Three T rail lines reopen on weekends

The MBTA is restoring weekend service to three commuter rail lines beginning next Saturday, two years after budget constraints forced it to cut the runs.

Saturday and Sunday service will resume for the Kingston/Plymouth and Greenbush lines, and Saturday service will restart for the Needham line.

"We are happy to be delivering weekend service on these three commuter rail lines once again in response to customer demand and opening up more transportation options and access for the communities they serve," acting Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Frank DePaola said in a statement.

The same service schedules as those previously offered will be in effect.

MassDOT and the MBTA said the resumption of service was in response to requests from commuters and state legislators.

This year's state budget included $2 million in funding that allowed the weekend service to be restored.

The MBTA also will start a new weekday schedule for the Needham line Dec. 27, while adjustments in the Newburyport/Rockport line schedule will allow for a new weekday 11:45 p.m. departure from North Station to Newburyport.

All of the new MBTA commuter rail schedules are posted at mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442453545&month=&year.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Row house gets modern updates

This two-bedroom condo is one of two just carved out of a brick row house in Boston's charming Bay Village.

While the upper-floor unit has just gone under agreement, Unit 1 at 34 Melrose St., a 1,229-square-foot first-floor and basement duplex, is available for $1,079,000.

The row house has been completely redone. The exterior has all new windows and a refurbished wood-paneled entryway, and the interior has new dark-stained oak floors throughout. There's a built-in iPad that controls the unit's temperature through Nest thermostats and a built-in sound system with ceiling speakers in most rooms.

Unit 1 opens to the right off the first floor into an open living/dining area with crown molding and 9-foot ceilings with recessed lighting. There are two six-over-six windows and a refurbished fireplace with a black stone hearth.

The adjacent dining area has two windows that overlook a community garden next door, and two more rear-facing windows front on a fire escape.

Off the dining area is a marble-floored half bathroom.

The kitchen space is through a large opening and features Shaker-style white cabinets, bullnose-cut white granite counters and glass-mosaic tile backsplash. Stainless-steel appliances include a Samsung refrigerator, a GE Cafe gas stove, a GE dishwasher and built-in microwave. It has a window and French doors out to a fire escape.

The unit's two bedroom suites are on the lower level, down a set of turning oak stairs with a closet on a landing halfway down. Under the staircase is additional storage.

The master bedroom suite has recessed lighting, but at 12-by-9-feet is average-sized, and it has a small closet. A glass door leads up to a small private fenced-in brick patio that brings in light. The en-suite bathroom has white marble floors and surround for a glass-doored tub and shower. There's a wood vanity topped with polished white granite.

The hallway to the second bedroom holds a closet with a stacked Whirlpool washer and dryer.

The second bedroom suite has an 11-by-9-foot bedroom, on the small side, but it does have a full wall storage built-in as well as upper windows that reach street level and bring in light. There's a small closet. Its en-suite bathroom has a marble tile floor and surround for a walk-in shower as well as a white-granite topped vanity.

The unit has its own water heater, gas-fired central heating and cooling system.

It does not come with a parking space. Residential parking with a permit or renting a space in one of several nearby garages are the options.

Home Showcase

• Address: 34 Melrose St., Unit 1, Bay Village
• Bedrooms: Two
• Bathrooms: Two full, one half
• List price: $1,079,000
• Square feet: 1,229
• Price per square foot: $878
• Annual taxes: To be determined
• Monthly condo fee: $353
• Location: Three blocks from Park Square and quarter mile from shops and restaurants on Boylston Street in Back Bay
• Built in: 1899; gut-renovated into duplex condo in 2014
• Broker: PT Vineburgh of Charlesgate Realty Group at 617-921-9060

Pros:

• Living dining area with crown molding, fireplace, lots of windows
• New dark-stained oak floors, built-in custom window moldings
• Both bedrooms feature en-suite marble bathrooms
• Built-in iPad system controls unit-wide sound system and Nest thermostats

Cons:

• No on-site parking space
• Bedrooms and closets are not large

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mercedes SUV more than meets the eye

Do not let the understated appearance of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML250 make you shy away from taking a long look at this diesel-
powered sport utility vehicle.

Although Mercedes offers a wide array of crossovers and SUVs in many shapes and sizes, I found the ML250 to be a solid, subtle, sporty and hearty entry, if not a head-turner like some of its stablemates.

With its new-to-the-U.S.-market 2.1-liter twin turbo, 200 horsepower engine, this diesel-fuel-sipping SUV is an easy-driving cargo-hauling machine that offers the luxurious, upscale interior finery of the top of the fleet. Yet it's the everyday driving ease that impressed me, along with the very secure sense of wellbeing the vehicle embodies.

But it's the power plant that shines in this car. With average mileage of 26 mpg, I was able to drive the vehicle for a week in mixed driving and used just about 11 gallons out of a 24 gallon tank. What's impressive is the low-end acceleration and quickness of the SUV. A good-sized vehicle, it moves quite amiably, and although the steering has an electronic feel to it, the truck is very responsive and nimble. It's a quiet rider, too. Road noise is minimized, and the standard 18-inch wheels prove a good match.

Hop into the leather-trimmed seats, note the simple yet well crafted door panels and dash, and you'll find the ML250 makes you feel right at home. A thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a two-gauge cluster with all digital information in line of sight. The steering column controls include the gear shifter, wipers, cruise settings and directionals. They are compact and literally at your fingertips. The redundant infotainment controls are classically set at your thumbs while the main controller is driven off the center console.

The standard 4Matic all-wheel drive turns through a seven-speed transmission and, along with a nice Harman Kardon sound system, rounds out some of the core features of this truck. Checking in at an MSRP of about $51,000, our tester was a well-packaged model that priced out at nearly $64,000. A moonroof with powered shade helped give the comfortable cabin a bit of an airy feel, and the legroom in the rear seats was excellent. Some of the extra goodies on the tester included the safety package featuring lane drift, blind spot warning and adaptive cruise control.

Having just tested the BMW X3 diesel a couple of weeks ago, I found both SUVs to be of excellent value and premium construction. Although the ML250 is closer to the X5 in body size, the engines compare favorably. I'd have a tough time deciding which way to go if I were in the market. If you're shopping the luxury and upscale ends of the diesel-powered SUV market, do drive these two.

The ML250 replaces the diesel-powered ML350, and although you give up some raw muscle in horsepower, you make up for it with superior mileage.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

N. Korea proposes joint probe over Sony hacking

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has proposed a joint investigation with the U.S. into the hacking attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment.

U.S. officials blame North Korea for the hacking, citing the tools used in the Sony attack and previous hacks linked to the North.

The break-in resulted in the disclosure of tens of thousands of confidential Sony emails and business files, and escalated to terrorist threats that caused Sony to cancel the release of the movie "The Interview." The comedy is about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

An unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesman in Pyongyang said Saturday that the U.S. would face unspecified "grave consequences" if it rejects its proposal for the joint investigation.

He also said North Korea knows how to prove it's not responsible for the hacking.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boston’s Revere Hotel gets a new owner

Boston's trendy Revere Hotel has a new owner, a little more than 2 1⁄2 years after it debuted following a $29 million transformation of an undistinguished Radisson Hotel into the luxury boutique property.

Bethesda, Md.-based Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, owner of Boston's W Hotel, has bought the 356-room hotel, a lucrative 826-space attached parking garage and a vacant adjacent Stuart Street property for $260.4 million from New York's Northwood Investors.

The parking garage makes it difficult to decipher the strength of Pebblebrook's purchase on a per-room basis, the typical metric for hotel purchases, according to Matthew Arrant, executive vice president of Pinnacle Advisory Group, a Boston hospitality consulting firm.

"The parking garage is a really big component of the revenue stream," he said. "But (the total purchase price) is a testament to the strength of the Boston market right now and how far the market has come since Northwood bought (the hotel)."

Northwood acquired the hotel for $143.5 million in 2010.

It's a strong time for hotel sellers, with additional value gained because of the strength of the market overall, said Andrea Foster, vice president and New England practice leader of PKF Consulting USA.

"It's also a good time for buyers," she said. "With the future forecast for occupancy and rate projections, there's still upside for buyers in the next couple of years."

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

The Ticker

Dow soars 421 points

The Dow Jones industrial average had its biggest surge in three years yesterday, soaring 421 points in its second straight triple-digit gain after the Federal Reserve's reassurance that it was in no hurry to raise interest rates.

Bullish earnings from technology giant Oracle also drove the rally.

Fed chair Janet Yellen said Wednesday that she foresaw no rate hike in the first quarter of 2015.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 421.28 points, or 2.4 percent, to 17,778.15. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 48.34 points, or 2.4 percent, to 2,061.23. The Nasdaq Composite gained 104.08 points, or 2.2 percent, to 4,748.40.

Woman sues over elevator fall at Fenway

A 22-year-old woman who fell two stories down an elevator shaft at Fenway Park and was seriously injured is suing the owner of the Boston Red Sox and an elevator company.

Elisabeth Scotland of Brigantine, N.J., sued Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court against Fenway Sports Group and Otis Elevator Co. of Farmington, Conn. The suit seeks an unspecified amount in damages.

The suit says Scotland fell when a closed elevator door opened when she brushed up against it, and she suffered a traumatic brain injury, spinal injuries, facial fractures and dental damage.

A Red Sox spokesman declined to comment on the accident, but said all Fenway Park elevators are safe and the team wishes Scotland well.

Whidden Hospital workers ratify pact

Union health care workers at Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett announced yesterday they ratified a new contract agreement with Cambridge Health Alliance that grants them raises and a minimum start rate of $15 an hour, effective July 1, according to 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

The agreement covers more than 230 caregivers at the hospital, the union said.

Emerson announces dorm starts

Emerson College has announced plans to begin construction of two student housing projects that will increase its Boston undergraduate housing capacity by more than 33 percent.

In April, Emerson College will begin construction at 1–3 Boylston Place on an 18-story, 380-bed student housing project. The college also plans to renovate its largest student residence hall, known as the Little Building, located at 80 Boylston St., adding 290 new student beds to the 750 beds currently in the building.

• Newburyport's Muzzy Lane Software, a developer of game-based educational software, announced that Conall Ryan, left, has joined the company as president and chief executive officer. Ryan previously served as executive vice president of Houghton Mifflin Co., where he guided the development of the first Curious George digital titles.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Weak coffee sales hurt Dunkin’ Donuts earnings

Dunkin' Brands announced weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter sales and lowered its 2015 outlook yesterday, blaming declining sales of Dunkin' Donuts' packaged coffee and continued pressure on consumers.

Shares fell as much as 9.45 percent yesterday to $41.85 — the most since Dunkin' Brands' 2011 initial public offering — before closing at $43.05, down 6.86 percent.

"This has been a challenging year for our businesses," CEO Nigel Travis said in a statement. "While our earnings growth expectations for 2015 are below our longer-term targets, we are committed to returning to double-digit growth in the subsequent years."

Struggling joint-venture Dunkin' restaurants in Korea and Baskin-Robbins in Japan also remain under pressure and are forecast to negatively impact 2015 results, according to Travis.

"We are disappointed by the ongoing softness in Dunkin' U.S. (comparable-store sales), which was attributed to a tough environment — presumably being caused by heightened competition — and decelerating sales of packaged coffee — probably weakness in K-cups," Baird Equity Research analyst David Tarantino said in a research note yesterday.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Innovation expansion urged: Four areas envisioned as new Boston ‘districts’

A task force appointed in September by Mayor Martin J. Walsh is eyeing four neighborhoods as potential innovation hubs, Boston's economic development czar said yesterday.

Although its final recommendations are not due until Jan. 30, the four areas most discussed by the Neighborhood Innovation District Committee are East Boston, the Bowdoin-Geneva and Fields Corner sections of Dorchester, and Dudley Square in Roxbury to Uphams Corner in Dorchester, said John Barros, who co-chairs the committee.

"Mayor Walsh sees an opportunity to bring the innovation economy into Boston's neighborhoods," said Melina Schuler, a spokeswoman for the mayor. "The recommendations being made by the Neighborhood Innovation District Committee are first steps in establishing how communities can participate and benefit from this new type of entrepreneurship and job creation."

While government can be the catalyst for that, the private sector "can make it real and sustainable," as has been the case with MassChallenge, said Scott Bailey, senior director of partnerships for the Boston-based startup accelerator and competition.

"The real challenge in any of these neighborhoods is how do you keep them included in what's going on in other places," Bailey said. "It's not about building a cluster and leaving it off on its own."

Charles Teague, CEO of Lose It!, a startup that makes software to help people lose weight, said when his company was looking for a location, it chose Boston's Innovation District because it was more affordable than Cambridge's Kendall Square and had a vibrant community of tech companies working on some of the same problems. He worries that sense of community could be "fragmented" if the city creates other innovation districts.

But Tim Rowe, founder and CEO of the Cambridge Innovation Center, said: "Innovation-driven prosperity can't remain the province of just a few neighborhoods. If Boston wasn't pursuing this, we'd be asking it to."

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gas pipeline woes halt National Grid hookups on Cape

Residents of eight Cape Cod towns will have to wait years before new natural gas lines can be installed after National Grid instituted a moratorium on new hookups.

The company will not install any new gas connections for five to seven years after the Department of Public Utilities and National Grid found potentially faulty welds — some almost 60 years old — in a 21-mile pipeline on the Cape, forcing­ National Grid to lower the pressure in the transmission line, which cut the amount of gas it can carry.

The pipeline will not be able to supply gas to more customers until infra­structure fixes are made, work that has no exact timetable.

"We're going to have to do some pretty significant infrastructure enhancement work," said National Grid spokesman Jake Navarro.

The work will prevent potential customers in Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Barnstable and Yarmouth from hooking up to the gas supply.

Navarro said National Grid has about 100,000 customers on the Cape, and was adding between 800 and 1,000 each year.

DPU spokeswoman Mary-Leah Assad said in a statement that the agency is looking into the situation.

"The DPU's Pipeline Safety & Engineering Division is engaged in an on­going investigation to determine the integrity of the gas main and ensure it is in compliance with federal and state regulations," she said.

National Grid does not believe any other pipelines in the state will need the same kind of repairs, Navarro said.

Meanwhile, Nstar yesterday filed for a 12 percent delivery rate increase, citing­ rising costs to deliver gas to homes. That comes after Nstar said it would increase its supply rates by 29 percent due to rising demand for natural gas.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fung Wah gets feds’ conditional approval

Nearly two years after shutting it down, federal regulators have given Boston-­based Fung Wah Bus Transportation conditional approval to resume carrying passengers, but authorities say they'll be watching to see if the company slips back into a pattern of safety violations and mismanagement.

"It is essential that all private bus companies operating on our local streets are properly permitted, are following current regulations and guidelines with regard to their business practices, and are picking up and dropping off passengers at locations approved by the city," said Kate Norton, spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

Effective Dec. 11, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration authorized Fung Wah — known for its cheap fares to New York City — to resume operations, based on a negotiated safety management plan and the company's acceptance of five conditions: that it hire qualified managers responsible for safety and government compliance; that it limit service routes and trips during the first 60 days of operation; that it ensure all drivers are trained and tested, and install on-board devices to record their duty status; that it ensure — through training, monitoring and disciplinary action — that drivers do not exceed the speed limit; and that it agree to heightened monitoring by the FMCSA for four years.

In a statement yesterday, Fung Wah President Pei Lin Liang said: "We are working diligently to resume safe, effective and affordable passenger transportation service between New York and Boston. We are in the process of working with federal, state and local authorities to demonstrate that a new page has been turned."

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Utilities, which inspects buses on behalf of the FMCSA, said Fung Wah does not need DPU's authorization to operate.

The MBTA, which owns South Station, has not received a formal request from Fung Wah to resume operations there, spokeswoman Kelly Smith said.

In March 2013, the FMCSA­ shut down the bus company after it refused to turn over safety records. The agency subpoenaed the documents, which showed, among other things, falsified maintenance records and a failure to drug-screen drivers.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony has 'no further release plans' for 'The Interview'

Sony Pictures Entertainment has walked out on "The Interview," deciding against releasing the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy in any form -- including VOD or DVD.

"Sony Pictures has no further release plans for the film," a spokesman said Wednesday.

The studio issued the statement a few hours after pulling the planned Christmas Day release of "The Interview" in the U.S. in response to the hackers who threatened to attack movie theaters and moviegoers if the comedy were released.

By late Wednesday afternoon, the studio had removed any mention of "The Interview" from its official web site.

The move could open the door for Sony to sell the rights to a rival distributor -- though Hollywood is still reeling from Tuesday's invocation of a possible 9/11-type terrorist attack on exhibitors if they screened "The Interview."

Prior to the decision to pull the film, a Sony Pictures insider had told Variety that the studio was weighing releasing the film on premium video-on-demand. Such a move would have allowed the studio to recoup some of the film's $42 million budget and tens of millions in promotion and advertising expenditures.

Sony's nightmare began on Nov. 24 when the "Guardians of Peace" hackers disabled the studio's computer system and began disclosing internal documents, email messages, film budgets, executive salaries and the social security numbers of thousands of employees.

"The world will be full of fear," the group's Tuesday message said. "Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you'd better leave.)"

In response, most of the country's largest theater chains -- including AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Carmike and Southern Theatres -- announced they would either delay showing the picture or would drop it altogether.

"The Interview" centers on an assassination attempt on North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. There has been speculation that the country may be involved in the hacking as retaliation for the film, though it has denied involvement.

On Wednesday, several published reports said that federal authorities had determined that hackers working on behalf of the North Korean government were behind the hack attack. CNN's Evan Perez said that an announcement is expected on Thursday that would "assign attribution" to the country.

"The Interview" has been scheduled for release in foreign markets starting in late January.

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

]]>

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Reports: North Korea ordered the Sony attack

Federal authorities have determined that hackers working on behalf of the North Korean government were behind the attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, according to published reports.

"We have found linkage to the North Korean government," a source told CNBC.

CNN's Evan Perez said that an announcement is expected on Thursday that would "assign attribution" to the country, which threatened retaliation over the release of "The Interview."

An FBI official said that the agency had no immediate comment because the investigation is ongoing. But they are expected to issue a statement on their findings within the next day. A spokesman for the National Security Council also had no comment.

The New York Times reported that U.S. officials had differences of opinion on whether the hackers were aided by Sony insiders. The Times reported that U.S. officials had determined that North Korea was "centrally involved" in the attacks on Sony.

It's unclear what kind of action the U.S. may take, if any, in response, or whether it would issue any kind of an official statement. The White House had no immediate comment.

In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, President Obama said that his administration was taking the hacker attack seriously but that "for now my recommendation would be, go to the movies."

Sony announced that it was pulling the movie from release after major theater chains decided not to show it. On Tuesday, the studio said that it was leaving a decision of whether to show the movie to exhibitors. That came after the hackers issued a threat of physical harm and a "9/11" style attack at theaters where the movie was being shown. But an official with the Department of Homeland Security told media outlets that there was "no credible intelligence" showing an active plot.

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

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony hack: Lionsgate sought merger talks with Sony, says report

Lionsgate Entertainment made an approach to Sony Corp in the middle of this year, according to Sony emails leaked by hackers.

The Reuters news agency today reported that the emails show a conversation between activist investor Daniel Loeb and Nicole Seligman, president of Sony Corp of America, and between Seligman and Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton.

Seligman reported Loeb as saying in mid Aug. that Lionsgate executives wanted to meet Sony Corp CEO Kazuo Hirai, "to toss around ideas for a merger or acquisition."

Hirai declined the meeting, but expressed interest in collaboration at an operational level.

Lynton apparently responded that it would be "very disruptive" if the 'lionsgate stuff gets out."

Sony Corp. at the time was under pressure from Loeb to spin off the profitable SCE from the rest of the consumer electronics to games group which has been struggling for years to fend off a succession of loss-making issues. Sony considered, but rejected Loeb's spin-off idea, and in October Loeb revealed that he had sold his Sony stock.

Lionsgate has this year also been the focus of merger and acquisition speculation with both China's Alibaba and Wanda touted as possible suitors.

Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns wrote to both Hirai and Seligman again on Sept 6. announcing: "we remain very intrigued by the possibility of working together."

On Sept. 18 Hirai wrote back: "Given our entertainment business strategy, I don't believe a meeting with me would be fruitful or a good use of your time.…. However, we are always interested in the possibility of smart collaboration between studios at the operational level."

Reuters said that it was unable to establish the authenticity of the documents and emails. Daniel Leob's Third Point hedge fund is an investor in Variety.

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

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stocks mostly lower before Fed statement

BEIJING — Global stocks were mostly lower Wednesday as oil prices tumbled again while investors waited for a U.S. Federal Reserve statement on monetary policy.

KEEPING SCORE: In early trading, Germany's DAX shed 1 percent to 9,471.58 points and France's CAC-40 was off 0.9 percent at 4,056.06. Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 0.8 percent to 6,283.22. Wall Street looked set for a rebound. Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 were both up 0.5 percent. On Tuesday, the S&P lost 0.9 percent and the Dow ended down 0.7 percent.

FED MEETING: The Federal Reserve was due to end a two-day meeting on Wednesday with a statement that, despite turmoil in Russia, was expected to drop a promise to keep interest rates low for a "considerable time." Analysts expected no immediate change in monetary policy, which the Fed has said would return to normal sometime next year following its history-making stimulus in the aftermath of the 2008 global crisis.

THE QUOTE: "The dominant theme is nervous trading in emerging markets as the Federal Reserve is tipped to switch to a hawkish bias," said Stan Shamu of IG Markets in a report. "While the US economy has been progressing significantly, the challenge will be how to proceed given the backdrop of turmoil in the rest of the world. The U.S. has been immune to events abroad so far but perhaps this will worry the Fed enough to exercise caution."

ASIA'S DAY: China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.3 percent to 3,061.02 points and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 added 0.4 percent to 16,819.73. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was off 0.4 percent at 22,585.84 and Seoul's Kospi lost 0.2 percent to 1,900.16. Taiwan, Singapore and Manila also were down while Sydney, Bangkok and New Zealand rose.

RUBLE ROCKED: The ruble dropped 20 percent under pressure from lower oil prices and Western sanctions over Moscow's conflict with Ukraine. That was despite a decision by Russia's central bank to hike its benchmark interest rate to support the ruble. "The end is near for Russia's economic and financial stability," said Carl B. Weinberg of High Frequency Economics in a report. Weinberg warned foreign creditors might face a wave of defaults by Russian borrowers. Apple Inc. halted sales in Russia, blaming the financial turmoil.

OIL SLUMP: Crude prices fell further from already-low levels, hammering stocks of energy producers. U.S. crude was down $1.01 to $54.92 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 2 cents the previous session to $55.93. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 76 cents to $59.23 per barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 117.12 yen from 117.07 yen late Tuesday. The euro fell to $1.2469 from the previous day's $1.2502.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony ex-employees hit studio with another class action suit over hack attack

Two ex-employees of Sony Pictures Entertainment have filed a class action suit against the studio, claiming that it was negligent in protecting personal information and also in planning for the release "The Interview" in the face of a threat of a hacker attack.

The lawsuit was filed by production coordinator Susan Dukow, whose credits include "Last Action Hero and "Jerry Maguire," and Yvonne Yaconelli, production manager on "Spider-Man II," "The Green Hornet' and "The Smurfs 3D."

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, is the second filed in the past day related to the hacking attack. Two ex-employees filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles late Monday.

The latest lawsuit makes some similar claims, but also that Sony "knew the risks and repercussions associated with releasing" "The Interview," in which Seth Rogen and James Franco portray entertainment journalists recruited to kill North Korean leader Kim Jung Un. North Korea condemned the film, but has denied involvement in the hacker attack.

"Various news reports suggest the original script of 'The Interview' included a fake villain, but that Sony specifically changed the script to make North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un the film's villain," the lawsuit states, "Upon information and belief, Sony knew it was reasonably foreseeable that producing a script about North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un would cause a backlash. Upon information and belief, Sony executives were excited about the possibilities of producing a film with a real-world villain."

The lawsuit contends that Sony's "actions and inactions" related to the release of "The Interview" "created an unreasonable risk" of a security breach.

The FBI is investigating the breach, but has not said whether they have determined that North Korea was in fact connected to the hacking attack.

The lawsuit claims violations of the California Data Breach Act, invasion of privacy, violation of the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, and negligence.

The lawsuit claims that Sony "was aware its security devices were deficient and vulnerable," and that personal information fo employees and ex-employees was vulnerable.

An SPE spokeswoman said they had no comment.

The lawsuit was filed by Douglas Johnson, Neville Johnson and Brian Shippen-Murray of Johnson & Johnson in Beverly Hills.

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

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ruble volatile as Russians rush to stores

MOSCOW — The Russian government looked at ways of easing the selling pressure on the ruble Wednesday amid fears the country may face a full-blown bank run and as consumers look to buy big-ticket items before prices rise.

Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that the government is going to sell foreign currency "as much as necessary and as long as necessary." That, the hope is, would relieve the pressure on the ruble, particularly against the dollar.

The ruble has lost more than 50 percent of its value this year. After posting fresh losses early Wednesday, the ruble recovered some ground and was 0.9 percent lower at 68 rubles at 1.15 p.m. Moscow time (1015 GMT).

The ruble has suffered catastrophic losses this week as traders fretted over the impact of low oil prices on the Russian economy as well as the impact of Western sanctions imposed over Russia's involvement in Ukraine's crisis.

It has shed 15 percent of its value this week despite Tuesday's surprise move by Russia's Central Bank to raise its benchmark interest rate to 17 percent from 10.5 percent, which was intended to make it more attractive for currency traders to hold onto their rubles. At one point on Tuesday, it was down 20 percent.

In light of the currency's slide, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev hosted a meeting with the heads of Russia's largest exporters and pledged to implement a "package of measures" to stop the decline of the ruble. He said the details of the measures to be pursued will be hammered out at the meeting and these will be only "market steps."

"This is a very dangerous situation, we are just a few days away from a full-blown run on the banks," Russia's leading business daily Vedomosti said in an editorial on Wednesday. "If one does not calm down the currency market right now, the banking system will need robust emergency care."

Another option available to the Russian authorities to stem the selling tide could be imposing capital controls, but Russia's Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev on Tuesday denied that the government was considering doing so. However, he said the rate hike came too late.

The collapse of the national currency has spurred Russians to buy cars and home appliances before prices shoot higher. Several car dealership were reported to have suspended sales, unsure how far down the ruble will go, while Apple has halted all online sales in Russia. Swedish furniture giant IKEA is also due to raise prices Thursday, raising speculation that its stores will be very busy over the next few hours.

Whatever happens with the ruble over the coming days, the Russian economy is set to shrink next week by 0.8 percent if oil prices stay above $80 per barrel. With the oil prices the way they are, below $60, the Russian economy could contract by up to 5 percent.

Andrei Klepach, deputy chairman of the state-owned VEB bank, said in comments carried by Tass that the budget up to $1.6 billion because of a weaker ruble but he warned that "the economy is collapsing."

The ruble is likely to come under more pressure this week as President Barack Obama is expected to sign legislation authorizing new economic sanctions on Russia.

Russian officials sought to project a message of confidence on state television, dwelling on the advantages of ruble devaluation, such as a boost to domestic manufacturing.

The German government's coordinator for relations with Russia, Gernot Erler, said the economic crisis in Russia was largely the result of the drop in oil prices, not the sanctions imposed by the West.

"It's an illusion to think that if the sanctions were to fall away tomorrow, the Russian economy would suddenly be all right again," Erler told rbb-Inforadio on Wednesday.

___

Frank Jordans contributed to this report from Berlin.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Powdered alcohol? Not so fast, lawmakers say

DENVER — Powdered alcohol hasn't even arrived in stores yet, but states already are moving to ban the product touted by its inventor as an easy way to mix a drink on the go.

Colorado is the latest state considering prohibiting "Palcohol" amid concern it will increase underage drinking. The product is marketed as an ounce of rum or vodka in powdered form, which is then added to water.

Each serving is the equivalent of a shot of liquor, according to Lipsmark, the company that owns Palcohol.

"I think being proactive and jumping out in front of the problem is probably the right thing to do," said Chris Johnson, executive director of the County Sheriffs of Colorado. "It really doesn't have any place in our society, powered alcohol. We have enough problems with the liquid kind."

Johnson said he fears powdered alcohol will make it easier for children to "sprinkle it on top of their Wheaties for breakfast" and increase the potential for alcohol poisoning.

"It can be a very dangerous thing," he said.

The company's website notes various instances where they argue the product would be convenient, including on flights and as an antiseptic on remote locations. Palcohol's creator, Mark Phillips, said he thought of the idea because it would be easier to carry powder for a drink during a long hike or other outdoor activities.

Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont already have banned powdered alcohol, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Minnesota, Ohio, and New York also are considering bans, the organization said.

In a video posted on the company's website, Phillips dismisses the concerns about underage drinking, noting the product would be sold only at liquor stores to people 21 and older. In the video, he also argues it would be impractical for people to snort the powder, as some critics fear, because it would be painful to do and the amount of powder in a package fills about half a glass tumbler.

The company doesn't expect Palcohol will be available in stores until spring 2015 at the earliest. They're still waiting for labeling approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The Food and Drug Administration said it does not have a legal basis to block the product after examining the non-alcoholic ingredients in the powder.

Lynne Barbour, director of communications for Palcohol, said states should control the product instead of banning it.

"We believe it should be regulated and taxed," she said in an email.

In addition to making Palcohol available as powdered rum and vodka, the company plans four cocktail varieties — Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Lemon Drop, and Powderita.

Republican Rep. JoAnn Windholz is sponsoring a bill to ban powdered alcohol in Colorado during the legislative session that begins next month. She said it's prudent for states to ban the product until they know how it can affect people if it happens to be stronger than liquid alcohol — another concern Phillips contends is unfounded.

Windholz said states should make sure they have a regulatory system in place before allowing powdered alcohol to be sold.

"It can be taken into schools, it can be taken into sports (events), Broncos games, whatever," she said.

___

Find Ivan Moreno on Twitter: http://twitter.com/IvanJourno

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

China imprisons businesswoman in rail graft case

BEIJING — A Beijing court on Tuesday sentenced a businesswoman linked to China's fallen ex-railway minister to 20 years in prison for bribery and interfering with bids for rail projects.

Ding Yuxin, formerly known as Ding Shumiao, illegally helped 23 companies win bidding for 57 projects and personally received 2 billion yuan ($330 million) for her efforts, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court said on its microblog.

Her actions severely disrupted the bidding system for railway contracts, the verdict said.

Ding, who only finished primary school, has been portrayed as a key intermediary for then-railways boss Liu Zhijun's corrupt dealings. Between 2004 and 2011, Ding offered some 49 million yuan in kickbacks to Liu, who helped her "illegally gain huge economic benefits," the court said.

Liu, known as the driving force behind China's bullet train network, was convicted last year of taking bribes and steering contracts to associates and received a suspended death sentence. A suspended death sentence in China is usually changed to life in prison after two years.

Ding was also fined 2.5 billion yuan ($410 million) and had assets worth 20 million yuan ($3 million) seized. She is at least the fourth person to be sentenced in relation to the Liu corruption scandal.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

The legal case for publishing Sony emails

On Sunday, media outlets received letters from famed attorney David Boies, representing Sony Pictures Entertainment, urging them to destroy or ignore the trove of hacked documents and e-mails from the hacking attack on the studio.

While his letter certainly may have given news organizations pause over what to do with the fountain of information coming their way, to actually hold the media legally liable for publishing information they have obtained looks to be a longshot.

In 2001, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled in favor of a radio station that broadcast an illegally intercepted cell phone conversation between labor officials over teacher salaries. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote that the First Amendment protected the broadcast of such issues of "public concern."

So would the Sony e-mails be of "public concern"?

Eugene Volokh, professor at the UCLA School of Law and author of the Volokh Conspiracy blog at the Washington Post, says that even though Boies didn't define what a "public concern" is, he sees some latitude for the media in this case because it involves a major corporation. He wrote on this issue Monday in a blog post.

"Sony is a very big important business," he says. "What it does has significance to the country economically. It is also significant culturally."

He adds, "As a result, communications from business people to other business people are things likely to be seen as a matter of public concern." Even emails about Angelina Jolie would be of "public concern," he argues, because she is not only a celebrity but a businesswoman with a cultural impact.

The case for the media is bolstered by another case, he notes. That is a 1969 D.C. Circuit decision that sided with the media in publishing articles based on documents stolen from the office of then Sen. Thomas Dodd (D-Conn.). Dodd sued, claiming invasion of privacy and "conversion," or the use of stolen property, but the court rejected that claim. (Dodd was the father of Christopher Dodd, the former senator and current chairman of the MPAA).

"When information is a matter of public concern, the court held, the fact that it was illegally leaked doesn't make publishing it an invasion of privacy," Volokh wrote on his blog.

Where media outlets could be held liable is if they publish such things as emails that disclose an individual's personal health information or Social Security numbers, or emails between mid-level employees gossiping about private information, Volokh notes. But most media outlets wouldn't be interested in such details anyway, he suggests.

Emails also are protected by copyright, and media outlets also could be held liable for infringement. But many publications have quoted excerpts of emails that are fair use or the "lawful use of facts," he says. A much harder case for the media to make would be if it published major portions of the script to the next James Bond movie, "SPECTRE."

While the media may be on a solid legal footing, that isn't to say that outlets are free from debate over the ethical or moral issues involved in publishing. With Aaron Sorkin and likely others weighing in, that debate is likely to continue for a long, long time.

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

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

HBO Go now available on Amazon Fire TV set-top

HBO Go, the premium cable network's Internet-video service, is now available on Amazon Fire TV set-top box -- an addition the e-commerce giant hopes will put the device on better footing with holiday shoppers against connected-TV rivals.

Amazon's Fire TV is adding the service, available only to HBO subscribers with a subscription through participating pay-TV providers, under the companies' multiyear content-licensing pact that made Prime Instant Video the exclusive online-based subscription VOD service to offer past seasons of HBO originals like "The Sopranos" and "The Wire."

Under the licensing deal for Amazon's Prime Instant Video, HBO specified that episodes for shows currently airing on the cabler will not arrive on the service until approximately three years after premiering on the network -- and excluded "Game of Thrones" entirely.

Now Fire TV users who also are HBO subs have access to all episodes of "Game of Thrones"  and other current programming. In all, HBO Go provides more than 1,700 titles, including every episode of the cabler's series, original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries, specials and a selection of movies.

In the spring of 2015, HBO Go also will be available on Fire TV Stick, Amazon's $39 HDMI dongle that's a response to Google Chromecast and the Roku Streaming Stick.

According to Amazon, since it launched the Fire TV this spring, the device has more than quadrupled its content selection, with over 700 apps and games now available. Those include apps for Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, WatchESPN, Vevo, Pandora and Showtime Anytime.

"Given our longstanding relationship with Amazon, we're delighted to bring HBO GO to Amazon's Fire TV -- offering our vast collection of award-winning TV series and movies to Fire TV users," said Jeff Dallesandro, HBO's VP of digital domestic network distribution.

Through Dec. 28, Amazon is selling the Fire TV box for $79 -- a 20% discount off the regular $99 price

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

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Europe stocks higher; Asia falls amid Sydney siege

European stocks inched higher Monday while Asian markets fell as weak Japanese data, slumping oil prices and a hostage situation in Australia's largest city induced caution.

KEEPING SCORE: In early European trading, France's CAC 40 was up 0.3 percent at 4,120.44 and Germany's DAX gained 0.1 percent to 9,600.89. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.1 percent to 6,307.59. Futures pointed to a rebound on Wall Street after Friday's decline, which produced the worst weekly loss in U.S. shares in more than two years. Dow futures were up 0.6 percent at 17,288 and S&P 500 futures gained 0.6 percent to 2,002.60.

OIL SLUMP: Oil inched higher after another rout on Friday that was sparked by the International Energy Agency saying that global demand will grow less than previously forecast next year. Oil has now fallen 47 percent since reaching a peak of $107 in June this year. On Monday, benchmark U.S. crude was up 41 cents at $58.22 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Lower oil prices should be positive for many countries but there are also worries the recent plunge is a sign of a sickly global economy.

JAPAN ELECTIONS: Japan's ruling coalition won a convincing victory in lower house elections Sunday, giving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democrats up to four more years to pursue economic and political reforms. But the "tankan" business survey released Monday highlighted challenges facing Abe's government which is using lavish monetary and fiscal stimulus to end two decades of economic stagnation. More than two-thirds of the large and medium-sized companies surveyed said they viewed the outlook for the coming quarter as "not so favorable."

THE QUOTE: "While the (Japan election) result was largely expected, I still feel there is room for buying dips in USD/JPY and the Nikkei given Prime Minister Abe is only likely to ramp up his strategy," said market strategist Stan Shamu at IG in Melbourne, Australia. "The fact that many continue to doubt whether Mr Abe is capable of delivering a successful economic strategy goes a long way toward contributing to the subdued price action. This only means Abe has to be even more aggressive to prevent failure."

SYDNEY SIEGE: A hostage situation is unfolding inside a cafe in Sydney, Australia with the nation's prime minister saying it may be "politically motivated." Five people have been able to flee from the cafe in downtown Sydney where a gunman took an unknown number of hostages at the height of Monday morning rush hour. Two people inside the cafe were earlier seen holding up a flag containing an Islamic declaration of faith that has often been used by extremists, raising fears that a terrorist incident was playing out in the heart of Australia's biggest city.

ASIAN SCORECARD: Japan's Nikkei 225 closed down 1.6 percent at 17,099.40. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1 percent to 23,027.85 and Seoul's Kospi shed 0.1 percent to 1,920.36. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.6 percent to 5,186.10. China's Shanghai Composite reversed losses to close up 0.5 percent at 2,953.42. Markets in Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia fell.

CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 118.39 yen from 118.83 yen late Friday. The euro fell to $1.2443 from $1.2464.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

The power and the danger of email! (just ask Sony execs!)

"COMMON sense is not so common," said Voltaire.

I KNOW I shouldn't be, but I continue to be astounded by what people at the highest levels of various business -- and just plain folks -- put into emails, on Facebook, iPhone, iCloud, Twitter, Instagram and whatever else is out there, making fools of so many.

I'm probably guilty of being too indiscreet at times in my own emails, but I can't imagine anybody mucking through my hard drive, or caring. Anyway, I still actually write notes, a lot of notes. And I make phone calls.

The latest computer hacking scandals, with movie executives calling Angelina Jolie a "minimally talented spoiled brat" and others making somewhat racist jokes about President Obama's taste in films, is amazing. Especially the latter. Not that these exchanges were so terrible, just people attempting to be "funny."

Does nobody think before pressing "send"? This is hardly the first hacking event, hardly the first time emails or photos have come back to bite movie actors and politicians in the backside. Not to mention all the regular people out there who have found intimate online conversations and picture exchanges made public and "gone viral."

Of course, sometimes these things are not accidents. Nobody can make me believe that the aide to a GOP congressman, who typed out a vicious Facebook rant about the daughters of President Obama, didn't know exactly what she was doing. That the remarks would get out, get big play and then be applauded by all those conservatives who irrationally loathe Obama boggles the mind. Her "apology" was a joke. She never mentioned the teenage girls she trashed. It was all about her prayer, and her parents and her regret. Her, her, her! Then she was fired. But I can't help feeling that is exactly what she wanted -- martyrdom. We'll see this person again, believe me.

EMBARASSED Hollywood execs will survive joking about Obama, especially with the president's popularity down.

Sony Picture's co-chairman, Amy Pascal, whose producer pal Scott Rudin trashed Angelina Jolie, actually has a bigger problem, although photos have surfaced of Pascal and Jolie embracing -- this after the "leak." In the pic, Jolie is staring blankly, with a slight grasp on Pascal. Amy has a firm two-armed grip on the star. Pascal's face is obscured, but you just know she's saying, "Angie, darling!"

The profits of Jolie's movies -- like those of all actors, even the biggest -- vary. But this actress remains probably the top female star in the world, still.

And it's not just Jolie. She and hubby Brad are a juggernaut, especially in certain types of films. Everybody wants a slice of that pie. And some people want to join in their philanthropies.

Bring back the postal service!

OH, and all the brouhaha over Sony's comedy "The Interview" about two idiots (James Franco and Seth Rogen) attempting to assassinate North Korea's Kim Jong-un, is well deserved.

What an appalling idea, no matter what kind of man or leader Kim is. Imagine if North Korea made a movie about assassinating an American president -- just for "fun." Nobody here would think it was very funny.

"IN HER EXQUISITE, almost painterly studies, in both individual portraits and in groups, Annie Leibovitz has produced an unparalleled portrait of the men and women who have driven the culture of the last half century," writes Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter.

This is just one of the quotes extolling Annie, and now for the gift for that person who thinks they have almost everything. "ANNIE'S BIG BOOK" comes for only $2,500 and is a collector's edition of No. 1,000 to 10,000 volumes of great photo after photo. (There is also an "Art Edition" for $5,000.) The promotion of this item from Taschen can be seen in their stores all over the world from Amsterdam to Brussels, Cologne, Hamburg, Hollywood, New York and Paris, of course. When you unfold the promo for this work of art with Whoopi Goldberg on the cover, barely exposing herself in a milk bath, you have to stretch both arms wide to look at it. (In addition to Whoopi, you can buy this very special book with Patti Smith, David Byrne or Keith Haring on the cover you select.)

I have been photographed by Annie myself, twice, but I'm betting I'm not in this work of art because everybody else is in it. And I don't know anybody who can afford to buy it. But there must be people simply itching to throw money around. And then they can pay extra for Marc Newson's specially designed tripod stand on which to display the book. Onward and upward with the arts!

SPEAKING OF spending money, I love it that almost every one of my Christmas cards so far is of famous people's children. I even heard from the controversial screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who helped make a star out of Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct," went so far as to threaten the Hollywood agent Michael Eisner, got off drug and eventually moved with the woman he loved (Naomi) to an aptly named Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and got religion. He quotes Mother Teresa in his card ("It is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand") and his boys Joe, Nick, John Law and Luke are movie star handsome themselves.

And just to keep our standards up here, how about the card and photo from Audrey and Martin Gruss, who I usually associate with Palm Beach. Their card shows them posing with a 1936 Bugatti Type 57 in front of Hampton Court Palace in London. (And Palm Beach natives used to say this marriage would "never last." I guess the Gruss family and the Bugatti showed them!)

I RECEIVED one of those "nostalgia" letters this week from Jim Mitchell, who, in his and my heyday, used to visit El Morocco every night -- he to "work" and me to look on. He expresses sadness over the death of former fashion designer and good guy, Luis Estevez, a friend of ours for over 50 years. Jim writes: "I arranged a party for Luis and his wife, Betty, to give at Le Bijou on West 4th Street in New York. It was to celebrate Vivien Leigh and Jean-Pierre Aumont, who were starring in "Tovarich" on Broadway.

At the supper party none other than Greta Garbo appeared, as well as Rock Hudson, George Hamilton, Arlene Dahl and Jerome Zipkin, who later scored as a friend of the Reagans. I just invited people and they came. I didn't know what I was doing in those days, as you told it in your memoir; we were both just having a ball observing the rich and famous at play. When word got around that Garbo and Rock were in Le Bijou, 1,000 people gathered outside the restaurant. There were lots of police on call. It was madness. But fun. And, p.s., Dolores Sherwood Guinle Littman Ruspoli Bosshard died this week in Palm Beach. Her ashes are being buried at Trinity Church in Manhattan on January 17. -- Too much sadness. I am going to start having a good time again this very night. You do too!"

YOU CAN plan to join the gang New Year's Eve at Barbetta, which has been operating on West 46th Street since 1906. Ballroom dancing to the Felix Swing Band, multicourse dinner, black tie suggested, white tie would be divine! Call 212-246-9171, or email barbetta100yrs(at)aol.com. Only $185 for a night to remember! Sorry I won't be there, I'll be having fun in the sun somewhere.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Union calls 3-day strike at German Amazon centers

BERLIN — A union has launched a three-day strike at five Amazon.com distribution centers in Germany, the latest in a string of walkouts in a long-running wage dispute with the American online retailer.

The ver.di union called workers at Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig, Graben, Rheinberg and Werne out on strike from early Monday until late Wednesday. It didn't say how many people would be involved. Amazon has more than 9,000 full-time employees in Germany.

The union has been pushing for higher pay, arguing Amazon workers receive lower wages than others in retail and mail-order jobs. Amazon says its distribution warehouses in Germany are logistics centers and employees earn relatively high wages for that industry.

Amazon said customers can expect punctual deliveries despite the walkouts in the pre-Christmas period, news agency dpa reported.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sales of macadamias soar in Korea after nut rage

SEOUL, South Korea — Nut rage imploded the career of a Korean Air Lines executive and embarrassed her family and country. Now South Korean retailers are experiencing the unexpected upside: a boom in sales of macadamias.

The flavorful macadamia nut was unfamiliar to many South Koreans until Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of Korean Air's chairman, ordered a flight attendant off a Dec. 5 flight from New York City after she was served them in a bag, instead of on a plate.

She resigned from executive roles including head of cabin service last week amid a storm of criticism about the tantrum that forced the flight to return to the gate. But macadamias are now a household name in South Korea and with curiosity about their taste piqued, sales are booming.

Auction, a South Korean unit of eBay and South Korea's second-largest e-commerce website, said Monday that sales of macadamias surged nearly 12-fold during the previous five days without any promotions. It said macadamias previously made up 5 percent of its nut sales but were now accounting for almost half.

South Korea's largest online shopping retailer, Gmarket, also owned by eBay, said Macadamia nut sales jumped 20 times during the six days to Sunday compared with the previous week.

The website of e-commerce firm Coupang showed Mauna Loa macadamia nuts had sold out, with about 100 users asking on the comments section for the product to be quickly restocked.

One Coupang user asked if Mauna Loa macadamia nuts are the same brand that delayed the Korean Air flight. Another person who identified themselves as a seller replied that they probably are because orders have shot up.

One user parodied Cho's behavior on the plane, leaving a comment that asked the seller to ship the macadamia nuts on plate, or get out.

Cho's over-mighty behavior hogged headlines around the world and spawned various parodies on the Internet.

Cho made a publicly apology last week. Her father also publicly apologized and said he should have raised her better.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Uber executive in dispute with San Francisco landlord

SAN FRANCISCO — An Uber executive who recently suggested launching a million-dollar campaign to investigate journalists critical of the ride-booking company is in a bitter dispute with the landlord of his rental condo.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday that Uber senior vice president Emil Michael filed a restraining order last year against his landlord. Michael accuses his landlord, tech industry lawyer John Danforth, of waging a harassment campaign designed to make Michael move.

A judge tossed out the request in September 2013, calling Michael's court filing borderline frivolous. Michael alleged that Danforth gave keys to the condo to several workers and, in one case, a "stranger" was discovered in his backyard.

Danforth told the judge that the stranger was a "highly experienced gardener" doing her "routine monthly watering and clean up." Danforth said the workers were a painter, a plumber, a locksmith and repairmen for appliances who entered the condo only after giving Michael 24 hours' notice.

But the dispute persists according to emails sent by Michael to Danforth reviewed by the Chronicle.

"This appears to be part of Mr. Michael's efforts to escalate (and/or short-cut) a landlord-tenant dispute," Danforth wrote to the judge, "something we have already tried to resolve through multiple contractor visits, two mediation sessions and protracted follow-up emails."

After the judge tossed out the case, Michael continued to send Danforth emails claiming Danforth is "snarky and jealous." Michael also claimed that he's friends with San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr who planned to call Danforth to warn him about "about your illegal entries to date and a warning about future ones."

Suhr said he knows Michael but that he isn't considered a friend.

"I know who he is. I've met him. We're not friends," Suhr said. Suhr said police were called to the condo last year because of dispute between Michael and Danforth. But police determined the dispute was a matter for the civil courts and not a criminal case.

Michael leased the renovated three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,986-square-foot condo from Danforth in June 2012 for $9,500 a month, lease and property documents show.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drug companiess to lose $65 billion on patents

Pharmaceutical companies will lose an estimated $65 billion in sales by 2019 due to patent expirations of leading drugs, according to one research and consulting firm.

The companies that will likely be hardest hit include Otsuka, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca, which has a research and development center in Waltham, according GlobalData.

Eli Lilly and AstraZemeca have seen profits fall in the central nervous system therapeutics market since 2010, with AstraZeneca losing the greatest share over the past three years, said Adam Dion, a GlobalData analyst covering healthcare industry dynamics.

AstraZeneca "has been bleeding sales" in that market since it lost its patent on Seroquel, a treatment for bipolar disorder, which led to the entry of cheaper, generic alternatives, Dion said.

The company's market share has dropped from about 9 percent in 2010 to about 3 percent last year, he said.

"In the United States, when a patent expires on a small-molecule drug, the generics can be many, and you can lose 90 percent of your revenues or more," said Seamus Fernandez, a Leerink Partners analyst. "That kind of competition decreases the sustainability of your revenue stream."

Eli Lilly's market share fell from 14.3 percent in 2010 to 11.2 percent in 2013, primarily due to decreasing sales of Zyprexa, which is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Dion said. Zyprexa sales have plunged from more than 
$5 billion to $1.2 billion since the company lost its U.S. patent exclusivity in 2011, he said.

Otsuka's anti-psychotic drug Abilify was the sales leader in the central nervous system market, with $9.5 billion last year, Dion said. But the company stands to lose $6.2 billion by 2019 as a result of generic competition after Abilify's U.S. patent expires next year, "making it the biggest victim of the pharmaceutical industry's current patent cliff," he said.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

New app hits the parking SPOT

For Boston drivers, easy and parking are two words rarely found together.

SPOT CEO Braden Golub wants to change that. His new mobile app launched on Thursday connects private spot owners and drivers looking for a place to park.

The idea was born out of necessity, said Golub, who was up early Saturday mornings feeding the meter on his girlfriend's car, when she stayed at his Back Bay apartment.

As he walked home, he noticed 20 out of the 25 spots in his private lot empty.

"I would've gladly paid someone to park her car in one of those empty spots," he said. "There's got to be a better way."

Through the app, spot owners rent their unused space for anywhere from an hour to a month and SPOT takes a 15 percent cut on the transaction.

Owners set their own price, which is generally 40-60 percent cheaper than nearby garages.

Touted as the airbnb.com of parking, SPOT amassed 6,000 users since its beta launch in June.

About 90 percent of those users are renters, while only 10 percent are spot owners, but Golub said he hopes to build up inventory in the coming months.

Allston resident Sasha Garfunkel uses SPOT to find parking in Brookline when she visits her boyfriend.

"It's been really easy and convenient," she said. "In Brookline you're not allowed to park anywhere and sometimes I'd have to have my boyfriend come pick me up, so I jumped on the opportunity not to have to do that."

Golub took other cities into consideration for the launch, but found Boston was the "perfect geographical area" for an app like SPOT.

Since SPOT only deals with private property, they have not run into any issues with the city.

SPOT plans to expand to Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco in early 2015.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hackers to Sony: ‘Christmas gift’ to be the worst

Sony hackers have promised to release a disastrous "Christmas gift" that will "put Sony Pictures into the worst state" — another round of embarrassing personal emails, according to multiple news reports.

One of the emails allegedly ridicules Leonardo DiCaprio for passing on an upcoming Steve Jobs biopic.

"Was this about the deal ... or did he just change his mind," movie producer Mark Gordon said in a leaked email, which was published online yesterday. "The latter," responded Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal, reports state.

The Sony hack, which was first reported last month, has not only revealed thousands of private emails sent by top executives, it also made thousands of employee Social Security numbers public and leaked five new Sony films, including the "Annie" remake, Brad Pitt's "Fury," and "Still Alice" to online file-sharing hubs.

In one of the leaked messages, Oscar-winning movie producer Scott Rudin reportedly called Angelina Jolie a "minimally talented spoiled brat," according to multiple reports.

But it looks like the worst is yet to come — "We are preparing for you a Christmas gift," reads a message from the hackers that was posted online yesterday, according to Variety. "The gift will be larger quantities of data. And it will be more interesting. The gift will surely give you much more pleasure and put Sony Pictures into the worst state."

Evidence is mounting that North Korea, outraged over the upcoming comedy "The Interview," may have launched the cyber attack.

The comedy is about a pair of hack TV journalists — played by Seth Rogen and co-star James Franco — who are recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong Un after they land an interview with the North Korean leader.

North Korea's state-run news agency KCNA declared the film an "act of war" and promised "a merciless counter-measure" if the U.S. allowed it to be distributed.

"The Interview" is set to be released in theaters Christmas Day.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More