Business - BostonHerald.com

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/?srvc=rss The Boston Herald online: The closest distance between you and the news en-us Copyright 2012, Herald Interactive, Inc. Wed, 21 Nov 2012 04:30:01 -0500 systems@heraldinteractive.com (Web Developers) 120 http://cache.heraldinteractive.com/images/siteImages/rss_logo.jpg http://www.bostonherald.com/business/?srvc=rss 100 48 The Boston Herald online: The closest distance between you and the news http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176303&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176303&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176303&srvc=rss Black Friday has already arrived in many stores. Toys 'R' Us has a three-day sale online with 20 percent off... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:56:37 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176301&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176301&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176301&srvc=rss There once was a man from Nantucket, who opposed CVS so much it said ... forget it. Greg Hinson, a family doctor,... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:10:02 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176299&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176299&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176299&srvc=rss Thanksgiving could soon be Black Thanksgiving. The list of retailers opening on Thanksgiving this year has grown... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:50:55 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176300&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176300&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176300&srvc=rss Walmart is bracing for protests on Black Friday, but not from shoppers who will get an in-store guarantee on select... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:50:43 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176290&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176290&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176290&srvc=rss Retailers hope to revel in strong holiday sales this year, but several Bay State shoppers plan to skip the long... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:38:00 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176262&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176262&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176262&srvc=rss Homes by the Garden AvalonBay Communities disclosed fresh details about its planned 38-story residential tower... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:34:47 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176294&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176294&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176294&srvc=rss NEW YORK - Federal labor officials said Tuesday they don't expect to decide before Thursday on whether to seek... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:10:20 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176228&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176228&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176228&srvc=rss WASHINGTON - No prescription or doctor's exam needed: The nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:10:21 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176225&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176225&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176225&srvc=rss With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday fast upon us, state officials have unveiled a series... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:27:36 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176183&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176183&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176183&srvc=rss Macy's Downtown Crossing store will celebrate the start of the holiday season on Friday with help from Destiny's... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:40:04 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1061176165&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1061176165&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1061176165&srvc=rss AvalonBay Communities disclosed fresh details about its planned residential tower next to the TD Garden, saying... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:31:10 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176217&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176217&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176217&srvc=rss CHICAGO - The hunt for brain injury treatments has suffered a big disappointment in a major study that found zero... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:49:30 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176214&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176214&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176214&srvc=rss NEW YORK - The price of oil fell sharply today on signs that Israel and Hamas are close to putting a halt to fighting... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:25:37 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176206&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176206&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176206&srvc=rss Walmart is offering Black Friday shoppers an in-store guarantee on a select few items for the first time this year,... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:54:02 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176166&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176166&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176166&srvc=rss Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman is calling on the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance to support... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:27:22 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061175909&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061175909&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061175909&srvc=rss NEW YORK - Shares of Apple jumped nearly 6 percent Monday, with one analyst calling a two-month sell-off in shares... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:23:03 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176004&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176004&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176004&srvc=rss Despite the public clamor and Rob Gronkowski's obvious determination to return as soon as he can from a broken... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:14:32 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176188&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176188&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176188&srvc=rss DEARBORN, Mich. - GE is buying 2,000 plug-in hybrid cars from Ford for its corporate fleet. Ford and GE announced... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:01:29 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176186&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176186&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176186&srvc=rss NEW YORK - Hewlett-Packard Co. said on Tuesday that it's the victim of a $5-billion-plus fraud, claiming a British... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:48:28 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176181&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176181&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176181&srvc=rss ALBANY, N.Y. - Chevron Corp. has asked New York's ethics commission to investigate state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:35:56 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1061176174&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1061176174&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1061176174&srvc=rss NEW YORK - News Corp. said Tuesday it was acquiring a 49 percent stake in the YES Network, the New York Yankees'... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:11:42 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176167&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176167&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176167&srvc=rss WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is warning Congress and the Obama administration to strike... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:33:40 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176161&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176161&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176161&srvc=rss INDIANAPOLIS - Mark Miles has been named chief executive officer of Hulman & Co, which counts Indianapolis Motor... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:56:41 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176159&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176159&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176159&srvc=rss GENEVA - The main global warming pollutant reached a record high level in the air in 2011, the U.N. weather agency... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:51:38 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176158&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176158&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176158&srvc=rss SAN PEDRO, Belize - Software company founder John McAfee says he's wearing a disguise and hiding in plain sight,... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:42:34 -0500

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/?srvc=rss The Boston Herald online: The closest distance between you and the news en-us Copyright 2012, Herald Interactive, Inc. Wed, 21 Nov 2012 04:30:01 -0500 systems@heraldinteractive.com (Web Developers) 120 http://cache.heraldinteractive.com/images/siteImages/rss_logo.jpg http://www.bostonherald.com/business/?srvc=rss 100 48 The Boston Herald online: The closest distance between you and the news http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176303&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176303&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176303&srvc=rss Black Friday has already arrived in many stores. Toys 'R' Us has a three-day sale online with 20 percent off... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:56:37 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176301&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176301&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176301&srvc=rss There once was a man from Nantucket, who opposed CVS so much it said ... forget it. Greg Hinson, a family doctor,... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:10:02 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176299&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176299&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176299&srvc=rss Thanksgiving could soon be Black Thanksgiving. The list of retailers opening on Thanksgiving this year has grown... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:50:55 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176300&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176300&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176300&srvc=rss Walmart is bracing for protests on Black Friday, but not from shoppers who will get an in-store guarantee on select... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:50:43 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176290&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176290&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176290&srvc=rss Retailers hope to revel in strong holiday sales this year, but several Bay State shoppers plan to skip the long... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:38:00 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176262&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176262&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176262&srvc=rss Homes by the Garden AvalonBay Communities disclosed fresh details about its planned 38-story residential tower... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:34:47 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176294&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176294&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176294&srvc=rss NEW YORK - Federal labor officials said Tuesday they don't expect to decide before Thursday on whether to seek... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:10:20 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176228&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176228&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176228&srvc=rss WASHINGTON - No prescription or doctor's exam needed: The nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:10:21 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176225&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176225&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176225&srvc=rss With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday fast upon us, state officials have unveiled a series... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:27:36 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176183&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176183&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176183&srvc=rss Macy's Downtown Crossing store will celebrate the start of the holiday season on Friday with help from Destiny's... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:40:04 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1061176165&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1061176165&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1061176165&srvc=rss AvalonBay Communities disclosed fresh details about its planned residential tower next to the TD Garden, saying... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:31:10 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176217&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176217&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176217&srvc=rss CHICAGO - The hunt for brain injury treatments has suffered a big disappointment in a major study that found zero... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:49:30 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176214&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176214&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176214&srvc=rss NEW YORK - The price of oil fell sharply today on signs that Israel and Hamas are close to putting a halt to fighting... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:25:37 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176206&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176206&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176206&srvc=rss Walmart is offering Black Friday shoppers an in-store guarantee on a select few items for the first time this year,... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:54:02 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176166&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176166&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176166&srvc=rss Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman is calling on the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance to support... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:27:22 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061175909&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061175909&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061175909&srvc=rss NEW YORK - Shares of Apple jumped nearly 6 percent Monday, with one analyst calling a two-month sell-off in shares... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:23:03 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176004&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176004&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1061176004&srvc=rss Despite the public clamor and Rob Gronkowski's obvious determination to return as soon as he can from a broken... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:14:32 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176188&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176188&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176188&srvc=rss DEARBORN, Mich. - GE is buying 2,000 plug-in hybrid cars from Ford for its corporate fleet. Ford and GE announced... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:01:29 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176186&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176186&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176186&srvc=rss NEW YORK - Hewlett-Packard Co. said on Tuesday that it's the victim of a $5-billion-plus fraud, claiming a British... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:48:28 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176181&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176181&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1061176181&srvc=rss ALBANY, N.Y. - Chevron Corp. has asked New York's ethics commission to investigate state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:35:56 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1061176174&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1061176174&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1061176174&srvc=rss NEW YORK - News Corp. said Tuesday it was acquiring a 49 percent stake in the YES Network, the New York Yankees'... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:11:42 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176167&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176167&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176167&srvc=rss WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is warning Congress and the Obama administration to strike... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:33:40 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176161&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176161&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176161&srvc=rss INDIANAPOLIS - Mark Miles has been named chief executive officer of Hulman & Co, which counts Indianapolis Motor... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:56:41 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176159&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176159&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176159&srvc=rss GENEVA - The main global warming pollutant reached a record high level in the air in 2011, the U.N. weather agency... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:51:38 -0500 http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176158&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176158&format=comments#CommentsArea&srvc=rss http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061176158&srvc=rss SAN PEDRO, Belize - Software company founder John McAfee says he's wearing a disguise and hiding in plain sight,... business Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:42:34 -0500

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Cambridge proves true V.C. hub

Boston has been touting its Innovation District, but Cambridge continues to outpace the Hub in venture capital, angel and corporate investment, and that gap appears to be widening, according to a report released yesterday.

Cambridge saw $305 million invested in 30 deals over the last quarter and $991 million in 122 deals over the past year, according to industry tracker CB Insights.

Compared to the four prior quarters, the city saw a 5 percent increase in funding and a 27 percent increase in deal volume, the better predictor of regional health because it's less prone to dramatic shifts from an atypically large deal.

"Obviously there's a big university component in Cambridge, with a lot of smart, young talent and a lot of venture capital firms setting up shop there because of that," said Anand Sanwal, co-founder of CB Insights.

Boston had $129 million in 22 deals over the last quarter and $541 million of funding in 63 deals over the past year, the report found.

The four most recent quarters were down 13 percent in the number of deals in Boston versus last year, but funding was up 8 percent.

Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said Boston has a "robust" economy that continues to grow and attract new business in financial services, higher education, health care and biotechnology and tourism.

"While it is great to compete with each other," Joyce said in a statement, "the truth of the matter is what is good for Cambridge and what is good for Boston benefits the entire state and region."

The report also found that Cambridge and Boston are drawing venture investment away from Route 128 stalwarts Woburn and Waltham, where several venture capital firms have set up shop.

"Cambridge and Boston have ascended, while Waltham and Woburn have diminished," Sanwal said.

Waltham, for example, had $292.8 million in 12 deals over the last quarter and $611.8 million in 41 deals over the past year, while Woburn had $5.6 million in two deals over the last quarter and $59.7 million in nine deals over the past year.

"Compared to those cities and Boston, Cambridge has the benefit of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with many startups by students and a great density of office and lab space and therefore the most appropriate infrastructure for startups," said Michael Greeley, general partner of Flybridge Capital Partners, a Boston venture capital firm. "The action is really where the young entrepreneurs are."

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No fun for Black Friday

Holiday shoppers with toys on their lists may do well to sleep in on Black Friday.

A study that tracked the online prices of 252 toys last year — including those on the Toys 'R' Us "hot toy" list — found that Black Friday ranked as the worst day to buy them. The best day to get a toy below its original holiday price was the first Saturday in December, when nearly three in five of the toys were on sale.

"The good news is that actually a lot of products are on sale (on Black Friday) compared to their prices at the end of September, but it wasn't even close to the best day," said Andrew Mahon, co-founder and vice president of marketing at Maynard-based Evoqu Inc., whose ShopAdvisor website and app allows consumers to create shopping lists and receive alerts when prices hit a certain point. "Between Black Friday and Christmas, it turned out to be the worst sale day. Black Friday was the day when the lowest percentage of products (46 percent) were on sale below their original holiday prices."

Prices for nearly a quarter of the toys actually spiked on Black Friday, second only to the day before Dec. 23, when two in five of the toys were priced at a premium.

Shoppers willing to take a risk did best in the last two weeks before Christmas. At least one in 10 toys were discounted by 30 percent or more on each of the last 14 days before Christmas. But, the prices of almost as many toys increased by 30 percent or more during that time.

"Let's say there's one of three toys that I know one of my kids wants," Mahon said. "There's a pretty big chance that one of them is going to go on peak sale ... in the two weeks before Christmas."

Consumers can follow some of ShopAdvisor's analysis of this year's toy prices on its blog, which is tracking 24 toys on the Toys 'R' Us 2012 "hot toy" list announced in September.

For shoppers who still prefer to get their shopping done on or before Black Friday, online price-tracking sites are a great resource, according to Somerville consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org.

"Consumers are kind of notoriously bad at doing comparison shopping and worse on following up on purchases that they made to see if the prices dropped," Dworsky said. "It's wise to shop at a store that has a price guarantee, so if you buy an item on Black Friday, and the price goes down, you can go back and get the difference."

Dworsky concedes that not everything is cheaper on Black Friday, but advertised items tend to have "pretty good" prices and door-busters tend to have "great" prices. Some retailers are starting their online Black Friday sales — which include toys — as early as just after tonight, at 12:30 a.m. tomorrow. A list of those stores and their starting hours can be found at BlackFriday.GottaDeal.com/Tracker.

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SBLI chief Sheridan leaves 'on a high note'

Savings Bank Life Insurance Co. CEO and President Bob Sheridan, a major player in Boston business and philanthropy, retired yesterday after 20 years as the boss at the Woburn-based life insurer founded in 1907 by Louis Brandeis.

"Bob has shepherded SBLI through tremendous growth and success, all the while establishing the company as one of our region's most generous corporate citizens," said Jim Brett of the New England Council. "He is truly a model for the new generation of corporate leaders."

During Sheridan's tenure, SBLI has grown from a Massachusetts-only company to an insurer that sells policies in every state except New York. The outgoing CEO said yesterday: "New York has such a hostile regulatory environment. It's the Afghanistan of the life insurance business, but we'll get there."

Quick-witted, affable and self-deprecating, Sheridan opened up to the Herald in a November 2010 profile about losing both parents within a year when he was still in college.

"I'm 64. I lost both my parents when they were 64. It became an important number for me," Sheridan said yesterday when asked why he picked this year to step down. "I'd have to lie on a couch and have an analyst tell me why. If I drop dead in a few weeks, it won't have been the smartest decision. They'll say, good job, Sheridan."

Since Sheridan took the reins in 1992, SBLI's assets have climbed 150 percent to $2.25 billion and net income has risen nearly 500 percent to $17.7 million.

"I'm proud of building a national company, nurturing and developing an all-star staff and staying true to our mission, which is to provide safe, low-cost life insurance," said Sheridan, whose well wishes yesterday included a message on the Century Bank electronic sign visible from Interstate 93. "I've learned you have to stay focused, but be willing to take on risk. You will make mistakes, but you have to learn from them and move on."

"I had a front row seat watching Bob Sheridan's hard work and perseverance grow SBLI into the national company it is today. His singular focus is admirable and the result is without peer," said Andrew Calamare, executive vice president of the Co-operative Central Bank and former president of the Life Insurance Association of Massachusetts.

"I think I'll miss the people the most," said Sheridan yesterday. "I won't miss the pressure and the stress. I can feel this weight being taken off my shoulders and it feels nice."

"We were grateful to formally thank Bob Sheridan by honoring him at this year's Community Leadership Awards Dinner. For years he has supported Franciscan Hospital for Children. In our opinion, he is leaving his career on a high note, as both a well respected businessman and philanthropist," said John Nash, president and CEO of Franciscan Hospital for Children.

As for his future plans, Sheridan will serve on the SBLI — and other boards — and said: "I look forward to learning to be a grandparent. My daughter is expecting our first grandchild on Nov. 29."

As for SBLI, Sheridan said it will be in good hands with new CEO Chris Pinkerton.

"I want to feel it was mission accomplished. I want to feel I made this company better than when I got here," Sheridan said. "SBLI was a backup plan. I wanted to be a safety in the NFL, but I couldn't run fast or jump. Then, I wanted to be a Supreme Court Justice, and that doesn't look so promising."

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Rooftop farm plants seeds in the Seaport

A Hub urban agriculture startup has landed a location for a rooftop farm in South Boston's Seaport District.

Higher Ground Farm has signed a lease to grow vegetables and fruits atop the eight-story Boston Design Center.

The 55,000-square-foot organic farm will be the second largest open-air commercial rooftop farm in the world and the first in Boston, according to John Stoddard, who co-founded Higher Ground Farm with Courtney Hennessey.

The partners are raising funds to start operations next spring, pending city approval and the weather.

"It's an awesome view," Stoddard said. "It's going to be a great place to work."

Plans call for an on-site farm stand and selling produce to restaurants and through community agriculture shares (CSAs). A partnership with an unnamed nonprofit also is in the works.

"What they do is subsidize CSAs so lower-income people can afford it, and farmers get the prices that they need," Stoddard said. "They also do distribution to corner stores. It's a nice way to reach people with our food that might not ordinarily be able to access it as easily."

Higher Ground Farm needs to raise $350,000 for Somerville's Recover Green Roofs to install a green roof system and other startup costs. It plans an online Kickstarter campaign and fund-raisers at Boston restaurants in addition to pursuing grants.

The Boston Design Center, which has showrooms catering to design professionals, sees the rooftop farm as another way to showcase original design concepts and promote sustainability, general manager Julie Rogowskis said.

"The BDC has ample roof space that we are eager to see go green," she said in a statement. "We are thrilled to be a part of this innovative plan, and we look forward to enjoying the fruits — and vegetables — of Boston's first rooftop farm."

The rooftop venture first requires a zoning variance, since the city is in the process of creating rooftop agriculture zoning guidelines, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

"We see it playing a significant role in the future of urban agriculture in Boston," spokeswoman Melina Schuler said.

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Markets set sale for holidays

The markets are switching into full holiday mode with trading weeks interrupted by days off, hyped-up concern about retail sales and end-of-the-year sell offs.

But add heightened concern over conflict in the Middle East and uncertainty about the fiscal cliff and we may get to the New Year without a dull moment.

Look for more earnings reports this week, including Urban Outfitters today and Best Buy tomorrow, to shed some light on the retail climate.

For a wider economic picture, the Commerce Department releases housing starts for October and Eaton Vance Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. report quarterly earnings tomorrow.

On Wednesday, the Conference Board releases leading economic indicators for October.

U.S. financial markets are closed for Thanksgiving, but in many states Turkey Day is turning into Black Thursday with some major retailers opening just after dinnertime to get a jump on holiday sales.

In Massachusetts, where the Blue Laws and tradition still preserve some holiday sanity, the shopping madness begins at midnight.

Friday is all about doorbuster and shopping mall craziness.

Despite the looming fiscal cliff — tax increases and federal budget cuts set to kick in Jan. 1 if Congress and President Obama can't reach a deal — and the sputtering recovery, retailers are projecting an increase in holiday sales over last year.

Go ahead, shop till you drop, because the economy could sure use it.

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'Twilight' finale dawns with $141.3M weekend

LOS ANGELES — The sun has set on the "Twilight" franchise with one last blockbuster opening for the supernatural romance.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2" sucked up $141.3 million domestically over opening weekend and $199.6 million more overseas for a worldwide debut of $340.9 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The finale ranks eighth on the list of all-time domestic debuts, and leaves "Twilight" with three of the top-10 openings, joining 2009's "New Moon" (No. 7 with $142.8 million) and last year's "Breaking Dawn — Part 1" (No. 9 with $138.1 million).

Last May's "The Avengers" is No. 1 with $207.4 million. "Batman" is the only other franchise with more than one top-10 opening: last July's "The Dark Knight Rises" (No. 3 with $160.9 million) and 2008's "The Dark Knight" (No. 4 with $158.4 million).

Though "Twilight" still is a female-driven franchise, with girls and women making up 79 percent of the opening-weekend audience, the finale drew the biggest male crowds in the series. Action-minded guys had more to root for in the finale as Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner join in a colossal battle to end the story of warring vampires and werewolves.

"Our male audience particularly has enjoyed this film," said Richie Fay, head of distribution for Lionsgate, whose Summit Entertainment banner releases the "Twilight" movies. "With the action scenes in this one, we're hoping the holdover business will reflect the fact that males have kind of found it out."

The movie also helped lift Lionsgate into the big leagues among Hollywood studios. Paced by its $400 million smash with "The Hunger Games" and now the "Twilight" finale, Lionsgate surpassed $1 billion at the domestic box office for the first time.

Some box-office watchers had expected the last "Twilight" movie to open with a franchise record the way the \"Harry Potter [website]\" finale did last year with $169.2 million, the second-best domestic debut on the charts.

"I thought that for the final installment, it might eclipse the franchise record, but to look at $141.3 million and say that's a disappointment, that's kind of crazy," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "It's one of the most consistently performing franchises of all time."

The "Twilight" finale took over the No. 1 spot from Sony's James Bond adventure "Skyfall," which slipped to second-place with $41.5 million domestically in its second weekend. "Skyfall" raised its domestic total to $161.3 million.

The franchise's third film starring Daniel Craig as Bond, "Skyfall" began rolling out overseas in late October and has hit $507.9 million internationally at the box office. The film's global total climbed to $669.2 million, helping to lift Sony to its best year ever with $4 billion worldwide, topping the studio's $3.6 billion haul in 2009.

"Skyfall" passed the previous franchise high of $599.2 million worldwide for 2006's "Casino Royale."

Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis' Civil War drama "Lincoln" expanded nationwide after a week in limited release and came in at No. 3 with $21 million. Distributed by Disney, "Lincoln" lifted its domestic haul to $22.4 million.

The comic drama "Silver Linings Playbook," released by the Weinstein Co., got off to a good start in limited release, taking in $458,430 in 16 theaters for a solid average of $28,652 a cinema. By comparison, the "Twilight" finale averaged $34,717 in 4,070 theaters.

"Silver Linings Playbook" stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro in a quirky romance involving a man fresh out of a psychiatric hospital and an emotionally troubled young widow.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Developer not sold on downtown

Not everyone is moved by the momentum in Boston's Downtown Crossing.

A New York developer who filed plans for a 28-story apartment and retail tower on Washington Street four years ago — in the teeth of the Great Recession — is not yet sold on the shopping district's recovery.

"We wouldn't consider doing anything until that hole across the street is filled," said John Usdan, president of Midwood Management, referring to the partially demolished Filene's block.

Another New York developer, Millennium Partners, won city approval in September to replace that eyesore with a skyscraper as part of a $620 million project that's on track to start next spring with the restoration of the adjacent Burnham Building.

But that's not enough for the $200 million One Bromfield project to make a comeback.

"We don't have a particular time-frame other than when we think conditions have improved enough," Usdan told the Herald. "We just don't think it's viable yet."

According to Midwood's mothballed plans, the developer would replace four buildings at the northern corner of Bromfield and Washington streets with a tower containing 260 luxury apartments atop several levels of retail and parking.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino trumpeted the project during a tour of Downtown Crossing in July 2008 — a promotional event that coincided with the excavation of the former Filene's building for New York developer Vornado Realty Trust's ill-fated One Franklin project.

Rosemarie Sansone, president of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, said she hasn't heard anything about the One Bromfield project "for ages."

"It is a very important location and, based on the interest and activity in the district, I would expect something to develop in the near future," she said.

A tenant in one of the Midwood-owned buildings that would be replaced is in a wait-and-see mode.

"I'm sure they'd like to do something," said Fred Rosenthal, owner of Bromfield Pen Shop. "The building is empty except for me and Payless Shoes."

In addition to the Millennium Tower project at the Filene's site, Downtown Crossing has seen a string of successes this year including the construction of the Millennium Place condo tower, Walgreens' announced takeover of the shuttered Borders store, a Chicago developer's plans for a boutique and Lafayette Corporate Center switching space back to retail.

"There's a lot to celebrate, but it's just not going to happen all at once," said David Begelfer, CEO of commercial real estate group NAIOP Massachusetts. "Companies are going to be cautious. They're not going to get ahead of themselves. We'll see some of these projects come closer to completion before others start."

Midwood's Usdan needs physical proof that Downtown Crossing has turned the corner.

"I want to see foundations poured," Usdan said from his Manhattan office. "Call me when you see some shovels."

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Spindle app spools out hype - and investors

A new app developed by three former Microsoft workers helps people find the most interesting social media updates from businesses and organizations at any given time.

Spindle 1.1 — released on Thursday in Boston and San Francisco, with other major cities to come — mines Twitter and Facebook, using signals such as location and time of day to tell users what's happening near them, sorted by categories such as restaurants, shopping and nightlife.

"What differentiates us is timeliness and the fact that we're updating constantly, based on user feedback," said CEO Pat Kinsel, who founded Spindle with Alex Lambert and Simon Yun, all former engineers and managers from Microsoft's New England Research and Development (NERD) center in Cambridge. "There's nothing else out there like that."

Unlike apps that reshuffle a static list of businesses, Spindle evaluates in real time what each one is sharing to determine what's interesting and relevant now.

Users can filter the updates by categories such as restaurants to find what they're looking for without the extra "noise."

They can also use the map function to zoom in on a location and find out what's happening there, or search for a specific business or organization and add it to their favorites list for updates on only those places.

Users can tell friends where they're going, let them know when there's something happening in their current location or point people to something they've discovered via Facebook, Twitter, SMS or email.

The new app's release coincided with Spindle's announcement that it raised $2.3 million in total funding from Polaris Ventures, Greylock Partners, Lerer Ventures, SV Angel, Atlas Venture, Broad Beach Ventures, Project 11, Ray Ozzie and Raman Narayanan.

"They are super-smart guys with serious social search chops who've worked together before to solve hard problems," Dave Barrett, general partner at Polaris Ventures, said of Kinsel and his team. "Beyond the app itself, their big data back-end and their vision for it are incredibly compelling."

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Best defense: Made in USA

New Balance is on a mission to provide lightweight military sneakers made in the United States, and it wants the Defense Department to equip soldiers with them, company head Rob DeMartini told the Herald.

"For whatever reason, the sneaker is the only piece of equipment for a uniform that services don't require to be" made in the U.S., said DeMartini, New Balance's president and CEO.

The Berry Amendment, originally passed on the eve of World War II, requires the Department of Defense to procure clothing and other items made in the United States. The 950 is New Balance's first Berry-compliant sneaker, DeMartini said.

Suggesting why the Defense Department doesn't require U.S.-made sneakers, DeMartini said, "They would say one of the reasons is nobody made a Berry-compliant shoe, and so we have made one."

The sneaker is "fiber forward," meaning everything that goes into the shoe has U.S.-based content, "starting from literally the grass sheep eat," company spokeswoman Amy Dow added.

Last month, more than four dozen members of Congress appealed to the Defense Department to make training shoes Berry-compliant in a letter spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California and U.S. Rep. Michael H. Michaud of Maine, where New Balance has three factories and close to 900 workers.

The politicians claimed the Defense Department circumvented the U.S. procurement policy by issuing cash allowances for soldiers to purchase their own training shoes, leading to servicemen and women relying more on foreign-made shoes than ones manufactured and available in the United States.

"We should not rely on other countries, particularly those who may have competing global interests, to supply our forces with basic items. This is especially true when there are millions of Americans looking for work," the letter said. "More importantly, our soldiers deserve to fight in uniforms, including footwear, that are made in the USA."

Hub-based, 107-year-old New Balance, which hopes to break ground on its new Brighton headquarters, hotel, office and athletic complex early next year, has made military apparel — including running shorts, protective fire-retardant underwear and overboots — for more than 25 years, DeMartini said.

"We do it for two reasons — one, we think it's right to serve in the military, but two, the technical demands that they have help us build a better brand," he said.

For the fourth year in a row, New Balance is the presenting sponsor of the Run-Walk to Home Base fundraiser. The 9K run or two-mile walk event supports the Red Sox [team stats] Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program, which has raised $7.3 million to provide clinical care and support to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and families affected by combat stress and traumatic brain injury.

The New Balance 950 shoe will be manufactured in Massachusetts and will sell under a contract price with military branches, DeMartini said, adding the new sneaker could create 250 jobs primarily in the company's manufacturing and manufacturing support sectors.

"It's basically ... completed and it's waiting to be called for," he said.

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