Lincoln Continental, the car of presidents, is returning

DEARBORN, Mich. — Elvis Presley had one; so did Clark Gable. It was even the sedan of presidents. Then the name vanished amid an invasion of newer luxury cars from Europe and Asia.

Now, the Lincoln Continental is back.

Thirteen years after the last Continental rolled off the assembly line, Ford Motor Co. is resurrecting its storied nameplate. The new Continental debuts in concept form at this week's New York auto show. The production version of the full-size sedan goes on sale next year.

After more than a decade of toying with alphabetical names like LS and MKS to be more like its foreign rivals, Ford's 98-year-old Lincoln brand is embracing its heritage. It's a measure of the growing confidence at Lincoln, which is finally turning around a decades-long sales decline. And it's a nod to the importance of China, where customers know the Continental name and appreciate brands with a rich history.

Ford CEO Mark Fields says the Continental always represented the best of Lincoln. Resurrecting it sets higher expectations, both within the company and outside of it.

"When we get a chance to work on an iconic nameplate like that, it's a mixture of pride and a mixture of fear, because when you put that name out there, it's got to deliver," Fields told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

The Continental was born in 1938, when Henry Ford's son Edsel commissioned a convertible he could use on his spring vacation. Thrilled by the reception he got as he drove the elegant sedan around Palm Beach, Edsel made the Continental part of Lincoln's lineup.

The Continental soon became the pinnacle of American luxury. Warner Brothers gave Elizabeth Taylor a 1956 Continental with a custom paint color to match her eyes. A darker historical note: John F. Kennedy was riding in the back of a 1961 Continental convertible when he was assassinated in Dallas.

Continental sales peaked in 1990 at 62,732. But after that, Lincoln's sales began slipping.

Ford had acquired other luxury brands such as Jaguar and Volvo. Lincoln's designs got dull and failed to stand out from lower-priced Fords. The Continental was also squeezed by competition from the midsize Lincoln LS, which debuted in 2000, and the bigger Town Car.

Ford also underestimated the threat posed by German rivals, who were expanding their lineups, and newer Japanese luxury brands. By 2000, Lexus was the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S.; last year, BMW was.

To make its way back, Lincoln isn't trying isn't trying to be sporty like BMW or showy like Cadillac. Instead, Fields says, it wants to give drivers an experience that is elegant and serene.

"We want folks to get into our vehicles and — for lack of a better term — chill," Fields said.

It appears to be working. Lincoln's U.S. sales rose 16 percent last year, making it one of the fastest-growing luxury brands in the market. The midsize MKZ was the brand's top seller.

Full-size sedans like the Continental are a tough sell in the U.S., where buyers tend to prefer midsize sedans or SUVs. U.S. sales of Lincoln's current full-size sedan, the MKS, fell 24 percent last year.

But globally, the segment is growing, Fields says. Ford has high hopes for the Lincoln brand in China, where it's opening dazzling new dealerships complete with waterfalls. Ford began selling Lincolns in China late last year, and the company will open more than 20 dealerships there this year.

The concept car being unveiled Monday in New York is painted a deep Prussian blue, an homage to Continentals of the 1950s and 1960s. But there are few other references to its history.

Lincoln's split-wing grille, a feature that dates to the 1940s, has been replaced by a tight, rectangular mesh grille, its shiny chrome patterned with tiny versions of Lincoln's rectangular logo. The sides are smooth; even the door handles are hidden within a narrow strip of chrome at the beltline.

The concept is a technology showcase. The driver's seat has a patented split cushion, so if the driver holds one leg out further than another, it will support each leg separately. The moonroof glass turns opaque with the touch of a button. Another button automatically moves the front passenger seat forward and fully reclines the rear passenger seat. That's another nod to China, where luxury car owners often have their own drivers.

Under the hood is a 3-liter V6 EcoBoost engine that's unique to Lincoln. Ford isn't yet revealing more details, like whether the car is front- or rear-wheel drive. The Continental switched to a front-wheel-drive sedan in the 1980s, but many of its current competitors — the Infiniti Q70, Mercedes Benz S-Class and Lexus LS — are rear-wheel drive.

The Continental is expected to replace the seven-year-old MKS, which currently sits atop Lincoln's car lineup.

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Autodesk headed to Boston

Silicon Valley software design giant Autodesk is moving into Boston, and will open up its new Seaport District office to startups and researchers, focused on the construction industry's innovation needs.

"The Seaport area for us is a perfect location because of the creative activity that's going on right now," said Autodesk spokesman Paul Sullivan. "We really wanted to be in the heart of the academic community."

Autodesk and Mayor Martin J. Walsh will formally announce the move today.

"We're going to make sure we signal this is really important to the city," said John Barros, chief of economic development for Boston. "We want to try to bring (companies) back into the city and (Autodesk) symbolizes an important company coming in and saying to other companies, 'You should come to Boston.' "

Barros said a company such as Autodesk represents the kind of business the city is hoping to attract and retain.

"This is the kind of company we want, these are the kind of jobs we want. This is perfect," Barros said. "This is a company that's at the nexus of Boston's innovation economy and manufacturing, this is advanced manufacturing, this is exactly where we think the sweet spot is."

Autodesk, which makes design software, will move about 175 jobs to the new office at 23 Drydock Ave. from its current office in Waltham. The new office will span 70,000 square feet across three floors at the Boston Design Center, with an option to expand an additional 50,000 square feet. Autodesk plans to move in later this year.

The space will also include a "Building Innovation Learning & Design" space, complete with tools including laser scanners, robots and robotic manipulators, large-scale 3-D printers and water-jets.

"This particular facility is going to be focused more on our building and construction industry," Sullivan said. Autodesk makes a suite of software for architects and building engineers.

The company will also expand its startup in residence program, bringing in companies that fit with Autodesk.

"We're going to be looking around Boston for different creative minds that are out there looking to do great things but they need a little bit of help, they need a little space, they need a little technology," he said. The program has about seven companies right now.

Autodesk plans to start a similar program for researchers.

The company has strengthened its Boston connections recently, including acquiring local Web- and app-development company Terrible Labs and working with connected-office company Robin and 3-D printing company Voxel8.

City Hall has put emphasis on keeping technology companies in the city as well as attracting new companies. Late last year, LogMeIn received a tax break to expand its headquarters and stay in Boston. Autodesk is not receiving any tax incentives for the move to the city.

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The Ticker

Forecasters boost outlook for economy

A business economics group has boosted its outlook for U.S. economic improvement this year and next, particularly for job growth.

The March report from the National Association for Business Economics forecasts more hiring, a lower unemployment rate, a lower inflation rate and more growth in consumer spending in 2015, compared to the group's forecast December 2014.

The report, released early today, also predicts more investment by businesses in both equipment and intellectual property, as well as modest growth in stock prices.

Other factors driving the improved forecast include an increased pace of activity in the housing sector, the strong dollar and continued low oil prices.

The NABE report did contain some negatives, however. Those include a widening U.S. trade deficit in 2015, a 
0.1 percent dip in 2015 hourly compensation growth from December's prediction to 2.5 percent, and scaled-back forecasts for 2015 corporate profit growth, down 2 percentage points to 4.7 percent from December's forecast.

Fishermen to discuss future of shuttered Maine shrimp fishery

Fishery regulators are holding a public hearing in Portland to discuss the future of New England's closed Maine shrimp fishery.

The shrimp fishery closed in 2013 and has yet to reopen because of concerns about shrimp population levels. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is collecting feedback from the public about establishing a limited fishery for the shrimp "for use in the future if and when the stock recovers and the fishery can be re-opened."

The Portland hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. today at the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal Conference Room.

Fishermen from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts harvested Maine shrimp prior to the collapse of the fishery in 2013. Regulators held prior public hearings about shrimp season in Rockport, Maine, Portsmouth, N.H., and Gloucester.

TODAY

 Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for February.

 National Association of Realtors releases pending home sales index for February.

TOMORROW

 Standard & Poor's releases S&P/Case-Shiller index of home prices for January.

 Conference Board releases the Consumer Confidence Index for March.

WEDNESDAY

 Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index for March.

 Commerce Department releases construction spending for February.

 Automakers release vehicle sales for March.

THURSDAY

 Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.

 Commerce Department releases international trade data for February.

 Commerce Department releases factory orders for February.

 Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates.

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PlayStation gets Spotify, replacing Sony's own music service

NEW YORK — Spotify is coming to the PlayStation, replacing Sony's own Music Unlimited service, as the company continues to expand the game console into an entertainment hub beyond video games.

Spotify hits the PlayStation 3 and 4 on Monday, with a new app adapted for large television screens. Sony says partnering with Spotify expands its music service to 41 countries, rather than the 19 available with Music Unlimited, and offers better tools for playlists and music discovery.

PlayStation users have long been able to watch DVDs and stream Netflix, Amazon and YouTube shows with the console. Just two weeks ago, Sony launched an online television service, PlayStation Vue, offering more than 50 over-the-air and cable channels starting at $50 a month.

Spotify has 60 million active users worldwide, including 15 million paid subscribers. Its music app is available on some Internet-connected TVs and set-top boxes, but Spotify says it worked closely with Sony to optimize its service for the PlayStation. Notable features include: the ability to listen to music while playing a game and still listening to sound effects, or automatically pausing the game while changing volume or playlists.

The service is free with ads, or costs $10 a month for a premium ad-free version that offers offline playback. Although free users aren't allowed to choose specific songs on mobile devices, they will be able to on the PlayStation, just as they now do on traditional computers.

Customers who do not already have a Spotify account can sign up on the PlayStation. Existing Spotify customers will get access to the PlayStation app with their usual sign-in. Music Unlimited subscribers won't be automatically switched over; those that subscribe on other devices such as Sony phones, will need to get the Spotify app.

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Mad*Pow forum mixes health care, design, tech

As co-founder and chief experience officer at Mad*Pow, a Portsmouth, N.H.-based company that has offices in Boston, Amy Cueva focuses on "human-centered" design that "involves people — the ones who'll be affected by the solutions we create — in the creative process."

But the health care industry is "a little behind" in how it uses design, Cueva said, because organizations such as hospitals and insurance companies, by their very nature, are risk-averse. So when she realized there was no forum that specifically addressed the overlap of health, design and technology, she created one.

This Wednesday and Thursday, about 500 designers, doctors, nurses and entrepreneurs from around the world will gather at the Westin Hotel in Boston's Seaport District for the fifth Health Experience Refactored conference.

"In the health care industry, one of the most complex problems is getting people to change their behavior," Cueva 
said. "We're telling people they need to lose weight, exercise more, eat better, watch their blood pressure. But behavior change really involves the overlap of design, technology and psychology. What leads to lasting change is finding out what people 
really want in their lives."

Cueva recalled one man who was diabetic and so overweight that he needed to use a wheelchair. He wanted to attend his daughter's wedding, but it was going to be held on a beach, which wouldn't be wheelchair-
accessible.

"So we designed a digital diabetic weight-loss program in partnership with Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston," she said. Mad*Pow took the classroom material from the center's weight-loss program and put it online, with videos and a social network for diabetics in the program.

"It was effective in supporting diabetic weight-loss," Cueva said. "Now, Joslin is exploring how to get that technology in the hands of other hospitals and clinicians so that it can help other patients."
Another of the 50 speakers at the conference is Jon Michaeli of MediSafe, an Israeli startup that raised $6 million earlier this year to open new office space in Boston.

MediSafe created an iOS and Android mobile app and cloud-synced database to remind people when to take their medication and alert their family or caretaker if they did not.

"It's really important to have a holistic approach," Michaeli said.

Another keynote speaker, Dr. Darshan Mehta, medical director of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, will focus on how stress affects health and how meditation can counter that stress. And, to help make his point, Mehta will lead the audience in a group meditation.

"This one will be unique, both in size and the number of savvy individuals with skepticism who'll be there, which is good," he said. "I'm hoping people will see that while we're talking about technological advances, let's not forget about the simple stuff."

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The Ticker

Fatal bird flu outbreak widens in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — An outbreak of a bird flu strain that is deadly to poultry deepened yesterday when state and federal officials confirmed a third Minnesota turkey farm has been infected, this time in one of the state's top poultry producing counties.

The federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said a commercial flock of 39,000 turkeys in Stearns County of central Minnesota has been infected with the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of avian influenza, which also killed tens of thousands of turkeys at two other farms in Pope and Lac qui Parle counties of western Minnesota.

The confirmation at the Pope County farm on March 5 marked the first detection of H5N2 in the Mississippi Flyway, a major bird migration route. H5N2 also was found within the next several days in commercial and backyard flocks in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. The same strain also has turned up in several western states in the Pacific Flyway.

More than 40 countries have banned poultry imports from Minnesota, the country's top turkey producing state, since the virus was first detected in the state.

British Airways accounts hacked

NEW YORK — Some British Airways frequent flier accounts have been hacked, but the airline said most personal information is safe. The London-based airline did not say how many accounts were compromised, but said they have been locked down and can no longer be accessed.

The breach apparently was the result of a third party using information obtained elsewhere on the Internet, via an automated process, to try to gain access to accounts. It follows problems for hotel companies Hilton and Starwood as well as United and American airlines.

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AG developing online claims system for consumers

The state Attorney General's office is working on an online system for people to file claims when its Consumer Protection Division obtains judgments or settlements calling for restitution to consumers.

The idea of an online claims system was broached as a way to make the claims process easier on consumers in a recent Boston Herald Radio interview with Attorney General Maura Healey.

Earlier this month, Healey announced a $260,000 settlement with Isis Parenting, the Needham-based prenatal and parenting retailer that abruptly shut down last year, leaving many parents and expectant parents in a lurch. Customers still owed money for unpaid merchandise, classes and other services have been advised to start a claims process to recoup money by calling the AG's consumer hotline.

"Isis (Parenting) is the jumping-off point," Healey spokeswoman Cyndi Roy Gonzalez said. "If we can do an online claims process for Isis, then our hope is that going forward, when we have settlements of the same nature, we can put in place the same online process."

"Given that we are in 2015, it makes perfect sense," Gonzalez said. "Our whole effort right now is meeting people where they are. So if it's easier for them to do it online, we want to make that accommodation."

Isis Parenting customers who may be entitled to restitution include those who prepaid for classes never held or completed; prepaid for annual memberships after July 27, 2013; or prepaid for consultations never delivered. Customers with unfulfilled gift cards or credits issued after July 27, 2013, also may be entitled to some reimbursement.

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Revamped prayer book offers 
modern take for Reform Jews

Hundreds of thousands of Reform Jews will celebrate the High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur this fall with a revamped prayer book that puts a new emphasis on inclusiveness toward gays, lesbians and atheists, according to a Boston rabbi who was instrumental in the book's creation.

Mishkan HaNefesh, or "Sanctuary of the Soul," the Reform movement's first High Holidays prayer book in 37 years, includes gender-neutral blessings for transgender people and refers to God as both "Loving Father" and "Compassionate Mother," while leaving room for those who doubt that there is a God at all, said Rabbi Elaine S. Zecher of Temple Israel in Boston, who served as one of the editorial team's advisers.

"It's a monumental moment for the Jewish community because it's a beautiful work in lots of different ways," said Zecher, who also led the 2008 think tank that ultimately led to the consensus that a new prayer book for the High Holy Days was needed. "It is a recognition of the diversity of our community, a sense of welcoming for the lots of different people who come though our doors."

The prayer book — a major focus of this month's convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the rabbinical arm of Reform Judaism — also includes poetry and artwork, and incorporates the writings of Henry David Thoreau and Langston Hughes with the Torah, transliterating Hebrew prayers into English so that anyone can participate, said Rabbi Denise L. Eger, who was installed as the group's first openly gay president.

"This book has had tremendous input — from rabbis, from lay people, from cantors," said Eger, the founding rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, Calif. "It takes the best of Jewish tradition and melds it with the hopes and anxieties and joys of today. The result is the product not of a top-down process, but really of a bottom-up one."

Of the first edition of 250,000 copies that will be available in June, about 150,000 already have been pre-ordered through the CCAR Press, she said, although she did not immediately have the dollar amount of sales because various discounts are available through April 1. After that, a two-volume set — one for Rosh Hashana, the other for Yom Kippur — will sell for $42, and a pulpit edition of the set will sell for $75.

"We're hoping it will go into multiple printing editions," Eger said, noting that there are about 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 congregations in North America. Eventually, it also will be available electronically, she said.

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Home Showcase: This colonial has drive-in appeal

Less than an hour's drive from Boston, this updated contemporary colonial in Medway looks unusual at first, with an attached, two-car garage that juts out of the front, but the inside is well lit and spacious with hardwood floors, four bedrooms and plenty of bathrooms.

"It's a bright, welcoming home with a floor plan that is wonderful for entertaining, as well as for raising children," said broker Paul Yorkis of Patriot Real Estate in Medway.

Built in 1988 on 1.11 fenced-in acres on a quiet suburban street, the first floor includes a living room with a wood-burning fireplace, a dining room, and a remodeled kitchen with an informal dining area. There is plenty of cabinet space in the kitchen, along with granite countertops, an island, a pantry, a five-burner Bosch stove and a hood, and stainless steel appliances, including a microwave, a combination oven-confection oven, and a Bosch refrigerator.

A laundry area is off the kitchen, which leads to a large family room with a cathedral ceiling, exposed beams, skylights, a wood-burning fireplace and access to the garage. A slate patio with a fire pit can be accessed from both the family room and the kitchen. Off the family room, is a half bath and a hallway with ample closet space.

Upstairs, each of the four bedrooms has recessed lighting, a ceiling fan and closet space. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and a full bath with a jacuzzi/soaking tub and a shower. A second full bath upstairs has a tub and shower and a double vanity with a granite top. In the hallway is a linen closet.

The finished basement is carpeted and has a half bath and two rooms, one of which has a door to the yard. There are also two mechanical rooms in the basement.

The house has central air conditioning and four heating zones: three oil and one electric.

HOME SHOWCASE

• Address: 14 Rockwood Road
• Bedrooms: Four
• Bathrooms: Two full and two half
• List price: $629,900
• Square feet: 3,128
• Price per square foot: $201.37
• Annual taxes: $9,870 in 2014
• Location: About 20 minutes to the Norfolk commuter rail station if you drive to Medway Middle School, where you can park for free and take the shuttle bus
• Built: In 1988
• Broker: Paul Yorkis of Patriot Real Estate at (508) 533-4321

THE APPRAISAL

Pros:

• Ample storage space
• Modern kitchen
• Fenced-in yard

Cons:

• Suburban location, driving distance to shops

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Lawmakers to debate eliminating film tax credit

Lawmakers will hold what promises to be a heated and contentious hearing next week to discuss eliminating the film tax credit in favor of expanding the earned income tax credit — a move officials say would add more than $100 million to the state's economy 
every year.

"We can put more money in the hands of our working families and just by doing that we can create more jobs than the film tax credit delivers," said Paul McMorrow, a spokesman for the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. "That's a really simple choice."

Gov. Charlie Baker's budget proposes doubling the state's earned income tax credit to 30 percent of the federal credit. To offset the cost of the tax break for families, Baker would phase out the $80 million film tax credit.

McMorrow said a Department of Revenue analysis conducted on behalf of the Baker administration found the proposal would add $125 million per year to the state's economy and create between 1,000 and 2,000 jobs every year. It would also increase disposable income by about $200 million — money that people would spend to boost the state's economy.

Still, the proposal has come under fire from the film industry, which says the credit is vital to Massachusetts jobs.

"There are thousands of people whose jobs have been created by the Massachusetts film tax credit," said a spokesman for the Massachusetts Production Coalition. "Several of them will be testifying at the hearing about how the strong and growing film industry in Massachusetts has changed their families' life. If the film tax credit goes away, their jobs will go away."

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