Hard to get over this Range Rover

As it turns out, perfection does have its price.

And at $121,390, the 2014 Range Rover Supercharged LWB comes close enough to achieving it. This car is a beauty with classic looks and impeccable road manners. It's a luxury SUV that drives like a sedan while making you feel like you're in your living room. It has style, speed and splendor.

This thoroughly refined SUV starts with comfortable, soft, supple leather seats. In summer, the Range Rover will keep you cool with ventilation emanating from perforated leather. In winter, heat greets you from the seat, the steering wheel as well as the dual zone climate control system. The front seat of the Range Rover even has a built-in massaging feature for recuperating from those long days at work.

Rear passengers will also experience the luxury. The 122.8-inch wheelbase increases the legroom to 47.5 inches so there's plenty of room to stretch your legs. The plush seats also recline up to 17 degrees. Rear passengers can also operate the panoramic sunroof while watching a video on screens mounted to the headrest.

Sporting the same engine as the Jaguar F-Type, the 5.0-liter supercharged 510 horsepower V8 gets you places fast. Going 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds, it smoothly accelerates thanks to a well-engineered 8-speed automatic transmission.

Snazzy 21-inch alloy wheels complement the Range Rover's distinctive front grille and sleek all-aluminum exterior.

The Rover has great safety features like side view mirrors with blind spot monitors and adaptive cruise control to keep the car collision free. The cruise control slows the vehicle down automatically to keep it from gaining on the car in front of you. Radar built-in to the rear bumper saves you from hitting objects and people in reverse.

The automatic terrain response system adjusts the suspension to match the speed and terrain. It handles so well in turns that you may forget you are in a top-heavy SUV that can roll over if you are careless. Speaking of things that can go wrong in a SUV, Land Rover even boasts that this vehicle can wade in 35.4 inches of water should it get caught in a flood.

The automatic parallel parking feature will blow your socks off. Push to activate the parking mode and it instructs you to drive until it sees an opening it can fit in. Once it sees a worthy spot, it instructs you to stop and put the car in reverse – then keep your hands off the wheel and watch as the car parks itself with finesse. Your only job, other than changing gears and touching the gas pedal, is to make sure the spot is legal.

This car is packed with features including a built-in 8-inch touchscreen GPS and a Meridian sound system which pumps out 825 watts.

The only caveat besides the massive price tag is the need for premium unleaded and lots of it. At 14 mpg in the city, you will be making plenty of fuel stops. But if you can afford a $121,390 car, you can probably afford to pay for the fuel.

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Feds award $20M grant to upgrade Ruggles T station

Local and federal officials gathered in front of the Ruggles MBTA station yesterday to announce a $20 million federal grant that will help fund the construction of a new 800-foot commuter rail platform and a host of other improvements at the 27-year-old Roxbury transit facility.

"The vision set forth by President Obama for the TIGER grant program called for smart investment in transportation that will lead to expanded growth and opportunity," Gov. Deval Patrick said. "The improvements that will be made to Ruggles encapsulate that vision — shortening commutes, increasing transit access and catalyzing growth for this neighborhood and the city."

In addition to the new 9,600-square-foot rail platform, the project calls for replacing existing elevators, making the station fully accessible to riders with disabilities and restoring rail tracks at the station, which is served by 14 MBTA bus routes, seven private bus shuttles and Orange Line and commuter rail trains.

After completing the project's design work next spring, the MBTA will solicit bids from contractors and the two-year construction period is expected to begin in the fall of 2015, MBTA officials said.

"Transportation infrastructure is what gives us the opportunity for people to get to their jobs, for people to get to an education, for people to live in one place and get to another and keep a strong, vital city operating," U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.

After the construction of the new platform more commuter rail trains will be able to stop at Ruggles, making the station a more convenient alternative for thousands of people traveling to and from the Columbus Avenue/Lower Roxbury corridor, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said.

Patrick said the project is a critical element in MassDOT's statewide goal of tripling the share of non-auto-based travel in Massachusetts by 2030.

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Art of stone exists in Roxbury

This one-of-a-kind stone house in Roxbury's Fort Hill neighborhood sits on a large lot in an area zoned for three-­families, offering an ­investor a chance to add to this charming single-family home.

The five-bedroom house at 34 Lambert St. was built in 1905 with native Roxbury puddingstone. It has five levels of living space, with a nice flow of rooms on front and rear levels separated by half-flights of stairs. The home has oak floors throughout, added by the current owner in 1984, and many of the original interior wood moldings and triangular-topped windows have been maintained.

Factored into the $895,000 asking price for the 2,556-square-foot home is the right to add two more connected units on its empty rear lot facing Norfolk Street.

A wood-sided entry foyer has oak floors and a coat closet, and there's stone facing along one wall.

To the right is a living room with 11-foot ceilings, a brick fireplace, two front windows and a side bay window bump-out. There's also an ­alcove that is used as a home ­office. Stairs from here lead down to a formal dining room with oak floors.

Adjacent to the dining room is a spacious kitchen that has lots of windows, white cabinets and white ceramic-tile floors. Redone in the mid-1980s, the Formica counters and black Jenn Air and Kenmore appliances could use some updating.

A half-bathroom added in 1984 is off the kitchen, along with an alcove holding a full-size washer and dryer.

The master bedroom is in the rear of the house up a half-flight from the living room. This oak-floored double-height room has a triangle-topped window set into a puddingstone wall and a light/fan suspended from the ceiling. A second, front bedroom also has oak floors. Between them is a full bathroom, redone in 1984, with ceramic tile floors and surround for a deep soaking tub as well as a walk-in shower.

A half-flight up is a bedroom currently used as a family room with oak floors and a fireplace, with views out another triangular-topped window.

A final half-flight leads up to two rear-facing bedrooms with hardwood floors that both offer decent city views.

The basement heating system was added in 1984, but there is no central air conditioning. The full basement has a workshop area and lots of additional storage space.

There's a shared driveway along the side of the house, and more parking in the large backyard lot.

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Pike traffic woes to grow

Mass Pike commuters, already tested by construction that's reduced lanes and clogged traffic, have another, larger project to look forward to when the current one is finished.

The state Department of Transportation's launch of its estimated $260 million Allston interchange realignment likely will start in early 2017 — on the heels of the current Commonwealth Avenue bridge and median barrier project — and continue through 2020.

MassDOT wants to address significant structural deficiencies in the I-90 Allston viaduct and shift the Pike's alignment in that area so the curve is not as sharp — changes made possible when CSX Corp. discontinued its rail container operation in the Beacon Park Yard, MassDOT spokesman Michael Verseckes said.

It's too early in the design process to determine associated traffic restrictions, according to Verseckes. "Ultimately, the new segment of highway will have to be tied in to the ends on either side," he said.

Another public meeting on the interchange project's preliminary design and work schedule is set for Thursday.

Current work on the Pike — rehabbing of the Commonwealth Avenue bridge foundation and median barrier upgrades — has prompted the shutdown of a portion of the Pike's left lanes in both directions and snarled traffic. An on-ramp lane from Cambridge Street in Allston, for Pike eastbound travel, also has been closed. That $22.2 million project is expected to be finished in spring 2016.

"We understand that this project has created some traffic congestion ... particularly in the morning commute," Verseckes said. "Due to the various constraints with the physical, available right-of-way and the very close proximity to the commuter rail lines, we feel that this design is the only means to get the project done on a timely basis and still maintain safe operation."

Work in the Prudential tunnel portion of the Pike that has prompted night and early morning lane shutdowns, meanwhile, is expected to wrap up Oct. 15, according to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. The MCCA project, which entailed removing the tunnel ceiling beneath the Hynes Convention Center, is now in cleanup phase, executive director Jim Rooney said.

"We've got to do some fireproofing to the underside of the Hynes, install some heat tracing on some exposed water pipes and drain pipes, and we've got some uneven walls that need to be repaired," he said. "It's kind of the finish work of the job."

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New World Series schedule allows MLB to (mostly) avoid NFL games

There's no question that the National Football League is America's most popular sport, and Major League Baseball doesn't want baseball fans to have to choose between pro football and the World Series.

For the first time in 24 years, baseball's World Series will open on a Tuesday (Oct. 21), according to the postseason schedule laid out by MLB on Thursday, a move that will considerably limit the number of times that baseball and pro football clash during the Fall Classic.

Under the previous schedule that started on a Wednesday and set its seventh game for a Thursday, there was the potential for four World Series games to go up against NFL action -- two on Thursday (Games 2 and 7) and one each on Sunday (Game 4) and Monday (Game 5).

And in 2014, that would have meant baseball's championship round would have opposed a "Thursday Night Football" game on CBS (featuring Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos), a "Monday Night Football" game on ESPN (featuring the popular Dallas Cowboys) and potentially a second "Thursday Night Football" game (this one on NFL Network only).

Instead, the new World Series schedule that starts on a Tuesday and sets its seventh game on a Wednesday means that only a Game 5 (if needed in the best-of-seven series) will go up against the NFL: opposite NBC's juggernaut "Sunday Night Football" (on Oct. 26).

Up until a few years ago, the NFL did not schedule a "Sunday Night Football" game opposite the World Series. But as the league has grown increasingly popular, it became confident enough to slate a game against the Fall Classic -- and usually beat it in the process.

Major League Baseball traditionally scheduled its World Series to start on Saturdays from 1985 to 2006 (it began on a Tuesday in 1990 only because an early-season lockout delayed the start of the playoffs). It then moved to a higher-profile Wednesday start date in 2007.

This year's baseball postseason gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 30 with the American League Wild-Card game on TBS, followed the next night by the National League wild-card game on ESPN. (ESPN would also show any possible tie-breaker games on Monday, Sept. 29.)

Fox Sports 1 enters the action this year and will televise games in the National League Division Series and up to five games of the National League Championship Series.

TBS will air every game of the American League Championship Series, and Fox will again show all of the World Series.

Game times will be announced at a later date.

KEY POSTSEASON DATES

A.L. Wild Card -- Tuesday, Sept. 30 (TBS)
N.L. Wild Card -- Wednesday, Oct. 1 (ESPN)

American League Division Series (both) -- begins Thursday, Oct. 2 (TBS)
National League Division Series (both) -- begins Friday, Oct. 3 (Fox Sports 1)

American League Championship Series -- begins Friday, Oct. 10 (TBS)
National League Championship Series -- begins Saturday, Oct. 11 (Fox)

World Series -- begins Tuesday, Oct. 21; potential Game 7 on Wednesday, Oct. 29 (Fox)

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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CBS Thursday NFL team tries punting on Ray Rice story

Pity CBS Sports. The network got all dressed up to attend a football game, and a genuine news story broke out.

The controversy surrounding the National Football League's handling of Ray Rice - who was disciplined lightly, then disciplined again, for domestic abuse - intruded on plans to launch the hard-won Thursday football package, even forcing a last-minute change to the program's opening. Yet CBS host James Brown introduced the show almost treating the Rice affair as an inconvenience, noting, "There is a football game to be played," before turning to analysts Bill Cowher and Deion Sanders to ask how they would prepare for such a contest.

"They need to put all the mess aside and focus on this game at hand," said Sanders, suggesting that pros were paid to overlook "distractions."

"It's time to focus on football," play-by-play man Jim Nantz said, alluding to the Rice "crisis" -- as analyst Phil Simms put it -- and then quickly changing the subject. (Nantz was later heard on a hot mic, but, as usual, had nothing interesting to say even then.)

Always good to see where a studio show's priorities are.

CBS Sports President Sean McManus might have spoken about the division's journalistic responsibilities on Thursday, but those were on holiday during the 25-minute pre-game show. Indeed, by any measure, this was an abdication on that level.

For CBS, the swirl of publicity and pressure to cover the Rice situation - and calls for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's resignation - threw a wet blanket, in theory, over the Thursday launch, a cornerstone of its fall TV campaign. The game fell even more directly under the spotlight because it pitted what was until this week Rice's team, the Baltimore Ravens, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Goodell had already conducted an interview -- with CBS News' Norah O'Donnell, naturally -- about the disturbing inside-the-elevator video that surfaced this week via TMZ, but that only fed the "What did you know, and when did you know it?" questions. Not that a casual observer would know any of that from tuning in on Thursday night.

Still, as was noted in this space a few days ago, NFL fans are seldom distracted for long by scandals. And while all the negative publicity besetting the NFL is surely unwelcome, team owners no doubt have a pretty clear sense of just how bullet-proof their product is, if the unbending loyalty of viewers through past embarrassments -- and friendly treatment from their "broadcast partners" -- provides any historical guide.

So CBS found itself in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't position on Thursday night -- and conspicuously chose the latter. But like most things pertaining to football, one suspects everything will look a whole lot brighter when they see those big, fat overnight ratings in the morning.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Market Basket chief reflects, looks ahead

TEWKSBURY — The chief of the Market Basket supermarket chain says the company's 71 stores have already accomplished a remarkable turnaround thanks to employees who worked day and night to restock shelves left empty by a worker revolt in his support.

Arthur T. Demoulas is back in control after offering more than $1.5 billion to buy shares of the private company from rival relatives who had fired him.

His ouster led to worker walkouts and customer boycotts that brought the chain to a standstill.

He tells The Boston Globe sales are already at 100 percent of where they were last year.

And while new debt might slow expansion, it will not change the discount pricing that's won loyalty from customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

He says he's "happy just being a grocer."

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Sponsors keep close watch on NFL investigation

Major brand sponsors are watching closely to make sure the National Football League doesn't fumble the investigation into how its executives handled evidence in the Ray Rice domestic violence case.

For big companies like Anheuser-Busch, General Motors and Procter & Gamble, an NFL sponsorship is a coveted prize. The deals can cost up to $10 million per brand, but they deliver eyeballs. An average of 17.4 million viewers watched professional football games during the 2013 season, according to Nielsen.

Now that the NFL is investigating how its executives handled a video showing Baltimore running back Ray Rice hitting his then-fiancee, sponsors are forced to balance the exposure NFL games offer with the risk of alienating customers.

On Wednesday, the NFL said it hired former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller to lead the investigation. League Commissioner Roger Goodell previously said no one at the NFL had seen the video before it surfaced on Monday, but the AP reported Wednesday that a law enforcement official sent the tape to the organization in April.

With the investigation just beginning, experts say there is little else sponsors can do but wait and see.

"These situations often develop and change direction very rapidly, so sponsors need to be incredibly agile," said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates. "What's true right now may not be true in two hours, so (sponsors) will have to monitor how the NFL reacts, and then how consumers react to the reactions."

When a scandal hits an individual athlete, brands usually move swiftly to cut ties. Nike severed its relationship with Rice after the video surfaced. Video game maker Electronic Arts said it would scrub Rice's image from its latest Madden 15 release.

But no sponsor company has said it will end its relationship with the NFL — yet.

"Obviously all the sponsors are incredibly worried, but it's hard for a sponsor to disconnect from the entire NFL. It's so important to business," said Atlanta-based marketing consultant Laura Ries. "If Roger Goodell had any sponsors, he'd probably lose those, but there's no one person attached to this."

TD Ameritrade said the company has received little reaction from clients about its NFL sponsorship, which it just announced last week.

"This incident brings to light a disturbing act that we believe is wrong, and while the NFL has, admittedly, not done everything right, we hope that it will quickly learn from its mistakes and work to improve a culture that values the inclusion, safety and respect of its employees and their families," the company said in a statement. "This means holding people fully accountable for their actions and the consequences associated with them."

TD Ameritrade and the NFL announced a three-year sponsorship deal on Sept. 4. The online brokerage said it is not making changes but added that "as with any sponsorship, media buy, etc., we carefully monitor the effect it has on our business and brand, and if we feel those assets are being compromised, we'll make the appropriate decisions."

General Motors, a sponsor since 2001, has no plans to change its advertising on NFL games because of the Rice case, said spokeswoman Ryndee Carney.

Carney said she was not aware of the company receiving complaints about its football advertising. GM said it supports the NFL's decision to conduct an investigation. "We will continue to monitor future developments regarding this issue," Carney said.

FedEx also said it is monitoring the situation.

"We are watching developments in this matter closely and we are confident that the League will take the appropriate steps," said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president of marketing and communications at FedEx.

PepsiCo said it was encouraged to see that the NFL "is now treating this with the seriousness it deserves."

Other large NFL sponsors, such as Anheuser-Busch and Procter & Gamble, did not respond to requests to comment or declined to comment.

For now, analysts don't expect a big change in viewership during NFL games.

"Games will go on and fans will — for the most part — want to watch," Ries said.

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Gaming Commission sets final conditions

The pair of gaming giants battling for the Boston-area casino license have the final conditions from the state Gaming Commission and their written responses — due tomorrow — are their last chance to tilt the panel in their favor before it enters deliberations Monday.

Commissioner James McHugh said he hopes Wynn Resorts and Mohegan Sun "think about the conditions very carefully and respond to us carefully, and give us a considered response for us to judge."

"I have every confidence that they'll do that," McHugh said after yesterday's meeting, at which the developers and the commission went back and forth on the conditions that would be attached to a potential license.

Both companies declined to comment yesterday on the conditions, which include a requirement Mohegan obtain an additional $100 million in equity and Wynn pay up to $20 million — plus $1 million each year — to make up for the impact its Everett casino will have on Sullivan Square in Charlestown. A group of about 50 people held an anti-casino rally last night in Sullivan Square.

Wynn and Mohegan drafted letters designed to convince commissioners to soften the conditions, most of which the board disregarded.

Mohegan asserted the cash from its private equity partner Brigade Capital is enough to start construction, and that the company "will have several months to get the financing in place and will have the $732 million in financing quickly, which we can then deploy" to build a Revere casino.

Wynn insisted, despite commission findings to the contrary, that its project won't worsen the Rutherford Avenue or Main Street ap­proaches to Sullivan Square, and that improvements to the Cambridge Street/Maffa Way/Alford Street inter­section "will mitigate the impacts of Wynn Everett's traffic."

Commissioners signaled yesterday that whatever Charlestown traffic plan it imposes will not go far without buy-in from the city of Boston, which has a deal with Mohegan but withdrew from talks with Wynn, as well as state and federal transportation agencies.

"This has got to be done in a collaborative fashion in the end," McHugh said.

Commissioners also stuck to their insistence that Wynn revisit its project design, a hotel tower and shopping center McHugh called "brooding."

The commission will meet Monday to review the com­panies' responses, and plans to award the license by Wednesday. McHugh shot down the possibility that the panel — due to chairman Stephen Crosby's recusal — could end up in a 2-2 deadlock.

"We have ruled out, from day one, a tie," McHugh said. "We're not going to have a tie."

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Apple sows seeds of more secure payment system

Users of Apple Inc.'s new "contactless" Apple Pay system can expect transactions at retailers that are less susceptible to hacker breaches of their personal data, according to the company and payment security experts.

The mobile payment system, which will work with Apple's new iPhone 6, verifies users through the device's fingerprint scanner and employs radio-based, near-field communication (NFC) to transmit a dynamic security code to a retailer's point-of-sale system in lieu of credit or debit card numbers. Apple Pay also will work with the forthcoming Apple Watch. Credit and debit card information will not be stored on either device or Apple's servers.

"(Apple Pay) does solve almost all of the security concerns in the payments space because it doesn't include a card number," said Tim Sloane, vice president of payments innovation at Mercator Advisory Group in Maynard. "It uses tokens to represent a card number that is not shared."

Apple has agreements with card companies American Express, MasterCard and Visa, and Apple Pay can be used at its own stores and retailers including Staples, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, McDonald's, Walgreens and Whole Foods Market.

Apple Pay is expected to speed retailers' adoption of point-of-sale systems that accept the more secure NFC payments and "chip and pin" or "chip and signature" payment cards with embedded microprocessor chips that store cardholder data in lieu of the more easily hacked magnetic strips.

"There's this liability shift coming next year that's driving merchants to implement (the chip-enabled systems)," Sloane said, noting card issuers and merchants that don't will be held liable for counterfeit card transactions.

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Why Ray Rice media blitz won't throw NFL for a loss

The National Football League has endured several days of terrible publicity, stemming from its serialized mishandling of the domestic violence case involving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. Yet those in media circles wondering about what sort of lingering damage this might do to what is by far the U.S.'s most popular and profitable sport are poor students of history.

As Variety's David Cohen details in a timely look at the NFL's powerful hold on TV networks, the league is such a cash-generating dynamo broadcasters have tripped over themselves throwing money at it. And the Rice situation hardly represents the first blot on pro football's reputation, with past transgressions - such as Michael Vick's role in a dog-fighting ring - having done nothing to diminish its appeal.

Rice's case has involved several story lines, all of them bad for the NFL. They range from a male-dominated league that doesn't recognize the seriousness of domestic abuse to another instance of these institutions protecting stars above all else.

Even so, that seems less fundamentally threatening to pro football than the recent scandal that should have shaken the NFL's stranglehold on the sports/media landscape: The league's apparent indifference to the destructive effect playing football has had on the health of players. "Fundamentally," by the way, because the longterm consequences associated with playing are directly related to what happens on the field, as opposed to the shadow cast by bad behavior away from it.

Yet the NFL machine rolls on, and its influence over football's "media partners" is such that ESPN rather conspicuously backed out of its role in presenting "League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis," a documentary aired on PBS' "Frontline" last year, which compared football's hierarchy to Big Tobacco in the 1960s.

Just prior to that broadcast, the NFL agreed to a $765-million settlement with former players claiming brain damage as a consequence of their collision-filled careers. Still, if the thought of one-time gridiron heroes being permanently impaired, crippled or committing suicide has dampened the viewing experience for fans, it's certainly not evident in the record ratings early-season games have delivered.

To be fair, ESPN - which has often struggled with stories relating to wider societal issues - has exhibited more backbone this time around, with host Keith Olbermann particularly forceful in calling for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's resignation. That's notable, if only because of the network's track record kowtowing to the league, including its decision to cancel the football-themed drama "Playmakers" a decade ago.

Olbermann was back pounding the drums Tuesday, hammering the NFL for the "imbecility" of its investigation, if Goodell wasn't outright lying about not having seen the video.

Just to put these observations in context, I say this as a football fan (more college than the pros) that enjoys seeing a good clean hit, even though -- based on the neurological research -- I wouldn't necessarily want a son of mine on the receiving end of one.

Therein lies a small taste of the hypocrisy that has made the NFL's unimpeded gravy train possible. Because while the media love a good controversy and compelling video - a big reason why the Rice story topped newscasts throughout the day Tuesday - history shows committed fans generally don't want to be bothered for long by conversations that distract from won-loss records.

Viewed that way, the marathon coverage and legitimate indignation unleashed by TMZ's inside-the-elevator footage of Rice's brutal assault began to feel like an excuse for cable news to run those grainy, disturbing images - over and over again. Because although it's true the story has "crossed over to major non-sports news," as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow put it, none of that promises to produce the kind of backlash team owners would feel the most, which is in their wallets.

So while there's an old joke about denial not being a river in Egypt, when it comes to pro football, denial isn't just a mental condition exhibited by the league, but its fans as well.

Until that changes - and don't hold your breath - all the bad publicity in the world won't be enough to throw the NFL for a loss.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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World stocks down as Fed's next policy move mulled

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stocks erased gains and European markets were lower Thursday as investors tried to second guess the Federal Reserve's thinking on the timing of an interest rate hike. Japanese stocks rose as the yen resumed its fall against the U.S. dollar.

KEEPING SCORE: European markets drifted lower in early trading. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent to 6,819.10 and France's CAC 40 dropped 0.2 percent to 4,440.33. Germany's DAX shed 0.2 percent to 9,683.01. Wall Street was headed for a weak start. Both S&P 500 and Dow Jones futures fell 0.3 percent.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 percent to 15,909.20 but most other benchmarks closed lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.2 percent to 24,662.64 and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.3 percent lower at 2,311.68 after rising about 1 percent earlier in the day. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.7 percent to 2,034.16 in its first trading day of the week after holidays. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5 percent to 5,546.10.

FRET OVER FED: Two San Francisco Fed economists pointed out in a paper earlier this week the gap between what the public expects about the Fed's future policy moves and what the board members expect. The paper said the public expects a "more accommodative" policy, meaning low interest rates for longer, than board members. The paper further gave weight to the view that the Fed's first rate hike since the 2008 financial crisis is closer than some expect. A report on the U.S. unemployment claims later on Thursday and another on U.S. retail sales on Friday could give investors a better read on the world's largest economy.

THE QUOTE: "There is a bigger possibility that the FOMC's forward guidance (about higher interest rates) would change," Chun Jung-hun, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities in Seoul, said in a report. "Market participants cannot help reacting sensitively to possible changes in the Fed's statement. There is a more possibility that the phrase 'considerable time' would be deleted from the statement."

OBAMA SPEAKS: The U.S. President Barack Obama authorized U.S. airstrikes inside Syria to root out Islamic State extremists but markets' reactions are remained to be seen. Obama laid out his plan to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, including the authorization of U.S. airstrikes within Syria. The U.S. already has launched about 150 airstrikes on Islamic State targets inside Iraq, at the invitation of the Iraqi government.

CHINA INFLATION: Stocks in mainland China gained ground earlier in the day after the country's monthly consumer price index showed a lower inflation rate. Consumer prices rose 2 percent last month from over a year earlier, compared with a 2.3 percent rise in July. Subdued inflation suggests the domestic economy is muted but also gives policymakers headroom to maintain easy access to credit and possibly introduce new stimulus measures.

WEAK YEN: The dollar continued to gain against the yen and other Asian currencies on expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates from ultra-low levels in coming months because of steady improvement in the U.S. economy. Europe and Japan by contrast are not expected to let up on stimulatory monetary policy. Credit Agricole analysts said in a report that the dollar will rise to 108 yen by the end of this year, even without further policy easing in Japan. It said the yen will be driven higher by rate hike expectations in the U.S.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude for October delivery was down 23 cents to $91.43 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract dropped $1.08 to settle at $91.67 on Wednesday. Crude prices fell after the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries revised down its growth forecasts for global crude oil demand in a monthly report released Wednesday.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 106.97 yen from 106.82 yen late Wednesday. The euro rose to $1.2927 from $1.2921.

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Apple pushes digital wallet with Apple Pay

NEW YORK — Apple is betting that people want to pay with a tap of the phone rather than a swipe of the card.

The technology company on Tuesday introduced a new digital wallet service called Apple Pay that is integrated with its Passbook credential-storage app and its fingerprint ID security system.

The announcement came as Apple introduced several new products including a new, larger iPhone 6 and a watch. Apple Pay is designed to let iPhone 6 owners use their smartphones to pay for purchases at brick-and-mortar stores as well as online via apps. The company says it's easier and more secure than using a credit or debit card. And it puts Apple in direct competition with services like PayPal and Google Wallet.

So-called mobile proximity payments are expected to grow exponentially over the next few years. Citi Investment Research analyst Mark May said they could grow from $1 billion in 2013 to $58.4 billion by 2017. Still, consumers will have to weigh the convenience of not pulling out a card with the possible danger of storing important financial information on their phones, particularly as retailers like Target and Home Depot report data breaches, and hackers crack celebrities' iCloud accounts.

In stores, the system uses a technology called near-field communication, which allows mobile phones to communicate with other devices at close range. Many Android phones already have a near-field communication antenna, but iPhones have not until now. Users will pay by holding a phone close to a contactless reader with their finger on the touch ID fingerprint system. It's also set to work with the Apple Watch when that debuts in 2015.

"Apple Pay will forever change the way we pay for things," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Apple addressed security concerns Tuesday, saying Apple Pay is even safer than using a plastic card. Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, said credit card information will be stored on the phone via a secure chip and payments will use a one-time security code. The Find My iPhone service can erase the data if the phone gets lost or stolen — canceling a card will not be necessary. The service will be able to store Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit card information.

"A cashier doesn't see your name, credit card number or security code," when you pay with Apple Pay, Cue said. He also said Apple won't track people's financial data.

"Apple doesn't know what you bought, where you bought it or how much you paid," he said. "That transaction is between you, your merchant and your bank."

Contactless payment isn't new: Retailers like Starbucks and McDonald's already have their own contactless payment system in stores, and Apple Pay is similar to Google Inc.'s Google Wallet, which is available on Android smartphones and iPhones. But Apple Pay adds some security features and makes a digital wallet option more accessible for iPhone users. About 15 percent of smartphones are iPhones, according to research firm IDC.

The service will be available beginning in October. Retailers will need to invest in updating their cash registers and point-of-sale units. Apple said department stores like Macy's and Bloomingdales, drugstores including Walgreen's and Duane Reade, and other stores including McDonald's, Staples, Subway and Whole Foods are participating in Apple Pay.

But some of the largest retailers are not participating. Wal-Mart said it has no plans to participate. Amazon.com did not respond to a request for comment. And Target said it is currently participating only via its app.

"We know mobile is becoming the front door to Target, and we're focused on creating the best possible mobile experiences for our guests," Senior Vice President Jason Goldberger said in a statement. "We're thrilled to support Apple Pay to streamline how our guests pay in the Target app - this absolutely makes purchasing from Target's mobile app easier than ever."

Gartner analyst Avivah Litah said the payment system will only succeed if major retailers get behind it. Apple's security features are a plus for merchants, but it's not clear if that will be enough.

"It's 50-50 if merchants will get on board," she said. "The security aspects are attractive, but it's not clear if the security features alone are going to be enough of a selling point."

IDC analyst James Wester said the move is in some ways Apple playing catch up to Google Wallet, but that the system uses Apple's fingerprint technology is a plus.

"It's not that different than what other mobile wallets have done," he said. "The important part is that it's Apple. We've been waiting for them to get into this."

Citi analyst May said eBay Inc.'s PayPal is the closest competitor to Apple Pay, but PayPal shouldn't be overly concerned since near-field communication and digital wallet payments are less than 1 percent of its business. In addition, consumer adoption of Apple Pay remains uncertain.

"That said, Apple has raised the bar for the digital wallet category, not only for offline point-of-sale but potentially also for m-commerce, which is more directly competitive with PayPal today," he said.

For its part, PayPal's chief product officer, Hill Ferguson, emphasized PayPal's relationships with merchants and customer service, and the fact that it can work across devices.

"Businesses and consumers don't want to be restricted to a particular device or hardware," he said.

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How Apple's new products matter to Hollywood

Apple unveiled the worst kept secrets in the technology industry -- larger iPhones and a smartwatch -- Tuesday with much fanfare. But once the buzz of the launches die down, how the products will impact businesses and consumers' lives could start to inform Hollywood how it should embrace the devices.

The iPhone 6's expected success can't be ignored with analysts predicting 75 million of the handsets to be sold by the end of the year.

Larger Screens

The biggest feature on the new iPhones -- Apple's biggest moneymaker since 2007 -- are larger screens.

The iPhone 6 will feature a 4.7 inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus comes with a 5.5 inch display and supports full 1080p HD video.

That's good news for content owners that sell movies and TV shows through iTunes, producers of web series and short videos that play on YouTube, and streaming video services like Netflix. But more on screen real estate also will benefit app and gamemakers.

The larger size provides apps with more pixels up from 640 by 1136 screen resolution to 750 by 1334 and 1080 by 1920 for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

IPhone owners have long wanted a larger screen as Apple's rivals like Samsung, HTC and LG tout their far larger Android-powered screens.

The iPhone 6 Plus gets Apple into the phablet game -- a category that combines a smartphone and small tablet computer -- but the company still lags in size behind Samsung, whose new Galaxy Note 4 features a 5.7 inch display. Its Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone has a 5.1 inch screen.

Still the new screen sizes are significantly larger than the original iPhone, which measured 3.5 inches in 2007, which didn't change until the iPhone 5's 4 inch display.

And as more people turn to mobile devices to access entertainment, bigger is considered better for device manufacturers looking to satisfy the demands of today's consumer.

While it marks Apple's first serious foray into the wearable tech market, the small display on the Apple Watch will provide access to apps. Owners will need an iPhone to operate the smartwatch, turning the device into a second screen platform for a mobile phone.
 

Better Graphics
Further benefitting app designers and streaming services is Apple's new A8 processor, which will enable the iPhone to handle more tasks and advanced graphics, especially through its Metal app and game engine.

The chip speeds up computing tasks by 25% and improves graphics speeds by 50%, the company said. It's also 50% more power efficient.

An additional M8 motion co-processor monitors motion data from the phone's accelerometer, gyroscope and compass.

An Improved Camera
A new lens that replaces the current iPhone camera vastly improves image quality, especially for photos taken in low light. Updated technology essentially improves the speed of the auto focus function, making it twice as fast as other iPhones.

That's good news for marketers who increasingly rely on people to promote their projects and products through selfies or other shots that proliferate across social media platforms. Fewer blurry shots, means better images for promoters.

But for filmmakers, a new slow motion feature added to the camera enables videos to be taken at 240 frames per second and slowed down, providing more flexibility when making videos. Further enhancements include optical image stabilization, further improving image quality.

The Apple Watch does not include a camera but will be able to display photos on its screen.

Mobile Payments

The launch of Apple Pay will enable consumers to make purchases with their iPhones simply by waving them across a sensor. Credit card information stored in iTunes accounts will be used to make the sales using secured codes, not credit card numbers, helping protect the data from hackers.

While such near-field communication technology already has been available on other smartphones running on Google's Android software, it hasn't caught on just yet with retailers or consumers. Apple Pay will also be available on the Apple Watch.

But with Apple signing on a number of major retail and restaurant partners from Macy's and Whole Foods to McDonald's and Panera, the iPhone and Apple Watch could alter how people shop.

And that could prove beneficial for theater owners and ticket sellers looking to make it easier to fill seats or home entertainment divisions eager to get more Blu-rays and DVDs into consumers' hands, not to mention the studio consumer products groups who want to sell more movie-related merchandise.

The iPhone 6 will start at $199 with 16 GB of storage, with the most expensive model costing $399 for 128 GB.

Meanwhile the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 for 16 GB and goes up to $499 for 128 GB.

The Apple Watch will be available for purchase in early 2015.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Video: How Keith Olbermann could inflame tensions between ESPN, NFL

The NFL is facing no shortage of criticism in the wake of the release of a video depicting Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his fiancée. ESPN commentator Keith Olbermann went so far as to suggest league commissioner Roger Goodell resign. He wasn't even the only ESPN personality to go there; so did Jason Whitlock and others.

But as Andrew Wallenstein, editor-in-chief, digital at Variety notes in the video above, it will be interesting to see if they persist in the coming days given the fraught relationship between ESPN and the NFL.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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CBS lands exclusive interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

CBS has secured an exclusive interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of a Ray Rice scandal that has left the league bruised and battered in recent days.

The interview, conducted by CBS' Norah O'Donnell, will partially air on Tuesday's "Evening News with Scott Pelley" and later in full on Wednesday's "This Morning."

"Evening News" exec producer Chris Licht tweeted a picture Tuesday afternoon of the interview.

Goodell and the NFL have been under heavy fire from the media for its handling of Rice's assault on his then-fiance Janay Palmer at an Atlantic City casino.

"We had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator. We assumed that there was a video," Goodell told O'Donnell in the interview, but said the league was "never granted that opportunity."

TMZ released a graphic video of the assault on Monday which showed Rice knocking Palmer out in an elevator, resulting in the "indefinite" suspension of the Baltimore Ravens star. This coming less than a month after the NFL's much softer two-game suspension of Rice, who was also released by the Ravens.

According to reports, law enforcement officials and Rice's attorneys were provided the footage by the casino, which sparked several "cover-up" accusations in the media after the NFL released a statement echoing Goodell's comments on Monday claiming to have not seen the actual video, this despite footage released in February of the football star dragging Palmer by the hair through the lobby.

ESPN's Keith Olbermann, on Monday, called for Goodell's resignation.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Apple to reveal its next big thing

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is poised to reveal its next big thing Tuesday in a crucial attempt to prove its technological tastemakers still have the power to mesmerize the masses.

The trend-setting company is expected to rouse the still-slumbering market for wearable computers with a smartwatch or bracelet equipped to monitor health, help manage homes and even buy merchandise.

Apple is a late arrival to this relatively new niche: several other companies already sell smartwatches that are being greeted with widespread indifference.

If any company can transform the landscape, it's likely to be Apple Inc. after the company shifted the direction of digital technology with the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Other MP3 music players, smartphones and tablet computers were first to market, but the devices didn't enthrall consumers until Apple imbued them with a sense of elegance, convenience and wizardry.

"It means more to us to get it right than to be first," Apple CEO Tim Cook explained to analysts earlier this year.

Apple is likely to provide the first peek at its wearable device at an event set to begin at 10 a.m. PDT in the same Silicon Valley auditorium where Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, unveiled the industry-shifting Mac computer 25 years ago.

Rumors have been swirling that U2, one of Jobs' favorite musical groups, will perform live to promote its new album, as well as Apple's latest gadgetry, which is likely to include an iPhone with a larger screen.

As usual, Apple hasn't said what's on tap, though the company's top executives have repeatedly promised major breakthroughs without providing any details.

"The location suggests this will be a historic event and the historic aspect will be their movement into a new category," predicted technology analyst and longtime Apple watcher Tim Bajarin.

After Tuesday's glimpse, it still may be several months before people get a chance to wear the device. There's speculation that the smartwatch won't be available until early next year, although Apple is expected to take orders during the holiday shopping season.

A smartwatch or high-tech bracelet would mark the first time that Apple Inc. has rolled out a new product line since the iPad's release nearly four-and-half years ago. In that time, the Cupertino, California, company, has been sprucing up its selection of iPhones, iPads and Macs with new models each year since Jobs died in October 2011 after a long battle with cancer.

The innovation void raised questions as to whether Apple's creativity was fading under Cook, Jobs' hand-picked successor.

Those concerns have waned in recent months amid high hopes for the products Apple has lined up for the holiday shopping season. The fervor propelled Apple's stock to new highs last week, a dramatic swing in sentiment from 17 months ago when the shares were trading about 44 percent below current levels. The stock closed down less than 1 percent at $98.35 in Monday's trading.

Even with all the anticipation surrounding the potential smartwatch, the next generation of the iPhone will still be the star of Tuesday's show, as well as the main source of Apple's profits for at least the next year.

The device, likely to be called the iPhone 6, is expected to feature a screen spanning at least 4.7 inches diagonally, up from the 4-inch display on the previous models released during the past two years. Some analysts have speculated Apple may also offer an iPhone model with a 5.5-inch screen.

Any significant increase in the iPhone's size would make the device more competitive with smartphones made by Samsung Electronics and other rivals, and virtually ensure that Apple would have one of the holiday season's hottest selling items. "There is incredible pent-up demand for a larger-screen iPhone," Bajarin said.

Besides a larger screen, the new iPhone is expected to include a near-field communications chip that would enable the device to transmit payment information wirelessly to receivers at store check-in stands. The technology is expected to be accompanied with a mobile wallet feature that taps into the more than 800 million credit card account numbers that users store on Apple's remote servers to buy songs, video and apps from its iTunes stores. The mobile wallet could be secured with a fingerprint reader that Apple introduced last year on the iPhone 5S.

The mobile wallet conceivably could also work on a smartwatch or high-tech bracelet.

Apple's latest mobile software for the iPhone 6 and other recent models, iOS 8, also includes two features called HealthKit and HomeKit that represent the next step in the company's to play an even bigger role in the lives of the people tethered to its devices. The tools are designed to turn Apple's products into a suite of digital servants that do everything from monitoring a person's eating habits and exercise routines to turning on the coffee maker in the morning to turning off the lights at night.

If Apple follows its recent traditions, the free iOS 8 software will be released shortly before the iPhone 6 goes on sale later this month.

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Developer out to ‘breathe new life’ into area near Faneuil Hall

A Boston real estate developer plans to liven up some Financial District buildings currently used as Fidelity Investments office space by adding restaurants, retail and a possible boutique hotel and residences.

Related Beal's Congress Square would be a mixed-use project designed to inject 24-hour life into the district and connect it with Faneuil Hall Marketplace by activating the Quaker Lane alley into a pedestrian zone with stores, restaurants and nightlife options.

Plans call for adding 50,000-plus square feet of restaurant and retail space to the ground floors of five buildings on Congress, Devonshire and Water streets to bring the "retail and market activity that is currently blossoming on Washington Street and State Street … to the Post Office Square area," executive vice president Stephen Faber said.

Related bought what's now about 343,000 square feet of primarily office space from Fidelity in December for 
$87.25 million. Fidelity will move out of three of the buildings by year's end and the others by the end of October 2015.

Related plans to modernize the nine-story 40 Water St. into Class A office space.

It also plans to seek city approval within weeks for a new building at 54 Devonshire St. as an extension to 86 Devonshire, and possibly expand 15 Congress St. by four or five stories.

It will market those buildings — and 19 Congress St. — to specialized developers for conversion into possible residences and a hotel.

"This historic portion of downtown Boston is prime for revitalization, and we look forward to reviewing Related Beal's proposal to reactivate the streetscape and breathe new life into the area," Boston Redevelopment Authority spokesman Nick Martin said.

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Home Depot confirms breach in US, Canada stores

NEW YORK — Home Depot confirmed on Monday that its payment systems have been hacked in a data breach that could affect millions of shoppers who used credit and debit cards at its more than 2,000 U.S. and Canadian stores.

The breach could turn out to be one of the biggest in history. Home Depot did not say how many cards might be affected, but the largest U.S. home improvement chain did say its investigation into the breach goes as far back as April.

The news comes nearly a week after a website that focuses on cybersecurity reported on Tuesday a possible hack of Home Depot's data. The company said later that day that it was investigating the potential breach.

"We apologize for the frustration and anxiety this causes our customers, and I want to thank them for their patience and support as we work through this issue," Chairman and CEO Frank Blake said in a press release.

Home Depot is the latest retailer to have a data breach. Others include Target, luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, grocer Supervalu, restaurant chain P.F. Chang's and the thrift store operations of Goodwill.

In December, Target Corp. disclosed a massive data breach that was the second-largest in history, resulting in the theft of 40 million debit and credit card numbers and the potential exposure of personal information of up to 70 million shoppers.

Forrester Research analyst John Kindervag said the Home Depot breach could affect similar numbers of shoppers or cards, noting that months' worth of data may have been compromised.

"From what I'm hearing, people think this will be as big as Target or bigger," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

The retail breaches have rattled shoppers' confidence at a time when privacy concerns are high. It's also increased pressure on retailers to increase security so that customers can feel safe that their personal data is secure when they're out shopping.

Retailers, banks and card companies have responded to the breaches by speeding the adoption of microchips in U.S. credit and debit cards. That technology helps makes transactions more secure.

Home Depot, which said malware was used in the hack, has announced that it plans to have chip-enabled checkout terminals at all of its U.S. stores by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the Atlanta company said its IT department also is looking into the breach and is working with outside firms, its banking partners, and the U.S. Secret Service. It added that customers will not be held responsible for fraudulent charges to their accounts.

The possible breach at Home Depot was first reported by Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security. Krebs said multiple banks reported "evidence that Home Depot stores may be the source of a massive new batch of stolen credit and debit cards."

If Target's breach is any indication, the fallout from the Home Depot breach could be severe.

The Target hack cost the company hurt the company's profit and revenue. Target's chief information officer and CEO both stepped down in the months after the hack.

"I would think if you're a member of the board of directors, somebody has to be the sacrificial lamb for this," Kindervag, the Forrester analyst, said about Home Depot's breach.

Home Depot already has had some fallout. Its shares are down about 3 percent since Tuesday, and they fell 42 cents to $90.40 in Monday aftermarket trading.

Before the potential breach was announced, Home Depot said in August that Blake would step down as CEO on Nov. 1. He will be replaced by Craig Menear, president of the company's U.S. retail operations.

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World stocks muted, dollar at 6-year high vs yen

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Asian stock markets notched modest gains Tuesday and the dollar hit a six-year high against the yen on investor expectations the Federal Reserve will end stimulus and raise interest rates in coming months. European stocks were slightly lower.

KEEPING SCORE: France's CAC 40 was down 0.1 percent at 4,468.77 and Germany's DAX shed 0.1 percent to 9,750.20. Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.2 percent at 6,824.42 amid jitters Scotland will vote to split from the United Kingdom in a Sept. 18 independence referendum. The pound stabilized after a sharp fall Monday. Futures pointed to a weak session on Wall Street. S&P 500 futures were down 0.1 percent and Dow futures were little changed.

BREAKUP JITTERS: A possible severing of Scotland's centuries-old union with England is alarming international investors and could spell trouble for the United Kingdom, which is Europe's third largest economy. It could hit Britain's trade balance and dent its income with oil reserves possibly reallocated back to Scotland. The pound fell more than one percent Monday after a poll showed a narrow majority in favor of Scottish independence for the first time.

DOLLAR BULLS: The dollar extended its rally, hitting 106.40 yen, the highest since September 2008. Compared with other major currencies beset by bad economic data or possible further stimulus, the dollar appears the most attractive as the U.S. central bank looks to end stimulus by October and consider hiking interest rates.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3 percent to 15,749.15 and China's Shanghai Composite was barely changed at 2,326.53. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.6 percent to 5,607.90. India's benchmark fell and Southeast Asian stocks were mostly down. Hong Kong and South Korean exchanges were closed for holidays.

THE QUOTE: "Risk currencies including the euro, pound and Aussie have already lost significant ground against the greenback this week and it seems this trend is set to continue in the near term," said IG strategist Stan Shamu in a market commentary.

ENERGY: Oil prices fell for three days straight as geopolitical worries over Ukraine and Iraq have eased. Also affecting crude oil was last week's report of a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing and data Monday that showed China's imports fell for a second month in a row. Benchmark U.S. crude oil for October delivery rebounded a bit Tuesday. The contract was up 44 cents at $93.13 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell 63 cents to $92.66 a barrel in New York on Monday, the lowest price since January.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 106.20 yen from 106.02 yen late Monday. The euro dropped to $1.2890 from $1.2897.

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Booting Up: Student apps make grade

Sorry, student slackers. Technology has made it so that you have even less of an excuse for failing to show up to class on time or to turn in a homework assignment.

"There's an app for that," should be the mantra of every teacher faced with a student who needs help organizing and completing daily tasks. But there's good news. Chaos can be coordinated.

To do just that, I suggest iStudiez Pro. The just-released version for Windows follows a hugely popular app that ran across Macs, iPhones and iPads. iStudiez Pro has a unique planner that lets you keep track of the most complicated schedules, even classes that alternate weeks. Users can set up recurring due dates for teachers who have monthly or weekly assignments, and they can also prioritize assignments so the most important stuff gets done quicker. Not only is this a great app for high school and college students, but I could also see it being a useful tool for parents of young children who need to keep track of tons of appointments.

There's something for Android users along these lines too, an app called Studious — and be careful, there are two apps with this name. Get the one by Braden Young. It keeps track of your schedule and assignments but there's one feature that makes it stand out — this app automatically silences your phone during lectures and classes.

MyHomework Student Planner is the digital version of a Trapper Keeper. It works across just about every platform you can think of, from Windows 8 to Chrome. Reminders help you stay on top of your assignments so you don't forget when they're due. If you're lucky enough to attend a school that integrates with this app, you can look forward to using the app to communicate with your teachers as well.

Communication tools that help parents, teachers and students connect abound this year. Some of the best-
regarded include Remind, which helps teachers and students message each other without having to exchange phone numbers; Classdojo, which lets teachers give live feedback and virtual rewards to students in the classroom; and 
Edmodo, an app that acts much like a social network, allowing for online studying with peers and a ton of collaboration outside the classroom.

So now that all manner of digital tools exist to churn out productive students, no excuses, right? Then again, who am I kidding? It's only a matter of time before we start hearing the phrase, "My app ate my homework."

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China exports up 9.4 percent, imports shrink again

HONG KONG — China's exports grew more than forecast in August while imports shrank unexpectedly for the second month in a row, a reminder of the fragile recovery in the world's No. 2 economy, customs data showed Monday.

Exports rose 9.4 percent last month, down from a 14.5 percent expansion in July but higher than many economists had been forecasting.

Imports, however, contracted 2.4 percent, after shrinking 1.6 percent the month before, at odds with the expectations of economists, who though imports would return to growth last month.

The figures indicate that global demand for China's manufactured goods is holding up but domestic demand continues to stumble, exacerbated by a slump in the property market.

"While some of this weakness is because of falling prices of imports, especially of raw commodity imports, the momentum of imports is also weak in real terms. This reflects sluggish domestic demand," especially in industries such as real estate, said Louis Kuijs, chief China economist at RBS.

China's communist leaders are relying on exports to help support employment while trying to nurture growth based on domestic consumption.

Policymakers in Beijing rolled out mini-stimulus measures earlier this year after economic growth in the first three months sagged to 7.4 percent, the lowest in nearly two years. Growth improved only slightly to 7.5 percent in the second quarter.

Kuijs said that growth would not strengthen for the rest of the year as the ailing property market is weighing on the economy. He expects authorities to unveil "increasingly significant measures" to support growth.

August's exports totaled $208 billion while imports were $158.6 billion, pushing China's politically sensitive global trade surplus up nearly 78 percent to an all-time high of $49.8 billion.

Economists said that the continuing export strength and import weakness would put pressure on China's currency, the yuan, to strengthen further against the dollar.

___

General Administration of Customs of China (in Chinese): www.customs.gov.cn

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Microsoft revamps MSN to flow across devices

NEW YORK — Microsoft is giving its MSN news service a crisper look, new lifestyle tools and seamless syncing across devices.

The company says the revamped site fits in with Microsoft's overall strategy of making mobile phones and Internet-based services priorities as its traditional businesses — Windows and Office software installed on desktops — slow down or decline. The changes also come as people increasingly read news on smartphones and tablets rather than desktop computers.

Rather than being simply an entry point for accessing the rest of the Internet, the revamped MSN is aiming to become a daily part of life for its 400 million monthly users worldwide. Besides news culled from other media outlets, MSN will have such tools as a symptom checker and a shopping list maker for recipes.

"It's not just about finding that great article on Beyonce," said Stefan Weitz, senior director, operating system and services at Microsoft. "It's also about helping you fix a great dinner and manage your flights."

One key improvement will be an ability to sync across all devices. So if you are logged in and make a shopping list for a recipe on your desktop, it will automatically appear on the MSN app on your phone.

The changes mirror what Microsoft is doing with its latest version of its Windows operating system. CEO Satya Nadella has acknowledged the headache the company had created for software developers by making multiple versions of Windows that work differently on phones, PCs and tablets, Xbox and other devices. With the next version of Windows, Microsoft plans to unify the system so developers can create apps that work on many devices at once.

A preview of the new MSN site will be available Monday. The new site will roll out more widely later this month.

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Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy has died

ATLANTA — S. Truett Cathy, the billionaire founder of the privately held Chick-fil-A restaurant chain that famously closes on Sundays but also drew unwanted attention on gay marriage in recent years because of his family's conservative views, died early Monday, a company spokesman said. He was 93.

Chick-fil-A spokesman Mark Baldwin told The Associated Press that Cathy died at home surrounded by members of his family. The company said in a statement that preliminary plans are for a public funeral service at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Jonesboro in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Cathy opened his first postwar diner in an Atlanta suburb in 1946 and by 1967 he had founded and opened his first Chick-fil-A Inc. restaurant in Atlanta. Over ensuing decades, the chain's boneless chicken sandwich he is credited with inventing would propel Chick-fil-A expansion to more than 1,800 outlets in 39 states and the nation's capital. By early 2013, the company says on its website, annual sales topped $5 billion as the chain offered up a taste of the South that went beyond chicken to such offerings as sweet tea, biscuits and gravy.

Under the religiously conservative founder, the chain gained prominence for its Bible Belt observance of Sunday — none of its hundreds of restaurants are open on that day, to allow employees a day of rest. Its executives often said the chain made as much money in six days as its competitors do in seven.

Those religious views helped win Cathy and his family loyal following from conservative customers, but also invited protests when Cathy's son denounced gay marriage.

Cathy's son, Dan, who is currently chairman and president of the chain, had told the Baptist Press in 2012 that the company was "guilty as charged" for backing "the biblical definition of a family." Gay rights groups and others called for boycotts and kiss-ins at Cathy's restaurants. The Jim Henson Co. pulled its Muppet toys from kids' meals, while politicians in Boston and Chicago told the chain it is not welcome there.

The controversy later subsided.

The family-owned company has said it has had 46 consecutive years of positive sales growth. Cathy's $6 billion fortune as the founder of Chick-fil-A puts him on the yearly Forbes magazine list of the wealthiest Americans in the country. The company has listed him on its website as its chairman emeritus after he left day-to-day operations to younger generations.

Truett Cathy began his career in the restaurant business by opening with his brother in 1946 an Atlanta diner called The Dwarf Grill, which was named for the short and stout shape of the restaurant.

He has attributed his hardworking nature — even as a little boy he made money by selling six bottles of Coca-Cola for a quarter — to growing up poor.

"I've experienced poverty and plenty and there's a lesson to be learned when you're brought up in poverty," he said in 2007. "I had to create some good work habits and attitude."

Even well into his 80s, Cathy was actively involved in the chain's operations, including setting up a contract with his children that said they may sell the privately-owned chain in the future but the company must never go public.

"Why would I retire from something I enjoy doing?" Cathy said in a 2007 interview. "I can hardly wait to get here."

An opportunity in 1961 led to the development of the restaurant chain's trademark chicken sandwich when a company that cooked boneless, skinless chicken for airline meals wanted to sell him pieces that were too big for the airline customer's needs. Cathy took those pieces and cooked them in a pressure cooker and served them in buttered buns.

The sandwich was sold at independent restaurants for a few years before he opened his first Chick-fil-A restaurant at an Atlanta shopping mall in 1967.

Cathy also was known for his efforts to help youth. In 1984 he created the WinShape Foundation to help "shape winners" through youth support programs and scholarships. He also created a long-term program for foster children that has foster care homes in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Brazil.

His sympathy for children was demonstrated in August 2008 when he worked out a deal with the parents of two girls who were accused of causing $30,000 in damage to a home he owned in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The girls were banned from watching TV and playing video games. They also had to write "I will not vandalize other people's property" 1,000 times.

He told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that he didn't want to have them prosecuted and left with a criminal record.

As the author of several books, his 2007 book "How Did You Do It, Truett?" outlined his strategy for success that included setting priorities, being courteous, cautiously expanding a business and not being burdened with debt.

"There's really no secret for success," he said then. "I hope it will open eyes for people. They don't have to follow my recipe but this is what works for me."

Cathy is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jeannette McNeil Cathy; sons Dan T. and Don "Bubba" Cathy; daughter Trudy Cathy White; 19 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, according to a company statement.

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Roslindale to get 43 new housing units

Officials broke ground yesterday on a Roslindale development that will transform an MBTA substation vacant for more than 40 years and add middle-class housing, a project Mayor Martin J. Walsh said offers an affordable alternative to the explosion of luxury housing in Boston.

"This is an exciting project for the city, an exciting project for Roslindale," Walsh said yesterday after the groundbreaking for The Parkside on Adams. "Here's an opportunity for 43 units in neighborhoods that can help sustain a community. It's certainly a big part of the answer."

The Parkside on Adams will include those 43 housing studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units at the site of the former F.J. Higgins Funeral Home and the long-vacant and unused MBTA substation on Washington Street will be restored and house a 120-seat restaurant on its ground floor.

"It's going to be a wonderful, transforming event for our neighborhood," said Steve Gag, president of Roslindale Village Main Streets.

Walsh said the $15 million project, which is across the street from Adams Park, will help complete the redevelopment of the area.

"This is really one of the last pieces," Walsh said.

The substation, built in 1911, was used to power some of Boston's first streetcars.

Gag said the development will bring Roslindale full circle.

"This really gave birth to Roslindale, this building did, because it allowed those streetcars to bring people to work," he said. "This is all about transformations."

Matt Kiefer, president of Historic Boston Inc., a nonprofit focused on restoring and preserving historic buildings, said the substation will turn into a neighborhood highlight.

"You sometimes find treasure in unexpected places," he said. "An electric power substation is not necessarily the first thing that would come to your mind as something that might have a role in improving a community."

Soon, the windows covered with bricks and wooden boards will be open again.

One part of the substation that will not be restored is the fading mural on the side of the building. Jim Higgins, who painted the mural in the '70s, said the redevelopment will do the same thing he had hoped to do 40 years ago.

"When I did the mural, it was to make it a nicer space," Higgins said. "I think this is a logical progression of that."

The substation was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, a designation that made the building eligible for state and federal tax credits for its rehabilitation.

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Owner vents as Grand Caravan won’t take refueling

My wife's 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan will not let us add gas to it. At best, I need to fill it painfully slowly. I have a feeling it has to do with the EVAP system. The dealer said it would be $400 to fix. It sounds like the vapor venting is restricted. Is it possible to damage the charcoal filter by putting in too much gas?

It is possible to fill the charcoal canister with fuel by regularly overfilling the tank. It's called "fuel packing" and involves continuing to add fuel after the automatic shutoff has clicked on the nozzle. Doing this at a half-dozen fill-ups or so can eventually fill the vapor separator and force liquid fuel into the canister, which is designed to capture and store fuel vapors until the engine is started and they are drawn into the induction system and burned.

The problem with difficult refueling is a different issue. My Alldata automotive database pulled up Chrysler service bulletin 14-001-09 REV.A dated September 2009, outlining the possible causes and repairs for this issue. In brief, on certain models fitted with a "saddle"-style fuel tank, it recommends idling the engine for a minute or so to allow the fuel transfer pump to move fuel to the left side of the tank, opening space for refilling the right side.

The specific components to test are the vapor recirculating tube, fuel filler tube, fuel tank or components related to the evap control valve or the canister itself.

If I do a fast takeoff from a stop in my 2005 Buick LeSabre, the transmission clunks hard shifting through all gears. If I stop and shut the car off and do a normal takeoff, it is fine and won't do it again until I do a quick takeoff. What do you think?

Has the "Service engine soon" light ever come on in relationship to the hard shifting? If not, I suspect debris in the valve body is the issue. Under hard acceleration, the TCM — transmission control module — will command higher hydraulic pressure to ensure solid, non-slipping shifts. As this occurs, debris in the valve body may be causing a valve or accumulator to stick. Try adding a half-can of SeaFoam Trans-Tune to the transmission fluid and drive the vehicle for a week or so to see if it helps clean the valve body.

I'd also suggest stopping by a parts store that offers free DTC code scanning to see if any specific fault codes are stored in memory.

I purchased a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0 with 77,000 miles for my newly licensed son. The "Check engine" light is constantly blinking due to a misfire in the No. 5 cylinder. I replaced the coil pack, installed new plugs, installed rebuilt fuel injectors, sprayed SeaFoam into the air intake and "drove it like I stole it" to attempt to blow out any carbon build-up. I've heard other possibilities such as the fuel filter, crankshaft position sensor, camshaft position sensor or a stuck valve. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Since the misfire is specific to the No. 5 cylinder, at this point I'd focus on the mechanical health of that cylinder. Low compression due to worn/broken rings, burnt/bent/stuck valves, worn cam lobes or an intake manifold vacuum leak could cause this misfire.

Start with a simple compression test. If it shows normal compression, then do a cylinder leakdown test. If leakdown is normal, try a running compression test. This involves removing the Schrader valve from the compression tester before installing it in the No. 5 cylinder, then starting the engine and monitoring the compression. If it begins to drop as the engine runs, not enough air is entering the cylinder, which could be caused by a worn cam lobe or a valve that's not properly opening.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.

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Casino panel will put conditions on license

The state Gaming Commission, which is set to begin its deliberations tomorrow on the coveted Boston-area casino license, will give Mohegan Sun and Wynn Resorts a chance to influence the conditions of their potential license — including in Wynn's case how much money should go to Boston — before deciding who gets it.

"It's important for the applicants to understand the conditions, what the award of a license means, and for us to understand that they understand and are willing to agree by those conditions if we issue the license," commissioner James McHugh said.

The approach is a departure from how the panel handled the awarding of the state's lone slots parlor license in February. In that case, only the winning applicant, Penn National, was presented with license conditions, to which it agreed. The conditions were mostly that Penn submit a series of compliance reports within a certain timeframe.

McHugh said the commission is taking a different approach because the conditions of a Boston-area license will be more involved than in the slots debate.

"The conditions in those cases were not complex conditions," McHugh said. "These may be, and it's important to give them time to look at them, and it's important for us to understand whether they're prepared to accept those conditions before we make the final determination."

Applicants will likely be presented with license conditions in the middle of this week and given an undetermined amount of time to respond. Mohegan did not respond to a request for comment. Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver said the company is "comfortable and will follow whatever process the commission sets."

In Wynn's case, the commission will dictate in its conditions what payments the developer must make to Boston to mitigate traffic and other impacts its Everett casino would have on Charlestown. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh ceded the decision to the commission after he claimed Wynn withheld key documents about its plan. Walsh cut a deal with Mohegan that would pay the city a minimum of 
$18 million a year.

John Ribeiro, chairman of the Repeal the Casino Deal campaign, which is working to overturn the state's casino law in November, said giving applicants a say in their own license conditions is inappropriate.

"It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the casino industry and the casino regulators," Ribeiro said. "They are doing everything within their power to make it easier for the casino operators."

McHugh said it remains to be seen what steps would be taken if applicants object to proposed conditions.

"They tell us that they're not comfortable and we talk about it among ourselves in public, and we talk about it, perhaps with them, in public, and we come to some conclusion as to what the consequences ought to be," McHugh said. "Maybe a modification, maybe a change, maybe an improvement, maybe something else."

Commissioners have been studying different components of Mohegan and Wynn's applications for months and will present their findings next week. The commission set Friday as the date for awarding the casino license, but McHugh said the decision will likely take longer.

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Toronto: Indiegogo pacts with Canadian Film Centre

Indiegogo and the Canadian Film Centre -- the country's premiere accelerator of professional film, TV, acting, music, and digital media talent -- have struck a new partnership that will see CFC residents and alumni (which number over 1,600) gain access to one-on-one support and discounted platform fees with Indiegogo.

The pact will be announced today (Sunday) at the CFC's annual BBQ Fundraiser, held at its headquarters on Toronto's historic Windfields Estate.

Since its 2008 launch, Indiegogo has since strong growth in Canada, with a 50% increase in funds raised in Canada over the past year. Earlier this year, the crowdfunding platform made similar partnerships with the Documentary Organization of Canada, and Toronto-based website Twitch Film.

CFC producer alum Jordan Walker and director Jeremy LaLonde's "How To Plan an Orgy in a Small Town" is the first film under the partnership, and follows on the heels of Lalonde's 2012 Indiegogo success with his first feature, "Sex After Kids," which raised CAN$61,057, exceeding its $50,000 goal. "Orgy" has a Sept. 13 close date, and has already exceeded its $70,000 goal.

"I'm in awe of the creativity coming from our Canadian filmmakers," said Indiegogo's Canadian film lead. "Our collaborations with leading film organizations like the CFC and DOC are part of our ongoing commitment to support emerging talent, and the Canadian industry as a whole."

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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