Feds award $20M grant to upgrade Ruggles T station

Local and federal officials gathered in front of the Ruggles MBTA station yesterday to announce a $20 million federal grant that will help fund the construction of a new 800-foot commuter rail platform and a host of other improvements at the 27-year-old Roxbury transit facility.

"The vision set forth by President Obama for the TIGER grant program called for smart investment in transportation that will lead to expanded growth and opportunity," Gov. Deval Patrick said. "The improvements that will be made to Ruggles encapsulate that vision — shortening commutes, increasing transit access and catalyzing growth for this neighborhood and the city."

In addition to the new 9,600-square-foot rail platform, the project calls for replacing existing elevators, making the station fully accessible to riders with disabilities and restoring rail tracks at the station, which is served by 14 MBTA bus routes, seven private bus shuttles and Orange Line and commuter rail trains.

After completing the project's design work next spring, the MBTA will solicit bids from contractors and the two-year construction period is expected to begin in the fall of 2015, MBTA officials said.

"Transportation infrastructure is what gives us the opportunity for people to get to their jobs, for people to get to an education, for people to live in one place and get to another and keep a strong, vital city operating," U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.

After the construction of the new platform more commuter rail trains will be able to stop at Ruggles, making the station a more convenient alternative for thousands of people traveling to and from the Columbus Avenue/Lower Roxbury corridor, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said.

Patrick said the project is a critical element in MassDOT's statewide goal of tripling the share of non-auto-based travel in Massachusetts by 2030.

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Pike traffic woes to grow

Mass Pike commuters, already tested by construction that's reduced lanes and clogged traffic, have another, larger project to look forward to when the current one is finished.

The state Department of Transportation's launch of its estimated $260 million Allston interchange realignment likely will start in early 2017 — on the heels of the current Commonwealth Avenue bridge and median barrier project — and continue through 2020.

MassDOT wants to address significant structural deficiencies in the I-90 Allston viaduct and shift the Pike's alignment in that area so the curve is not as sharp — changes made possible when CSX Corp. discontinued its rail container operation in the Beacon Park Yard, MassDOT spokesman Michael Verseckes said.

It's too early in the design process to determine associated traffic restrictions, according to Verseckes. "Ultimately, the new segment of highway will have to be tied in to the ends on either side," he said.

Another public meeting on the interchange project's preliminary design and work schedule is set for Thursday.

Current work on the Pike — rehabbing of the Commonwealth Avenue bridge foundation and median barrier upgrades — has prompted the shutdown of a portion of the Pike's left lanes in both directions and snarled traffic. An on-ramp lane from Cambridge Street in Allston, for Pike eastbound travel, also has been closed. That $22.2 million project is expected to be finished in spring 2016.

"We understand that this project has created some traffic congestion ... particularly in the morning commute," Verseckes said. "Due to the various constraints with the physical, available right-of-way and the very close proximity to the commuter rail lines, we feel that this design is the only means to get the project done on a timely basis and still maintain safe operation."

Work in the Prudential tunnel portion of the Pike that has prompted night and early morning lane shutdowns, meanwhile, is expected to wrap up Oct. 15, according to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. The MCCA project, which entailed removing the tunnel ceiling beneath the Hynes Convention Center, is now in cleanup phase, executive director Jim Rooney said.

"We've got to do some fireproofing to the underside of the Hynes, install some heat tracing on some exposed water pipes and drain pipes, and we've got some uneven walls that need to be repaired," he said. "It's kind of the finish work of the job."

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Hard to get over this Range Rover

As it turns out, perfection does have its price.

And at $121,390, the 2014 Range Rover Supercharged LWB comes close enough to achieving it. This car is a beauty with classic looks and impeccable road manners. It's a luxury SUV that drives like a sedan while making you feel like you're in your living room. It has style, speed and splendor.

This thoroughly refined SUV starts with comfortable, soft, supple leather seats. In summer, the Range Rover will keep you cool with ventilation emanating from perforated leather. In winter, heat greets you from the seat, the steering wheel as well as the dual zone climate control system. The front seat of the Range Rover even has a built-in massaging feature for recuperating from those long days at work.

Rear passengers will also experience the luxury. The 122.8-inch wheelbase increases the legroom to 47.5 inches so there's plenty of room to stretch your legs. The plush seats also recline up to 17 degrees. Rear passengers can also operate the panoramic sunroof while watching a video on screens mounted to the headrest.

Sporting the same engine as the Jaguar F-Type, the 5.0-liter supercharged 510 horsepower V8 gets you places fast. Going 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds, it smoothly accelerates thanks to a well-engineered 8-speed automatic transmission.

Snazzy 21-inch alloy wheels complement the Range Rover's distinctive front grille and sleek all-aluminum exterior.

The Rover has great safety features like side view mirrors with blind spot monitors and adaptive cruise control to keep the car collision free. The cruise control slows the vehicle down automatically to keep it from gaining on the car in front of you. Radar built-in to the rear bumper saves you from hitting objects and people in reverse.

The automatic terrain response system adjusts the suspension to match the speed and terrain. It handles so well in turns that you may forget you are in a top-heavy SUV that can roll over if you are careless. Speaking of things that can go wrong in a SUV, Land Rover even boasts that this vehicle can wade in 35.4 inches of water should it get caught in a flood.

The automatic parallel parking feature will blow your socks off. Push to activate the parking mode and it instructs you to drive until it sees an opening it can fit in. Once it sees a worthy spot, it instructs you to stop and put the car in reverse – then keep your hands off the wheel and watch as the car parks itself with finesse. Your only job, other than changing gears and touching the gas pedal, is to make sure the spot is legal.

This car is packed with features including a built-in 8-inch touchscreen GPS and a Meridian sound system which pumps out 825 watts.

The only caveat besides the massive price tag is the need for premium unleaded and lots of it. At 14 mpg in the city, you will be making plenty of fuel stops. But if you can afford a $121,390 car, you can probably afford to pay for the fuel.

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Sponsors keep close watch on NFL investigation

Major brand sponsors are watching closely to make sure the National Football League doesn't fumble the investigation into how its executives handled evidence in the Ray Rice domestic violence case.

For big companies like Anheuser-Busch, General Motors and Procter & Gamble, an NFL sponsorship is a coveted prize. The deals can cost up to $10 million per brand, but they deliver eyeballs. An average of 17.4 million viewers watched professional football games during the 2013 season, according to Nielsen. Now that the NFL is investigating how its executives handled a video showing Baltimore running-back Ray Rice hitting his then-fiancee, sponsors are forced to balance the exposure NFL games can offer with the risk of alienating customers.

On Wednesday, the NFL said it hired former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller to lead the investigation. Commissioner Roger Goodell previously said no one at the NFL had seen the video before it surfaced on Monday, but the AP reported Wednesday that a law enforcement official sent the tape to the organization in April.

With the investigation just beginning, experts say there is little else sponsors can do but take a wait-and-see approach.

"These situations often develop and change direction very rapidly, so sponsors need to be incredibly agile," said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates. "What's true right now may not be true in two hours, so (sponsors) will have to monitor how the NFL reacts, and then how consumers react to the reactions."

When a scandal hits an individual athlete, brands usually move swiftly to cut ties. Nike severed its relationship with Rice after the video surfaced. Video game maker Electronic Arts said it would scrub Rice's image from its latest Madden '15 release.

But no sponsor company has said it will end its relationship with the NFL — yet.

"Obviously all the sponsors are incredibly worried, but it's hard for a sponsor to disconnect from the entire NFL. It's so important to business," said Atlanta-based marketing consultant Laura Ries. "If Roger Goodell had any sponsors he'd probably lose those, but there's no one person attached to this."

TD Ameritrade said the company has received little reaction from clients about its NFL sponsorship.

"This incident brings to light a disturbing act that we believe is wrong, and while the NFL has, admittedly, not done everything right, we hope that it will quickly learn from its mistakes and work to improve a culture that values the inclusion, safety and respect of its employees and their families," the company said in a statement. "This means holding people fully accountable for their actions and the consequences associated with them."

TD Ameritrade said the company is not making changes but added that "as with any sponsorship, media buy, etc., we carefully monitor the effect it has on our business and brand, and if we feel those assets are being compromised, we'll make the appropriate decisions."

General Motors, a sponsor since 2001, has no plans to change its advertising on NFL games because of the Rice case, said spokeswoman Ryndee Carney.

Carney said she was not aware of the company receiving complaints about its football advertising. GM said it supports the NFL's decision to conduct an investigation. "We will continue to monitor future developments regarding this issue," Carney said.

FedEx also said it is monitoring the situation.

"We are watching developments in this matter closely and we are confident that the League will take the appropriate steps," said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president of marketing and communications at FedEx.

Other large NFL sponsors, such as Pepsico, Anheuser-Busch and Procter & Gamble, did not respond to requests to comment or declined to comment.

For now, analysts don't expect a big change in viewership during NFL games.

"Games will go on and fans will —for the most part— want to watch," Ries said.

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New World Series schedule allows MLB to (mostly) avoid NFL games

There's no question that the National Football League is America's most popular sport, and Major League Baseball doesn't want baseball fans to have to choose between pro football and the World Series.

For the first time in 24 years, baseball's World Series will open on a Tuesday (Oct. 21), according to the postseason schedule laid out by MLB on Thursday, a move that will considerably limit the number of times that baseball and pro football clash during the Fall Classic.

Under the previous schedule that started on a Wednesday and set its seventh game for a Thursday, there was the potential for four World Series games to go up against NFL action -- two on Thursday (Games 2 and 7) and one each on Sunday (Game 4) and Monday (Game 5).

And in 2014, that would have meant baseball's championship round would have opposed a "Thursday Night Football" game on CBS (featuring Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos), a "Monday Night Football" game on ESPN (featuring the popular Dallas Cowboys) and potentially a second "Thursday Night Football" game (this one on NFL Network only).

Instead, the new World Series schedule that starts on a Tuesday and sets its seventh game on a Wednesday means that only a Game 5 (if needed in the best-of-seven series) will go up against the NFL: opposite NBC's juggernaut "Sunday Night Football" (on Oct. 26).

Up until a few years ago, the NFL did not schedule a "Sunday Night Football" game opposite the World Series. But as the league has grown increasingly popular, it became confident enough to slate a game against the Fall Classic -- and usually beat it in the process.

Major League Baseball traditionally scheduled its World Series to start on Saturdays from 1985 to 2006 (it began on a Tuesday in 1990 only because an early-season lockout delayed the start of the playoffs). It then moved to a higher-profile Wednesday start date in 2007.

This year's baseball postseason gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 30 with the American League Wild-Card game on TBS, followed the next night by the National League wild-card game on ESPN. (ESPN would also show any possible tie-breaker games on Monday, Sept. 29.)

Fox Sports 1 enters the action this year and will televise games in the National League Division Series and up to five games of the National League Championship Series.

TBS will air every game of the American League Championship Series, and Fox will again show all of the World Series.

Game times will be announced at a later date.

KEY POSTSEASON DATES

A.L. Wild Card -- Tuesday, Sept. 30 (TBS)
N.L. Wild Card -- Wednesday, Oct. 1 (ESPN)

American League Division Series (both) -- begins Thursday, Oct. 2 (TBS)
National League Division Series (both) -- begins Friday, Oct. 3 (Fox Sports 1)

American League Championship Series -- begins Friday, Oct. 10 (TBS)
National League Championship Series -- begins Saturday, Oct. 11 (Fox)

World Series -- begins Tuesday, Oct. 21; potential Game 7 on Wednesday, Oct. 29 (Fox)

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

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CBS Thursday NFL team tries punting on Ray Rice story

Pity CBS Sports. The network got all dressed up to attend a football game, and a genuine news story broke out.

The controversy surrounding the National Football League's handling of Ray Rice - who was disciplined lightly, then disciplined again, for domestic abuse - intruded on plans to launch the hard-won Thursday football package, even forcing a last-minute change to the program's opening. Yet CBS host James Brown introduced the show almost treating the Rice affair as an inconvenience, noting, "There is a football game to be played," before turning to analysts Bill Cowher and Deion Sanders to ask how they would prepare for such a contest.

"They need to put all the mess aside and focus on this game at hand," said Sanders, suggesting that pros were paid to overlook "distractions."

"It's time to focus on football," play-by-play man Jim Nantz said, alluding to the Rice "crisis" -- as analyst Phil Simms put it -- and then quickly changing the subject. (Nantz was later heard on a hot mic, but, as usual, had nothing interesting to say even then.)

Always good to see where a studio show's priorities are.

CBS Sports President Sean McManus might have spoken about the division's journalistic responsibilities on Thursday, but those were on holiday during the 25-minute pre-game show. Indeed, by any measure, this was an abdication on that level.

For CBS, the swirl of publicity and pressure to cover the Rice situation - and calls for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's resignation - threw a wet blanket, in theory, over the Thursday launch, a cornerstone of its fall TV campaign. The game fell even more directly under the spotlight because it pitted what was until this week Rice's team, the Baltimore Ravens, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Goodell had already conducted an interview -- with CBS News' Norah O'Donnell, naturally -- about the disturbing inside-the-elevator video that surfaced this week via TMZ, but that only fed the "What did you know, and when did you know it?" questions. Not that a casual observer would know any of that from tuning in on Thursday night.

Still, as was noted in this space a few days ago, NFL fans are seldom distracted for long by scandals. And while all the negative publicity besetting the NFL is surely unwelcome, team owners no doubt have a pretty clear sense of just how bullet-proof their product is, if the unbending loyalty of viewers through past embarrassments -- and friendly treatment from their "broadcast partners" -- provides any historical guide.

So CBS found itself in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't position on Thursday night -- and conspicuously chose the latter. But like most things pertaining to football, one suspects everything will look a whole lot brighter when they see those big, fat overnight ratings in the morning.

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

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China stimulus hopes, dollar rise lift Asia stocks

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stock markets were mostly higher Thursday on hopes of additional stimulus in China and the prospect of sustained strength in the U.S. dollar, which could help Asia's exporters.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 percent to 15,908.16 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.1 percent to 24,728.09. China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.5 percent to 2,329.07. Stocks in Southeast Asia and India advanced. But South Korea's Kospi lost 0.1 percent to 2,047.59 in their first trading day of the week after holidays. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.3 percent to 5,555.50.

CHINA INFLATION: Stocks in mainland China were among the strongest gainers after the country's monthly consumer price index showed a lower inflation rate. Consumer prices rose 2 percent last month from over a year earlier, compared with a 2.3 percent rise in July. Subdued inflation suggests the domestic economy is muted but also gives policymakers headroom to maintain easy access to credit and possibly introduce new stimulus measures. Sentiment was also bolstered by Premier Li Keqiang's remarks that the country will reach its 7.5 percent economic growth target for this year.

WEAK YEN: The dollar continued to gain against the yen and other Asian currencies on expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates from ultra-low levels in coming months because of steady improvement in the U.S. economy; Europe and Japan by contrast are not expected to let up on stimulatory monetary policy. Credit Agricole analysts said in a report that the dollar will rise to 108 yen by the end of this year, even without further policy easing in Japan. It said the yen will be driven higher by rate hike expectations in the U.S.

WALL STREET: U.S. stocks closed higher as Apple Inc., a market heavyweight, jumped 3 percent after announcing new iPhone models and its first watch. The Dow Jones industrial average ended Wednesday up 0.3 percent to 17,068.71. The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent to 1,995.69 and the Nasdaq rose 0.8 percent to 4,586.52. Apple comprises 8.5 percent of the tech-heavy Nasdaq index.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude for October delivery was down 9 cents to $91.58 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract dropped $1.08 to settle at $91.67 on Wednesday.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 106.97 yen from 106.82 yen late Wednesday. The euro fell to $1.2906 from $1.2921.

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Apple sows seeds of more secure payment system

Users of Apple Inc.'s new "contactless" Apple Pay system can expect transactions at retailers that are less susceptible to hacker breaches of their personal data, according to the company and payment security experts.

The mobile payment system, which will work with Apple's new iPhone 6, verifies users through the device's fingerprint scanner and employs radio-based, near-field communication (NFC) to transmit a dynamic security code to a retailer's point-of-sale system in lieu of credit or debit card numbers. Apple Pay also will work with the forthcoming Apple Watch. Credit and debit card information will not be stored on either device or Apple's servers.

"(Apple Pay) does solve almost all of the security concerns in the payments space because it doesn't include a card number," said Tim Sloane, vice president of payments innovation at Mercator Advisory Group in Maynard. "It uses tokens to represent a card number that is not shared."

Apple has agreements with card companies American Express, MasterCard and Visa, and Apple Pay can be used at its own stores and retailers including Staples, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, McDonald's, Walgreens and Whole Foods Market.

Apple Pay is expected to speed retailers' adoption of point-of-sale systems that accept the more secure NFC payments and "chip and pin" or "chip and signature" payment cards with embedded microprocessor chips that store cardholder data in lieu of the more easily hacked magnetic strips.

"There's this liability shift coming next year that's driving merchants to implement (the chip-enabled systems)," Sloane said, noting card issuers and merchants that don't will be held liable for counterfeit card transactions.

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Why Ray Rice media blitz won't throw NFL for a loss

The National Football League has endured several days of terrible publicity, stemming from its serialized mishandling of the domestic violence case involving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. Yet those in media circles wondering about what sort of lingering damage this might do to what is by far the U.S.'s most popular and profitable sport are poor students of history.

As Variety's David Cohen details in a timely look at the NFL's powerful hold on TV networks, the league is such a cash-generating dynamo broadcasters have tripped over themselves throwing money at it. And the Rice situation hardly represents the first blot on pro football's reputation, with past transgressions - such as Michael Vick's role in a dog-fighting ring - having done nothing to diminish its appeal.

Rice's case has involved several story lines, all of them bad for the NFL. They range from a male-dominated league that doesn't recognize the seriousness of domestic abuse to another instance of these institutions protecting stars above all else.

Even so, that seems less fundamentally threatening to pro football than the recent scandal that should have shaken the NFL's stranglehold on the sports/media landscape: The league's apparent indifference to the destructive effect playing football has had on the health of players. "Fundamentally," by the way, because the longterm consequences associated with playing are directly related to what happens on the field, as opposed to the shadow cast by bad behavior away from it.

Yet the NFL machine rolls on, and its influence over football's "media partners" is such that ESPN rather conspicuously backed out of its role in presenting "League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis," a documentary aired on PBS' "Frontline" last year, which compared football's hierarchy to Big Tobacco in the 1960s.

Just prior to that broadcast, the NFL agreed to a $765-million settlement with former players claiming brain damage as a consequence of their collision-filled careers. Still, if the thought of one-time gridiron heroes being permanently impaired, crippled or committing suicide has dampened the viewing experience for fans, it's certainly not evident in the record ratings early-season games have delivered.

To be fair, ESPN - which has often struggled with stories relating to wider societal issues - has exhibited more backbone this time around, with host Keith Olbermann particularly forceful in calling for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's resignation. That's notable, if only because of the network's track record kowtowing to the league, including its decision to cancel the football-themed drama "Playmakers" a decade ago.

Olbermann was back pounding the drums Tuesday, hammering the NFL for the "imbecility" of its investigation, if Goodell wasn't outright lying about not having seen the video.

Just to put these observations in context, I say this as a football fan (more college than the pros) that enjoys seeing a good clean hit, even though -- based on the neurological research -- I wouldn't necessarily want a son of mine on the receiving end of one.

Therein lies a small taste of the hypocrisy that has made the NFL's unimpeded gravy train possible. Because while the media love a good controversy and compelling video - a big reason why the Rice story topped newscasts throughout the day Tuesday - history shows committed fans generally don't want to be bothered for long by conversations that distract from won-loss records.

Viewed that way, the marathon coverage and legitimate indignation unleashed by TMZ's inside-the-elevator footage of Rice's brutal assault began to feel like an excuse for cable news to run those grainy, disturbing images - over and over again. Because although it's true the story has "crossed over to major non-sports news," as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow put it, none of that promises to produce the kind of backlash team owners would feel the most, which is in their wallets.

So while there's an old joke about denial not being a river in Egypt, when it comes to pro football, denial isn't just a mental condition exhibited by the league, but its fans as well.

Until that changes - and don't hold your breath - all the bad publicity in the world won't be enough to throw the NFL for a loss.

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

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Video: How Keith Olbermann could inflame tensions between ESPN, NFL

The NFL is facing no shortage of criticism in the wake of the release of a video depicting Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his fiancée. ESPN commentator Keith Olbermann went so far as to suggest league commissioner Roger Goodell resign. He wasn't even the only ESPN personality to go there; so did Jason Whitlock and others.

But as Andrew Wallenstein, editor-in-chief, digital at Variety notes in the video above, it will be interesting to see if they persist in the coming days given the fraught relationship between ESPN and the NFL.

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

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How Apple's new products matter to Hollywood

Apple unveiled the worst kept secrets in the technology industry -- larger iPhones and a smartwatch -- Tuesday with much fanfare. But once the buzz of the launches die down, how the products will impact businesses and consumers' lives could start to inform Hollywood how it should embrace the devices.

The iPhone 6's expected success can't be ignored with analysts predicting 75 million of the handsets to be sold by the end of the year.

Larger Screens

The biggest feature on the new iPhones -- Apple's biggest moneymaker since 2007 -- are larger screens.

The iPhone 6 will feature a 4.7 inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus comes with a 5.5 inch display and supports full 1080p HD video.

That's good news for content owners that sell movies and TV shows through iTunes, producers of web series and short videos that play on YouTube, and streaming video services like Netflix. But more on screen real estate also will benefit app and gamemakers.

The larger size provides apps with more pixels up from 640 by 1136 screen resolution to 750 by 1334 and 1080 by 1920 for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

IPhone owners have long wanted a larger screen as Apple's rivals like Samsung, HTC and LG tout their far larger Android-powered screens.

The iPhone 6 Plus gets Apple into the phablet game -- a category that combines a smartphone and small tablet computer -- but the company still lags in size behind Samsung, whose new Galaxy Note 4 features a 5.7 inch display. Its Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone has a 5.1 inch screen.

Still the new screen sizes are significantly larger than the original iPhone, which measured 3.5 inches in 2007, which didn't change until the iPhone 5's 4 inch display.

And as more people turn to mobile devices to access entertainment, bigger is considered better for device manufacturers looking to satisfy the demands of today's consumer.

While it marks Apple's first serious foray into the wearable tech market, the small display on the Apple Watch will provide access to apps. Owners will need an iPhone to operate the smartwatch, turning the device into a second screen platform for a mobile phone.
 

Better Graphics
Further benefitting app designers and streaming services is Apple's new A8 processor, which will enable the iPhone to handle more tasks and advanced graphics, especially through its Metal app and game engine.

The chip speeds up computing tasks by 25% and improves graphics speeds by 50%, the company said. It's also 50% more power efficient.

An additional M8 motion co-processor monitors motion data from the phone's accelerometer, gyroscope and compass.

An Improved Camera
A new lens that replaces the current iPhone camera vastly improves image quality, especially for photos taken in low light. Updated technology essentially improves the speed of the auto focus function, making it twice as fast as other iPhones.

That's good news for marketers who increasingly rely on people to promote their projects and products through selfies or other shots that proliferate across social media platforms. Fewer blurry shots, means better images for promoters.

But for filmmakers, a new slow motion feature added to the camera enables videos to be taken at 240 frames per second and slowed down, providing more flexibility when making videos. Further enhancements include optical image stabilization, further improving image quality.

The Apple Watch does not include a camera but will be able to display photos on its screen.

Mobile Payments

The launch of Apple Pay will enable consumers to make purchases with their iPhones simply by waving them across a sensor. Credit card information stored in iTunes accounts will be used to make the sales using secured codes, not credit card numbers, helping protect the data from hackers.

While such near-field communication technology already has been available on other smartphones running on Google's Android software, it hasn't caught on just yet with retailers or consumers. Apple Pay will also be available on the Apple Watch.

But with Apple signing on a number of major retail and restaurant partners from Macy's and Whole Foods to McDonald's and Panera, the iPhone and Apple Watch could alter how people shop.

And that could prove beneficial for theater owners and ticket sellers looking to make it easier to fill seats or home entertainment divisions eager to get more Blu-rays and DVDs into consumers' hands, not to mention the studio consumer products groups who want to sell more movie-related merchandise.

The iPhone 6 will start at $199 with 16 GB of storage, with the most expensive model costing $399 for 128 GB.

Meanwhile the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 for 16 GB and goes up to $499 for 128 GB.

The Apple Watch will be available for purchase in early 2015.

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

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CBS lands exclusive interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

CBS has secured an exclusive interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of a Ray Rice scandal that has left the league bruised and battered in recent days.

The interview, conducted by CBS' Norah O'Donnell, will partially air on Tuesday's "Evening News with Scott Pelley" and later in full on Wednesday's "This Morning."

"Evening News" exec producer Chris Licht tweeted a picture Tuesday afternoon of the interview.

Goodell and the NFL have been under heavy fire from the media for its handling of Rice's assault on his then-fiance Janay Palmer at an Atlantic City casino.

"We had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator. We assumed that there was a video," Goodell told O'Donnell in the interview, but said the league was "never granted that opportunity."

TMZ released a graphic video of the assault on Monday which showed Rice knocking Palmer out in an elevator, resulting in the "indefinite" suspension of the Baltimore Ravens star. This coming less than a month after the NFL's much softer two-game suspension of Rice, who was also released by the Ravens.

According to reports, law enforcement officials and Rice's attorneys were provided the footage by the casino, which sparked several "cover-up" accusations in the media after the NFL released a statement echoing Goodell's comments on Monday claiming to have not seen the actual video, this despite footage released in February of the football star dragging Palmer by the hair through the lobby.

ESPN's Keith Olbermann, on Monday, called for Goodell's resignation.

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

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Apple to reveal its next big thing

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is poised to reveal its next big thing Tuesday in a crucial attempt to prove its technological tastemakers still have the power to mesmerize the masses.

The trend-setting company is expected to rouse the still-slumbering market for wearable computers with a smartwatch or bracelet equipped to monitor health, help manage homes and even buy merchandise.

Apple is a late arrival to this relatively new niche: several other companies already sell smartwatches that are being greeted with widespread indifference.

If any company can transform the landscape, it's likely to be Apple Inc. after the company shifted the direction of digital technology with the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Other MP3 music players, smartphones and tablet computers were first to market, but the devices didn't enthrall consumers until Apple imbued them with a sense of elegance, convenience and wizardry.

"It means more to us to get it right than to be first," Apple CEO Tim Cook explained to analysts earlier this year.

Apple is likely to provide the first peek at its wearable device at an event set to begin at 10 a.m. PDT in the same Silicon Valley auditorium where Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, unveiled the industry-shifting Mac computer 25 years ago.

Rumors have been swirling that U2, one of Jobs' favorite musical groups, will perform live to promote its new album, as well as Apple's latest gadgetry, which is likely to include an iPhone with a larger screen.

As usual, Apple hasn't said what's on tap, though the company's top executives have repeatedly promised major breakthroughs without providing any details.

"The location suggests this will be a historic event and the historic aspect will be their movement into a new category," predicted technology analyst and longtime Apple watcher Tim Bajarin.

After Tuesday's glimpse, it still may be several months before people get a chance to wear the device. There's speculation that the smartwatch won't be available until early next year, although Apple is expected to take orders during the holiday shopping season.

A smartwatch or high-tech bracelet would mark the first time that Apple Inc. has rolled out a new product line since the iPad's release nearly four-and-half years ago. In that time, the Cupertino, California, company, has been sprucing up its selection of iPhones, iPads and Macs with new models each year since Jobs died in October 2011 after a long battle with cancer.

The innovation void raised questions as to whether Apple's creativity was fading under Cook, Jobs' hand-picked successor.

Those concerns have waned in recent months amid high hopes for the products Apple has lined up for the holiday shopping season. The fervor propelled Apple's stock to new highs last week, a dramatic swing in sentiment from 17 months ago when the shares were trading about 44 percent below current levels. The stock closed down less than 1 percent at $98.35 in Monday's trading.

Even with all the anticipation surrounding the potential smartwatch, the next generation of the iPhone will still be the star of Tuesday's show, as well as the main source of Apple's profits for at least the next year.

The device, likely to be called the iPhone 6, is expected to feature a screen spanning at least 4.7 inches diagonally, up from the 4-inch display on the previous models released during the past two years. Some analysts have speculated Apple may also offer an iPhone model with a 5.5-inch screen.

Any significant increase in the iPhone's size would make the device more competitive with smartphones made by Samsung Electronics and other rivals, and virtually ensure that Apple would have one of the holiday season's hottest selling items. "There is incredible pent-up demand for a larger-screen iPhone," Bajarin said.

Besides a larger screen, the new iPhone is expected to include a near-field communications chip that would enable the device to transmit payment information wirelessly to receivers at store check-in stands. The technology is expected to be accompanied with a mobile wallet feature that taps into the more than 800 million credit card account numbers that users store on Apple's remote servers to buy songs, video and apps from its iTunes stores. The mobile wallet could be secured with a fingerprint reader that Apple introduced last year on the iPhone 5S.

The mobile wallet conceivably could also work on a smartwatch or high-tech bracelet.

Apple's latest mobile software for the iPhone 6 and other recent models, iOS 8, also includes two features called HealthKit and HomeKit that represent the next step in the company's to play an even bigger role in the lives of the people tethered to its devices. The tools are designed to turn Apple's products into a suite of digital servants that do everything from monitoring a person's eating habits and exercise routines to turning on the coffee maker in the morning to turning off the lights at night.

If Apple follows its recent traditions, the free iOS 8 software will be released shortly before the iPhone 6 goes on sale later this month.

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Home Depot confirms breach in US, Canada stores

NEW YORK — Home Depot confirmed on Monday that its payment systems have been hacked in a data breach that could affect millions of shoppers who used credit and debit cards at its more than 2,000 U.S. and Canadian stores.

The breach could turn out to be one of the biggest in history. Home Depot did not say how many cards might be affected, but the largest U.S. home improvement chain did say its investigation into the breach goes as far back as April.

The news comes nearly a week after a website that focuses on cybersecurity reported on Tuesday a possible hack of Home Depot's data. The company said later that day that it was investigating the potential breach.

"We apologize for the frustration and anxiety this causes our customers, and I want to thank them for their patience and support as we work through this issue," Chairman and CEO Frank Blake said in a press release.

Home Depot is the latest retailer to have a data breach. Others include Target, luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, grocer Supervalu, restaurant chain P.F. Chang's and the thrift store operations of Goodwill.

In December, Target Corp. disclosed a massive data breach that was the second-largest in history, resulting in the theft of 40 million debit and credit card numbers and the potential exposure of personal information of up to 70 million shoppers.

Forrester Research analyst John Kindervag said the Home Depot breach could affect similar numbers of shoppers or cards, noting that months' worth of data may have been compromised.

"From what I'm hearing, people think this will be as big as Target or bigger," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

The retail breaches have rattled shoppers' confidence at a time when privacy concerns are high. It's also increased pressure on retailers to increase security so that customers can feel safe that their personal data is secure when they're out shopping.

Retailers, banks and card companies have responded to the breaches by speeding the adoption of microchips in U.S. credit and debit cards. That technology helps makes transactions more secure.

Home Depot, which said malware was used in the hack, has announced that it plans to have chip-enabled checkout terminals at all of its U.S. stores by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the Atlanta company said its IT department also is looking into the breach and is working with outside firms, its banking partners, and the U.S. Secret Service. It added that customers will not be held responsible for fraudulent charges to their accounts.

The possible breach at Home Depot was first reported by Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security. Krebs said multiple banks reported "evidence that Home Depot stores may be the source of a massive new batch of stolen credit and debit cards."

If Target's breach is any indication, the fallout from the Home Depot breach could be severe.

The Target hack cost the company hurt the company's profit and revenue. Target's chief information officer and CEO both stepped down in the months after the hack.

"I would think if you're a member of the board of directors, somebody has to be the sacrificial lamb for this," Kindervag, the Forrester analyst, said about Home Depot's breach.

Home Depot already has had some fallout. Its shares are down about 3 percent since Tuesday, and they fell 42 cents to $90.40 in Monday aftermarket trading.

Before the potential breach was announced, Home Depot said in August that Blake would step down as CEO on Nov. 1. He will be replaced by Craig Menear, president of the company's U.S. retail operations.

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World stocks muted, dollar at 6-year high vs yen

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Asian stock markets notched modest gains Tuesday and the dollar hit a six-year high against the yen on expectations the Federal Reserve will soon end stimulus and raise interest rates. European stocks were slightly lower.

KEEPING SCORE: France's CAC 40 was down 0.1 percent at 4,471.01 and Germany's DAX shed 0.1 percent to 9,747.41. Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.2 percent at 6,819.88 amid jitters Scotland will vote to split from the United Kingdom in a Sept. 18 independence referendum. The pound stabilized after a sharp fall Monday. Futures pointed to a weak session on Wall Street. S&P 500 futures were down 0.1 percent and Dow futures were little changed.

BREAKUP JITTERS: A possible severing of Scotland's centuries-old union with England is alarming international investors and could spell trouble for the United Kingdom, which is Europe's third largest economy. It could hit Britain's trade balance and dent its income with oil reserves possibly reallocated back to Scotland. The pound fell more than one percent Monday after a poll showed a narrow majority in favor of Scottish independence for the first time.

DOLLAR BULLS: The dollar extended its rally, hitting 106.40 yen, the highest since September 2008. Compared with other major currencies beset by bad economic data or possible further stimulus, the dollar appears the most attractive as the U.S. central bank looks to end stimulus by October and consider hiking interest rates.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3 percent to 15,749.15 and China's Shanghai Composite was barely changed at 2,326.53. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.6 percent to 5,607.90. India's benchmark fell and Southeast Asian stocks were mostly down. Hong Kong and South Korean exchanges were closed for holidays.

THE QUOTE: "Risk currencies including the euro, pound and Aussie have already lost significant ground against the greenback this week and it seems this trend is set to continue in the near term," said IG strategist Stan Shamu in a market commentary.

ENERGY: Oil prices fell for three days straight as geopolitical worries over Ukraine and Iraq have eased. Also affecting crude oil was last week's report of a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing and data Monday that showed China's imports fell for a second month in a row. Benchmark U.S. crude oil for October delivery rebounded a bit Tuesday. The contract was up 36 cents at $93.03 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell 63 cents to $92.66 a barrel in New York on Monday, the lowest price since January.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 106.31 yen from 106.02 yen late Monday. The euro dropped to $1.2868 from $1.2897.

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Roslindale to get 43 new housing units

Officials broke ground yesterday on a Roslindale development that will transform an MBTA substation vacant for more than 40 years and add middle-class housing, a project Mayor Martin J. Walsh said offers an affordable alternative to the explosion of luxury housing in Boston.

"This is an exciting project for the city, an exciting project for Roslindale," Walsh said yesterday after the groundbreaking for The Parkside on Adams. "Here's an opportunity for 43 units in neighborhoods that can help sustain a community. It's certainly a big part of the answer."

The Parkside on Adams will include those 43 housing studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units at the site of the former F.J. Higgins Funeral Home and the long-vacant and unused MBTA substation on Washington Street will be restored and house a 120-seat restaurant on its ground floor.

"It's going to be a wonderful, transforming event for our neighborhood," said Steve Gag, president of Roslindale Village Main Streets.

Walsh said the $15 million project, which is across the street from Adams Park, will help complete the redevelopment of the area.

"This is really one of the last pieces," Walsh said.

The substation, built in 1911, was used to power some of Boston's first streetcars.

Gag said the development will bring Roslindale full circle.

"This really gave birth to Roslindale, this building did, because it allowed those streetcars to bring people to work," he said. "This is all about transformations."

Matt Kiefer, president of Historic Boston Inc., a nonprofit focused on restoring and preserving historic buildings, said the substation will turn into a neighborhood highlight.

"You sometimes find treasure in unexpected places," he said. "An electric power substation is not necessarily the first thing that would come to your mind as something that might have a role in improving a community."

Soon, the windows covered with bricks and wooden boards will be open again.

One part of the substation that will not be restored is the fading mural on the side of the building. Jim Higgins, who painted the mural in the '70s, said the redevelopment will do the same thing he had hoped to do 40 years ago.

"When I did the mural, it was to make it a nicer space," Higgins said. "I think this is a logical progression of that."

The substation was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, a designation that made the building eligible for state and federal tax credits for its rehabilitation.

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Owner vents as Grand Caravan won’t take refueling

My wife's 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan will not let us add gas to it. At best, I need to fill it painfully slowly. I have a feeling it has to do with the EVAP system. The dealer said it would be $400 to fix. It sounds like the vapor venting is restricted. Is it possible to damage the charcoal filter by putting in too much gas?

It is possible to fill the charcoal canister with fuel by regularly overfilling the tank. It's called "fuel packing" and involves continuing to add fuel after the automatic shutoff has clicked on the nozzle. Doing this at a half-dozen fill-ups or so can eventually fill the vapor separator and force liquid fuel into the canister, which is designed to capture and store fuel vapors until the engine is started and they are drawn into the induction system and burned.

The problem with difficult refueling is a different issue. My Alldata automotive database pulled up Chrysler service bulletin 14-001-09 REV.A dated September 2009, outlining the possible causes and repairs for this issue. In brief, on certain models fitted with a "saddle"-style fuel tank, it recommends idling the engine for a minute or so to allow the fuel transfer pump to move fuel to the left side of the tank, opening space for refilling the right side.

The specific components to test are the vapor recirculating tube, fuel filler tube, fuel tank or components related to the evap control valve or the canister itself.

If I do a fast takeoff from a stop in my 2005 Buick LeSabre, the transmission clunks hard shifting through all gears. If I stop and shut the car off and do a normal takeoff, it is fine and won't do it again until I do a quick takeoff. What do you think?

Has the "Service engine soon" light ever come on in relationship to the hard shifting? If not, I suspect debris in the valve body is the issue. Under hard acceleration, the TCM — transmission control module — will command higher hydraulic pressure to ensure solid, non-slipping shifts. As this occurs, debris in the valve body may be causing a valve or accumulator to stick. Try adding a half-can of SeaFoam Trans-Tune to the transmission fluid and drive the vehicle for a week or so to see if it helps clean the valve body.

I'd also suggest stopping by a parts store that offers free DTC code scanning to see if any specific fault codes are stored in memory.

I purchased a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0 with 77,000 miles for my newly licensed son. The "Check engine" light is constantly blinking due to a misfire in the No. 5 cylinder. I replaced the coil pack, installed new plugs, installed rebuilt fuel injectors, sprayed SeaFoam into the air intake and "drove it like I stole it" to attempt to blow out any carbon build-up. I've heard other possibilities such as the fuel filter, crankshaft position sensor, camshaft position sensor or a stuck valve. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Since the misfire is specific to the No. 5 cylinder, at this point I'd focus on the mechanical health of that cylinder. Low compression due to worn/broken rings, burnt/bent/stuck valves, worn cam lobes or an intake manifold vacuum leak could cause this misfire.

Start with a simple compression test. If it shows normal compression, then do a cylinder leakdown test. If leakdown is normal, try a running compression test. This involves removing the Schrader valve from the compression tester before installing it in the No. 5 cylinder, then starting the engine and monitoring the compression. If it begins to drop as the engine runs, not enough air is entering the cylinder, which could be caused by a worn cam lobe or a valve that's not properly opening.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.

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Casino panel will put conditions on license

The state Gaming Commission, which is set to begin its deliberations tomorrow on the coveted Boston-area casino license, will give Mohegan Sun and Wynn Resorts a chance to influence the conditions of their potential license — including in Wynn's case how much money should go to Boston — before deciding who gets it.

"It's important for the applicants to understand the conditions, what the award of a license means, and for us to understand that they understand and are willing to agree by those conditions if we issue the license," commissioner James McHugh said.

The approach is a departure from how the panel handled the awarding of the state's lone slots parlor license in February. In that case, only the winning applicant, Penn National, was presented with license conditions, to which it agreed. The conditions were mostly that Penn submit a series of compliance reports within a certain timeframe.

McHugh said the commission is taking a different approach because the conditions of a Boston-area license will be more involved than in the slots debate.

"The conditions in those cases were not complex conditions," McHugh said. "These may be, and it's important to give them time to look at them, and it's important for us to understand whether they're prepared to accept those conditions before we make the final determination."

Applicants will likely be presented with license conditions in the middle of this week and given an undetermined amount of time to respond. Mohegan did not respond to a request for comment. Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver said the company is "comfortable and will follow whatever process the commission sets."

In Wynn's case, the commission will dictate in its conditions what payments the developer must make to Boston to mitigate traffic and other impacts its Everett casino would have on Charlestown. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh ceded the decision to the commission after he claimed Wynn withheld key documents about its plan. Walsh cut a deal with Mohegan that would pay the city a minimum of 
$18 million a year.

John Ribeiro, chairman of the Repeal the Casino Deal campaign, which is working to overturn the state's casino law in November, said giving applicants a say in their own license conditions is inappropriate.

"It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the casino industry and the casino regulators," Ribeiro said. "They are doing everything within their power to make it easier for the casino operators."

McHugh said it remains to be seen what steps would be taken if applicants object to proposed conditions.

"They tell us that they're not comfortable and we talk about it among ourselves in public, and we talk about it, perhaps with them, in public, and we come to some conclusion as to what the consequences ought to be," McHugh said. "Maybe a modification, maybe a change, maybe an improvement, maybe something else."

Commissioners have been studying different components of Mohegan and Wynn's applications for months and will present their findings next week. The commission set Friday as the date for awarding the casino license, but McHugh said the decision will likely take longer.

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