Pats’ goal: Get fans to use app while at Gillette

The New England Patriots are rolling out new digital features in a bid to entice fans who now sit on the couch at home to come sit in the stands at Gillette Stadium.

"It's incumbent on us who own teams and own stadiums to make sure we're keeping it a compelling experience," said Jonathan Kraft, president of the Patriots and the Kraft Group. "We have to innovate."

Speaking yesterday at the annual meeting of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Kraft said those innovations will include being able to order and pay for food from a seat using the Gillette Stadium app and be notified when it is ready for pickup — all in the name of spending less time in line and more time watching the game.

He said the service will be rolled out stadium-wide in the next year or two.

"If you come to a Patriots game, you can sit in your seat, and do things you can't do at home," Kraft said.

Other convenience features in the app include being able to find the 
restroom with the shortest waiting time, and exclusive on-demand replays available only to fans in the stands.

Using technology to enhance the fan experience is growing in popularity, especially in Boston.
 At the beginning of the baseball season, Major League Baseball announced an update to its At The Ballpark app, which includes the ability to check in at the park, interactive maps and video highlights.

TD Garden, home of the Bruins and Celtics, is in the process of installing Wi-Fi throughout the arena.

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Southie’s D St. to have big outdoor arts space

A no-man's-land stretch of D Street in South Boston will be transformed into an interim outdoor space that could be used for art installations, concerts, pop-up restaurants — even Major League Bocce — under a $1.1 million plan the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority has approved.

The so-called "D Street Laboratory" will open in late July or early August on approximately two acres across from the Aloft and Element hotels, which are scheduled to open by the end of next year, said Terence Burke, an authority spokesman.

"This is an eyes-wide-open experiment," Howard Davis, director of capital projects, said at an MCCA board meeting yesterday.

The authority is paying HR&A Advisors $200,000 for the concept and the design, and Chris Wangro, another New York consultant, $50,000 to develop programming for the space.

Potential local partners include the Institute of Contemporary Art, Major League Bocce, Artists for Humanity, Make Music Boston and the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Wangro said.

The building of the "Lab" will fulfill a commitment to South Boston left over from the construction of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Burke said in an email.

The space will be a walkable connection to and from the BCEC, D Street and the hotels, as required under an agreement the MCCA has with their developer, he said.

The lab also will provide convention center users and the broader Boston community with the chance to try some outdoor concepts that might be integrated into the final design of the BCEC's proposed $1 billion expansion, Burke said.

"The plan is to operate the space for 18 to 24 months, try some things ... and then make some decisions about how to make it permanent as part of the expansion program," which the Legislature has yet to vote on, he said.

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Property of Hub Ponzi schemers will be sold off

The property of a convicted West Roxbury Ponzi schemer and his wife will be sold to recoup some of their $9.77 million in debt, the majority of which is owed to swindled clients.

Steven Palladino is at MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole after being sentenced in January to 10 to 12 years. He, his wife and son were ordered to pay restitution for convincing at least 33 people to loan Viking Financial Group millions of dollars with the promise of high returns that were never delivered.

Palladino and his wife, Lori, filed for bankruptcy last month, and Viking Financial followed suit last week. The Palladinos listed $1.15 million in assets and $9.77 million in debt.

"Anything having to do with the financial condition and the history of the financial dealings will be investigated by us," said Mark G. DeGiacomo, the court-appointed trustee overseeing the cases. The Palladinos' lawyer could not be reached for comment.

It's "way too early" to say whether defrauded clients will recoup any money, he said. Secured claims typically are first in line for distributions and total at least $304,929.

The Palladinos' cars likely will be auctioned next month. Court documents in the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission case against Steven Palladino and Viking Financial list a 2012 Mercedes, 2011 BMW, 2013 Audi, 2012 Range Rover, 1992 Chevy Corvette and 2004 F350 truck.

The Palladinos own homes in Roslindale and West Roxbury and a vacant West Roxbury lot assessed at a combined $1.09 million, and two time shares valued at $25,000, according to court documents.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in April charged Steven Palladino with 25 counts of criminal contempt for allegedly flouting an asset freeze and other court orders. He is accused of "lavish spending" and incurring thousands of dollars in credit card charges.

The Palladinos owe tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt in addition to $1,627 to Best Buy, $1,300 to Bloomingdales and $1,364 to Neiman Marcus, court documents state.

The couple claimed $70,000 in jewelry, and just $25 in cash and $150 in a checking account, but $613,379 has been held in a bank account with the Boston Police listed as trustee.

Palladino participated in the first meeting of his creditors by telephone from prison. "Some of the investors that were at the meeting had some questions," DeGiacomo said. "Not the 'why?' (or) 'how could you do this?' It was more ... just trying to figure out where the money went and where the assets are."

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Hot Property: Boston’s priciest home hits ceiling

The most expensive listing in Boston, the $13.95 million six-level townhouse at 74 Beacon St., was renovated to reflect the look of a Victorian-era Back Bay townhouse, but one tradition, the basement kitchen, didn't make the cut.

The mansion has just been put back on the market after the kitchen was moved from the basement to the first floor.

"It was a major reason why this property wasn't selling," said Tracy Campion, Boston's top broker in sales volume ($272 million last year), who has been brought on as a co-exclusive listing agent along with Brad Sprogis and John Neale, who originally brought the building to developer Peter Georgantas of Peg Properties & Design.

"Buyers want an open feel with the kitchen, living and dining areas on one floor," said Sprogis. "You're really seeing a move to a less formal style of living even at this level."

The new first-floor kitchen, with white macoubas quartzite counters and island, a La Cornue stove and custom Scandia cabinets, overlooks a private patio.

Transforming the 1828 gray granite townhouse overlooking the Public Garden into a single-family has been a lengthy process. Georgantas bought the property in 2007 when it was four apartments and it took three years to renovate it.

"We wanted it to feel like a historic single-family in Back Bay," said Georgantas, whose wife and business partner, Elizabeth, co-designed the interiors. "But it had to be crisp, clean and bright rather than overbearing, stuffy and Victorian."

A large, bright open living/dining area has quarter-sewn oak floors and custom white woodwork. The grand staircase, modeled after The Breakers in Newport, R.I., connects all 8,450 square feet of living space, plus there's a wood-lined elevator.

The fourth floor is made for entertaining, with a large media room/ballroom that opens onto a rear roof deck with views of Beacon Hill. And there's an oak-lined library, complete with a custom rolling ladder for the bookcases.

The sixth-floor rooftop deck overlooks the Public Garden, with an infinity edge lap pool.

The sumptuous master suite has silk wall coverings, custom dressing rooms and closets and a master bathroom with a clawfoot tub and an enormous glass steam shower.

There are five other bedroom suites and an additional five full and three half bathrooms, plus a private gym and a family room in the basement that opens to a private patio.

The home comes with a deeded garage space at the toney Brimmer Street Garage, along with a parking space behind the house.

After completion in 2010, the home didn't sell, so it was rented for $40,000 to $60,000 a month. But given the superheated luxury market, Georgantas said he now feels optimistic.

"Someone can buy this property that offers a sense of history as well as privacy," he said. "Or they can spend the money on a top-tier condo unit without much character that feels like a hotel."

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Foreclosures soar in March

Massachusetts foreclosure petitions took a sharp year-over-year turn up in March, ending 16 consecutive months of decline in petition filings, according to The Warren Group.

"The increase in percentage terms seems enormous, almost as though the flood gates have been thrown wide open," Timothy M. Warren, CEO of the market tracker, said in a podcast. "However, I see a number of reasons to be cautious about turning up the volume on the alarm quite yet."

In March 2013, only 283 foreclosure petitions were filed, which was 83 percent below the prior March, and much lower than February 2013, Warren said.

"So I'm going to suggest that perhaps March of last year was the real outlier in the data trends, more so than March of 2014," he said. "Nevertheless, 660 petitions filed in March of this year do represent a big increase in the current trend. For example, it is 50 percent higher than February."

Lenders are getting more aggressive with delinquent borrowers, Warren said.

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Asia stocks muted as China data, Wall St weighed

TOKYO — Asian stock markets were subdued Friday as investors weighed a fall in Chinese inflation against a negative cue from Wall Street.

China's inflation eased in April to 1.8 percent, a possible boost for stock markets since it gives Beijing more leeway to stimulate the slowing Chinese economy if needed.

In a sign of concern over possible job losses, Beijing launched a mini-stimulus in March based on higher spending on building railways and other public works but leaders have so far ruled out bigger efforts.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng fluctuated between positive and negative territory. It was flat at 21,841.24 in afternoon trading.

The Nikkei 225 stock average, the major barometer for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, gained 0.3 percent to 14,199.59. Investors are waiting for more earnings reports, with Nissan and Sony due to release results next week.

Shuji Hosoi, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities Co. in Tokyo, said investors were satisfied that Toyota's results, released Thursday, were strong, with the world's top automaker reporting record profit for the last fiscal year.

But he said there was little other market-driving news to trade on leaving share prices in a stalemate.

"People are relieved about Toyota, but that's not enough for a major rally."

Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.3 percent to 1,956.55, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3 percent to 5,460.80.

On Wall Street, shares finished mostly lower as investors assessed the latest batch of U.S. company earnings and sold utility and energy stocks.

The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 0.1 percent to 1,875.63. The Dow Jones industrial average edged up 0.2 percent to 16,550.97. The Nasdaq composite lost 0.4 percent to 4,051.50.

The big news in Europe's trading session was comments from the European Central Bank's president, Mario Draghi, who gave a strong hint that the bank may ease its monetary policy next month, sending the euro lower.

Stocks in Europe weren't affected too much by Draghi as the focus remained on a vow from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to maintain low interest rates. Germany's DAX rose 0.9 percent to finish at 9,607.40 and the CAC-40 in France added 1.4 percent to 4,507.24. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.6 percent to 6,839.25.

Benchmark U.S. crude for June delivery was up 33 cents at $100.59 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The fell 51 cents to close at $100.26 on Thursday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3826 from $1.3842 late Thursday. The dollar rose to 101.72 yen from 101.62 yen.

___

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at twitter.com/yurikageyama

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Government says no need to park recalled GM cars

DETROIT — There's no need to tell owners of recalled General Motors small cars to stop driving them, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

In a written response to two senators who asked for such an order, Foxx said engineers with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have determined it's not necessary.

GM is recalling 2.6 million small cars worldwide to replace ignition switches that suddenly can slip out of the run position and shut off the engine. That can knock out power-assisted steering and cause drivers to lose control and crash. It also disables the air bags. GM says at least 13 people have died in crashes linked to the problem. The company has admitted knowing about the problem for at least a decade, yet failing to recall the cars until this year.

The company has told owners to remove everything from their key chains, and the reduced weight will stop the switches from slipping into the "accessory" or "off" positions.

Foxx, responding to a letter from Democratic Sens. Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, said NHTSA engineers have examined the geometry and physics of the key, ignition switch and steering column of the GM vehicles, and they have reviewed GM's testing data.

"NHTSA is satisfied that for now, until the permanent remedy is applied, the safety risk posed by the defect in affected vehicles is sufficiently mitigated by GM's recommended action," the letter says.

The safety agency, which is part of Foxx's department, has taken measures above and beyond normal procedures in the GM case, Foxx wrote.

The recalled cars include mainly Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions that are no longer being made. GM is in the process of shipping parts to dealers but has said it won't be done with that until October. The company is offering loaner cars to any owners with safety concerns and so far has provided about 45,000.

But Blumenthal and Markey disagree and say all the cars should be parked until the switches are replaced.

"We remain extremely concerned that GM and NHTSA are not doing enough to convey the seriousness of this defect to owners of the affected cars, unnecessarily putting more lives at risk," the senators said in a statement Wednesday.

They also questioned why GM's initial recall notice to car owners said the ignition switches could malfunction while driving over rough terrain "regardless of additional weight on the key ring."

Both senators are members of a subcommittee that is looking into GM's actions involving the switches. NHTSA and the Justice Department are also investigating, and criminal charges are possible.

GM has said it has done 80 different tests at high speeds and on rough roads, and that with just the key in the ignition, the switches don't move out of the run position.

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Stop & Shop going strong after 100 years

Stop & Shop customers can expect in-store specials and vintage product packaging starting later this month as the region's largest grocery chain marks its 100th anniversary.

"It's quite a milestone," said Stop & Shop New England president Joe Kelley, who's kicking off festivities today at the division's Quincy headquarters.

With 394 stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey, Stop & Shop leads competitors with a 12.35 percent market share and estimated sales of $13.3 billion in 2013, according to the Griffin Report of Food Marketing. Walmart supercenters follow with 169 stores, a 10.03 percent market share and estimated sales of $10.8 billion.

"The competitive landscape is a bit tenacious … but ... we think we have the right format and right strategy to grow our organization," Kelley said.

Kelley declined to discuss expansion plans, but said the company "would love" to open a store in downtown Boston, where it would join Whole Foods, Shaw's and, soon, Roche Bros. in Downtown Crossing, Star Market at North Station and a Wegmans in the Fenway. Stop & Shop now has three Boston stores in South Boston, Dorchester and Mission Hill.

"If we could find a location that works, we'd be thrilled," Kelley said. "We would have been interested in the North Station site, just ... the timing didn't work out.."

For now, Stop & Shop is focused on its "value proposition" of new low prices, according to Kelley. "The majority of Massachusetts and Rhode Island is rolled out," he said. "Most of the South Shore launched last week."

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Asian stocks boosted by China trade, Yellen stance

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stock markets were mostly higher Thursday after China's trade improved and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen vowed low interest rates would continue until the U.S. job market is healthy.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 stock index, the region's heavyweight, advanced 0.9 percent to 14,163.78 and South Korea's Kospi added 0.6 percent to 1,950.60.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent to 21,818.38 and China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.2 percent to 2,013.98.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.8 percent to 5,476.80 after employers added more jobs than expected last month.

Stocks in Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines also rose. But shares in Thailand were down one day after its constitutional court ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from her job.

Yellen told lawmakers Wednesday that the U.S. job market is "far from satisfactory." She said the Fed will begin increasing interest rates only when there is enough progress in restoring full employment and when inflation is back up to its target of 2 percent.

Yellen's comments appeared to ease concerns that the Fed might move too quickly to raise interest rates.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's softening tone in the confrontation with the West over Ukraine also lifted investor sentiment. Putin said Russia pulled its troops away from the border with Ukraine, although NATO and Washington said they hadn't seen indication of a pullback. Putin also endorsed plans for fresh elections in Ukraine following the ouster earlier this year of its pro-Russian leader.

Adding to the upbeat factors was China's April trade data that showed an improvement in exports. Exports rose 0.9 percent from the previous year, compared with a 6.6 percent decline in March. Imports also grew after a contraction in March but at a subdued level.

"While the data didn't shoot the lights out, it showed signs of a recovery and that's been enough to encourage some buying today," Stan Shamu, market strategist at IG, said in a commentary.

On Wednesday, U.S. stock markets finished higher, despite big losses in tech stocks, such as Twitter Inc. The Standard & Poor's 500 gained 0.6 percent to close at 1,878.21. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 0.7 percent to 16,518.54.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq was the only major index to fall. It fell 0.3 percent to 4,067.67.

In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude for June delivery was down 12 cents to $100.65 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.27 to close at $100.77 on Wednesday.

In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.3921 from $1.3912 late Wednesday. The dollar fell to 101.78 yen from 101.88 yen.

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Tech jitters, Ukraine weigh on world stocks

TOKYO — Jitters over the valuations of technology companies pulled stock prices lower from Tokyo to London on Wednesday.

European shares got off to lackluster start, with Britain's FTSE 100 down 0.3 percent to 6,776.65. Germany's DAX edged down 0.1 percent to 9,458.63 and the CAC-40 in France slipped 0.1 percent to 4,422.77.

U.S. markets were poised for a slow start after sharp declines the day before, with both Dow Jones and S&P 500 futures little changed.

Sinking Internet company shares, led by an 18 percent plunge in Twitter's share price Tuesday, added to negative sentiment from tensions in Ukraine, where pro-Russian militants are clashing with military forces in the country's unstable east.

In Asia, the Nikkei 225 stock index sank 2.9 percent to 14,033.45 as the U.S. dollar's relative weakness against the Japanese yen hit exporter shares. It was the first day of trading in Japan after a long weekend.

Softbank tumbled 5.1 percent in Tokyo after Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba released some details of a planned U.S. initial public offering that analysts say could raise up to $20 billion. Softbank owns 36.7 percent of Alibaba.

Though the IPO is expected to net Softbank handsome returns, the recent slump in technology shares has shaken confidence.

"Whether the market reaction and the IPO valuation will be high or not is still the major concern," said Linus Yip, a strategist for First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong. "The listing of Alibaba right now, may not be such good timing."

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi lost 1 percent to 1,939.88 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 1.1 percent to 21,746.26.

Shares in Australia, Singapore, China, India and Taiwan fell while Indonesian and New Zealand shares edged higher.

In other markets, benchmark U.S. crude for June delivery was up 95 cents to $100.45 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 2 cents to close at $99.50 on Tuesday.

In currency trading, the euro slipped to $1.3919 versus $1.3928 late Wednesday. The dollar fell to 101.55 yen from 101.68 yen.

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The Ticker

Boston Fed to cut 160

The Boston branch of the Federal Reserve will cut 160 jobs after the U.S. Treasury reduced the number of Federal Reserve Banks it relies on from 10 to 4, which will not include the Hub.

"We're working closely with (the affected employees) in terms of what this decision means," said Tom Lavell, a Boston Fed spokesman.

Lavell said the job cuts will take place over several years, and the Fed will try to get some employees reassigned to other jobs or to banks that will continue to do work for the Treasury. The Treasury says the move will save taxpayers $117 million over 10 years.

Office Depot to close 400 stores

Office Depot will close as many as 400 U.S. stores, including 150 this year, on the heels of its November merger with OfficeMax, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based office supplies chain said yesterday. Rival Staples Inc., of Framingham, announced its own round of 225 store closures in March. "Ultimately it will strengthen the retail bases for both companies," said R. Scott Tilghman, a B. Riley & Co. analyst. "We'll have less of an over-storing problem across the country." Office Depot, which yesterday reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter results and raised its full-year outlook, is seeing improvement at an earlier and more rapid pace than anticipated, according to Tilghman.

SJC hears arguments in Tesla case

Lawyers for Tesla Motors and the Massachusetts Auto Dealers Association faced questions from the Supreme Judicial Court yesterday over whether the dealers association has legal standing to sue to stop Tesla from selling its electric cars directly to consumers.

"We know what the purposes of the old statute were, and they don't include protecting dealers from inter-brand competition, and they don't protect the business model of franchisees, including dealerships," said Justice Barbara Lenk.

A decision will likely be announced in June.

Viking Financial files for bankruptcy

Viking Financial Group, the company co-owned by a West Roxbury man accused of an alleged Ponzi scheme that bilked more than $10 million from clients, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy yesterday.

Steven Palladino's company listed estimated debt of $10 million to $50 million, and assets up to $50,000, according to court documents.

Palladino was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in state prison in January. Last month, the U.S. Attorney's office charged him with 25 counts of criminal contempt for allegedly disregarding an asset freeze and other court orders.

THE SHUFFLE

Phillip Brake has been promoted to senior vice president and Massachusetts office leader for architecture/engineering firm HNTB's combined Boston and Chelmsford office. Brake has more than 20 years of experience in transportation systems. He joined HNTB in 2002.

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Siemens CEO shakes up company to raise profits

FRANKFURT, Germany — German industrial equipment maker Siemens AG is launching a sweeping restructuring to raise profits and better compete with peers such as General Electric.

CEO Joe Kaeser is eliminating the sprawling company's four broad sectors overseeing its businesses, and will trim those business divisions from 16 to nine. Each division will get a profit margin target as Siemens aims to focus on fields where it can grow and earn the most.

Cutting out the sector level of management will reduce bureaucracy, cut costs and speed up decisions, the company says. Kaeser took over last year after previous CEO Peter Loescher missed several profit targets.

The revamp comes as Siemens is considering making an offer for the power generating business of France's Alstom, which has already received an offer from General Electric.

Kaeser was to lay out details Wednesday at a news conference in Berlin.

The restructuring announcement comes along with the release of what the company called a mixed earnings performance in the first three months of the year, the company's fiscal second quarter. Net profit rose 12 percent to 1.153 billion euros ($1.61 billion). But revenues fell 2 percent to 17.78 billion euros, and new orders slipped 13 percent to 18.43 billion euros. New orders are key to the company's future profits as it delivers large projects with long lead times.

Siemens, based in Munich, makes heavy machinery such as gas- and wind-powered turbines, trains, and medical imaging devices. Other businesses include factory automation and security equipment. It has 359,000 employees, 243,000 of them outside its German base.

The shakeup included a slew of other measures, including the acquisition of Rolls-Royce's gas turbine and compressor business for 950 million euros ($1.32 billion) as the company focuses on what it hopes will be a profitable sector. Siemens also announced it was forming a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to provide plants, products and services for the iron, steel and aluminum industries.

And it will also hold a stock-market offering for its hearing-aid business.

The company said it plans to increase the number of employee shareholders by 50 percent to over 200,000 to create what Kaeser called "a sustainable ownership culture" at the company.

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Bowman: Business cards say lot about you

We all meet and exchange cards at meetings, in restaurants, attending industry functions, traveling, at social events. But absently handing someone a card is a missed opportunity.

The everyday practice of business card exchange is time-honored, and honing this demonstrates respect, portrays you as professional and will help set you apart.

The business card itself casts an important "first impression." Consider your business card your ticket in the door and discard any thoughts that the paper card may be becoming obsolete in an increasingly paperless world: The traditional business card is timeless.

Business cards — called "meishi" in Japanese which literally translated means "face" — represents one's "life." Therefore, the quality of paper stock is important, as well as how the card is presented, received, acknowledged and ultimately placed.

The most formal way of presenting a card is by holding it with a thumb on either corner, readable side up or one thumb on one corner. Receive it the same way. Most importantly, acknowledge the card — look at the card, read it, study it, caress it! Look back at the other person and acknowledge their card, title, life.

Place the card someplace respectful — your inner breast pocket or portfolio; do not discard.

If you are serious about doing business in your target country, the same information should be printed in their native language, presented readable side up.

Exchange cards before the meeting as you introduce yourself and shake hands. Align subtly, yet strategically around your portfolio to coincide with seating to access names as you address individuals; using names in conversation is powerful.

As for the look of the card, make sure colors and font are consistent with your firm's mission.

Here are some tips on what not to do:

•    Don't ask a very senior executive for their business card; they won't have one. You should know how to find them and follow up.

•    Don't assume someone wants your card. Ask, "May I offer you my card?" "May I ask for your card?"

•     Never write on a business card in the presence of that person; you are defacing their "life." Ask, "May I write that on the back of your card?"

And if anyone ever asks for your card — even though this is your last card and it is bent, frayed or damaged in any way, toss it. (This suggests you are, too!)

Judith Bowman is an author and president of her own consulting company.

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Target CEO ouster tied to data breach, sales

Target Corp. removed 35-year company veteran Gregg Steinhafel as its CEO yesterday in the wake of last year's disastrous data breach that hit as many as 110 million customers.

Analysts say the abrupt move likely also was triggered by Target's bungled expansion into Canada, soft U.S. sales and poor e‑commerce results. Steinhafel had been CEO since 2008.

Target is the second-largest U.S. discounter behind Wal-Mart, with $71.3 billion in annual sales last year. Its net income dropped 46 percent in the fourth-quarter that included the crucial holiday season after its Dec. 19 breach announcement heavily cut into sales.

"The data breach is a pretty public thing, but Canada was not executed well last year ... and, also, the general U.S. merchandising in the stores hasn't been as crisp or exciting," said Joseph Feldman, a Telsey Advisory Group analyst.

Target posted a $1 billion loss in Canada last year on sales of $1.3 billion.

"On a positive note, this is something that I think investors have been looking for — a change in the top that might help reinvigorate the business," Feldman said.

Target CFO John Mulligan will be interim CEO.

Steinhafel's replacement will need to identify Target's flaws in merchandising, marketing and e-commerce, said Jefferies analyst Daniel Binder. Target's core business has been lackluster for several quarters, he said, and "The latest data … suggests that even if the U.S. business has stabilized post-credit card data breach, the bigger picture for Target isn't seeing an acceptable rate of change."

The timing of Target's announcement suggests the board perhaps had received an unfavorable first-quarter update, according to William Blair analyst Mark Miller. Those results are due to be publicly reported May 21.

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China tightens controls on imports of baby formula

BEIJING — China has tightened controls on imports of infant formula in a move an industry official in New Zealand, a major supplier, said might block some products.

The announcement coincides with an effort by Beijing to build up its dairy industry following a 2008 tainted milk scandal that killed at least six babies and prompted many parents to switch to imported formula.

Only milk products from foreign sources that are registered with the government can be imported, the Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on its website. A list issued by the government showed foreign brands including European units of Abbot Laboratories, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. and Nestle Group have registered.

An industry group in New Zealand said only six of the country's 13 suppliers were approved. The chairman of the New Zealand Infant Formula Exporters Association said that might result in some shipments to China being blocked.

"We lost a whole lot of ground this morning," said Michael Barnett at a news conference, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

Demand for imported milk soared after the 2008 scandal in which some Chinese supplies were found to contain melamine, a chemical that can cause kidney damage and other injuries. Some suppliers added it to fool protein tests on watered-down supplies.

Suppliers from New Zealand, Australia, Europe and elsewhere took market share from Chinese competitors, setting back the communist government's efforts to build a domestic dairy industry.

The brand at the center of the 2008 scandal, Sanlu, was broken up and tighter quality standards imposed on the industry. However, that has failed to restore the confidence of Chinese parents. Imported brands have such a strong reputation for quality that customers pay up to three times the price of local brands in supermarkets.

In August, regulators fined five foreign milk suppliers and one from Hong Kong a total of $108 million on charges they violated China's anti-monopoly law by setting minimum retail prices for stores.

In the latest effort to build a domestic industry, the city government of Beijing will give 10.8 million yuan ($1.7 million) to a major local brand, Sanyuan Group, to develop "safe and healthy infant milk powder," the newspaper Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Demand for imported formula is so strong that smugglers bring supplies from Hong Kong, Australia and elsewhere. That has prompted Hong Kong and some other markets to limit purchases to ensure local customers have adequate supplies.

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Vietnam protests Chinese oil rig in disputed sea

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has protested China's decision to send an oil drilling platform to a disputed area of the South China Sea.

The move by Beijing is the latest in a series of provocative actions in the waters that have raised tensions with Southeast Asian countries and drawn the attention of the United States.

According to the China Maritime Safety Administration, the deep see rig CNOOC 981 would be drilling in the South China Sea from May 4 to Aug. 15, and that entering a 3 mile (4.8 kilometers) radius around the area is prohibited.

Vietnam's foreign ministry on Monday said the area was well within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and China's act was "illegal."

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Tesla case to challenge norm

The state's highest court will hear arguments tomorrow in a case pitting Massachusetts auto dealers against electric carmaker Tesla, that could upend how cars are sold in the state.

The Supreme Judicial Court will hear oral arguments from Tesla and the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association (MSADA) and several dealership owners, who are appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit that sought to ban the California company from operating its own dealerships in Massachusetts. The dealers' suit claims direct manufacturer sales aren't legal in Massachusetts.

"We totally disagreed with the technical ruling of the Superior Court," said Robert O'Koniewski, executive vice president of MSADA, referring to a 2012 decision by a Norfolk County judge who found the state's auto franchise law only allowed for injunctive relief for dealerships directly connected to car companies.

O'Koniewski said the franchise law was amended in 2002, and now does not prohibit lawsuits between dealers and unaffiliated manufacturers. In its brief to the SJC, Tesla said the law "was not intended to protect dealers from potential competition from unaffiliated manufacturers."

Even if the SJC rules in favor of the MSADA, the actual lawsuit would have to be heard by a lower court, meaning a resolution is not imminent.

"We would still have to then go back to the superior court," O'Koniewski said.

Also in the works is a bill filed by state Rep. David Linsky of Natick that would explicitly legalize manufacturer-owned dealerships for automakers without a presence in the state. It was recently ordered for further study, a designation that often — but not always — means a slow death for a bill.

Founded by billionaire Elon Musk, Telsa argues that its cars need to be sold directly to consumers, and not in traditional dealerships, because the company is in the best position to describe the new technologies in its cars and justify the starting price of nearly $70,000. The auto dealers say dealerships offer increased competition, and are good for consumers.

Tesla's direct-selling approach has been challenged around the country, most recently in states including Ohio and New York. Dealers argue that the franchise approach is an entrenched system of selling cars, and letting Tesla sell directly could set a precedent for other automakers to sidestep independent franchises. Tesla has been selling in Massachusetts since December 2012.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

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Vietnam protests Chinese oil rig in disputed sea

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam demanded China stop oil drilling operations in a disputed patch of the South China Sea, saying on Monday that Beijing's decision to deploy a deep sea rig over the weekend was illegal.

China's move was the latest in a series of provocative actions aimed at asserting its sovereignty in potentially oil and gas-rich waters that have raised tensions with Vietnam, the Philippines and other claimants.

The United States shares many of the regional concerns about China's actions in the seas. Last week, President Barack Obama signed a new defense pact with the Philippines aimed at reassuring allies in the region of American backing as they wrangle with Beijing's growing economic and military might.

The China Maritime Safety Administration posted a navigational warning on its website advising that the CNOOC 981 rig would be drilling in the South China Sea from May 4 to Aug. 15, in an area close to the Paracel Islands, which are controlled by China but Vietnam claims as its own.

China's maritime administration also said that ships entering a 3-mile (4.8-kilometers) radius around the area are prohibited.

Vietnam's foreign ministry said the area where the rig was stationed lay within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined by the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"All foreign activities in Vietnam's seas without Vietnam's permission are illegal and invalid," the ministry said in a statement. "Vietnam resolutely protests them."

Vietnam's state-owned oil company, PetroVietnam, demanded that China National Offshore Oil Corporation "immediately stop all the illegal activities and withdraw the rig from Vietnamese waters."

Asked about Vietnam's objections, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the drilling was taking place in Chinese waters.

Many analysts believe China is embarking on a strategy of gradually pressing its claims in the water by seeing what it can get away with, believing that its much smaller neighbors will be unable or unwilling to stop them. Vietnam has accused Chinese ships of cutting cables to its exploration vessels and harassing fishermen, as has the Philippines.

Chinese assertiveness puts Vietnam's authoritarian government in difficult position domestically because anger at China, an ideological ally, runs deep in the country. This is exploited by dissident movements, who accuse the government of being unwilling to speak out against Beijing.

Tran Cong Truc, the former head of a government committee overseeing the country's border issues, said the latest Chinese move was especially provocative.

"This act by China is much more dangerous than previous actions such as cutting the exploration cable or fishing bans," he said.

___

Associated Press news assistant Zhao Liang in Beijing contributed to this report.

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Odyssey’s air bag warning light needs to be checked out

I have a 2005 Honda 
Odyssey. About two months ago the passenger air bag light started coming on. I took it in for an oil change and the mechanic said it's nothing to worry about. It bugs me. Can you give me an answer?

No, but Honda's scan tool can. Anytime there's a question or issue with air bags or supplemental restraint systems, have the issue investigated. Why? Because any fault or problem can influence, even prevent, these systems from deploying properly in a crash.

Your vehicle has an impact sensor and a weight sensor in the passenger seat that can determine whether the passenger air bag should deploy or not in a crash. With an occupant weight of 65 pounds or less or a frontal impact where the seatbelt would offer adequate protection, the passenger air bag will not deploy.

If the passenger seat, its upholstery or the OPDS system (occupant position detection system) have been serviced, a re-initialization is required.

Also, Honda did issue a recall for a potentially defective front impact sensor on some 2005 
Odysseys, but this is unlikely the issue with your vehicle.

I have a 1966 Mustang. I have noticed in the past couple of years that when I first start driving, the right front wheel will lock up and slide on a dirt road and the car wants to turn right immediately. After driving the car for a couple of miles the brakes work fine and the car stops straight as an arrow. I had the brakes inspected and there were no leaks or other problems. The mechanic said that sometimes the brake hoses can deteriorate from the inside so I had them changed, but the car still wants to turn right at the first stop. I have read that if a brake line has a stoppage it might cause this. Is this a problem with the right front wheel or maybe the left front wheel is not getting enough hydraulic pressure?

Let me offer two other possibilities: moisture or contamination on the brake shoe friction material and (this is a long shot) the brake shoes on the right front are reversed, meaning the leading shoe is in the trailing position and vice versa.

Many drum brake systems feature a leading shoe that is pushed by the hydraulic wheel cylinder into the direction of rotation of the brake drum. This gives the leading shoe a self-energizing characteristic, meaning that initial contact with the drum tends to self-apply the friction material on the shoe.

In most cases, the leading shoe has a section of shoe at the wheel cylinder end that has no friction material to reduce the self-energizing characteristic. If the two brake shoes are reversed with the full length friction material of the trailing shoe mounted in the lead position, the self-energizing characteristic is magnified.

Any type of contamination on the friction material will change the coefficient of friction and can initially cause a significant imbalance of brake force. As the material is heated and/or dried by application, this characteristic often fades.

To perform a quick DIY test of brake hydraulic pressure, place the front end safely on jack stands and have an assistant apply steady light brake pedal pressure while you rotate each front wheel, feeling for the first indication of brake shoe contact with the drum. Both front wheels should initially exhibit this at the same level of brake pressure.

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. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Preparing Boston for high sea levels

Two years after Superstorm Sandy became a cautionary tale about the dangers of climate change, a team of experts will meet this week to come up with strategies to prepare Boston, Cambridge and Revere for rising sea levels.

The Urban Land Institute will host "Living with Water: The Urban Implications" on Thursday, the first in a series of meetings bringing together architects, engineers, developers and financiers to find ways to help people protect their communities.

"There's been a large body of research on sea-level rise, and we believe the time is now for members of the design and development disciplines within the real estate industry to come up with viable solutions," said Sarah Barnat, ULI's executive director.

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that seas will rise between 3 and 6 feet by the end of this century. Because of how Greater Boston is situated, it will be disproportionately affected, said Dennis Carlberg, sustainability director at Boston University and co-chairman of the ULI Boston Sustainability Council.

Scientists project changing climate conditions will cause Boston Harbor to be as much as 6 feet above current levels, and more than 30 percent of the city will flood during storms at high tide.

"The real underlying question is: How do you change design now for new construction, and how do you modify existing designs?" he said. "This is a whole set of issues we've never dealt with before."

Four teams will look at one of four sites: the Back Bay; new development in Boston's Innovation District; a new, mixed-use construction project on the Revere waterfront; and a district planning initiative for Alewife.

The teams will focus on preparing for a "new normal" when today's storm surge becomes tomorrow's twice-daily high tide, Carlberg said.

Each team will work to answer four questions: how solutions affect the streetscape, what the implications are for policymakers, how property owners and tenants assess and balance their costs and risks, and what different stakeholders need to do, he said. A report on the findings is due out in September.

"The timing of the ULI project is very positive because Boston is updating its climate action plan with a focus on climate preparedness, so the results of their work will help inform our strategy update," said Brian Swett, the city's chief of environment, energy and open space.

The updated plan will be released at the end of this year, Swett said, but officials already have taken steps to mitigate flooding as a result of rising sea levels and Superstorm Sandy-like storms. The Boston Redevelopment Authority now requires all new large developments to complete a questionnaire to ensure flood-proofing and other building-preparedness practices are included in their planning, design and construction, Swett said.

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Westfield State U. agog over new Google technology

WESTFIELD, Mass. — It was a futuristic sight, as about a dozen students, faculty, and community members gathered around a cluster of screens on the second floor of the Ely Library at Westfield State University late last month to behold a wonder of modern technology.

The wonder that lay before them, projected onto seven screens standing seven feet tall, is Liquid Galaxy, a revolutionary product developed by Google which utilizes the company's Google Earth component to take users almost anywhere in seconds, on Earth or elsewhere.

"It sends Mars data, too," said Tom Raffensperger, the dean of Academic Information Services at Westfield State. "There's a rover up there taking pictures and mapping."

Capable of showing off the red planet just as adeptly as taking users to Fenway Park, Liquid Galaxy's potential is seemingly limitless, and Raffensperger says it will be available to the greater Westfield community during open lab times, after being made available to professors and students first.

As the jaws of students and faculty alike dropped to the floor at the startling realism and accuracy of Google Earth's mapping, professors in the school's geography department took the opportunity to speak about the project, it's humble beginnings, and what it means for the institution.

"It all started when Tim (LeDoux) and I were invited to attend the geospatial technology and higher education workshop at Google in California last summer," said Dr. Carsten Braun, a professor of Geography and Regional Planning at the University. "When we saw the Liquid Galaxy we said 'wow, this is cool, but not just cool — a great teaching tool.' So when we came back, we launched an idea to (Dr.) Liz Preston and Tom Raffensperger saying 'Hey, is this something we could get?'"

Various university departments collectively paid $25,000 to use the program.

"It was really a collaborative effort," said Raffensperger. "It was a lot of departments getting together. The library, we worked hard to make this space available, and the people at IT, academic information services, academic affairs, just a lot of different departments seeing how this would benefit the university as a whole."

Raffensperger added that professors such as LeDoux will be using the program for introductory and advanced global imaging systems (GIS) courses to take students to distant cities.

"As a geographer and planner, I talk a lot about different cities and the issues they're facing, such as Detroit with its bankruptcy," LeDoux said. "I can talk a lot about the legacy — the racism, the disinvestment issues — and that helps students paint a picture, but to take them on the ground and walk through the neighborhoods of Detroit using this, they see it, the abandoned buildings, and it brings home the visual element to them."

"I will be using this in my physical geography class, which is about landforms — glaciers, rivers, mountains, beaches — all kinds of stuff that. With this immersive program, you can experience beach erosion, experience sea level rise, much better than a static picture," Braun said. "We can do labs and say 'let's go to the Grand Canyon, let's look at what goes on at the intersection of land and ocean.'"

"(We'll be) working with the folks from the Art Department, or any other interested people to create content experiences that they can use in their classes," he added. "That's what we're going to be working on in the next few months. 'You teach English Literature, you teach Art, let's see how we can create activities that let students experience this in a special sense.'"

"This can be applied to all the different disciplines at the University," LeDoux added. "Whether you're trying to ground literature for students, poetry that a poet is writing about a landscape, it's a very vivid image, but actually seeing what they're writing about is very powerful."

When asked about the prevalence of this technology, Braun was proud to admit that Liquid Galaxy is so far only available in museums and large research-based institutions, none of which are the size of Westfield State.

"I'd be super happy to talk to anybody about how to make this useful," Braun said. "In a perfect world, we want to help everybody get this. But first, let's take this off the campus and bring it into the community, working in the local schools and make this a tool or experience that we share with the entire community."

"We are very excited to be able to provide this," said Westfield State University President Dr. Elizabeth Preston during the demo. "Part of the reason we decided to invest in the technology is because it's very clear that it has applications for all kinds of disciplines beyond the obvious. So we're very excited to have the technology on campus."

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