still getting contracts in spite of federal budget cuts, but the firms say those contracts tend to be smaller.The Defense Department this week announced more than $865 million in contracts, including $9.9 million to Boston Dynamics of Waltham for work on the Legged Squad Support System, or LS3, a legged robot to help service members carry their gear, following them through rugged terrain and interpreting verbal and visual commands. Business & Markets Sat, 21 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Marie Szaniszlo 1063304391 http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/09/cambridge_penthouse_could_be_your_castle This four-bedroom duplex penthouse condo, the home of former Channel 4 meteorologist Mish Michaels, features a dramatic sweeping staircase that joins what were two separate units.Part of the 113-unit Bay Square condo complex built in 1989, Michaels and her husband, Wes Atamian, combined two units in 2006 to create a showpiece custom-designed penthouse highlighted by a dramatic two-story vaulted turret with a living area overlooking a great room connected by a curving metal staircase. Real Estate Sat, 21 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Paul Restuccia 1063304401 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/mit_study_us_needs_to_step_up_manufacturing The nation's booming innovation economy is in danger of losing steam and moving overseas unless there is a significant increase in manufacturing in the U.S., according to a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but Massachusetts is poised to take advantage of such an increase, a state official says. Business & Markets Sat, 21 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Jordan Graham 1063304411 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/colonial_drug_departs_from_harvard_square Another vestige of the much lamented Harvard Square of old will close its doors today.Colonial Drug, known for its stock of more than 1,000 fragrances, is relocating after 66 years on Brattle Street to combine with the Stoddard's cutlery store in Newton at month's end."We did business with (Stoddard's owner David Marks') father, and his grandfather did business with our father," co-owner J.P. Botindari said. "We said someday we should get together, and we are. We complement each other." Business & Markets Sat, 21 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Donna Goodison 1063304531 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/pipe_had_leak_1_year_before_hawaii_molasses_spill HONOLULU — A state inspector saw molasses dripping last year from the same spot where a pipe leaked up to 1,400 tons of the sugary substance into Honolulu Harbor earlier this month, killing more than 26,000 fish and other marine life.Department of Transportation Deputy Director Randy Grune said Friday he sent a letter in July 2012 to Matson Navigation Co. notifying the company of the leak. The letter, provided to reporters Friday, asked Matson to tell the state when the pipeline was repaired. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 22:27:32 -0400 Associated Press 1063303856 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/scheme_to_snag_iphones_leads_to_chaos_in_calif PASADENA, Calif. — An overnight campout for the new iPhone turned chaotic Friday morning when two men were arrested for fighting outside an Apple Store and a man's plan to hire homeless people to wait in line for the coveted devices backfired, authorities said.Dozens of people recruited at a downtown Los Angeles homeless shelter to buy iPhones at a Pasadena store were left unpaid, and they mobbed the man who had hired them, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 21:22:17 -0400 Associated Press 1063302971 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/blackberry_slashes_jobs_in_face_of_1b_2q_loss TORONTO — It was once so addictive it inspired the nickname "CrackBerry." President Barack Obama confessed to being among the millions of devotees who couldn't bear to stop tapping feverishly away on its tiny keyboard. Madonna once said she slept with hers under her pillow.Then came the iPhone.Users newly addicted to Facebook and photo-sharing and Angry Birds started flirting with the opposition. And as more smartphones flooded the market with their supersize Samsung screens and thousands of apps, the BlackBerry failed to keep up with the flash. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 20:06:10 -0400 Associated Press 1063303256 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/navy_suspends_company_implicated_in_scheme WASHINGTON — The Navy suspended a Singapore-based company and its president from contracting with the federal government after the arrests earlier this week in a bribery conspiracy scheme.The president and chief executive officer of Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., Leonard Francis, and his company and its affiliates are barred from federal contracts and can't receive benefits from federal assistance programs. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 19:52:00 -0400 Associated Press 1063304181 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/allegiant_delays_cancels_flights_to_check_md_80s LAS VEGAS — Allegiant Air officials said Friday that delays and cancelations could continue for several days as more than half of the airline's MD-80s remain grounded for overhauls of emergency slides like the ones deployed in an evacuation this week.The inflatable chutes worked properly Monday when smoke was reported in the cabin of an Allegiant MD-80 at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, company officials said. An incident review, however, found that fleetwide maintenance hadn't complied with the slide manufacturer's recommendations. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 19:51:00 -0400 Associated Press 1063302331 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/gop_house_keep_government_open_hit_obamacare WASHINGTON — Charting a collision course with the White House, the Republican-controlled House approved legislation Friday to wipe out the 3-year-old health care law that President Barack Obama has vowed to preserve — and simultaneously prevent a partial government shutdown that neither party claims to want. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 19:35:48 -0400 Associated Press 1063301316 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/stocks_drop_as_investors_fret_over_budget_fight Washington's budget fight jolted investors on Friday, reminding them that the next few weeks could bring a lot of uncertainty. Wall Street hates uncertainty.Stocks fell in an afternoon sell-off that wiped out most of the gains from a rally earlier this week, when the Federal Reserve decided to keep its huge economic stimulus program intact.Major indexes were mixed in morning trading, but turned lower around midday after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to defund President Barack Obama's health care law. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:50:51 -0400 Associated Press 1063302201 http://bostonherald.com/business/technology/technology_news/2013/09/senator_concerned_about_apples_fingerprint_tech NEW YORK — Sen. Al Franken is asking Apple for more clarity on privacy and security concerns he has with its use of fingerprint recognition technology in the new iPhone 5S.The iPhone 5S, which went on sale Friday, includes a fingerprint sensor that lets users tap the phone's home button to unlock their phone, rather than enter a four-digit passcode. Technology News Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:39:16 -0400 Associated Press 1063302701 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/oil_falls_as_another_us_budget_battle_looms NEW YORK — Oil fell more than 1 percent Friday as fears of a disruption to Middle East supplies eased while concerns about a shutdown of the U.S. government grew stronger.Benchmark oil for October delivery dropped $1.72, or 1.4 percent, to close at $104.67 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the week, oil dropped $3.54, or 3.3 percent. That's despite a 2.5 percent increase on Wednesday, when the U.S. Federal Reserve announced it would keep its stimulus policy in place. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:14:39 -0400 Associated Press 1063303601 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/moodys_established_gambling_markets_faltering LAS VEGAS — Established gambling towns like Las Vegas and Atlantic City are hurting as more states start welcoming bettors' dollars, Moody's Investors Service warned this week.The credit rating agency issued a report describing a shift in casino tax revenues away from New Jersey, Indiana and Nevada to new markets in places like Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio.The recession crushed gambling revenues across the county, and casino towns have been slow to bounce back. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 16:13:19 -0400 Associated Press 1063303041 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/obama_moves_to_limit_power_plant_carbon_pollution WASHINGTON — Linking global warming to public health, disease and extreme weather, the Obama administration pressed ahead Friday with tough requirements to limit carbon pollution from new power plants, despite protests from industry and Republicans that it would dim coal's future. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 16:02:01 -0400 Associated Press 1063301306 http://bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/2013/09/ag_rides_for_dead_people_billed_to_medicaid_program A medical transportation company billed the government for rides for dead people, according to the attorney general's office, which today indicted the owner of the Webster-based business for allegedly defrauding a Medicaid program of more than $470,000.Cynthia J. Keegan, 50, of Webster and her company, Cross Roads Trolley, were indicted yesterday by a Worcester County grand jury for multiple counts of larceny and Medicaid false claims. Healthcare Fri, 20 Sep 2013 12:21:00 -0400 Ariel Rodriguez 1063302521 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/employers_cut_jobs_in_20_us_states_in_august WASHINGTON — Employers cut jobs in 20 states last month, suggesting modest improvement in the U.S. job market this year is not enough to benefit all areas of the country.The Labor Department said Friday that 29 states added jobs, while Montana showed no net gain or loss in August. Unemployment rates rose in 18 states, fell in 17 and were unchanged in 15."The picture is decidedly mixed," said Jim Diffley, chief US regional economist at IHS Global Insight. "We're still optimistic about the improvement (in hiring), but it's been slow." Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 11:59:51 -0400 Associated Press 1063302231 http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/09/much_needed_hub_condos_on_the_way For the past year, Bay State homeowners and potential home buyers competed in bidding wars as they targeted a dwindling supply of properties for sale. Massachusetts' housing market rebounded strongly in the first two quarters as the median sale price for single-family homes and condos jumped at double-digit rates and sales reached levels not seen since 2006.But has the market cooled with mortgage rates up by a full percentage point over the past four months? And if so, what will the fall and winter markets look like? Real Estate Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Jennifer Athas 1063300131 http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/09/price_y_offices_rise_in_seaport Shovels were ceremoniously lifted yesterday to mark construction already under way on the first office tower in Seaport Square, one of the largest mixed-used, master plan developments in the nation in one of the fastest growing areas of the city. Real Estate Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Donna Goodison 1063300231

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Boston Herald - Boston Herald

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 September 2013 | 18.38

Boston Herald - Boston HeraldMIT prez: Fed budget cuts killing growthThe TickerMuch-needed Hub condos on the wayPrice-y offices rise in Seaport3 mayoral candidates who understand innovationCalifornia adopts ride-hailing service regulationsSenate passes bill to avert helium shortageJPMorgan admits fault, pays $920M in trading lossEx-Halliburton manager charged in Gulf spill probeMan accused in bogus phone bill scheme indictedAmericans increasingly hungry for hipster foodsT.J. Maxx lets customers shop onlinePostmaster says USPS may need emergency rate hikePandora boosts stock offering as shares hit highGoogle releases digital wallet app for iPhonesMass. unemployment rate flat despite 7,500 new jobs in AugustMass. computer contact had many problemsMass. adds jobs, but jobless rate remains steadyUS unemployment benefit applications rise to 309KMIT president: Sequester choking innovation economy

http://bostonherald.com/feed/4%2039%2037%2038%2041%2036%2040 en http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/mit_prez_fed_budget_cuts_killing_growth Massive federal budget cuts are threatening Boston's innovation economy, and could significantly derail the industry's momentum years from now, education and business leaders say."It would be hard to overstate the negative impact on the people, the businesses and the future of Greater Boston and our nation," MIT President Rafael Reif yesterday told the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Jordan Graham , Chris Cassidy 1063300641 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/the_ticker_5 Logan to get Dubai flightsThe Massachusetts Port Authority yesterday announced that Emirates Airlines will begin daily nonstop flights from Dubai to Boston starting March 14.The Emirates service comes with a $1.5 million sweetener, a Massport incentive program that includes landing fee credits and joint advertising opportunities.The flights on Emirates follow announcements in the past 18 months of new international service between Logan and Tokyo, Panama City and Istanbul. Business & Markets Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 herald.staff 1063300696 http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/09/much_needed_hub_condos_on_the_way For the past year, Bay State homeowners and potential home buyers competed in bidding wars as they targeted a dwindling supply of properties for sale. Massachusetts' housing market rebounded strongly in the first two quarters as the median sale price for single-family homes and condos jumped at double-digit rates and sales reached levels not seen since 2006.But has the market cooled with mortgage rates up by a full percentage point over the past four months? And if so, what will the fall and winter markets look like? Real Estate Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Jennifer Athas 1063300131 http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/09/price_y_offices_rise_in_seaport Shovels were ceremoniously lifted yesterday to mark construction already under way on the first office tower in Seaport Square, one of the largest mixed-used, master plan developments in the nation in one of the fastest growing areas of the city. Real Estate Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Donna Goodison 1063300231 http://bostonherald.com/business/technology/technology_news/2013/09/3_mayoral_candidates_who_understand_innovation In a race focused heavily on schools, jobs and crime, mayoral candidates John R. Connolly, John F. Barros and Michael P. Ross have emerged as the tech trio – the ones who understand the critical role that innovation could play in the next administration. Technology News Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Jessica Van Sack 1063300636 http://bostonherald.com/business/automotive/2013/09/california_adopts_ride_hailing_service_regulations SAN FRANCISCO — Web-based ride-hailing companies will have to make sure drivers undergo training and criminal background checks and have commercial liability insurance under rules approved Thursday by California regulators.The state Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously in favor of those rules and others for such companies as Lyft and Sidecar. Both companies rely on smartphone applications to connect riders and drivers who use their own vehicles.Commissioners said the rules were needed to ensure public safety. Automotive Thu, 19 Sep 2013 22:17:13 -0400 Associated Press 1063298791 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/senate_passes_bill_to_avert_helium_shortage WASHINGTON — Break out the balloons.Congress moved a step closer Thursday to averting an impending shutdown of the federal helium reserve, a key supplier of the lighter-than-air gas used in a products ranging from party balloons to MRI machines.The Federal Helium Program, which provides about 42 percent of the nation's helium from a storage site near Amarillo, Texas, is set to shut down Oct. 7 unless lawmakers intervene. The shutdown is a result of a 1996 law requiring the reserve to pay off a $1.3 billion debt by selling its helium. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 19:17:22 -0400 Associated Press 1063299126 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/jpmorgan_admits_fault_pays_920m_in_trading_loss WASHINGTON — The financial penalty is staggering. JPMorgan Chase & Co. will pay $920 million for trading losses that shook the financial world last year.But the bigger price may be a few words rarely uttered in settlements with U.S. regulators: The nation's largest bank is also admitting wrongdoing.JPMorgan's acknowledged failure of oversight in the $6 billion trading loss is a first for a major company since the Securities and Exchange Commission reversed its longstanding practice of allowing firms to pay fines without accepting fault. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:27:41 -0400 Associated Press 1063297606 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/ex_halliburton_manager_charged_in_gulf_spill_probe NEW ORLEANS — A former Halliburton manager was charged Thursday with destroying evidence following BP's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a case that coincides with a guilty plea to a related charge by the Houston-based oilfield services company.Anthony Badalamenti, who had been the cementing technology director for Halliburton Energy Services Inc., was charged in federal court with instructing two other employees to delete data during a post-spill review of the cement job on BP's blown-out well. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 17:12:15 -0400 Associated Press 1063297266 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/man_accused_in_bogus_phone_bill_scheme_indicted HELENA, Mont. — A Montana man being sued by the federal government over $70 million in charges to unsuspecting phone customers' bills nationwide is now facing criminal counts of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.The 35-count indictment against Steve Sann was unsealed Wednesday during a settlement conference in a separate civil lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission over the allegations. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:40:21 -0400 Associated Press 1063298406 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/americans_increasingly_hungry_for_hipster_foods So maybe the chance to taste the flaky spawn of a doughnut and croissant won't get you lining up at the crack of dawn. Maybe you're holding out for a burger nestled between fried ramen noodles. Or perhaps it's the elusive McRib that moves you.Whatever flies your foodie flag, it's hard to deny that Americans love feeling part of something deliciously exclusive, that they clamor to taste trendy, hard-to-get morsels. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:30:14 -0400 Associated Press 1063298871 http://bostonherald.com/business/technology/technology_news/2013/09/tj_maxx_lets_customers_shop_online NEW YORK — Deal hunters have a new online option: This week, off-price retailer T.J. Maxx has quietly begun letting its customers shop online.Off-price retailers like T.J. Maxx buy excess clothing and home goods from other merchants and sells them at about 20 percent to 60 percent off regular prices. Technology News Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:59:17 -0400 Associated Press 1063298891 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/postmaster_says_usps_may_need_emergency_rate_hike WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said Thursday his agency is in "the midst of a financial disaster" and may need an emergency increase in postage rates to keep operating."The Postal Service as it exists today is financially unsustainable," he told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. It's a message that the postmaster general has been delivering to Congress with regularity over the past several months. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:18:47 -0400 Associated Press 1063297716 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/pandora_boosts_stock_offering_as_shares_hit_high LOS ANGELES — Pandora stock hit an all-time high Thursday in the wake of a court ruling that should help the Internet radio giant trim its songwriter royalty costs. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 13:54:35 -0400 Associated Press 1063298411 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/google_releases_digital_wallet_app_for_iphones SAN FRANCISCO — Google is bringing its digital wallet to the iPhone in its latest attempt to upstage Apple on its own popular device.Thursday's release of the Google Wallet app represents a challenge to the Passbook program that Apple has built into the iPhone's operating system.Both Google Wallet and Passbook allow iPhone users to store loyalty cards from some merchants and scan coupons offering discounts. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 13:43:30 -0400 Associated Press 1063298446 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/mass_unemployment_rate_flat_despite_7500_new_jobs_in_august Massachusetts added 7,500 jobs in August but the unemployment rate stayed flat at 7.2 percent, officials said today.The private sector added 6,700 jobs in August, as education and health services, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, construction, information and financial activities all added to their ranks, the preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates show. Government added 800 jobs over the month and 1,600 over the year. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:00:00 -0400 Marie Szaniszlo 1063298086 http://bostonherald.com/business/technology/technology_news/2013/09/mass_computer_contact_had_many_problems BOSTON — A state contract for a computer system to process unemployment claims provided few protections for taxpayers and little oversight of consultants, resulting in a system that arrived years late, millions of dollars over budget, and riddled with problems, according to review of contract documents. Technology News Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:02:04 -0400 Associated Press 1063297341 http://bostonherald.com/business/media_marketing/2013/09/mass_adds_jobs_but_jobless_rate_remains_steady BOSTON — The Massachusetts unemployment rate held steady at 7.2 percent last month even though the state added 7,500 jobs.The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday that most of the job additions came in the private sector, with the education and health services sector leading the way with about 4,100 new jobs. Leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and construction also gained jobs.The agency says the state has added more than 45,000 jobs in the past 12 months. Revised statistics show the state lost 300 jobs in July. Media & Marketing Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:48:39 -0400 Associated Press 1063297696 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/us_unemployment_benefit_applications_rise_to_309k WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits rose 15,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 309,000. But the data was distorted for the second straight week by reporting delays.The Labor Department says the less volatile four-week average fell 7,000 to 314,750, the lowest in nearly six years.Applications plummeted two weeks ago when California and Nevada were unable to report all their data because of computer upgrades in both states. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:22:34 -0400 Associated Press 1063297546 http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/09/mit_president_sequester_choking_innovation_economy "Drastic" federal budget cuts caused by sequestration threaten to derail major innovative breakthroughs — like an AIDS vaccine, 3D printing and digital learning — unless the Hub's business leaders lobby Congress for change, the president of MIT told the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce this morning. Business & Markets Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:00:00 -0400 Chris Cassidy 1063297631

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Deval Patrick: Surplus no substitute for tech tax

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 September 2013 | 18.39

Gov. Deval Patrick chided lawmakers yesterday for their plan to replace the revenue of the soon-to-be-repealed tech tax with surplus funds, slamming it as an irresponsible "roll (of) the dice" amid the state's still-stretched budget.

"I feel that the responsible thing, knowing what all the pressures are on this budget, is to plug the hole. There are others who say let's just repeal the tech tax and roll the dice, and I don't think that's the responsible thing," Patrick told the Herald yesterday after making the rounds with tech industry startups at a Seaport District event.

"I've heard all kinds of ideas being floated … one of them is to use the surplus," Patrick said. "The Legislature has already spent half that surplus. So that surplus is not enough."

Despite previously saying he had "ideas" of how to account for the $161 million the software services tax was expected to generate, Patrick was coy on what he viewed as a replacement.

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray have both vowed to not propose another tax, and instead pointed to excess revenue. Tax revenues, they argued, are currently $140 million beyond projections.

"The ball is in the Legislature's court right now," Patrick said.

Tech sector entrepreneurs greeted Patrick with open arms at yesterday's event celebrating seven startups that "graduated" from education technology accelerator, LearnLaunchX.

They're poised to join the tech industry that was slow to react to the tax, but rode a groundswell of opposition to pressure lawmakers to reverse their stance.

"I definitely need to keep an eye on Beacon Hill," said Matt Rantz, co-founder of Countdown, an online curriculum planning tool. "The whole tech sector (does)."

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Fed's stimulating words

The Federal Reserve's surprise move yesterday to postpone reducing its economic stimulus program sent stocks soaring and could help the housing market, but it also signals the economy has not rebounded as the Fed hoped, experts said.

"(Outgoing Fed Chairman Ben) Bernanke clearly is suggesting the economy is not ready to walk on its own," said Evan Dangel, a private wealth adviser at Morgan Stanley. "Quite frankly, the last two quantitative easing programs have been largely ineffective in spurring economic growth."

Many analysts had expected the Fed to reduce the amount of bonds it buys per month from $85 billion to between $70 billion and $75 billion. But a spike in mortgage interest rates since the Fed said in May that it would reduce its bond-buying program toward the end of the year led Bernanke to hold steady. Until there is conclusive evidence the economy has improved, the Fed said, the amount will remain unchanged to keep long-term borrowing rates low to boost spending and economic growth.

The Fed also said it plans to keep its key short-term interest rate near zero, at least until unemployment falls to 6.5 percent. The rate was 7.3 percent last month.

"Conditions in the job market today are still far from what all of us would like to see," Bernanke said.

Christopher Geehern, executive vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, said the Fed's downward pressure on interest rates should help the housing market and consumption.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to record highs on news of the status quo, a jump destined to be short-lived "because what the Fed clearly is signalling is that the economy isn't strong enough to taper off" on stimulus, said Max Wolff, chief economist and strategist for ZT Wealth in New York.

"When you stimulate an economy with policy, there's an element to which the economy becomes dependent on the crutch," Wolff said. "There already are and will be negative side effects — people taking stimulus monetary policy and bidding up the speculative price of assets."

Jeffrey Frankel, a professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, said the more of these assets the government holds, "the more of a challenge it will be to unwind them."

"It's sufficiently unknown territory," Frankel said. "They don't want to be in the business long term of holding onto mortgage-backed securities."

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Honda recalls Odyssey, Acura MDX for airbag defect

TOKYO — Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it is recalling 318,000 Odyssey minivans in the U.S. and 63,400 Acura MDX sport-utility vehicles in several nations for an airbag defect.

The Japanese automaker said there have been no crashes related to the problem. Honda is also recalling 23,300 Odyssey minivans in Canada.

Tokyo-based Honda said it received complaints recently that the airbag opened unnecessarily in the 2003 and 2004 model year Odyssey and the 2003 Acura MDX because the computer chip for airbag deployment was responding to electrical interference.

Honda said a part called an electrical noise filter needs to be installed to prevent the problem.

The Acura MDX recall covers 56,000 vehicles in the U.S., 1,000 in Japan, 4,800 in Canada and nearly 1,600 in Australia.

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Console stars of Tokyo Game Show not on sale yet

CHIBA, Japan — The Tokyo Game Show this year has two big stars, Sony's PlayStation 4 and the Microsoft Xbox One, the first new home consoles to go on sale in seven years.

But neither console will be on sale in Japan until next year, far behind November releases in the U.S and Europe, and also the first time a new PlayStation console has not been released in Japan first.

Sony and Microsoft both say tailoring the machines for the Japanese market takes more time but many in the gaming world see the delay as symbolic of Japan's loss of its pioneering and leading role in the industry.

With eyes on a comeback, the show at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, outside Tokyo, has a renewed focus this year on independent game software developers.

The media got a preview of the show Thursday. Sony and Microsoft's booths are huge, with several playable versions of PS4 and Xbox One games, already drawing long lines. The show opens to the public over the weekend.

Game insiders and experts say that encouraging a new breed of game creators is crucial for Japan to regain its status in the game world, ceded over the years to the U.S. and Europe, where startups face fewer obstacles. They lament that the broader stagnation witnessed in Japan Inc. also infected the game world where big success was followed by complacency, and even a stifling of newcomers.

A presentation Thursday by Sony Corp. executives featured that same message. Flashed on a giant screen was the slogan made up of the words "PS," which stands for PlayStation, and "indies," with a big red heart mark in the middle.

Both Sony and Microsoft are eager to woo independent developers to the PS4 and Xbox One, and are making it easier to do so by sharing the consoles' technology with them.

"We are welcoming the contributions of independent developers," said Masayasu Ito, senior vice president at Sony Computer Entertainment, the Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment giant's game division.

Star game producer Keiji Inafune believes Japan must first recognize its failure before it can move on, as most have become too comfortable and set in their ways, resting on the laurels of past success. Still worse, they have grown cautious, and churn out sequels of the old formulas, instead of taking risks, he said.

"Suddenly, Japanese games weren't selling, and they didn't look as good as they used to look, compared to foreign games," he told The Associated Press. "We need to first confront our own defeat, and we need to start learning from the world."

To show by example that he meant business, Inafune quit Capcom, where he had had a lucrative nearly three-decade career, rising to fame with hits such as "Mega Man" and "Dead Rising." His life up to then had been synonymous with Capcom's growth from a total unknown to a global company.

He started his own game company Comcept three years ago.

Taking his message for independence a step further, Inafune is now turning to crowd funding, or going directly to his fans around the world for money to work on his next major game, "Mighty No. 9," through Kickstarter, which allows the public to pledge cash online.

He has already raised more than $2.2 million, and is on his way to raise another million. The pledges are as low as $5, although a $20 minimum is needed to assure you a copy of the new game, and 1 million yen ($10,000) gets you a private dinner date with Inafune himself.

Inafune says he is determined to show Japan is ready to reinvent itself.

"Japan is going to rise again to the top," he said at his Comcept office in Tokyo. "We have to go back to our roots and rediscover what made Japan great."

The Family Computer, or FamiCom, from Nintendo drew fans around the world during the 1980s, kicking off the heyday of Japan's game industry. The games developed for that machine and others that followed, such as Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter, are still iconic franchises.

People around the world who grew up on those classics are part of the new generation of Western game developers, who have learned from and overtaken the Japanese, according to Inafune.

But they are also his fans, waiting for what Inafune and other daring Japanese may produce next, said Inafune, folding his arms across his chest like a fighter and appearing much younger than his 48 years.

Both Sony and Microsoft insist the Japan delay of their machines is to give more time for preparation.

The PlayStation 4, which goes on sale Nov. 15 in the U.S. and Canada, and Nov. 29 in Europe, goes on sale in Japan Feb. 22, 2014 — the first time a major Sony console is not going on sale first in Japan. The PS4 will cost 39,980 yen ($400) in Japan. It will cost $399 in the U.S.

Microsoft Xbox One also isn't set to go on sale in Japan until next year although its global launch is set for Nov. 22. No date for the Japan sale is being announced. Microsoft Corp.'s machine costs $499, but it comes bundled with a Kinect motion-controlled sensor.

Nintendo Co., which makes Pokemon and Super Mario games, started selling the Wii U console last November. Wii U sales totaled 3.61 million units so far. Nintendo is targeting sales of 9 million Wii U units over the fiscal year through March 2014.

The Kyoto-based company generally does not take part in the Tokyo Game Show and hasn't broken with tradition this year.

The company announced late Thursday that President Hiroshi Yamauchi, who engineered Nintendo's growth from a traditional playing-card maker into a global video game maker, died. He was 85. Yamauchi also became principal owner of the Seattle Mariners major league club in 1992, but sold it to Nintendo's U.S. unit in 2004.

Phil Spencer, corporate vice president at Microsoft Game Studios, says tailoring Xbox One for the Japanese market is taking more time, such as making sure the voice recognition feature works and signing on partnerships for local content.

But he denied the importance of Japan was diminishing for Microsoft, and stressed more software titles were in the works for Xbox One, including "D4" from star developer Hidetaka Suehiro.

Instead, he said the changes were more about a growing diversity in types of games because they were being played on smartphones and tablets, as well as consoles.

"The creative capability here is without match," said Spencer.

___

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at www.twitter.com/yurikageyama

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Alaska asks ConocoPhillips to reopen LNG plant

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 18 September 2013 | 18.38

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The state of Alaska wants ConocoPhillips to reopen its mothballed Kenai Peninsula liquefied natural gas plant to provide an incentive for petroleum companies to explore and invest in Cook Inlet.

In a Sept. 5 letter to ConocoPhillips President Trond-Erik Johansen, acting Natural Resources Commissioner Joe Balash requested that the company apply for a three-year federal LNG export license for the plant at Nikiski, about 70 miles southwest of Anchorage.

ConocoPhillips in March announced it would not extend its natural gas export license beyond March 31 but said it would consider a new license if the needs of local gas markets were met and sufficient natural gas was on hand to export.

Balash said contracts are in place to support local utility needs through 2018. Concerns exist, he said, for future exploration.

"Without market opportunities for gas discoveries, companies lack the incentive to invest in continued exploration activities," he wrote. "In addition to the economic challenges this would present for those employed in the Cook Inlet energy industry, a lack of healthy exploration now may lead to supply contractions in the future as existing wells' production levels decline."

ConocoPhillips spokeswoman Natalie Lowman said Tuesday the company appreciates the state's comments and shares its interest in promoting local energy security and the local economy.

"We're going to begin evaluating this and working with stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of resuming LNG export," she said.

The U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the Cook Inlet basin may hold trillions of cubic feet of gas, Balash said.

"More market opportunities would create a more attractive business environment for gas sales that would in turn encourage aggressive exploration," he said.

Balash also requested that ConocoPhillips install equipment that could be used to truck LNG throughout Alaska. The plant could back up plans for providing North Slope natural gas to Fairbanks and other interior Alaska communities.

Lowman said truck-rack facilities would be part of the evaluation.

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Alaskans eager to hear amount of oil wealth checks

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — While the economy continues to recover, the worst of the recession will be very much felt by Alaskans Wednesday when the amount of their annual check from the state's oil-wealth fund is announced.

The amount of each person's dividend is based on a five-year rolling average of worldwide investment markets that were hard-hit far outside Alaska. This year, the calculation means the checks likely won't amount to much, certainly nowhere near the record payout of $2,069 in 2008.

But hey, it's still free money just for living in the northernmost state.

Whatever the amount, most dividends will go as usual toward new toys, travel, college savings or paying debts. The announcement is an eagerly anticipated event that will take place with much fanfare in Anchorage.

In the Inupiat Eskimo village of Deering, tribal administrator Dolores Iyatunguk said her dividend is going toward credit card bills and student loans. In the tiny village 520 miles northwest of Anchorage, the cost of living can be prohibitive, with diesel fuel currently $6.50 a gallon, for example. Iyatunguk isn't alone in using the money for necessities, although a small gift to herself would be nice.

"I was thinking about getting a winter jacket," she said. "But that can probably wait."

The dividends are distributed annually to residents who have lived in Alaska for at least one calendar year. The amount based on a five-year average of the $47 billion Alaska Permanent Fund's investment earnings, so this year's average includes 2009, a recession year when the fund posted a $2.5 billion net loss in statutory net income.

Alaska wasn't as hurt by the recession, but the Permanent Fund Corp. has a diversified porfolio, and it took a beating when markets plunged in the U.S and worldwide.

State officials have said that as long as 2009 is part of the five-year calculation, the amount will be on the lower end. After this year, 2009 will drop from the equation.

Last year's dividend was $878, the lowest amount since 2005 and the ninth-lowest in the program that began more than three decades ago. The 2011 dividend was $1,174.

The Permanent Fund was established in 1976 after North Slope oil was discovered. The state began distributing money from the fund to residents in 1982.

Alaska has no state income tax, but residents must pay federal taxes on the bounty.

Every year around payout time, many residents are in the market for a new snowmobile, particularly among rural residents looking for a good deal. People have been calling the Polaris and Arctic Cat store in the Anchorage suburb of Eagle River asking what kinds of dividend deals are in the works, said employee Doug Bestry.

For many, the extra money is a way to offset higher prices in Alaska for items such as groceries. For Bestry, the money usually goes toward a splurge, although one year he used his dividend to pay off his pickup truck. Last year, he used it to visit his mother in Arizona, and he'll probably do that again.

"It's just fun money for me," he said.

___

Follow Rachel D'Oro at https://twitter.com/rdoro .

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Survey: Mass. primary care docs in short supply

BOSTON — A new report finds that Massachusetts continues to experience a critical shortage of primary care physicians and geographical disparities in the hiring and retention of doctors.

On a more positive note, the annual Physician Workforce Study set for release by the Massachusetts Medical Society on Wednesday also found a growing number of doctors willing to embrace cost-saving techniques such as accountable care organizations.

The survey found critical or severe shortages in family medicine and internal medicine, the two primary care specialties, for an eighth consecutive year in the Bay State.

About three-quarters of physicians surveyed in western Massachusetts cited difficulty in recruiting doctors to join their practices, and about half said they struggled to retain staff that was hired.

By contrast, only 18 percent of respondents in greater Boston said they had trouble filling vacancies.

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Greek public sector shuts down for 2-day strike

ATHENS, Greece — Thousands of civil servants marched through the Greek capital and the second largest city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday, as a two-day nationwide strike against planned job cuts shut down all public services.

Schools and courts were closed and hospitals were functioning with reduced staff. Trains were halted for four hours, and journalists joined in with a three-hour work stoppage, pulling news broadcasts off the air.

The walkouts are the first widespread strike action after the summer period and aim to put pressure on the coalition government to repeal unpopular austerity measures required as part of the country's international bailout. Officials have vowed not to back down.

Government plans call for the suspension on partial pay of 25,000 civil servants this year in a drive to reduce the size of the public sector and meet conditions to continue receiving rescue loans. Many of those suspended are expected to eventually lose their jobs.

"We are being laid off. It's very unfair because now with the crisis there are no jobs," said Christina Mavropoulou, a cleaner from a tax office in the northern Greek town of Veria, as she protested outside the finance ministry in central Athens. "We can't find jobs anywhere. We all have families that are depending on us. We have spouses who are unemployed, children, so we're here to protest."

Several thousand protesters were marching through central Athens, while another 10,000 were demonstrating in Thessaloniki.

The country has been depending on bailout loans from the International Monetary Fund and other European countries since May 2010. In return, it has implemented a series of strict austerity measures to reform its economy.

They have included deep cuts to state salaries and pensions and repeated rounds of tax hikes, measures which many blame for prolonging a deep recession that is now in its sixth year. Unemployment is above 27 percent, the highest in the European Union, while it reaches nearly 60 percent for those under the age of 25.

"Strikes are temporary, no matter how long they last. The consequences of the government's measures are permanent," said Themis Kotsifakis, president of the teachers' union.

Debt inspectors from the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank, jointly known as the "troika," are due back in Athens to review progress on reforms next week.

The country's main private sector union was joining the strike with a four-hour work stoppage in the middle of the day, while two demonstrations were planned for central Athens: one by a Communist Party-backed union in the morning and the other by the main civil servants' union at around midday.

High school teachers have also embarked on rolling five-day strikes, while state hospital doctors walked off the job for three days from Tuesday.

____

Raphael Kominis in Athens contributed.

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She wonâ€™t be Yellen for change

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 September 2013 | 18.38

Don't expect many changes to monetary policy under Janet Yellen, the vice chairwoman of the Federal Reserve who has emerged as the front-runner to replace Ben Bernanke as the Fed chairman after Larry Summers bowed out, experts said.

"I think she will be pretty similar to Bernanke," said Jeffrey Frankel of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Yellen, who became a member of the Fed's board of governors in 1994, would be the first woman to run the Fed, and has been a favorite of Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

"There's going to be a continuation of Federal Reserve monetary policy," Eric Stein, a money manager at Eaton Vance Management, told Bloomberg, who echoed many other analysts.

According to a Bloomberg Global Poll last week, Summers was expected to tighten Fed policy more than Yellen.

Because he doesn't expect big changes, Frankel said the change will not have a significant effect on the economy long term.

"I think we'll continue what we've been doing," he said. "Unemployment will continue to come down gradually as it has, I think growth will continue around 2 percent.

Analysts said Yellen's wealth of experience bodes well for her.

Max Wolff, chief economist and strategist for ZT Wealth in New York, said Yellen is "eminently qualified," and has performed well as the Fed's No. 2 since 2010 and as president of the San Francisco Fed.

"That's a lot of high-level experience," Frankel said.

President Obama is expected to announce his choice for the chairman's position as soon as this month.

Summers, who led Obama's National Economic Council in 2009 and 2010, has been described by the president as instrumental in the nation's recovery from the recession. Still, he faced significant criticism from lawmakers and economists, 350 of whom signed a letter to Obama last week objecting to a possible nomination of Summers.

Several Senate Banking Committee members had also expressed reservations over a Summers nomination, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Any nomination for the position would have to go through the Senate Banking Committee before it hit the Senate floor.

The markets surged today on the news, with the Standard & Poor's 500 hitting within five points of its record high close of 1,709, though it gave up some of those gains in the afternoon.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 118.72 points, or 0.8 percent and the Standard & Poor's 500 rose 9.61 points, or 0.6 percent.

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Patrick seeks SBA help for Mass. fishermen

BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has taken a step toward making his state's battered fishing industry eligible for federal disaster assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Earlier this month, Patrick officially certified that Massachusetts fishermen who chase bottom-dwelling groundfish had suffered "substantial economic injury."

He cited the poor health of key fish stocks and this year's devastating cuts in the allowed catch.

Patrick wrote further in a letter to the SBA that the industry has been so economically damaged, that federal subsidized loans are essential.

An industry group, the Northeast Seafood Coalition, initiated the appeal to the SBA. In the meantime, fishermen are also pursuing Congressional assistance.

Tens of millions in disaster aid for New England fishermen has been included in a U.S. Senate appropriations bill, but the House must approve the allocation.

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European auto sales hit new low

FRANKFURT, Germany — Car sales in Europe are still sagging despite the return of modest economic growth.

For the first eight months of the year, passenger car sales in the European Union were off 5.2 percent to 7.84 million compared with the same period last year, the European Auto Manufacturers' Association said Tuesday. That's the lowest January-August figure since the group started keeping track in 1990.

New car registrations in August fell 5 percent from a year ago to 653,872, the association said.

The economy in the 28-country EU grew 0.4 percent in the second quarter, ending a recession. But the unemployment rate remains high at 11.0 percent, making many consumers unable or afraid to buy a new car.

Governments hit by the eurozone debt crisis have cut back on spending and raised taxes to try to manage oversized debt levels, slowing their economies. The hardest hit countries, such as Greece and Spain, face even higher jobless rates that have hurt sales of moderately priced vehicles especially hard. Luxury carmakers are doing better.

The August downturn was distributed across Europe's biggest markets. Germany saw a 5.5 percent drop, despite a stronger economy than in other members of the 17-county eurozone. Registrations fell 10.5 percent in France, 18.3 percent in Spain, and 6.6 percent in Italy.

Britain's was the only major market to expand, rising 10.5 percent.

Analyst Carlos Da Silva at IHS Automotive said the figures suggested the market was bottoming out because the decline had slowed from 9.7 percent in the first three months of the year.

"Decline is still on the menu but the rate of descent has nearly been halved," he said.

Global auto executives remain cautious, however. They said in interviews at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week that while the European market may have reached the bottom, they do not see any significant increase in demand this year.

The European market contrasts with a rebound in the United States, where figures show that sales are on track to reach 16 million vehicles a year — the level from before the recession. European annual sales were 15.6 million in 2007 — but are heading for just under 12 million for all of this year.

Among the major carmakers, Germany's Volkswagen Group was off 11.2 percent in August while France's PSA Peugeot Citroen slid 17.3 percent. Renault Group rose 6.0 percent and General Motors was up 0.5 percent — as a large jump in sales of Chevrolet-branded vehicles made up for a 3.4 percent fall in sales of its main European Opel and Vauxhall brands. Ford was off 1.5 percent.

Luxury brands did better. Daimler's Mercedes was up 8.9 percent, excluding its compact Smart city car, and BMW AG rose 9.5 percent, excluding its Mini brand. However, VW's Audi luxury brand, a chief competitor for Mercedes and BMW, was off 5.6 percent.

The biggest market share over the first eight months remained with Volkswagen Group, including the company's other brands such as Audi, Seat and Skoda, with 24.9 percent, up slightly from 24.8 percent.

The auto association also issued figures for July, which showed a 5 percent increase over the previous year. July had one more working day than the previous July, while August had one less. In July, the only major market to shrink was Italy, which was down 1.6 percent. The association releases figures for July and August together.

The figures excluded Croatia, which only joined the EU on July 1.

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Boston approves tax breaks for downtown developer

BOSTON — The city has approved nearly $8 million in tax breaks to spur development of the former Filene's department store site in Boston's Downtown Crossing.

The site has been an ugly undeveloped hole in the city for years since the economic downtown stalled the previous developer's plans. The $7.8 million in tax breaks were approved Monday by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Developer Millennium Partners is planning a $630 million, mixed-use skyscraper at the site which would include residential space, as well as office and retail space, including a supermarket.

The tax breaks would be spread out over 13 years. The development is expected to generate about $60 million in property taxes for the city.

Mayor Thomas Menino opposed tax breaks for the previous developer.

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Mini-T speakers will do in a pinch

Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 September 2013 | 18.39

These round little orbs are designed to work with computers, televisions and iPhones. At less than 6 inches wide and high, these ultra-compact speakers come in a variety of color options including antique copper and bronze, polished steel and hammered earth.

THE GOOD: There's no denying the craftsmanship of these perfectly round, sleek speakers, compact "subMini" subwoofer and nondescript amplifier. They'll bring style to any shelf, and the overall audio performance was decent to good.

THE BAD: Using a five-year-old pair of Monitor Audio Silver S1 speakers as my reference, the Mini-T speakers failed on some high-range tones. An entire acoustic guitar track was missing when I played my go-to song for audio testing, "Weak and Powerless" by A Perfect Circle.

THE VERDICT: This is a solid audio bundle for small-space living. While unlikely to appeal to steadfast audiophiles, the Mini-T subwoofer and amplifier bundle is a definite upgrade from those speakers that came with your computer, and the price for the bundle is more than reasonable.

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Egypt says militants booby trap border with Gaza

CAIRO — The Egyptian army has discovered a network of booby traps along its border with the Gaza Strip, a military spokesman said Sunday, as he criticized the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers for poorly controlling their side of the border and urged them to reign in militant groups operating there.

The accusations, made in a news conference explaining the military's ongoing offensive in the volatile northern Sinai area, were a rare public criticism of the Palestinian militant group by the military since the July ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in a coup.

Egyptian media has been pointing the finger at Hamas for meddling in Egypt's affairs, some suggesting that the ouster of Morsi, an ally and fellow Islamist, has prompted the group to cause trouble in Sinai by supporting militant groups there. Hamas officials have denied interfering and complain that Egyptian authorities have imposed the strictest restrictions on the border and its vital Rafah crossing in years.

"Securing borders is a joint mission for those sharing the borders. It is also up to Hamas to exert more effort to control the borders," Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali said. "Egypt deserves more than the effort we are seeing from the other side to secure the border."

Ali said troops have arrested 309 militants and criminals, including Palestinians, in operations that began in the region in July and were stepped up with an offensive last weekend. They also uncovered weapons caches that included anti-aircraft missiles, long-range mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and tons of explosives, he added.

In the last 48 hours, he said, troops had discovered explosives laid in tunnels along the border and under Egyptian watchtowers, with detonating wires running back into Gaza.

"This will call for new measures ... to deal with these threats that endanger the forces and the borders," Ali told reporters, adding that Egyptian intelligence had also discovered that a number of insurgent attacks in Sinai had been coordinated with Gaza-based extremist groups.

Since Morsi's overthrow, militant attacks against security forces in northern Sinai have escalated, a trend Egyptian authorities blame on Morsi and his allies.

Morsi's supporters insist they are peaceful, but some have openly said the situation in Sinai will not stabilize unless he is restored to power.

In Gaza, Hamas government spokesman Ihab al-Ghussein denied militants were using the Palestinian territory as a staging ground for operations against Egypt.

"We deny any connection between Gaza, its resistance and government, and the tunnels and the explosives which were mentioned by the Egyptian army spokesman today," al-Ghussein told reporters.

Egypt's military launched the recent Sinai offensive last Saturday in response to militant attacks they say have killed more than 100 policemen and soldiers in recent months.

In the worst single attack, gunmen pulled police recruits from buses and shot 25 of them dead on Aug. 19. And last week, in a new escalation, two suicide bombers hit a military intelligence building nearly simultaneously, killing at least six troops.

During the ensuing offensive, Egyptian troops began demolishing homes along the Gaza border to block the flow of militants and weapons. Ali said houses had been knocked down on the Egyptian side up to 1 kilometer (0.06 miles) away, but that the owners would be compensated.

Meanwhile, in a case that highlights the volatility of the situation in Sinai, an Egyptian journalist who lives there was put on military trial on Sunday. Prosecutors accuse him of spreading false information about the army's counterinsurgency operations there.

Ali said freelancer Ahmed Abu-Draa, a resident of Sinai, does not have appropriate press credentials and was arrested in a restricted military zone. Abu-Draa also stands accused of lying about the army attacking mosques and relocating families in Sinai.

He said the journalist's fate will be decided by the military court, and that spreading false information as part of an "information war" is a threat to national security.

The case has caused an outcry among journalists in Egypt, and dozens protested Saturday outside the courthouse in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia. Reporters Without Borders, the press watchdog, has called for his immediate release.

Abu-Draa was detained 11 days ago after he wrote on Facebook that airstrikes ostensibly targeting militants had hit civilian areas. He also accused military officials of misinforming the public and questioned the military's statements about its operations in Sinai.

Few journalists have direct access to what is happening in Sinai because of security restrictions and concerns, forcing many to rely on statements by officials. Abu-Draa, an award-winning reporter who has done investigation stories in Sinai, works for several Egyptian and foreign newspapers and television channels.

Five journalists have been killed since Morsi was removed from office July 3 after nationwide protests against him. Reporters Without Borders says another 80 have been arbitrarily detained— most from outlets that authorities accuse of being pro-Islamist or sympathetic to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group.

__________

Associated Press Aya Batrawy in Cairo, Ashraf Sweilam in el-Arish, Sinai, and Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza, Gaza Strip contributed to this report.

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Harvard profs target cure for Lou Gehrigâ€™s

Two Harvard stem-cell scientists are teaming up with a German biotech company to expand the search for a cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Harvard University professors Kevin Eggan and Lee Rubin will conduct amyotrophic lateral sclerosis trials in partnership with Evotec, the university and the company announced.

"We're not a pharmacy company and they're set up for this," said Harvard science spokesman B.D. Colen. "We are doing some of that already, but they're able to do it on a much larger scale."

ALS destroys nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, eventually leading to paralysis and death. There is currently no known cure or treatment that halts or reverses ALS, although several drugs in clinical trials hold promise.

The new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis trials will expand on Eggan and Rubin's brain motor neuron research and is the university's fourth collaboration with Evotec. The company is led by the former student of another Harvard researcher whose hormone treatment of diabetes sparked an earlier Evotec deal, said Colen.

Eggan, the first researcher to link the deterioration of motor neurons with the onset of ALS, is known for his development of a revolutionary use of stem cells in research that spares patients the danger of taking experimental drugs across the spectrum of human disease, Colen said.

"It literally moves the disease out of the patient and into a lab dish so then you can use it to screen for possible drug treatments," Colen said,

The finances for the ALS deal are confidential, Colen said. "But if ... down the road this does prove successful and it becomes a drug, there will be revenue coming back to the discoverers and to the university."

Efforts by former Gov. Paul Cellucci to fight the debilitating disease that claimed his life did not contribute directly to Rubin and Eggan's research, Colen said, "But in terms of making Massachusetts a hospitable environment to do this kind of research, absolutely."

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Tech talk on tap at cop confab

Tech companies are targeting the law-enforcement market as 3-D printing, Google Glass and other advances open new crime-fighting frontiers — innovations to be showcased at a conference in Cambridge this week that is drawing cops from around the country.

"Technology can help in every aspect of policing," said Dan Riviello, spokesman for the Cambridge Police Department and co-director of the two-day Police Innovation Conference at Microsoft New England, where representatives from police departments including Boston, Cambridge, New Mexico and Michigan will work to improve their use of technology and learn how to use new technology.

"As police forces have had to downsize because of the recession, their workload hasn't decreased," said Joe Rozek, executive director of homeland security and counterterrorism for Microsoft, who helps to put together "fusion centers" — police hubs where cameras, sensors and other real-time information can be collected and disbursed to responders.

"(The center) takes the information and raw data and turns it into actionable intelligence," Rozek said.

The conference will touch on social media, but also new and emerging technologies, like drones and 3-D printing.

"There's a lot to learn about and to harness and to understand. It's all moving very fast," said Peter Olson, founder of WiredBlue, makers of an app police departments can sign up for to better connect with the public.

Riviello will be speaking about the CPD's unique use of Twitter, where dispatch calls are automatically tweeted with the reason for the call and rough location.

"We think an informed community is a safer community," he said.

Mutualink, a Westford company that creates a secure method of interagency communication that is private for both parties, will show off its method for giving hands-free context and tactical awareness to first responders using Google Glass.

That would allow police responding to an incident to see vital information — like a map or surveillance camera feed — without using their hands. For example, in a school shooting, the school could provide law enforcement with a map and live feeds of video cameras that show up on Glass so first responders could make better and quicker decisions.

Still, all the information in the world is only as useful as the back-end system to put it together, experts said.

The key, Rozek said, is not looking at one technology as the "end-all solution."

The answer, and the way to use technology, "is one based on logic and reason."

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DeLoreans getting 'Back to the Future' makeovers

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 September 2013 | 18.39

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — It may not time travel, but the DeLorean sports car is finding its way into the future even without a flux capacitor.

People are spending thousands of dollars to have DeLoreans outfitted to resemble the one that starred in the 1985 movie "Back to the Future."

About 9,000 DeLorean DMC-12 cars were produced from 1981-82 before the original company went bust. About 6,500 are believed to still exist, easily recognizable with their boxy, stainless steel bodies and gullwing doors.

The current brand owner, DeLorean Motor Co. of Huntington Beach, handles everything from oil changes to full reconstructions. But as the 30th anniversary of "Back to the Future" approaches in 2015, there's been an increase in requests to recreate the movie's iconic car, according to the Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/19MDv5j).

"I've grown up around DeLoreans my entire life. I was dropped off to kindergarten in the actual 'Back to the Future' car. A DeLorean was my first car at age 16," said Cameron Wynne, DeLorean Motor Co. general manager. "'Back to the Future' has been a huge part of the business. The car is so well known from a 90-year-old person to a 4-year-old because of that movie. That shows how timeless the car and the brand is."

Some replicas have been ordered for movie cameos, corporate appearances and even as the ride for a newlywed couple.

DeLorean Motor Co. mechanic Danny Botkin has built six movie replica cars so far, relying on photos he took when he helped restored the original "Back to the Future" car.

"'Back to the Future' is getting bigger and bigger, especially among kids who watched the movie in 1985 and now have enough money to own a piece of it," Botkin said.

Each replica costs about $45,000. Passengers can punch in a "destination time" on the control panel and pull a lever to activate the pulsing lights of the time circuit. The parts are recreated using military surplus and other equipment, such as a jet engine oil cooler.

"We've never advertised that we build these," Botkin said. "It's just been a side thing we do. If people ask us to do it, we'll do it."

The current DeLorean Motor Co. was started by Wynne's father, Stephen Wynne.

He bought the original company's remaining parts. The parts, including 1,000 gullwing doors, fill 40,000 square feet of warehouse space in Houston, Cameron Wynne son said.

Seven years ago, DeLorean began re-manufacturing the sports car using donor cars that are stripped and fitted with remaining or remanufactured parts.

"We constantly have customers calling us that have had their cars in storage for 10, 20, 30 years, and they want to get rid of it," Cameron Wynne said.

But the DeLorean isn't resting on its laurels. The company, which has a handful of locations nationwide and one in the Netherlands, is working on an all-electric version. The company wants it to travel 100 miles on a charge and accelerate from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds.

However, it won't need the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity required by Doc Brown's version.

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Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 September 2013 | 18.38

Boston Herald - Boston Herald

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 September 2013 | 18.38

Deval Patrick: Surplus no substitute for tech tax

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 September 2013 | 18.39

Fed's stimulating words

Honda recalls Odyssey, Acura MDX for airbag defect

Console stars of Tokyo Game Show not on sale yet

Alaska asks ConocoPhillips to reopen LNG plant

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 18 September 2013 | 18.38

Alaskans eager to hear amount of oil wealth checks

Survey: Mass. primary care docs in short supply

Greek public sector shuts down for 2-day strike

She wonâ€™t be Yellen for change

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 September 2013 | 18.38

Patrick seeks SBA help for Mass. fishermen

European auto sales hit new low

Boston approves tax breaks for downtown developer

Mini-T speakers will do in a pinch

Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 September 2013 | 18.39

Egypt says militants booby trap border with Gaza

Harvard profs target cure for Lou Gehrigâ€™s

Tech talk on tap at cop confab

DeLoreans getting 'Back to the Future' makeovers

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 September 2013 | 18.39

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