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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Updates have duplex seeming brand new

This Beacon Hill duplex near the State House is newly redone, thanks to many improvements the current owners have made in the past year.

The first-floor and basement Unit 47 at 47 Mount Vernon St. is one of 14 condos in two adjoining brick buildings. The two-
bedroom, 2,286-square-foot duplex, on the market for $1,750,000, has three full bathrooms, one of which is completely new and another just renovated.

A private vestibule entrance leads from Mount Vernon Street through a French door into an oak-floored foyer with a coat closet. To the right is a spacious living/dining area with two large windows, refinished walnut-stained oak floors, a stainless steel fan and a woodburning fireplace. The dining area has a rope-suspended chandelier.

The adjacent recessed-lit galley kitchen has just been redone with 30 white cabinets, gray granite counters and glass mosaic tile backsplashes. The stainless steel Jenn Air appliances are only a few years old.

On the other side of the living/dining area is a newly carpeted bedroom with paneled wainscoting. Across the hall sits a newly redone bathroom with gray porcelain tile floors, a pedestal sink and glass mosaic tile surround for a tub/shower.

Oak stairs lead down to a large newly carpeted master bedroom suite on the basement level with recessed lighting and a stainless steel fan above. The current owners combined two closets into one large walk-in with a centerpiece built-in dresser with wardrobe spaces on either side.

A en-suite master bathroom features double green granite-topped vanities, a granite-topped raised whirlpool tub and a ceramic tiled walk-in shower.

Down a carpeted hallway are several closets, one of which holds a stacked Samsung washer/dryer.

Off the hallway is a carpeted study, currently used as a nursery, that doesn't count as a third bedroom because it lacks a window. There's a utility area off this room that holds the central heating and air-conditioning systems with enough room left over for a workshop.

At the end of the hall, the current owners have installed a new full bathroom with a gray porcelain tile floor, a white ceramic sink and porcelain-tiled tub and shower.

The unit doesn't come with an on-site parking space, and spaces at nearby garages such as Boston Common and on Cambridge Street will run around $300 a month.

Home Showcase

• Address: 47 Mount Vernon St., 
Unit 47, Beacon Hill
• Bedrooms: Two
• Bathrooms: Three full
• List price: $1,750,000
• Square feet: 2,286
• Price per square foot: $766
• Annual taxes: $13,238
• Monthly condo fee: $390
• Location: Near corner of Mount Vernon and Joy streets, about a quarter mile down Beacon Hill to retail and restaurants on Charles Street. Several blocks from offerings on Cambridge Street, including Whole Foods market.
• Built in: 1850; converted to condo 1982, updated 2012-14
• Broker: Melinda Sarkis of Hammond 
Residential at 617-587-4609

Pros:

• Spacious living dining area with fireplace
• Newly added full bathroom on lower level
• Redone kitchen and refurnished hardwood floors

Cons:

• Master bedroom on basement level without windows
• No on-site parking

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The Ticker

Rosengren: No rush for Fed to raise rates

Federal Reserve officials shouldn't be in a hurry to unwind monetary stimulus because elevated slack in the U.S. job market is keeping inflation below the Fed's target, said Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren.

"Significant excess capacity remains in labor markets," Rosengren said yesterday in a speech at an annual conference held by the New Hampshire and Vermont Bankers Associations in Boston. "It seems to me appropriate for monetary policy to continue to be patient in the interest of ensuring that the economy reaches full employment and the 2 percent inflation target as quickly as possible."

S&P sets another record high

U.S. stocks ended higher yesterday, lifting the S&P 500 to a fresh closing high, after a weaker-than-expected jobs report was taken as a sign that the Federal Reserve will not begin raising interest rates anytime soon. Stocks had traded lower after the government reported fewer U.S. jobs were created in August than expected. By early afternoon, however, major indexes turned positive, led by utilities. Fed officials have made it clear that they see the labor market as still struggling, which partially justifies keeping rates at rock-bottom levels.

Foes of Mass. bottle deposit expansion bill have already spent $5.4 million

Opponents of proposed expansion of the state's deposit law have already pumped more than 
$5.4 million into a campaign to defeat the question on the November ballot.

Nearly all the money — $5 million — came from the Washington-based American Beverage Association, a trade association representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry.

The ballot question would expand the current law to include bottled water and other non-carbonated beverages not included in the original law. It is Question 2 on the ballot.

Supporters of the question have raised about $293,000. The bulk of that has come from the Massachusetts Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups say updating the decades-old law will reduce litter and encourage recycling.

Critics say it will hurt small businesses by forcing them to handle an increase in bottle returns.

L Rockland Trust announced that Elizabeth K. Souza, left, has joined its investment management group as vice president and financial consultant. She serves clients in the New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Rochester, and Wareham areas. Prior to joining Rockland Trust, Elizabeth served as a senior financial advisor at Santander Investment Services for the past 12 years.

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