Benz with 449 hp is a head-turner

Here's what a friend of mine had to say about the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 4­Matic Coupe: "It looks like it's going 100 mph sitting still!"

This handsome and fast coupe's interior is elegantly trimmed in "Designo" Napa leather with piano black lacquer solid surfaces and is a dream to drive. Whether set in the Econ/Comfort or performance-minded Sport mode, the S550 — formerly badged the CL — is lightning-quick and exquisitely precise.

The front seats automatically adjust as you swing through turns, keeping you and your passenger snug in the racing-inspired leather. The front seats also electronically slide forward, revealing a smallish back seat. Although it's more than a two-seater, folks in the back might be a bit squeezed. The panoramic sunroof gives the cabin an airy feeling but maintains the feline shape and slick aerodynamics of the body.

Powered by a 449-hp V­8 4.7-liter twin turbo and mated to a silky smooth seven-speed automatic transmission, the Mercedes­-Benz powers from a stop and has plenty extra when you boot the sport-styled accelerator pedal looking to move through traffic. Reset the driving mode to Sport and you feel the air-suspension stiffen and the shift-points change to make this a formidable full-sized grand tourer.

Don't mistake the S550 for a lithe sports car, though this more than 4,500-pound machine is only eight inches shorter than the full four-door sedan it shares the class with.

The all-wheel-drive melds the car to the road, providing you a sense of complete control and confidence in the car. Sweeping on and off ramps, the S550 flattens out nicely, so maintaining a good head of steam through them is a snap. Rain and wet roads are no issue and snowy terrain is easily handled with winter-mounted 
Pirelli performance snow tires. And the accurate and sure braking keeps this two-door safely grounded.

Speaking of safety, the S550 has a full array of sensors and alerts to help keep you in your lane, awake at the wheel and at an appropriate distance from cars in front of and behind you. Bird's-eye, front and rear cameras, head's-up display and blind-spot monitors help you pilot the Mercedes free and clear of danger.

Despite what appears to be a daunting electronic display, managing your listening needs, navigation and Bluetooth integration is straightforward and simple. The "Command" system only takes a short time to learn and with audible and steering wheel controls, in addition to a center stack mouse and controller wheel, setting your favorites is quick and pain-free. Cellphone integration is a one-click setup and there's no need to raise your voice to talk. The whisper-quiet interior is only interrupted when you ask the beefy engine to get going, but the reward is a gutsy roar that settles into a dynamic hum even at highway speeds.

I took it on a coast run to Portland, Maine, in Econ mode and got a reasonable 24 mpg while managing about 16 in local driving. It loves super high test gas but only requires 91 octane to keep the fuel lines happy.

With all the technology, creature comforts, craftsmanship and performance, this classy car has a delivered MSRP of $149,875 and competes in class with the BMW 6 Series and Bentley GT.

Sadly, I had to turn the test car back in, and they had to pry the key from my fingers.

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Brooks rocks lobster shoe for marathon

Brooks Running Co. has launched a limited edition Boston-themed version of its Launch 2 sneaker, just in time for the Boston Marathon.

The Lobster Launch 2 has images of the crustacean, a blue ocean midsole, rope laces and wood lace aglets that represent fishing traps.

"Through imagery of the New England lobster and product details inspired by the region's famed fishing industry, the Lobster Launch 2 embodies the toughness and resiliency of the Northeast," said Shane Downey, senior business manager.

The shoe, which is available at specialty running stores in Boston, the Brooks Running booth at the Boston Marathon expo and online, comes packaged in a white fishing net.

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Restored church worthy of worship

A growing number of shuttered churches in the Boston area have been converted to condominiums, but few have been to such beautiful effect as the former Mount Vernon Church in the Back Bay.

Built around 1891 by C. Howard Walker, the church at the corner of Beacon Street and Massachusetts Avenue was destroyed by fire in 1978. But the Gothic stone facade mercifully was spared and today frames a manicured, sun-drenched courtyard attached to the seven-story brownstone Graham Gund Architects designed in 1983.

Today, it's known as Church Court, and on the fourth floor, overlooking the courtyard, one of its 42 units is for sale for $1.35 million.

"What makes it special is it has a lot of amenities, but it's also in a historically significant building," said broker Todd Mikelonis of Charlesgate Realty Group.

The two-bedroom condo spans 1,132 square feet, with central heating and air and new bamboo floors, except in the two bathrooms, which have tile floors and glass showers.

The master suite consists of a bathroom, two large closets, and a bedroom with southern and western exposure and double-paned windows to keep city noise at bay.

The guest bedroom is smaller and has a closet with a sliding door and built-in storage space. And tucked in a hallway closet is a washer and dryer.

The renovated kitchen has a four-burner Bosch cooktop, an oven, a microwave, a dishwasher, a large refrigerator and ample cabinets — all paneled in dark wood with granite countertops.

The kitchen also has a pass-though opening to the living room, which has bay windows, track lighting and enough space for a dining area.

The unit comes with its own parking space and storage locker in the garage, which is accessible by elevator. Without the parking space, the unit would sell for $1.2 million to $1.225 million.

The condo is occupied by a tenant until June 1, making it one of eight units in the building that are currently rented.

The building is monitored by video and a 24-hour concierge who buzzes residents into the lobby, which has a sitting area and access to the courtyard.

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B.R.A. joins digital world

The Boston Redevelopment Authority has converted its 108 property leases into digital files and is preparing to audit if it has received all of the money it was owed after a scathing report last year faulted the agency for losing track of delinquent rent payments and having no centralized way to track them.

Some 100,000 pages of lease documents — most of them with tenants of BRA-owned property at the Marine Industrial Park in the Seaport District and the Charlestown Navy Yard — have been scanned and will be entered into a property management system the BRA has purchased.

The system will send agency staffers automatic reminders when lease payments are due, when deals are expiring, and if tenants owe money and are up to date on insurance. Previously, the complex lease agreements were only on paper and housed in a variety of locations.

"It's going to bring us into the 21st century," BRA Comptroller LeAnn Coleman said. "We're going to be able to proactively manage it to look at what leases have option dates that are upcoming, so we can make better decisions about what's happening with our lease portfolio."

The agency, for instance, will be able to use the system to ensure new rental rates are negotiated in advance of leases expiring, Coleman said.

In an audit last year, accounting giant KPMG found that the BRA and its subsidiary, the Economic Development Industrial Corp., had allowed a combined $5.1 million in delinquent rent to go uncollected as of last April because of the agency's lax, archaic record-keeping. By November, the BRA said it had brought the outstanding rents down to $950,000.

The audit also faulted the agency for not having a "central repository" for its documents and for lacking "internal controls" and standard business "document protocols."

The new system — which the BRA will pay $30,000 a year to license, in addition to startup costs — will also allow the BRA to easily track the hodgepodge of different payment clauses contained in leases.

Once the system is up and running, Coleman said the BRA will perform an audit to ensure it is properly billing for and collecting all payments.

"There will be no detail left unturned, believe me," Coleman said.

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Helping new grads calculate rent

With cap and gown season approaching for local colleges, a new interactive mapping tool reveals the best places for newly 
minted graduates to live based on how much of their salary would go toward rent.

"College graduates today face the challenge of entering an increasingly expensive rental market on an 
entry-level salary," said John Doherty, senior marketing manager at San Francisco's HotPads, an online apartment and home rental search engine. "That's why we created this tool — to provide clarity into where they can best afford to live in the cities where they're accepting jobs."

Grads can search interactive maps for 11 of the 
nation's largest metropolitan areas, including Boston.

After selecting their profession from a drop-down menu, they can click on the neighborhoods of each city and surrounding communities to see the median per-person monthly rent for studio to three-bedroom apartments and what percentage of their gross salary would be devoted to paying rent. HotPads used census data for full-time, 22- to 30-year-old workers with four-year college degrees for the median incomes provided for entry-level occupations.

A computer programmer making $60,000, for example, would pay 52 percent of his salary on rent in the Back Bay, where the median per-person rent is $2,600 per month, according to the HotPads map. In Dorchester, where the median per-person rent is $750, the figure drops to 15 percent.

With parents likely no longer footing the bill for rent, recent grads who want to stay in Boston and avoid the college crowds can look near Cleveland Circle, off Beacon Street in the Strathmore and Chiswick roads area of Brighton, 
according to Cari Hook, a real estate broker at Metro Realty Corp. in Brookline.

"You kind of avoid a lot of the undergrad crowds, 
because students want to be closer in general to school," Hook said. "You can find one-bedrooms ranging from $1,450 to $1,650. You can find studios for $1,150 to $1,400."

First-year medical residents coming to Boston right now to work in the Longwood Medical area are heading outside of the hospital area for rentals, 
according to Hook.

"They make $59,000, and they can't afford Brookline or Fenway anymore, so they're heading to Jamaica
Plain," she said. "Hyde Square is very good."

"It's tough right now," Hook said of the rental market, pointing to the pipeline of luxury apartments in the Fenway, Seaport District and Downtown Crossing. "We have no idea who's going to afford those. Even couples are still going to have to pay $1,500 each, and that's a lot for a starting salary."

Immediately outside of Boston, a dietician or 
nutritionist earning a $36,105 salary would find themselves paying 43 percent of that on rent in Cambridge, ($1,283 per month median per-person rent) and 30 percent in Somerville ($900).

There's an influx of 23- to 27-year-olds looking to live in Somerville's Davis Square, according to Craig Scanzio of Benoit Real 
Estate Group in that city.

"It's the place where kids want to live once they get out of college," Scanzio said. "They room together in three- and four-bedrooms, and each one is paying $800, $900 month."

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Jury orders Chrysler to pay $150M in Jeep fire death

NEW YORK — A jury in Georgia has awarded $150 million to the family of a 4-year-old boy killed when a Jeep Grand Cherokee exploded into flames three years ago after being rear-ended. The jury said Chrysler, the maker of Jeeps, must pay nearly the full amount.

Jurors in Decatur County ruled Thursday that Chrysler acted with reckless disregard for human life in selling the family of Remington "Remi" Walden a 1999 Jeep with a gas tank mounted behind the rear axle.

Walden, of Bainbridge, Georgia, was killed when the Jeep driven by his aunt was hit from behind by a pickup truck in March 2012. The fuel tank leaked, engulfing the Jeep in flames and killing the boy.

The verdict comes nearly two years after Chrysler compromised with a federal safety agency and agreed to a scaled-down recall of some older-model Jeeps with the rear-mounted tanks. The tanks have little structure to protect them if struck from behind, making them susceptible to punctures and fires.

Federal documents show that at least 75 people have died in post-crash fires because of the rear-mounted fuel tanks.

The 11-woman, one-man jury ruled after a nine day trial that Chrysler was 99 percent at fault for the crash and the pickup driver was 1 percent at fault. Jurors also determined that Chrysler failed to warn the family of the hazards of driving the Jeep. They ruled that the Waldens should get $30 million for Remi's pain and suffering and $120 million for the full value of his life, according to a verdict form.

Mike Palese, spokesman for Chrysler parent company FCA US, said the company is disappointed with the verdict and would appeal. Chrysler, he said, was prevented from presenting data submitted to federal safety regulators showing that the vehicles did not pose an unreasonable safety risk.

"The vehicles are not defective," Palese said.

Although the verdict is large, it isn't the largest judgment ever against an automaker in a personal injury case. In 1999, for example, a California jury ordered General Motors Co. to pay $4.9 billion to Patricia Anderson and Jo Tigner after their Chevrolet Malibu was rear-ended and burst into flames. In that case, four children in the back seat were severely injured. The amount was reduced on appeal to $1.2 billion.

And in 2004, a woman paralyzed when her Ford Explorer rolled over won a $369 million verdict from Ford Motor Co. That was later reduced to $83 million, which Ford eventually paid after exhausting its appeals all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond law school, said it will be difficult for Chrysler to overturn a jury verdict, but an appeals court might reduce the amount. He questioned Chrysler's decision to take the case to trial because of the horrific nature of the crash.

Tobias said the Walden verdict is likely to lead others to sue the company or to speed along cases that are already in the system.

Chrysler has long contended that the Jeeps were no more dangerous than comparable SUVs built at the time. It used that argument to convince the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2013 to allow it to recall 1.56 million Jeeps after the government agency initially recommended that 2.7 million be repaired. Under the recall, Chrysler agreed to install trailer hitches in the rear as an extra layer of protection.

Safety advocates have called the size of the recall and the fix inadequate. On Thursday, Clarence Ditlow, the head of the Center for Auto Safety, called on the government to reopen its investigation against Chrysler.

NHTSA spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said late Thursday that the agency monitors legal decisions and "if new information emerges, we take it into account and act appropriately."

Atlanta attorney Jim Butler argued during the trial that Remi's death resulted from the fire because of the gas tank's poor position. The child was on his way to a tennis lesson when the SUV was struck from behind.

"Numerous witnesses saw Remi struggling to escape and heard him screaming for help," the family's lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit alleged that Chrysler placed the gas tank in a "crush zone" behind the rear axle and knew the location was dangerous, and that the company failed to protect the gas tank against rupturing.

Trial testimony showed that the compromise with safety regulators over the recall was worked out in a Chicago airport meeting between Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and ex-NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. Ditlow noted that Strickland now works for Venable, a law firm that has represented Chrysler.

___

Durbin reported from Detroit.

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Clouds on horizon for solar projects

Municipal and large commercial solar projects in Massachusetts are being stymied by caps on net metering, which gives a credit for any unused energy they provide to the electrical grid, and incentive to install new panel arrays, advocates said yesterday.

The caps for both large private and public solar projects in National Grid territory were hit within the past two weeks, putting the state's solar industry and its 12,000 jobs at risk, said Ben Hellerstein, of Environment Massachusetts.

"We have seen the number of kilowatts of solar energy in Massachusetts increase 127 percent annually for the last three years," Hellerstein said. "Unless the Legislature and the governor raise the caps, we could see that rapid growth slow down or come to a halt."

Small solar installations, such as those on homes, are exempt from the limits.

Solar energy advocates are lobbying for the passage of a House bill that would raise the caps to 1,600 megawatts and set a goal of getting at least 20 percent of the state's electricity from solar power by 2025. Raising the caps now also would allow the state to take advantage of a 30 percent federal investment tax credit, which expires at the end of 2016, said Emily Rochon, a fellow at Boston Community Capital.

A task force set up by the Legislature is reviewing alternatives, including requiring at least 1,600 megawatts of solar energy by 2020.

"The administration is committed to working with the task force and energy community to achieve continued solar growth ... and establish a framework for a sustainable program with reasonable ratepayer costs going into the future," said Katie Gronendyke, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

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Southie industrial site slated for housing, retail

A six-block mini-community with hundreds of housing units, a grocery store and a public green is under design for a swath of unused industrial land in South Boston.

Boston developer Core Investments Inc. and real estate investment firm Ad Meliora LLC's plans for the mixed-use development at Old Colony Avenue and Dorchester Street near Andrew Square include approximately 700 housing units, mostly apartments and many of which would be targeted toward middle-class tenants, the companies said in a statement yesterday. Representatives were unavailable for comment.

The still-unnamed project also would incorporate 76,000 square feet of ground-level retail space, including a 20,000-square-foot-plus grocery store, and a 1-acre central outdoor public gathering space.

The goal is to bring economic vitality to Andrew Square by creating a walkable neighborhood with community-focused businesses, according to the development team, which is operating under the name of DJ Properties LLC.

"After working with and listening to the community in and around Andrew Square for more than four years, we have begun shaping a project that we think will be a huge improvement to the neighborhood in many ways — from the new middle-class homes to places to shop and eat, and, in addition, a large place for people to meet," DJ Properties said in a statement. "There will be better connectivity with the surrounding neighborhoods via new pedestrian ways and public streets."

The five-acre development would include eight buildings along Old Colony Avenue and Damrell Street and on either side of Alger Street, which would be extended to Dorchester Street. Vacant industrial buildings currently occupy the site, where DJ Properties has been acquiring parcels for about the past four years.

The project currently calls for two "slender" retail towers with 20 and 21 floors — and heights of 230 and 240 feet, respectively — and retail and parking at the bottom. The six other buildings would range from three to six floors. Garage parking for 450 cars and 130 surface spaces for retail customers is planned.

The project would be built in phases, with the grocery store and park constructed first.

DJ Properties, which said it has had early talks with the Boston Redevelopment Authority about the project, plans to file initial documents with the agency "in the near future."

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Test drives city to expand ParkBoston

The city is expanding its ParkBoston app to all 8,000-plus parking meters, letting drivers pay remotely with their cellphones, after a successful pilot of the program in the Back Bay.

"Thousands of Bostonians have already embraced this new and convenient technology, and expanding this service throughout the city will make the experience of paying for parking easier for each and every user," Mayor Martin J. Walsh said in a statement.

More than 15,000 people downloaded the Park­Boston app — available for iPhones and Android devices — since the pilot program launched in January. Officials plan to roll out the app to all the city's meters in phases, beginning with the rest of the Back Bay and the Fenway/Kenmore area this week, with the goal of having it completed by the end of the summer.

"Certainly the more options you give someone to pay the meter, the more often they will pay the meter," said Gina Fiandaca, commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department.

The expansion of ParkBoston comes on the heels of Walsh's announcement last week that the city would replace all parking meters with new smart meters that accept credit cards and will collect data about space usage. That project, estimated at $5 million
to $6 million, is scheduled to start by the end of the year.

The smart meters will be able to detect whether a spot is in use.

"(It will) help us strategically manage curbside space by providing information on duration of parking sessions," Fiandaca said.

That data could also be used for demand-based pricing, she said, including the possibility of extending hours or raising pricing­ near the TD Garden or Fenway Park.

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Committee to tackle wage equity

A new advisory committee tackling wage equality in Massachusetts can expect to encounter two types of CEOs: those whose hearts are in the right place, but have to be shown how to implement it, and those who must be convinced it's of value to their companies as well as society.

That's according to James Roosevelt Jr., CEO of Tufts Health Plan, one of 16 members of the committee formed by state Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg to follow through on one of her campaign planks.

"There are CEOs for whom this is not at the top of their lists when they think about how to show value to their customers and how they differentiate their products from their competitors," Roosevelt said. "You have to have the commitment from the top of the organization that ... every factor that goes into what people are paid — men and women — will be approached with the requirement that there be true equality. It's like any other major management issue. The CEO has to be sure that his or her management team applies that principle in every hiring decision, in every promotion and every salary-setting decision."

White women in Massachusetts earn 82 cents for every $1 earned by a man, according to Goldberg. African-American women earn 61 cents, and Latina women earn 50 cents.

"Pay equity is not a partisan issue, nor solely a women's issue," Goldberg said in a statement. "It is a family issue, and it affects the economic health and well-being of our entire state."

The committee will focus on providing government agencies with tools to review their pay structures; creating a wage equality tool kit for businesses; organizing roundtables to field business input on how a public-private partnership can work; and launching a state-run equal pay website for employers and employees.

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The Ticker

Dot proposal could aid ill with housing needs

A 39-unit apartment building that would allow people with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases to live independently is being proposed in Dorchester.

The Boston Home Inc., which operates a 96-bed nursing facility serving adults with progressive neurological diseases, hopes to build the mixed-income housing complex on its Dorchester Avenue campus.

The 134-year-old nonprofit is partnering with Boston-based Affirmative Investments Inc. on the $11 million project, which would include 30 units for people — and their families — with significant physical disabilities transitioning from long-term care, and people already living in the community who need additional support.

The goal is to create a national model for independent community living incorporating advanced technology and specialized support services, Boston Home said in documents filed with the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Backers plead for film tax credit

Supporters of the state's film tax credit packed a State House hearing to argue against Gov. Charlie Baker's proposal to do away with the decade-old tax break for movie and TV production in Massachusetts.

Baker wants to use the money that would be saved to double the state's earned income tax credit that goes to low-income working families.

Secretary of Economic Affairs Jay Ash told the Legislature's Revenue Committee that for each dollar spent on tax incentives for the film industry, the state gets only 13 cents back in revenue. Administration officials also said nearly two-thirds of film production spending wound up in the hands of non-Massachusetts residents or businesses.

But supporters of the tax credit strongly disagreed, telling lawmakers it has helped create thousands of jobs and boost thousands of small businesses around the state.

Quincy clothing retailer J.Jill sold

Quincy-based women's clothing retailer J.Jill said yesterday that it is being acquired by an investment management firm. J.Jill has about 250 stores around the country that sell clothing, shoes and accessories. It is being acquired by TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P. which is buying it from the investment firm Arcapita and private equity firm Golden Gate Capital. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter, were not disclosed. TowerBrook owns high-priced denim brand True Religion and previously owned the high-end Jimmy Choo shoe company before selling it off in 2011.

TODAY

 Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index for March.

 Commerce Department releases construction spending for February.

 Automakers release vehicle sales for March.

THE SHUFFLE

Cambridge-based GNS Healthcare, a provider of analytics solutions for matching health interventions to individuals, announced that Tom McNamara has joined the company as chief revenue officer. McNamara will shape the GNS sales organization to serve an expanding roster of clients, including health plans, health care providers, biopharmaceutical companies and foundations.

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Discount Chromebooks spur laptop war

The release of Google's cheapest Chromebook laptops yet — two versions priced at $149 each — is good news for students, and the cost will likely go even lower in the company's ongoing price war with Microsoft, analysts said.

"It really is excellent news for kids and for education," said Brad Reback of Stifel Nicolaus and Company in Atlanta. "You can now put computing power into the hands of many more kids. And (the price) will go lower. Google will continue to push pricing down to put pressure on Microsoft."

The newest versions of the Chromebook that Google announced yesterday are made by Hisense and Haier, PC manufacturers that have been working with Google to design lightweight laptops that run on the Chrome operating system.

Their arrival coincides with Microsoft's rollout of a lower-priced Surface tablet in an effort to reach students and budget-conscious families. Pre-orders for that device began yesterday, too. The cheaper version of the Surface Pro 3 sells for $499, compared with $799 to $1,949 for the higher-end models.

The Chromebooks don't have a hard drive and function as terminals dependent on an Internet connection to get most work done. The Chrome system is set up so users will automatically begin using Google's search engine and other services, such as Gmail and YouTube. Google also has used the Chromebooks as a prod to bring down the prices of all PCs.

"It has been good news for consumers, but not so good for vendors," said International Data Corp. analyst Jay Chou.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

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Business Protocol: Executive assistant to CEO? Commitment, confidence key

If you've been an executive assistant for 20 years and developed experience enough to be a top manager, how do you break through and move up? Can it be done?

Yes, indeed. I have groomed several executive assistants for executive director positions. Many astute and ambitious admins have developed the business acumen and technical expertise to make the jump. They know the players and are capable of stepping into the corner office.

The biggest single barrier is self-confidence. They have to believe they can. After that, it's all about self-
motivation and cultivating a positive attitude.

You don't have to look far for other examples. Many years ago, Jack Connors, then president of Hill Holliday, one of the top advertising agencies in the country, reportedly told his young receptionist she was the "face and voice of Hill Holiday."

Karen Kaplan took Connors' words very seriously and considered her position to be the "CEO of Reception." Kaplan had the confidence and ambition to take that advice and run with it. Her brains, work ethic and dedication were noticed, admired and rewarded in each of the 12 positions she held at the company.

Today, Karen Kaplan is the CEO of Hill Holliday.

There is great merit in being committed to one's career — especially these days when statistics suggest that most people will hold four, five or more jobs in their lifetime. If you are going to be an admin, be the best. The sky may be the limit.

Sandy Knott, past president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce's Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals, told me she was thrilled to have almost doubled their membership during her tenure.

She explained the upturn, saying that during the Great Recession, she encouraged admins to hold themselves to a high standard and show they were committed to their careers. She suggested that by showing they weren't going anywhere, admins would be more valued, more respected and more sought-after as professionals in their field.

Knott advocated for professional accreditation and certification and urged admins to join professional organizations such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals. Ultimately this advanced the position of administrative assistants while enhancing their value to the company.

Bottom line: Never approach a position believing this will be the job you will have forever, especially if you don't want it to be so.

Judith Bowman is founder of Protocol Consultants International and author of "Don't Take the Last Donut: New Rules of Business Etiquette."

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The Ticker

BU business school gets $50M gift from graduate

Boston University received $50 million, its largest gift ever, for its management school from retailing executive Allen Questrom and his wife, Kelli. The renamed Questrom School of Business will use the donation to endow 10 faculty positions and help pay for added facilities for the graduate program, the university said. Questrom, 74, who earned a bachelor's degree from BU in 1964 and is a trustee, has led retailers including Barneys New York Inc., J.C. Penney Co., Federated Department Stores and Neiman Marcus. He is currently a senior adviser to Lee Equity Partners LLC, a New York private equity firm.

McDonald's to test all-day breakfast

McDonald's Corp. will experiment with serving breakfast all day at some San Diego-area locations as CEO Steve Easterbrook seeks to pull the restaurant chain out of a U.S. sales slump.

The test, slated to begin next month, will keep hash browns, Egg McMuffins and other sandwiches on the menu beyond the standard breakfast hours. McDonald's is the fast-food breakfast leader, and the morning menu accounts for about 25 percent of its business. As more Americans eat breakfast away from home, competitors such as Taco Bell and Starbucks have tried to take market share from McDonald's with expanded offerings.

Woman denies defrauding One Fund

A Boston woman has pleaded not guilty to fraudulently receiving thousands of dollars by claiming she was injured in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Joanna Leigh was arraigned yesterday on charges of larceny and making a false claim to a government agency. She was released without bail and ordered to surrender her passport and not travel outside New England or New York. Her attorney said she's "a very fragile person."

Prosecutors say Leigh got $8,000 from The One Fund victims' charity; $18,000 from a state victims' compensation fund; $9,000 from an online fundraiser; and $1,700 raised by Boston school students.

Authorities say she was at the April 2013 marathon but wasn't hurt. Leigh, 41, says she suffered traumatic brain injuries, and the charges are retaliation for her criticism of The One Fund for not helping people with brain injuries.

TODAY

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

 Conference Board releases the Consumer Confidence Index for March.

TOMORROW

 Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index for March.

 Commerce Department releases construction spending for February.

 Automakers release vehicle sales for March.

THE SHUFFLE

North Andover-based Watts Water Technologies has named Todd A. Trapp as its chief financial officer, effective April 9. Trapp most recently was vice president of financial planning and analysis at Honeywell International Inc., where he was responsible for leading the annual strategic planning processes for the $40 billion conglomerate. Prior to his 12-year Honeywell career, he held several treasury and finance operational roles at United Business Media Inc. and Pearson Inc.

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Jay Z launches Tidal streaming-music service at star-studded event

Music impresario Jay Z has launched Tidal -- positioned as an ad-free, high-quality streaming-music subscription service priced starting at $10 per month -- with the participation of numerous big-name artists including Alicia Keys, Beyonce (who is married to Jay Z), Chris Martin of Coldplay, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Kanye West and Madonna.

Jay Z, the stage name of Shawn Carter, in January acquired Sweden-based Aspiro for $56 million. The artists announced onstage at the New York event Monday were introduced as co-owners of the company, representing the first artist-owned digital-music service -- a salvo lobbed against companies like Spotify and Pandora.

"Our goal is simple: We want to create a better service and a better experience for both fans and artitsts," Alicia Keys said at the event. "We believe that it is in everyone's interests -- fans, artists and the industry as a whole -- to preserve the value of music, and to ensure a healthy and robust industry for years to come."

Tidal's mobile launch partner is Sprint. Other artists participating in the service include Arcade Fire, Calvin Harris, Daft Punk, Jack White (formerly of the White Stripes) and Deadmau5.

The Tidal service will compete with other subscription-music services including Spotify and Apple's forthcoming music-streaming service, based on its acquisition of Beats Music, which is expected to launch this summer.

Tidal will not offer a free version of the service; the standard-audio version (Tidal Premium) will be $9.99 per month and the high-def audio version (Tidal HiFi) will be $19.99 per month. Both tiers are free to try out for 30 days, according to the company.

Tidal says it provides a library of more than 25 million tracks, 75,000 music videos and curated editorial articles. The service is available across iOS and Android devices, as well as in Web browsers and desktop players, available in the U.S. and 30 other countries at launch. Tidal provides streaming quality at more than four times the bit rate of competitive services, according to the startup.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Autodesk headed to Boston

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Autodesk plans to start a similar program for researchers.

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

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

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The Ticker

Forecasters boost outlook for economy

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

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

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

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

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

Fishermen to discuss future of shuttered Maine shrimp fishery

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

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

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

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

TODAY

 Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for February.

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

TOMORROW

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

 Conference Board releases the Consumer Confidence Index for March.

WEDNESDAY

 Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index for March.

 Commerce Department releases construction spending for February.

 Automakers release vehicle sales for March.

THURSDAY

 Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.

 Commerce Department releases international trade data for February.

 Commerce Department releases factory orders for February.

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

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Lincoln Continental, the car of presidents, is returning

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

Now, the Lincoln Continental is back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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AG developing online claims system for consumers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mad*Pow forum mixes health care, design, tech

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Revamped prayer book offers 
modern take for Reform Jews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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