Bow-front duplex is decked out

This stylish duplex condo in the Eight Streets area of the South End has had a recent high-end makeover and includes two private decks as well as an outdoor parking space.

The three-bedroom condo at 38 Upton St. No. 4, on the market for $1,995,000, occupies the top two floors of a 1899-built bow-front brownstone that was redone into four condos in 2012.

Unit 4 has a reverse layout, with the living spaces on the top floor — leading up to a private roof deck —and the bedrooms a floor below. The levels are connected by stylish oak staircases with modern iron railings.

The top floor is a contemporary-style open kitchen/dining/living area with new walnut-stained oak floors and recessed lighting.

The high-end kitchen, with two windows and a skylight, features 16 custom white cabinets, including large pantry ones, honed Absolute black granite counters and a glass-mosaic-style backsplash. There's a separate island that seats three with a prep sink, a U-Line wine cooler and built-in microwave. Stainless-steel Thermador appliances include a double-door refrigerator, gas cooktop and wall oven. There's also a cabinet-faced Bosch dishwasher.

Off the kitchen is a half bathroom with a wall-­mounted sink and there's an adjacent utilities/storage closet.

The living/dining area has a built-in gas fireplace with black-honed granite surround, and there's a dining nook in the bow-front with three windows. The far corner of the room has a full wall of built-in bookcases and a window seat with storage.

Stairs lead up to a skylight door opening onto a 25-by-14-foot private roof deck with panoramic Boston views. The deck has gas, electric and water lines.

The unit's three bedrooms are on the third floor, all with walnut-stained oak floors. The front-facing master bedroom has a bow-front window, as well as a large walk-in closet with built-in storage. The en-suite master bathroom has radiant-heated marble-tiled floors as well as marble walls and surround for a glassed-in steam shower. There's a double-sink vanity topped with white quartz countertops.

The rear-facing second bedrooms are off an oak hallway with two closets, one for storage and the other­ holding a stacked Frigidaire washer and dryer.

The second bedroom, which has a built-in Murphy bed, is on the small side. And the narrow third bedroom, which has a built-in desk and bookcase, is even smaller, better suited to its current use as a home office. But there is a glass door from this bedroom out to a private balcony with views over the South End.

A second full bathroom features slatted marble floor tiles and surround for a deep soaking tub, as well as a floating vanity.

The unit has a new two-zone gas-fired heating system with Nest thermostats and a porthole central air-conditioning system. It has a central humidification system as well as a security system.

Unit 4 also comes with a deeded oversized parking space behind the building with access to an electric charging station.

Home Showcase

• Address: 38 Upton St. No. 4, South End
• Bedrooms: Three
• Bathrooms: Two full, one half
• List price: $1,995,000
• Square feet: 1,784
• Price per square foot: $1,118
• Annual taxes: $16,246
• Monthly condo fee: $286
• Location: Block from restaurants and shops along Tremont Street, the South End's main retail district; one block in other direction to offerings on Washington Street and Silver Line stop
• Built in: 1899; redone in 2012
• Broker: Michael Harper of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage at 617-480-3938

Pros:

• Stylish kitchen with custom cabinets, center island, Thermador, Bosch appliances
• Open living area with gas fireplace, bow-front dining nook and library area
• Private roof deck with panoramic city views and second deck off guest bedroom
• Comes with one outdoor parking space near electric charging station

Cons:

• Lots of stairs to climb
• Guest bedrooms on the small side

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Train operator fines piling up

MBTA commuter rail operator Keolis Commuter Services continues to rack up fines for delayed trains and other performance issues, with penalties totaling $1.62 million for November and December.

The MBTA, which awarded the French transportation giant an eight-year, $2.7 billion contract last January with a July start date, said 
84.37 percent of commuter rail trains arrived on time in November, with a rate of 89.82 percent in December, resulting in maximum contractual penalties of $434,425 each month.

Keolis penalties for other infractions, including station maintenance, train capacity, cleaning and staffing, were the maximum allowable $434,425 in November and $325,750 in December.

The new fines are in addition to the more than $800,000 in penalties Keolis racked up in its first five months of operations.

"While certain indicators are trending in the right direction, the penalties make it clear that there is much room for improvement," MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. "The MBTA will continue to work with its commuter rail partner to improve service delivery and enhance our customers' overall experience."

In a statement, Keolis said it is focused on improving the reliability of the service.

"We are seeing increases in on-time reliability system-wide and will continue to work on all levels to strengthen that performance," Keolis spokesman Mac Daniel said.

It's not acceptable that Keolis' performance has been so poor, according to Greg Sullivan, former state inspector general and now the research director for the Pioneer Institute.

"They've got the management skills and ability to have our system run on time," he said. "I'm confident that they will improve their performance after paying this kind of money."

But Sullivan gave kudos to the MBTA for including a zero-tolerance policy in Keolis' contract.

"Under the prior contract, more than half of the late trains were forgiven and not reported as late even though the commuters were late for work," he said. "Under the new contract, the MBTA is holding the commuter rail operator's feet to the fire, and it should. It's the only way to get the attention of the company."

Keolis won the contract over Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., which had run the commuter rail since 2003.

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Acura TLX more than sporty sedan

The longer I drove this car, the more I liked it. And, as it revealed more of its personality to me, the more I realized the subtle sophistication of the 2015 Acura TLX SH-AWD.

From the fuel-efficient yet powerful 3.5-liter 290-hp VTEC V­6 turbo engine to the excellent all-wheel drive to the quiet, tight upscale cabin, Acura has done an excellent job of blending the popular TL and TSX sedans to produce this terrific-driving car.

My first inkling that I was driving more than just a well made sports-styled sedan was when I ran through an hour of heavy rain and noticed how well the car handled in the river of water on the highway. Despite the lower profile 18-inch 225/50 tires, the all-wheel drive kept me connected to the road, not hydroplaning or skittering.

The fantastic steering response and tight cornering came next. The chassis and suspension channeled a racing profile, pulling the car flat through turns and minimizing body roll. Capping the driving experience was the quick and powerful engine mated to a silky smooth 9-speed transmission. I ran the car in all five driving modes from economy, which delivered well over 30 miles per gallon on the highway, to sport, and loved that the engine was spirited in all modes.

Cabin fit and finish also grew on me. The comfortable leather-clad ventilated seats, wood inlays and aluminum trim smartly accented the conservative interior. The textured plastics and dash framed a two-gauge cluster that included the speedometer and tach. Electronic information gauges were embedded on the display and toggled through steering wheel controls.

Acura engineers have not forgotten safety in the TLX. The standard Tech and Advance Packages include lane departure, back-up camera, adaptive cruise control, heads-up warning when someone gets too close, blind-spot monitoring, rear pedestrian crossing alerts and collision mitigation braking for in-town driving.

The center 
console-mounted push-button gear selector for the automatic transmission took some getting used to and even after a few days into the test period I still occasionally went looking for a gear shifter. I also found the infotainment center a bit confusing to use despite the touch screen panel.

The trunk was spacious despite the visually shorter lid, but some rear seat legroom suffered for it. The car has superb curb appeal and Acura has reclaimed some of the angular lines of the popular mid 2000s TL, sharpening the softer, rounded fenders from the previous car. The trademark chrome beak, a design that drew so much criticism in the previous generation TL it forced a mid-cycle rework, is much smaller. With the new LED headlamps, the entire nose of the car is much more sporty and aerodynamic.

A base model TLX starts at a MSRP of $31,445 while our loaded version hit $45,595, making this a must drive when comparing sporty sedans such as the BMW 328 and Audi A4. Acura may have hit on a worthy competitor.

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Elizabeth Warren would use drug co. fines for NIH funds

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren plans to file a bill next week to help fund basic medical research by targeting drug companies accused of breaking the law, but the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council has a problem with the proposed funding mechanism.

"We appreciate Sen. Warren's commitment to increased NIH funding, but believe the mechanism proposed ... is flawed and is not likely to provide the increase in dollars Sen. Warren is anticipating," CEO Robert Coughlin said.

Under Warren's bill, drug companies involved in government settlements over alleged wrongdoing would have to pay 1 percent of annual profits for their drugs that relied on taxpayer-funded government research. Those penalties, which would run for five years, would go to National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration research.

"This isn't a tax," Warren said. "It is simply a condition of settling to avoid a trial in a major case of wrongdoing. If a company never breaks the law, it will never pay the fee."

Budget cuts have choked off support for research that could lead to breakthrough treatments for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's and other conditions that affect millions, according to Warren.

Coughlin said the drug industry has supported a number of initiatives aimed at boosting NIH funding. "We look forward to the continued dialogue on increasing NIH funding for critical medical research and working with Sen. Warren and the entire Massachusetts delegation to find an appropriate solution," he said.

Massachusetts organizations received $2.4 billion-plus in fiscal 2014 — 10 percent of NIH funding and second only to California.

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Belmont Colonial an energy star

Talk about a makeover.

A 1927-built Dutch Colonial near Belmont High School wasn't just gut renovated — it was deep energy retrofitted.

Deep energy retrofits, defined as renovations that cut energy costs more than 50 percent, turn drafty houses into super-efficient homes.

The just-completed three-bedroom 2,700-square-foot single family at 158 Concord Ave. — on the market for $1,265,000 — looks like any number of contemporary makeovers. The living spaces have an open feel and there's a stylish kitchen with white cabinets, gray-and-white granite counters and Jenn-Air appliances, along with an adjacent sunroom dining area. The master bedroom suite has two closets with built-in storage, and an en-suite master bathroom features a glassed-in steam shower and a marble-topped double-sink vanity.

"A house doesn't have to look different to be green," said Leland DiMeco, the listing broker of the Belmont house and co-founder of Boston Green Realty, which specializes in selling energy-efficient properties. "And the price of deep retrofits is in the ballpark of a traditionally built high-end home."

But there are major differences in the way this house was reconstructed. Super-insulated walls are up to 16-inches thick, tilt-and-turn windows are triple-paned, and doors to the outside are nearly three inches thick. The roof and wall insulation exceeds the building code by 100 percent.

This retrofitted home will use 75 percent less energy than a traditional home.

And the air quality in the retrofitted house is more healthy than that in conventional homes, Butler said, with outside air brought into each room through ventilator fans, while stale air is exhausted. Indoor air runs through a heat exchanger to raise the temperature.

"The house has been rebuilt like a refrigerator," DiMeco said. "Once it reaches a certain temperature it's hard for that temperature to drop."

A wall-mounted heat pump unit takes care of the first floor and a small ducted heating/cooling system serves the top two floors.

"People wrongly think that deep energy retrofits are hugely expensive to do compared to a traditional gut renovation, " said contractor Brian Butler of Savilonis Construction, who has done more than a dozen DER projects. "But with the incentive rebates, it only costs about 6 percent more."

Developer Sachi Sato, who lives next door to 158 Concord Ave., bought the property from an elderly couple for $590,000 in 2013, and teamed up with her business partner Sayo Okada at SA2 Studios, which specializes in sustainable design and development.

"After we made the calculations, a deep energy retrofit made economic sense for this house because so much needed to be redone inside and out," said Sato, who tapped into utility National Grid's Deep Energy Retrofit incentive program, which provided $14,000 in rebates.

Sato estimates total construction costs at over $400,000, including the master bath addition and an all-new roof, and plumbing, electrical and heating/ventilation and tankless water heating systems.

"We're trying to get more builders to understand the benefits of doing deep energy retrofits," said DiMeco. "These properties not only cut energy costs significantly, but they are much healthier places to live."

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Measles outbreak casts spotlight on anti-vaccine movement

LOS ANGELES — A major measles outbreak traced to Disneyland has brought criticism down on the small but vocal movement among parents to opt out of vaccinations for their children.

In a rash of cases that public health officials are rushing to contain, at least 70 people in six states and Mexico have fallen ill since mid-December, most of them from California. The vast majority of those who got sick had not gotten the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine.

While still a scourge in many corners of the world, measles has been all but eradicated in the U.S. since 2000 because of vaccinations. But the virus has made a comeback in recent years, in part because of people obtaining personal belief exemptions from rules that say children must get their shots to enroll in school.

Others have delayed getting their children vaccinated because they still believe now-discredited research linking the measles vaccine to autism.

"Some people are just incredibly selfish" by skipping shots, said Dr. James Cherry, a pediatric disease expert at the University of California, Los Angeles.

As cases mount, several newspapers have criticized the anti-vaccine movement.

Measles "is a disease that has been beaten by modern medicine. That makes it all the more frustrating that anti-science stubbornness has proven, in the case of the Disneyland-related measles, that when it comes to contagious diseases, it's a small world after all," the Los Angeles Times said in an editorial last week.

Barbara Loe Fisher, director of the National Vaccine Information Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit that favors letting parents decide whether to vaccinate, said, "I don't think it's wise or responsible to blame" unvaccinated people for the Disney outbreak. She noted that a small number of those stricken had been fully vaccinated.

Health authorities believe the outbreak was triggered by a measles-stricken visitor to one of the Disney parks who brought the virus from abroad last month.

As one of the world's biggest tourist destinations, Disney was a perfect spot for the virus to spread, with large numbers of babies too young to be vaccinated and lots of visitors from countries that do not require measles shots. The disease has since spread beyond Disneyland.

The infected ranged from 7 months to 70 years old, including five Disneyland workers.

"It's tragic to see measles making a resurgence," said Deanne Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency. "When our immunity falls, it creates a problem for the whole community."

While all states require certain vaccinations for schoolchildren, parents in certain states such as California can opt out if they sign a personal belief waiver.

In the past five years, the percentage of kindergartners in California who are up to date on all vaccinations has held pretty steady from 90.7 percent in the 2010-11 school year to 90.4 percent in 2014-15. But there are some wealthy communities in Los Angeles and Orange counties and in Northern California with double-digit vaccination exemption rates.

To control this latest outbreak, those who are not vaccinated were warned this week to stay away from Disney theme parks. Disney employees who have no proof of immunization and may have come into contact with sick colleagues were placed on paid leave until they are given the medical all-clear.

At Huntington Beach High School in Orange County, two dozen unvaccinated students were ordered home until the three-week incubation period is up.

More than 30 babies in Northern California's Alameda County have been placed in home isolation after possible exposure.

"I'm terribly upset that someone has made a choice that not only affects their child but other people's children," said Jennifer Simon, whose 6-month-old daughter, Livia, was isolated after it was learned she may have been exposed to measles during a visit to the doctor's office.

___

Contact Alicia Chang at http://twitter.com/SciWriAlicia

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Converse soups up Andy Warhol line

North Andover's Converse will launch a sneaker and clothing line celebrating late pop artist Andy Warhol's iconic imagery.

The Nike-owned brand's collection, set for a Feb. 7 release, will feature Warhol prints on Converse's own iconic sneaker — the Chuck Taylor All Star — which the artist had used as a canvas for his work.

Sneaker designs include reinterpretations of Warhol's Campbell's soup can screen print, and motorcycle and newspaper prints inspired by Warhol's mid-1980s Ads and Illustrations series. Graphic tees highlight Warhol's "Converse Extra Special Value" work that features the Chuck Taylor All Star.

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Kickass Cupcakes stales, files bankruptcy

Another local cupcake company crumbled this week, filing for bankruptcy after closing its Somerville store in August.

Kickass Cupcakes filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a proceeding used to liquidate a company's assets to pay off its debts. The company owes its creditors $263,000, according to court documents filed late Tuesday.

Kickass opened in Davis Square in 2007 and had moved to a new location on Highland Avenue in May before shutting down. It also had expanded to a food truck and was involved in several food truck "throwdowns."

Sara Ross, the company's owner who formerly wrote for the Herald's Fork Lift blog on food, fun and drink, could not be reached for comment.

The bankruptcy still leaves many cupcake options available in the crowded Boston-area market. Hub-based Sweet has six shops in Boston, Harvard Square and Chestnut Hill; Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown Cupcakes has a single Boston store on Newbury Street; and Treat Cupcake Bar has Natick and Chestnut Hill locations.

Cohasset's Wicked Cupcakes — which sells cupcakes in a jar and whose owners appeared on ABC's "Shark Tank" and paired with one of its investors, Kevin O'Leary — operates at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Crumbs Bake Shop also reopened in Boston last fall after the formerly public New York chain filed for bankruptcy in July and was taken over by Marcus Lemonis, an entrepreneur and host of CNBC's reality series "The Profit."

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City, startup develop online project forum

A new partnership between the city of Boston and a local startup will let residents keep tabs online on the development of city-owned land and chime in with questions and comments.

"You can see all those projects, you can see what's happening in your neighbor­hood, you can have a conversation with us, with your neighbors, about the impact," said Devin Quirk, director of operations for the Department of Neighbor­hood Development. "We want to take the same robust community conversations we're having and make that available to a wider audience by taking it online."

Working with coUrbanize, a Cambridge startup, DND has listed its 87 on­going projects, which include developments the city has selected after a request for proposals process, as well as city-funded public housing.

"As soon as we make a change to any of our properties, it's immediately updated on our website," Quirk said.

Each project has a place to submit feedback on the project, and lists the current status, details on the final proposal, and pictures and renderings.

"As part of the Boston 2030 housing plan, my administration committed to making the development of city-owned land even more transparent," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

CoUrbanize's Web platform is designed to increase access to details on new developments. The company was founded out of MIT's School of Architecture and Planning.

"Their mission really aligned with ours," Quirk said. "They want to have a robust conversation about development in neighborhoods."

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Hyundai sues over subway cars

A losing bidder is accusing the Patrick administration of illegally giving a rail enterprise owned by the repressive Communist Chinese government an "inside track" on a lucrative contract to manufacture Red and Orange Line subway cars last year.

In a blistering lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court yesterday, Hyundai Rotem Co. alleges China CNR Corporation, which now has a $566.6 million contract with the MBTA to produce 284 subway cars, unfairly benefited during the bid process when former Gov. Deval Patrick and former MassDOT head Richard Davey met privately with officials from a CNR joint venture during a "trade mission" to Hong Kong.

Patrick and Davey also relaxed previous bid requirements to favor CNR, the suit alleges.

Massachusetts awarded China CNR its first major North American subway car contract last year.

In a statement, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo defended the contract: "As part of a lengthy and thorough procurement process, the MBTA fully considered all materials submitted by each of the bidders, including Hyundai Rotem. Hyundai Rotem's bid was substantially higher than the successful bid and did not present the best value for the taxpayers of the Commonwealth, and so the MBTA did not award the contract to Hyundai Rotem. The MBTA does not believe that the complaint has any merit."

South Korea-based Hyundai Rotem, which claims it filed an administrative appeal with the state in November, demands in the suit that the contract be thrown out and that it be declared entitled to the contract because it produced the next lowest bid — $720.6 million.

"The procurement process was deeply and fundamentally flawed because the MBTA failed to put the bidders on equal footing, made arbitrary and capricious decisions, failed to adhere to the terms of the bid documents or do minimum due diligence of CNR, all in violation of Massachusetts General Laws," the suit contends.

Hyundai Rotem claims that during the December 2013 trade mission to Hong Kong, Patrick and Davey held "improper" private ex-parte discussions with officials from CNR's Chinese joint ventures regarding CNR's plans to build a North American headquarters in Springfield as part of the deal, but "no effort was made" to hold similar meetings with other bidders.

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Microsoft to show off more Windows 10 features

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft will use an event Wednesday to offer a wider glimpse of the next version of Windows.

The company is planning to show off new features of its flagship operating system — and possibly an improved Internet browser and more uses for Microsoft's voice-controlled digital assistant, Cortana. Executives will also demonstrate how the new Windows is designed to provide a more consistent experience and a common platform for software apps on different devices, from personal computers to tablets, smartphones and even the company's Xbox gaming console.

The company has invited journalists and industry analysts to its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. CEO Satya Nadella plans to speak.

Microsoft gave only a limited preview of Windows 10. More features will be announced as Microsoft gets closer to releasing it later this year.

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Hong Kong airline has high hopes for Hub launch

Cathay Pacific Airways plans a full-court promotional blitz to get its brand and logo in front of New England travelers before its May 3 launch of nonstop flights between Boston and Hong Kong.

"The whole Cathay distribution machine will be out there telling people," corporate development director James Barrington said yesterday at a breakfast co-hosted by the Langham Boston and Hong Kong Association of Massachusetts. "It's been too long coming, because as we look at this market, it's going to be a pretty good one."

Boston is the largest U.S. market currently without direct Hong Kong service, and the new flights will open up business opportunities, leisure traffic — from tourists, students and their parents — and the flow of goods for New England, Barrington said.

"North America is where the future lies for our cargo business, and in particular capturing the huge two-way flows of goods between China and the U.S.," Barrington said. "While these trade lanes have been built largely on the outflow of goods from the key manufacturing regions in mainland China, now we are seeing more high-end consumer goods moving in the other direction as China's middle class grows in both numbers and spending power."

Larger and larger numbers of Asian investors are coming into Boston because of its high-tech sector and real estate, according to Johnny Ip, managing director of TW Capital Group LLC and president of the Hong Kong Association of Massachusetts. The group has been organizing trade missions from Hong Kong and China every quarter in the last few years to match businesses with U.S. corporations.

Cathay Pacific has seen 423 percent growth on its U.S. routes in terms of passengers carried to and from mainland China in the last eight years.

"Travel and tourism in the mainland are already substantial, and the projections for the future are staggering as urbanization continues and spending power continues to rise," Barrington said.

Chinese visitors are the biggest overseas spenders, plunking down $6,100 per person when they visit the United States, said Evan Saunders, CEO of Attract China, which helps hospitality businesses connect with independent Chinese travelers.

"It's a fantastically large deal," Saunders said of the Boston-Hong Kong flights. "It connects Boston and all of New England with a huge part of Asia, including much of southern China — cities below Beijing."

The Hong Kong airline's flights will leave both destinations four times a week.

"If it starts successfully and it works for us, we have the aircraft to move to daily (flights) in three to four months," Barrington said.

The direct Boston flights will shave about 4.5 hours off flights to Hong Kong that now stop in New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Round-trip tickets for the inaugural 15.5-hour flight from Boston, returning May 30, yesterday started at $1,170 for economy, $2,185 for premium economy, $7,560 for business class and $18,850 for first class on Expedia.

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Contractors seek exemption from new sick-time law

A group of construction trade associations is asking a federal court judge to rule that the Bay State's newly passed sick-time law does not apply to them because it is pre-empted by the federal Labor Management Relations Act.

"When a state law comes out and establishes a working condition — and in this case also a wage — our argument is that those are exclusive to the bargaining parties under federal labor law," said James Grosso, an attorney for the trade associations, which include general, electrical and mechanical contractors. "They can't come in and dictate to employers and employees what they're going to have in their collective bargaining agreements."

The new sick-time law, which becomes effective July 1, requires employers with more than 10 workers to allow them to accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year.

The trade associations, which negotiate collective bargaining agreements with various labor unions, say the new law allows the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office to bring suits against companies in state court, while federal law requires those same disputes to be hashed out in federal court.

Meanwhile, Raise Up Massachusetts, the group that pushed for the sick- time law, said there had been many debates on how the new referendum would work, and the trade associations never came to the bargaining table.

"This was an issue that was debated for months, and it passed overwhelmingly by the voters of Massachusetts," said Steve Crawford, Raise Up's spokesman. "The people who are bringing this legal action were virtually silent throughout the process."

The AG's office, which had not yet been served with a copy of the petition, could not comment.

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The Ticker

Amazon.com selling $1M Japanese fighting robot

A robot that takes its cues from its operator's facial expressions to shoot at enemies is now for sale on Amazon, suggesting that you can buy just about anything on the e-commerce giant's website.

The Kuratas robot starter's kit is being offered on Amazon Japan for a little more than $1 million.

Standing nearly 13 feet tall and weighing 5 tons, Kuratas looks like something out of a Hollywood action movie.

While it may have the feel of a tank, the gasoline-fueled robot moves at a top speed of 6 mph.

The rider climbs on board the robot, presses a button and slips into the cockpit from which the robot is controlled. Kuratas can also be operated via a smartphone hooked to a 3G network.

The Kuratas doesn't come with weaponry, and some assembly is required, according to the website.

Oxfam: Richest 1 percent to hold half the world's wealth by 2016

Wealth accumulated by the richest 1 percent will exceed that of the other 99 percent in 2016, the Oxfam charity said yesterday, ahead of the annual meeting of the world's most powerful at Davos, Switzerland.

"The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering, and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast," Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima said.

The richest 1 percent's share of global wealth increased from 44 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2014, the British charity said in a report, adding that it will be more that 50 percent in 2016.

The average wealth per adult in this group is 
$2.7 million, Oxfam said.

Of the remaining 52 percent, almost all — 46 per-cent — is owned by the rest of the richest fifth of the world's population, leaving the other 80 percent to share just 5.5 percent with an average wealth of $3,851 per adult, the report says.

Today

 National Association of Home Builders releases housing market index for January.

TOMORROW

 Commerce Department releases housing starts for December.

THE SHUFFLE

Hub-based law firm Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo is expanding its white collar defense practice with the addition of Mark E. Robinson a nationally recognized expert in government investigations and enforcement, cybersecurity defense and a former deputy chief of the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Bringing more than 30 years of experience in government and law, Robinson will serve as co-chairman of Mintz Levin's white collar defense practice.

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Business Protocol: Don’t wed business with personal events

Today, when many of us traverse in and out of companies and continents, the need to establish connections from business-related events and social settings is indispensable, but at personal events such as a wedding it can be hazardous.

Tact and discretion are absolutely key here. You are attending this wedding for a purpose. Engage your target with something pertaining specifically to the event — the reason you are both here. Make the conversation, your curiosity and excitement all about that event you are experiencing together. Look for points of connectivity with the other person through the prism of the event.

• Never ask for a business card — only at social events with a business undercurrent, such as charity auctions or softball tournaments, may cards be exchanged freely without concern of impropriety.

• Tell your target you have enjoyed meeting them and would like to stay in touch.

• Do not be one of those hangers on. Walk away!

• Ask your host — after the event — to connect you with the person of interest. Your host will no doubt delight knowing they were able to help forge a connection.

When you do follow up, mention the wedding; reference the connector. Remember, it's not about the business, it's about the connection.

Keep initial contact brief and reflective back to the event you both attended, with personal notes about where you met, where you shared the fact that you both always cry at weddings, where you enjoyed the beautiful music, admired the imported flowers, or laughed at the hysterical toasts. The wedding is your common denominator. Only then, explore business interests.

Underscore what's in it for them. Determine their receptivity level and proceed accordingly. If not, you'll always have Paris!

If you merely exchange contact information, subtly and quickly, by smartphone, you risk losing the opportunity to engage and connect on all the above points of confluence.

Judith Bowman is president and founder of Protocol Consultants International and author of "Don't Take the Last Donut: New Rules of Business Etiquette" and "How to Stand Apart @ Work … Transforming "Fine" to Fabulous!" Email her at Judith@protocolconsultants.com.

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Inspector Gadget: New Droid fills void in smartphone market

Motorola Droid Turbo (Verizon Wireless, $199.99 with contract)

Available with a grippy black or smooth cherry red backing, this is the latest addition to Motorola's Droid family of smartphones.

The good: With a 21-megapixel camera, up to 48 hours of battery life and an incredible HD display, Motorola brought its A-game to the spec war with this phone. Not only does the battery feature super-fast charging, this may be my favorite screen on any smartphone to date.

The bad: Not the easiest phone for a one-handed user, this phone seems a bit heavy and can heat up with heavy use.

The bottom line: The Motorola Droid Turbo is a powerful and hefty device that Android lovers should seriously consider.

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Boston games could show off high-tech

The possibility of the Olympics coming to Boston in 2024 is an unprecedented opportunity for the local science and technology scene to usher in a new era of innovation.

Already, the city — selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the nation's official entrant to host in 2024 — is uniquely positioned to pioneer these top five innovations that could enhance the experience of spectators and athletes:

• Devices that let users speak a new language without learning it. (For "Star Trek" fans, think "universal translator.") A beta version of that technology already exists: the Skype Translator, designed by Microsoft. Microsoft's New England Research and Development Center in Cambridge could lead the way in adapting that technology to the needs of Olympic tourists.

• Augmented-reality viewing. Imagine being able to wear wireless glasses that provide comprehensive information about the athlete you're watching from the stands, from their vital signs in real-time to their biography. Alternatively, augmented reality could come in the form of new super-mobile apps, guiding visitors around an unfamiliar city and serving as a digital tourist assistant. The MIT Media Lab is the perfect clearinghouse to design a new way to watch the games and visit Boston.

•   Holographic viewing for at-home spectators. Microsoft is working on holographic technology that could bring a 3-D version of what you're watching to your living room or even project immersive views beyond the television and onto an empty wall.

•   New athlete wearables. Boston is a health IT hub and host to extraordinary app makers like Runkeeper. We're in the perfect position to design new hardware and software that detects and delivers the most accurate and interesting real-time information about athletes. Not only will that be a fun development for spectators, but also a potential method to detect and prevent doping.

• Automated transportation. Whether it's Boston's Zipcar or the many innovators at MIT who have explored autonomous vehicles, the Hub should be the city that brings self-driving cars to consumers. That technology is likely to go mainstream before 2024, but all the better if visitors to Boston get first crack at being ferried from venue to venue — even those outside the city — without having to drive themselves.

App developers, entrepreneurs and other innovators should share their own ideas, too. And there are many opportunities, such as Boston 2024's first Citizens Advisory Group meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center at 6 p.m.

"With Boston's high-tech sector and wealth of local talent, Boston 2024 will showcase our innovation economy and groundbreaking technologies as we build off of what previous Olympic Games have done," said Boston 2024 executive vice-president Erin Murphy Rafferty, noting that both the Sochi and London games featured user-friendly fan apps.

With the International Olympic Committee pushing for a greater emphasis on innovation and sustainability, Boston's unique technological prowess may just be what puts its application above the rest.

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China shares plunge on margin trade curbs for 3 brokerages

TOKYO — Chinese shares plunged more than 8 percent Monday after the country's securities regulator imposed margin trading curbs on several major brokerages, a sign that authorities are trying to rein in the market's big gains. Other Asian stock markets were mostly higher.

KEEPING SCORE: The Shanghai Composite Index was down 8.3 percent at 3,096.64, giving investors a wild ride after a year in which China's stock market marched higher despite slowing economic growth. For the past three months, the index is still up 32 percent. Its dive rubbed off on Hong Kong where the Hang Seng was off 2.1 percent at 23,605.00. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.9 percent to 17,014.29 and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.8 percent to 1,902.62. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2 percent to 5,309.10. Shares were also higher in Taiwan, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

CHINA CURBS: The China Securities Regulatory Commission imposed curbs late Friday on margin financing, or borrowing to purchase stocks, following an investigation of the industry. The three affected brokerages, Citic Securities Co., Haitong Securities Co. and Guotai Junan, were forbidden to lend money and shares to new customers for three months after they allegedly were caught extending margin trading contracts in violation of the rules. The Shanghai Composite has surged almost 60 percent in the past year. Investors fear regulators believe prices have risen too much recently and might impose more curbs.

THE QUOTE: Dickie Wong, executive director of research at Kingston Securities in Hong Kong, said regulators want to tamp down some of the riskier financing practices underpinning the mainland Chinese stock market's astonishing surge that began half a year ago. "The recent bull market is mainly driven by margin financing," he said. With the rally "overdone," regulators want to "simply give pause" to the brokerages. Mainland Chinese regulators allowed margin financing and short selling only in recent years and Wong said many mainland investors may still be unaware of the risks involved.

CHINA, ECB: Investors are awaiting China's economic growth data due Tuesday, which is likely to show a further slowdown in the fourth quarter, and are also anticipating possible stimulus moves by the European Central Bank. Markets generally settled down after volatility provoked by the Swiss central bank's shock decision Thursday to untether the Swiss franc from the euro. Japan's central bank is not expected to make any major moves in a policy meeting that wraps up Wednesday.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude was down 19 cents at $48.50 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract jumped $2.44 on Friday to settle at $48.69. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, was up 1 cent at $50.18 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The euro was little changed at $1.1562 from $1.1561 late Friday. The dollar dropped to 117.14 yen from 117.57 yen.

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AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong contributed.

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New Hampshire delegation requests openness in pipeline plan

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire's congressional delegation is calling for an open and transparent process before a final decision is made about a proposed natural gas pipeline route in the state.

Texas-based Kinder Morgan wants to construct about 70 miles of pipeline through southern New Hampshire. About 90 percent of the project would be along an existing power line corridor.

In letters to Kinder Morgan and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte and Reps. Frank Guinta and Annie Kuster requested that New Hampshire residents have ample opportunity to express their views.

The letter, dated Wednesday, notes Kinder Morgan filed its latest proposal Dec. 8, which shifts much of the pipeline out of northern Massachusetts into a number of southern New Hampshire towns.

The towns include Winchester; Richmond; Troy; Fitzwilliam; Rindge; New Ipswich; Greenville; Mason; Milford; Brookline; Amherst; Merrimack; Litchfield; Londonderry; Hudson; Windham; Pelham; and Salem.

The delegation requests "that Kinder Morgan provide the public, municipal officials in potentially affected municipalities, and our offices with additional information on the timeline for the current pre-filing phase." It also urges the company "to extend that timeline to ensure that New Hampshire's residents have a full and equal opportunity to understand, assess, and comment on this project before any decisions are made finalizing the project or its route."

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Boston accelerator to help international firms take off

A Boston company whose long-term goal is to be a resource for all international entrepreneurs looking to break into the U.S. market will kick off Feb. 1 with a three-month accelerator for 15 Spanish startups.

For Dat Venture, Spain was the logical country from which to draw its first class. Two of its five founders are Spanish, and its parent company, Efron Group, a multinational consulting company with a Boston office, is headquartered in Madrid.

"Spain also is not exactly welcoming to innovators, even though the unemployment rate for people under 25 is over 50 percent," said co-founder Matt Hurley, a former Techstars associate. "So these young millennials who can't find work there are bootstrapping companies of their own and looking for access here."

Since starting Dat Venture in August, Hurley and his co-founders held a pilot accelerator for two Spanish companies, one of which is returning to Boston next month to open an office here. But the real test, he said, will begin next month with their first full class.

Dat Venture had three main prerequisites for the startups: They had to have traction, be fluent in English and have a great team, Hurley said.

The 15 companies he and his co-founders selected run the gamut of industries, from robotics to machine-learning to clean tech, with a combined revenue of more than $10 million.

Although Dat Venture does not take any equity in the startups, it charges $10,000 per CEO or whoever else the companies choose to represent them in the program. That fee covers airfare; office space at WeWork South Station; housing at Krash, a Boston co-living space for entrepreneurs; and a business class of their choice at Harvard Extension School.

Dat Venture will host seminars taught by guest lecturers on topics including what American venture firms look for in a pitch and how to market and sell to the American consumer.

The company also has taken pains to arrange matches between the startups and mentors who have deep knowledge of the teams' fields, something many accelerators do poorly, Hurley said.

"We see ourselves as temporary co-founders for these companies," he said. "We are totally dedicated to making sure they leave better off than they came."

The accelerator will culminate in a demo day, giving the startups the chance to pitch to local venture firms.

"The whole goal is to help them gain enough traction that they'll be able to open permanent offices here," Hurley said. "It will be an economic boost both for Boston and for Spain."

Dat Venture plans to hold three accelerators each year and is currently deciding whether its summer program will accept another group of Spanish startups or a mix of international companies, he said.

"Having a group that all speaks the same language is kind of cool, but I also see the benefit of having companies from many different countries working alongside," Hurley said. "Ultimately, our goal is break out and be a resource for entrepreneurs from around the world."

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Voxel8 sets tone for 3-D printing

A 3-D printed iPhone? It's not possible yet, but thanks to a new startup, custom gadgets spit out by a 3-D printer are on their way.

Voxel8, based in Somerville, recently unveiled its 3-D printer, which can print and layer conductive ink to act as internal wires and circuits, integrating electrical components into design in a way that would be impossible with traditional methods.

"It allows free-form geometries of electronics, where they've been really stuck in 2-D geometries for decades now," said Daniel Oliver, a co-founder of Voxel8. "We believe that electronics need to get more places and be more seamlessly integrated in the products they're already in, and this is a technology that does it."

3-D printing has taken off in recent years, but currently the most practical use for a 3-D printer is to make plastic objects with limited utility.

By integrating the electronics as part of the design, products can be designed more efficiently, Oliver said. Other products, including a smaller, more effective antenna, could only be designed using this method.

"Where this really fits in are those products that can't be made any other way," Oliver said.

Right now, the company is printing working quadcopters and LED lights to demonstrate what the technology can do. He said they plan to develop and create wearable devices using their system.

Future models of their printer, Oliver said, will be able to print single-piece custom hearing aids, a painstaking, delicate process today.

The company was spun out of Harvard University thanks to research by professor Jennifer Lewis. Her work with the conductive ink is what makes Voxel8's system work.

While the thick silver conductive ink acts as internal wires inside a gadget, it cannot replace other important components, including batteries and processors. To address this, Voxel8 has teamed up with Autodesk, a California company that is one of the leaders in design software.

"It enables a whole new category of objects to be created," said Karl Willis, principal research engineer for Autodesk's Project Wire. "It really just seemed like something we could contribute to on the software side."

Project Wire is Autodesk's software for systems like Voxel8, and includes a way for the printer to stop when necessary so the engineer can place a processor in the design. Autodesk has embedded an engineer in Voxel8's office to work on development of Project Wire. Willis said Project Wire and Autodesk's collaboration with Voxel8 is "an investment in the future."

"We don't know what's going to be made," he said. "We think it's going to be an amazing surprise to see the things that people make."

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