New look for the 4Runner

With a new-look exterior featuring new headlights, the 2014 Toyota 4Runner is all SUV, all the time. This rugged truck is built for anything you can throw at it and with an available locking real differential and selectable terrain modes, you will rule the off-road world.

Make no mistake about it, this is a truck, but it also handles well on the highway. The variable power, speed-sensitive steering is tight and the suspension keeps it glued to the road, even while accelerating on an exit ramp.

Rugged, round rubberized controls dominate the appearance of the interior and are laid out in an easily deciphered manner. Getting used to the controls took minutes. The test vehicle had a touch screen to control its GPS and audio, which was easy to use, but hard to fully customize. Switching from Sirius XM radio, to FM and AM was easy. In general, the navigation was easy to use, but using the voice commands was problematic.

The 4Runner's SofTex faux-leather trimmed seats seem comfortable even after a long ride. The interior does come up short when compared to luxury models, but when you are paying an MSRP of $39,505 for a Toyota you are paying for something that is well-built, not deluxe.

A 4-liter, double overhead cam V6 engine gives the 4Runner considerable pep, while the in-dash ECO mode display reminds you to keep your gas-guzzling foot lighter on the pedal. The 4Runner will burn through gas (17 mph city/21 highway) if you are not careful, but a light touch on the pedal did pay off.

Parking was a bit tough as the hood dimensions make it feel like a much bigger vehicle, but a standard back-up camera projecting the path helped on the back end.

The controls for off-road traction and suspension are cool but complicated. Shifting to 4x4 low was very mechanical and a bit tricky, especially for something you are likely to use once in a blue moon.

The split 20/40/20 seats provide great flexibility in loading cargo in the rear, as does the power rear gate window, which opens to help load gear or keep the air flowing, especially with the moon roof open.

My kids found climbing into the 4Runner a bit of a challenge, so I would recommend springing for the running boards if you have kids or need a little help climbing in yourself.

The bottom line is that this is a great truck that will most likely outlast its competitors such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bad tech co. news sinks Nasdaq

A twitchy stock market closed lower yesterday off bad tech company news, eliminating promising gains earlier in the week, after disappointing earnings reports from major companies.

The Nasdaq composite index fell 72 points ­— 1.8 percent — while the Standard & Poors 500 and Dow Jones industrial average both dipped almost 1 percent.

"The market is in a precarious position at the moment, and overreacts to bad news far more than it did last year," said Scott Clemons, chief investment strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman.

Technology stocks fell across the board, on the back of a disappointing earnings report from Amazon.

The company fell 10 percent after telling investors that the second quarter will likely lead to an operating loss. Netflix, Facebook and Twitter also dropped yesterday.

Also contributing to the losses were renewed fears over the economic impact the conflict in Ukraine could have.

"Russian troops are massing up at the Ukrainian border, which is enough to make people nervous about anybody with business activities in Europe," said Tom Stringfellow, president and chief investment officer of Frost Investment Advisors.

The Nasdaq had been up 0.7 percent this week before yesterday.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Workplace Diversity Job Fair Monday, April 28, 2014

Workplace Diversity Job Fair

Monday, April 28, 2014

10:00-4:00

Boston Marriott Copley Place

110 Huntington Ave., Boston

Job seekers, don't miss this exciting opportunity

The Boston Herald is hosting the 21st annual Workplace Diversity Job Fair on Monday, April 28. Companies from the Greater Boston area will be in attendance looking for candidates to fill positions in areas including sales, business, medical, technology and more!

Look for a special pull-out section on Thursday, April 24 for all the information you will need to make the job fair a success for you.

There is no cost or obligation for attending.

Proper attire is suggested.

The following companies are participating in the Monday, April 28 Workplace Diversity Job Fair:

• Arbour Health System
• Bay Cove Human Services
• Boston Marriott Copley Place
• BMC HealthNet Plan
• Commonwealth Worldwide
• Eliot Community Human Services
• G2 Secure Staff
• Harvard University
• Keolis Commuter Services
• Lincoln Technical Institute
• Massasoit Community College
• Mass Eye and Ear
• New England HERC
• New England Research Institute
• Northeastern University Bouve' College of Health Sciences School of Nursing
• Northeast Security
• Prudential
• Rockland Trust
• South Bay Mental Health
• U.S. Navy
• Verizon Wireless
• WGBH

The Workplace Diversity Job Fair is conducted in accordance with federal laws advocating employment for all individuals. The Workplace Diversity Job Fair is handicapped accessible. If special arrangements are required, please call 617-619-6168 no later than 2 days prior to the event.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dunkin’ says winter chilled its earnings

Americans weren't running as much on Dunkin' this past winter — at least those battling the cold and snow in the chain's prime Northeast territory.

Dunkin' Brands yesterday blamed extreme weather for lower-than-expected quarterly earnings that fell 
3.5 percent to $23 million.

Sales at U.S. Dunkin' Donuts open at least 54 weeks — a key retail measure — climbed just 1.2 percent, below analyst expectations, while revenue increased 6.2 percent to $171.9 million.

CEO Nigel Travis acknowledged disappointment with the results, which prompted a 1.89 percent drop in shares for the Canton owner of the Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins chains to $46.69.

"When our guests' normal morning routine gets disrupted by things such as school closings and office closings ... we lose their visit on that particular day, and that visit in most cases is not recoverable," he said.

But the company stuck to its full-year forecast for growth and said its first traditional Dunkin' would open in California by year's end, ahead of schedule.

"We're very positive about the fact that, given our national awareness through all our advertising, people are just waiting for us to come to California," Travis said. "I think we're going to do really well."

Analysts remained confident in Dunkin' Brands' outlook. "We continue to like shares, given industry-leading margins, strong domestic growth prospects and relatively stable underlying ... trends at Dunkin' Donuts U.S.," William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia said.

Dunkin debuted its "DD Perks Rewards" program Jan. 27, allowing customers to earn points for purchases. It, so far, has 750,000-plus members, with a target of 2.5 million by the end of the year.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

GOP eyes accounting of Health Connector costs

House Republicans are pushing for a full accounting of how much the state's Obamacare website fiasco will cost taxpayers, suggesting outgoing Gov. Deval Patrick may leave the next administration holding the bag.

"The reality is we're going to have a new governor in January, so some of these costs associated with this could still crop up," said House Minority Leader Bradley Jones (R-North Reading). "Let's have some more public data."

Jones filed an amendment to the House budget — where debate is set to begin Monday — that would force the Patrick administration to compile a cost study of the entire website mess, including the price tag for temporary health insurance coverage, by July 31.

The Health Connector website has been a complete disaster for the Patrick administration, creating long delays in signing up Bay Staters for health insurance plans. Patrick eventually hired a web czar, Blue Cross/Blue Shield executive Sarah Iselin, to repair the site and ease a massive backlog of enrollees.

The state fired web developer CGI earlier this year amid finger-pointing over the execution of a 
$69 million contract to build the website.

It's unclear whether Democrats will sign on to Jones' budget amendment, but the chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Health suggested the GOP is trying to politicize the website fiasco and maintained a cost study isn't necessary.

"There are 50 million amendments from the Republicans relative to cost and analyzing how much we're spending," said state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez (D-Jamaica Plain). "How this fits in, I'm not sure, but at the end of the day, we do want to make sure the Connector is doing everything it needs to do to make sure people are covered, and at the same time, we will know how much it costs, because eventually data will get out there."

In a statement, Secretary of Administration & Finance Glen Shor said he already detailed some of the costs during testimony at a State House hearing earlier this month and that the total price tag of temporary coverage will be ready by July.

"During the hearing, administration officials committed to fulfilling the committee's request of providing additional financial information related to transitional coverage and other financial elements going forward," said Shor.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boston needs new condos in a hurry

With huge numbers of would-be buyers, Boston needs more condos right now. But it's going to be a while before there's a big uptick in supply.

The average price for a downtown condo is now running at almost $1 million, as an inventory shortage is driving up prices. Millennium Place sold out its 256 units in record time and some are being quickly flipped for huge profits.

At the same time, thousands of luxury apartments have hit the Hub market because lenders started backing rental complexes, but now some are fearing an apartment glut.

With the demand for condos too hard to ignore, the developer of the Ink Block apartment complex under construction in the South End has already turned one building branded Sepia into 83 condos, and the builder of 45 First Ave. in the Charlestown Navy Yard wants to change its 54-unit project from apartments to condos.

Construction of two ­super high-end condo projects is underway. There will be 118 condos at 22 Liberty Drive on Fan Pier, and 450 condos are slated for the Millennium Tower downtown, but these projects won't be completed until 2016. Other large high-end condo projects are even further down the line.

"It always takes a while for the supply to catch up because condo financing lags the market," said Dom Lange, co-owner of Broadway Village Real Estate.

Lange said that South Boston condo development is accelerating, with three sites along West Broadway expected to be developed into condos — the Cornerstone bar, where about 50 units are being permitted, as well as the Mike's Auto Repair and Liberty Bell sites, which will add another 30-40 condos each. Another 24 units are already before the Boston Redevelopment Authority on the site of an old garage at 39 A St.

The recently approved St. Augustine's Church development will house 29 condos, there are 45 under construction at 401 West 1st St. and 18 units have just been OK'd at 728 East Broadway.

But condo prices are soaring in Southie, putting many out of reach for the middle class. And this goes for neighborhoods such as Charlestown as well, with the proposed development of 42 condos at the former armory on Bunker Hill Street.

Creating condos that the middle class can afford is tricky. Developers in the downtown areas are seeking between $650 a square foot up to almost $2,000 a square foot on the super high-end, but there's a big need for units in the $350-to-$450 per square foot range.

Construction will begin soon on a $14 million project at 248 Meridian St. in East Boston, which will house 66 moderately priced condos.

And Boston developer Urbanica plans to build 50-60 market-rate townhouses on Parcel U, MBTA land along Hyde Park Avenue near Forest Hills Station in Jamaica Plain that will sell for around $400 a square foot. Urbanica also is about to break ground on eight three-bedroom condo units at 74 Highland St. in Roxbury's Fort Hill, which the company plans to sell for about $350 a square foot.

"Construction costs are high wherever you build in the city so building condos affordable to the middle class makes the most sense in places such as Roxbury, Dorchester and parts of JP where land costs less and there's some room to build," said Kamran Zahedi, principal of Urbanica.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Housing supply still not meeting homebuyer demand

Demand from homebuyers continues to outpace supply, according to new housing numbers released yesterday, and experts said relief from rising prices and low inventory isn't in sight anytime soon.

"There just aren't as many homes on the market as there are people who want to buy them," said Timothy Warren, CEO of the Warren Group.

The Warren Group reported sales of single-family homes were down 8 percent in March compared to the same month a year ago and prices were up 9 percent. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported sales dropped 12 percent while the median price of a single-family home rose more than 8 percent to more than $314,000. The groups use slightly different figures in their calculations.

Realtors' president Peter Ruffini said low inventory is driving prices higher and sales volume lower.

"We don't want to see price appreciation get to a point where it slows the market down," Ruffini said.

Warren said new construction is picking up after a prolonged slowdown during the recession, but the lengthy approval process is keeping the numbers down.

"They are building now, just not enough to meet the demand," Warren said. "It takes a while to get stuff into the pipeline."

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said yesterday that new home sales in the Northeast were down 22.9 percent from a year ago, but rose 12.5 percent from February.

Ruffini said that even though inventory is down compared to last year, the number of new listings is rising.

"There is a ray of hope," he said.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dublin-based Primark to fill Filene’s space

Dublin "fast-fashion" chain Primark will anchor the former Filene's building in Downtown Crossing with a first-in-the-U.S. store expected to bring a fresh vibe to the re-emerging Hub shopping district.

Primark is slated to open in 2015 on the first four floors of the building, which also will include a Roche Bros. supermarket and ad firm Arnold Worldwide's new headquarters.

One of the largest clothing retailers in Europe with 271 stores, Primark touts its "value-for-money" prices. The Boston location is planned as its flagship for the Northeast, where it says negotiations are under way to open other stores through mid-2016.

"We'll open some stores, we'll start to learn, we'll see what sort of reception we get, and we'll take it from there," George Weston, CEO of Primark's London parent company, Associated British Foods, told Reuters.

Primark's success in new markets, including Spain, Germany and France, meant it "earned the right" to enter the United States, according to Weston. "We're not assuming that we'll succeed, but we do have a powerful proposition in terms of fashionability at very low prices," he said.

Primark leased 112,000 square feet from Millennium Partners, whose $630 million project will include 450 luxury condos in the new Millennium Tower, in addition to the refurbished Filene's building.

"One of the most important goals ... was to bring someone to the site that would bring energy, vitality (and) feed off what's there and enhance it," Millennium partner Mario Palumbo said. "The excitement of bringing an Irish retailer to the most prominent retailing site in Boston is fantastic. They're uniquely good at what they do."

Primark competes in fast-fashion with Uniqlo, H&M, Forever 21 and Zara. Fast-fashion retailers are known for the quick pace with which they bring new clothing into their stores and are among the fastest growing retail companies.

"It's a store that will be unique and special and create some buzz and … that's what downtown Boston needs," retail consultant Michael Tesler said.

Primark started in 1969 in Ireland, where it operates as Penneys. It will benefit from the $2.8 million in city tax breaks given to Millennium, which offered Primark "economic lease terms they found acceptable because of the property tax relief on the commercial portion of the building in the early years of the lease," a Millennium spokeswoman said.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

The joys of massage

Massage has long been thought of as an indulgence. While it is quite a relaxing and rejuvenating treat, I believe it's high time we thought of massage as a regular part of maintaining optimum health. If you can't remember when your last massage was, it's been far too long. Read about the researched benefits of massage, then book one for yourself ASAP! Many spas, including my Grettacole locations, offer a discount for booking a series of appointments, ensuring you keep a massage on your calendar at all times while saving a bit of money.

• Generally, massage can help to reduce pain, whether it's an isolated injury or muscle soreness after regular workouts.

• Massage helps promote deeper sleep, giving you a more restorative night of rest. Who couldn't benefit from that?

• If you suffer from high stress or anxiety, regular massage might help you to relax.

• Massage can boost your immune system, keeping you healthy by protecting your body from germs that cause colds and flu.

• If you frequently battle intense headaches or even migraines, massage can reduce the pain with targeted techniques.

• Massage may help ease the side effects of aggressive medical treatments. Nausea, pain and fatigue can be minimized with regular appointments.

Keep in mind, not all massages or massage therapists are created equal.

• Be sure to have an open and honest conversation with your massage practitioner at the start of your appointment. This will help them to determine what areas to focus on or stay away from and help them to suggest additional therapies like hot stones or reflexology. Don't rely on those client intake forms alone to express exactly what you hope to get out of your massage.

• Don't be afraid to speak up if the pressure is too intense or too weak — the therapists are trained to tailor their techniques to your needs.

• Finally, give yourself over to the experience. Don't feel pressure to talk throughout your massage. Just relax, unwind and reset.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

FedEx sued over deadly California bus crash

LOS ANGELES — The mother of a 17-year-old honors student who was among 10 people killed in a fiery Northern California bus crash sued FedEx on Tuesday, alleging that its trucks have a history of catching fire.

The negligence suit that seeks $100 million in damages is the first filed in connection with the April 10 freeway crash in Orland, said A. King Aminpour, the attorney for the plaintiffs.

The suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of Rosa Rivera, mother of Jennifer Bonilla of Los Angeles.

The Dorsey High School student had earned a college scholarship. She and other teens were heading north for a free tour of Humboldt State University when the bus was struck head-on by a FedEx truck.

Dozens escaped through windows before the bus exploded into towering flames, but five students, three adult chaperones and both drivers died.

"She had her whole future before her," Aminpour said of Bonilla. "She was the first in her family to ever go to college."

The California Highway Patrol has not determined the cause of the crash 100 miles north of Sacramento.

Some witnesses reported that the FedEx truck was on fire before the crash, and the lawsuit alleges that FedEx trucks have a history of catching fire from mechanical problems, driver error or improper cargo loading.

"Our heartfelt condolences remain with everyone affected by this tragic accident," Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx Corp. said in a statement. "We remain focused on providing support to those affected and cooperating with the authorities as they conduct their investigation. This is not the time for us to discuss potential litigation."

The suit also names the estate of the FedEx driver and the bus owner, Silverado Stages, as defendants. The bus lacked adequate exit doors that would have allowed passengers to escape after the crash, the lawsuit contends.

A message seeking comment from a Silverado Stages executive after hours Tuesday was not immediately returned.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Toyota sells 2.58 million vehicles, outselling GM

TOKYO — Toyota kept its position at the top in global vehicle sales for the first quarter of this year, outpacing rivals General Motors and Volkswagen.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday that it sold a record 2.583 million vehicles in the January-March period, putting the Japanese automaker ahead of Detroit-based GM at 2.42 million and Volkswagen of Germany at 2.4 million.

Toyota's first quarter sales rose by more than 6 percent from the same period the previous year. GM's sales grew 2 percent, while Volkswagen's added nearly 6 percent.

Toyota finished first last year with a record 9.98 million vehicles in sales, remaining the top-selling automaker for a second year in a row. General Motors Co. finished second and VW third.

Toyota is targeting sales of more than 10 million vehicles this year. No automaker has sold that many in a year. Toyota officials say being No. 1 is not that important, and they want to be No. 1 in customer satisfaction.

But competition is intense among all the world's automakers, and clinching the top-selling automaker crown is not taken lightly.

By region, Toyota's first quarter sales grew in Japan as consumers rushed to buy ahead of a rise in the sales tax, which kicked in April 1. Its sales also grew in the rest of Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa, according to Toyota.

General Motors had been the No. 1 selling automaker for more than seven decades before losing the title to Toyota in 2008.

GM retook the sales crown in 2011, when Toyota's production was hurt by the quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. But the maker of the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury model made a comeback in 2012, and kept that lead in 2013.

GM's image has taken a hit after a February recall of 2.6 million vehicles for defective ignition switches, a defect the company tied to 13 deaths.

GM and the U.S. government are investigating why it took the company more than a decade to recall the cars after engineers first learned of the switch problems.

Toyota also underwent a massive recall debacle in the U.S., announcing recall after recall starting in 2009. It paid a $1.2 billion earlier this year to settle a U.S. Justice Department investigation into charges of covering up problems that caused unintended acceleration in some cars.

From 2010 through 2012, Toyota paid fines totaling more than $66 million for delays in reporting safety problems. Toyota agreed last year to pay more than $1 billion to owners of its cars who claimed to have suffered economic losses because of the recalls. The company still faces wrongful death and injury lawsuits.

Volkswagen is growing so quickly in China and other relatively new markets it is close on the heels of its two longtime rivals.

__

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at twitter.com/yurikageyama

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lawmakers urge speedy aid for struggling fishermen

BOSTON — Members of the Massachusetts' all-Democratic congressional delegation are urging the federal Department of Commerce to immediately begin the process of allocating $75 million in fishery disaster funding.

The funding was included in a government spending bill that passed in January.

In the letter to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey and six U.S. House members argue that the impact of the fishing crisis on Massachusetts fishermen accounts for 90 percent of the economic disaster in the Northeast region.

They also argue the money should be distributed directly to the state so it can be more efficiently delivered to fishermen, an approach suggested by Gov. Deval Patrick.

In January 2014, a federal law passed providing $75 million in disaster assistance to struggling fishermen and fishing-related businesses.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Classic cinema

You can't watch "Jurassic Park" on an iPad.

Oh, sure, technically you can. But if you reduce Steven Spielberg's terrible lizards down to something you can hold in your lap, you lose too much — nobody wants to see a jeep racing away from a T. rex the size of a butterfly.

Unless your plasma TV has a thousand-inch display, you need to see "Jurassic Park" on the big screen. Thankfully, you can see it tomorrow at the Somerville Theatre.

Curated by theater general manager Ian Judge and hosted by Judge and projectionist David Kornfeld, the movie house's centennial celebration is in full swing with loads of classics from the last century — still to come: screenings of "The Princess Bride," "The Last Waltz," "The Departed" and more.

"We wanted something that honored the anniversary and encapsulated it," Judge said. "We got some amazing movies, the best print of 'Sunset Boulevard' I've ever seen. I didn't really know what to expect with attendance. I knew it'd be good for 'Singing in the Rain' and 'Casablanca' but 90 percent of the films in the 100-day countdown to the May 11 anniversary have made us money."

One of the joys of the celebration is watching Judge and Kornfeld introduce the films. Witty and knowledgeable, the cinephiles put the films in context with history and humor. For Judge, who grew up coming to the theater and began in the business as an usher at the now-shuttered Harvard AMC, the series has put the glory of an old movie house in the spotlight.

"Other than the seats and the light bulbs, most of what you see in the theater is 100 years old," he said.

The final film in the program will be "The Wizard of Oz" on May 11 — the screening will also include three vaudeville acts, live music and classic short subjects. Judge loves a lot of the films in the series (he urges everybody to search out "A Thousand Clowns"). But he says nothing compares to "The Wizard of Oz."

"Going to see this movie in a theater like ours is such a magical experience," he said. "That magic is lost when you go to a multiplex. Sure, you can watch it on your phone or on DVD anytime. But that won't leave an imprint. I'm hoping there's some kid at our screening that grows up to take their kid to 'The Wizard of Oz' in 50 years."

For details and tickets to 
the Somerville Theatre's 
centennial programming, go to 
somervilletheatreonline.com.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dart adapter flashes power

Laptops keep getting smaller and lighter, but chargers never seem to change — until now.

A California-based company founded by a group of MIT graduate students has invented what it calls the world's smallest laptop-charger.

Measuring 2.5 cubic inches and weighing just over 2 ounces, FINsix's Dart is barely bigger than a lipstick case — making it four times smaller and six times lighter than the average laptop adapter — but it charges just as quickly.

"Everyone who has a laptop knows the big brick they have to carry around," said CEO Vanessa Green, who co-founded the company as an MBA student at MIT's Sloan School of Management. "We looked at the market and said, 'Hey, we can do something different here.'"

FINsix launched the Dart in January to rave reviews for its practicality at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Last Monday, the company began a monthlong Kickstarter campaign and met its goal of $200,000 on the crowdfunding site within 12 hours. By 7 p.m. Friday, the Dart had 3,104 backers who had pledged $336,706, with 25 days still to go in the campaign.

The money will be used to complete the development and production of the 65-watt charger, which sells on Kickstarter for $79, but which FINsix expects to retail in stores for about $119.

In addition to its small size and light weight, the Dart is designed for use anywhere in the world, and its laptop plus USB port allows people to charge multiple gadgets from a single outlet.

The Dart works well with all major PC brands, as well as with MacBooks 65 watts and under. To make chargers for the latter, though, FINsix has to buy off-the-shelf Apple adapters to get the connectors. So the Dart for MacBook costs $79 more than a standard Dart.

The charger is not compatible with 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with retina display because they require more than 65 watts. It also is not compatible with the Microsoft Surface tablet and the Google Chromebook Pixel.

The good news for gadget buffs: The Dart is just the first of a full line of the smallest, lightest and highest-performing power electronics FINsix intends to make.

To accomplish that, the company has raised more than $6 million in venture capital and angel investments and assembled a team of 18 employees — five in Boston and the remainder in Menlo Park, Calif.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Robot gives telecommuters a presence in the workplace

Technology is already allow­­ing people to tele­commute across vast distances, giving companies the luxury of finding the talent they want, even if that talented individual doesn't live in the same city, state or country. And the ability to work remotely is a perk more companies are using­ to retain workers.

But email, tele­conferencing and phone calls still prevent a remote worker from establishing a presence in the workplace. Spontaneous interactions are impossible — there's no brainstorming in the hallway, or popping into a colleague's office to bounce around an idea.

The answer? ROBOT ME!

A number of robotics companies have begun marketing "telepresence robots," upright devices that can roam hallways carrying a screen displaying a live video ­image of a telecommuter. The remote worker can see and hear via a camera and microphone on the robot.

I spoke with Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot, the Mass­achusetts-based company that created, among many other things, the robotic Roomba vacuum cleaner that is currently striking fear into the hearts of your house pets.

"If you actually want people to have high-quality remote experiences, you need to solve this remote presence in a creative way," he said. "We're trying to create a true immersive remote presence — I'm trying to build you. So you can attend meetings not as the forgotten, dis­embodied black spider phone thing, or the strange floating head that's up there on a screen until we need to use Power­Point, but as the guy who shows up at the meeting, sits down and participates in a way completely analogous to you being there in person."

iRobot has created — and some companies have begun using — the Ava 500. It looks like a sleek, round-based pedestal with a rectangular high-definition screen mounted on its wide neck.

The screen slides up and down to simulate a standing or sitting position, keeping interactions on roughly the same eye-to-eye level with people. The remote user can pivot the screen 360 degrees and move the robot in any direction. (The robot has sensors so it doesn't run into people or walls.)

Angle said they intentionally steered clear of giving Ava 500 a human form.

"We had to create a stylized,­ attractive form for the robot that wasn't gender specific but had a gravitas and scale volume and fidelity that would make the remote user feel good about representing themselves," he said. "And the people on the other end would look at it in a friendly way where the robot wasn't distracting because of its failed attempt to look like a person."

Basically, if the robot looked too human it would be seriously creepy. So they stuck with a non-human design that makes Ava 500 substantial enough to give people the sense that there's a presence beyond just a face on a screen.

The robot memorizes the layout of an office building, allow­ing a remote user to simply press a point on a map to dispatch Ava 500 to a certain office or conference room. Once there, the worker "teleports" into the robot, appearing on the screen and en­gaging with whoever's around.

On a recent morning, the folks at iRobot allowed me to teleport into an Ava 500 at their facility. Within minutes, I was linked up with the Ava 500 using an app on my iPad and teleconferencing software on my desktop computer. I controlled the robot, the screen height and the camera direction via the iPad touch screen, zipping around with ease and making lots of ­cliche robot sounds.

It was amazing. I spoke with two iRobot employees and a photographer, followed them to different locations and checked out displays in the company's robot museum.

Before long, the inherent strangeness of the experience melted away and I under­stood why they call it an immersive experience. This was different than using Skype or making a conference call — I was able to react to facial cues, turn my attention to other people as they spoke and engage in a much more conversational manner.

"The difference in metaphor is that anything that you can do if you were in a meeting physically, we want to try to mimic and replicate using a robot," Angle said. "The feeling was that if we did a good enough job, meetings could take place identically to how they would take place if you were there in person."

The price for this technology is steep — one Ava 500 costs $69,500. But it can allow companies to bring people from far-off distances into a workplace without paying for flights or hotel rooms.

, and remote workers tend to reduce company costs by requiring less office space.

Devices like Ava 500 are going to become common in many workplaces. It's an inevitable step in sorting out how best to mix technology with our human need for some form of spontaneous interaction.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More