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Endorsement choices reflect QBs’ images

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 14 Januari 2014 | 16.30

One's endorsements capitalize on his chiseled good looks, the other's on his Everyman appeal.

While the merchandise Tom Brady touts is fastidiously selected and tends to involve fashion — from Under Armour and Movado watches to those now ubiquitous Ugg boots — Peyton Manning seems to have endorsed everything but the kitchen sink, often with affable, self-deprecating humor.

"Each of them has long ago chosen their marketing strategies very shrewdly," said Steve Connelly of the Boston ad agency Connelly Partners. "Manning uses marketing to enhance his likeability, whereas Brady does not. The Tom Brady brand is more aspirational and very influenced, I think, by his wife," model Gisele Bundchen.

The plethora of products Manning has endorsed, by contrast, run the gamut of MasterCard, Reebok, DirecTV, Gatorade, Oreos, Wheaties and Papa John's Pizza.

"Manning is a bit closer to Everyman; Brady is a little bit outside Everyman because of his looks and because of his relationship with his wife," agreed Chris Colbert, chairman of Holland-Mark, a Boston advertising and marketing firm, though he added, "Both are perceived as good guys."

Last year alone, Manning had the most endorsements of any football player — worth $12 million to Brady's $7 million — according to Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes, on which both were featured in the Top 20.


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Adviser: Globe no hobby for John Henry

Former Hill Holliday CEO Mike Sheehan said yesterday his new gig as an advertising adviser to Boston Globe owner John Henry is focused on maximizing revenue, and didn't rule out a rebranding of the broadsheet, while emphasizing Henry is treating his own role as a "full-time job."

"The Globe has a very attractive audience," Sheehan told the Herald. "Like any media operation, they have to be vigilant about making sure their advertisers know that and that they have great opportunities to reach them."

Sheehan said there's no set timetable for how long he'll be advising the broadsheet. "To be perfectly frank, I just want to help where I can help for as long as it takes to really make this place start humming," said Sheehan, who is chairman of the Hub ad agency.

Sheehan also didn't rule out the possibility of re-branding the broadsheet, saying, "We're figuring it out, and we will figure it out."

Asked if Hill Holliday founder Jack Connors — who was once part of a team that put in its own bid to buy the Globe from the New York Times Co. — might also advise Henry, Sheehan noted the two do have a relationship.

"I don't know," said Sheehan. "He knows John well. I know he knows the newspaper business well."

Connors didn't return a message yesterday.

Henry last week appealed to business bigwigs for their support during a speech at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. He plans to hire a chief operating officer who he expects to be local, and announced plans for a Globe television network.

"This is certainly not going to be a hobby — it's a full-time job," Sheehan said of Henry, who also owns the Red Sox. "He's focused on making this as vibrant a business as it possibly can be. Not what it was, but what it can be."


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Dunkin Donuts brews plan to double U.S. locations

Dunkin Donuts is marching west, hoping to add 5,000 stores west of the Mississippi and double its overall presence, a major expansion beyond its core territory as the iconic New England coffee shop company pushes to become a national brand.

"We think there is significant opportunity," John Costello, president of global marketing and innovation, told the Herald. "While coffee is very competitive around the world, we think we've got a very differentiated positioning that will enable us to succeed."

Costello cited the company's innovative menu, with items such as the glazed donut breakfast sandwich. Speaking at an ad conference in Boston yesterday, Costello told advertisers that companies must "differentiate or die."

Dunkin Brands told investors yesterday it plans to double the number of Dunkin Donuts stores around the country, adding roughly 7,000 stores nationwide.

"We are delighted with Dunkin Donuts' accelerated growth across the U.S., which demonstrates ongoing strong demand for our brand," Nigel Travis, chairman and CEO of Dunkin Brands, said in a statement.

The company said it added 371 stores last year, and is expecting as many as 410 this year.

Tapping into what the company sees as a "tremendous westward expansion opportunity," the Canton-based company said it will focus on the western half of the country, where it has only 214 stores, compared to nearly 4,000 in the northeast.

Dunkin also told investors it will add a "DDPERKS" program Jan. 27, awarding points for every dollar spent and offering free drinks once a certain number of points is reached.


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Smart Body Analyzer takes fitness monitoring to an impressive scale

Written By Unknown on Senin, 13 Januari 2014 | 16.30

Withings Smart Body Analyzer ($149.95, various retailers)

Just in time to keep your New Year's Resolution on track, the newly upgraded Smart Body Analyzer is like a scale on steroids. In addition to measuring your weight, the analyzer also records your resting heart rate, a key measure of fitness, as well as your body-fat percentage and even the quality of your indoor air.

The good: The Smart Body Analyzer reimagines household scales. It syncs seamlessly to an accompanying app each time you weigh via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It's easy to use and sleeker than your old scale.

The bad: Don't use this product if you have a pacemaker, as it emits a small electrical charge to collect its data.

The bottom line: If you're serious about improving your overall fitness and want to track more than just your weight, this is a worthwhile investment.


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Helping businesses get social

The city's Office of Business Development is updating its services, offering businesses social media training and taking greater advantage of technology, responding to changing needs from business owners.

At a "Social Media 
Accelerator" on Monday at Harvard's iLab in Allston, small business owners got a crash course in Twitter, Facebook and other 
social media, one of the new breed of skills small businesses need, attendees and officials said.

"It's just the next evolution," said James DiSabatino, founder of Roxy's Grilled Cheese. "It's about finding that voice and showing other people who you really are."

Alec Stern, a vice president at Constant Contact, said businesses that aren't on Twitter or Facebook are behind.

"Everyone in the game — your competition — is on it," Stern told attendees.

The OBD, whose core purpose is to help small businesses navigate the permitting and licensing process, is seeing a shift in the help businesses need, OBD Deputy Director Rafael Carbonell said, and are going to evolve the services they offer to 
businesses.

"It's going to continue to evolve based on the needs we're hearing from the businesses," Carbonell said. "You're going to continue to see us do a lot more in the innovation and technology space that specifically enhances the needs of small businesses."

In the coming weeks, the city's Main Street program will install a screen in an empty storefront in Roslindale Village that will display real-time answers to the question, "What do you want to see here?"

The responses will ultimately be used to fill the vacancy.

In a statement, Neighborhood Development Director Sheila Dillion said, "By helping small businesses harness the power of social media, we're helping our Main Streets grow. It's collaboration and innovation like this that helps takes economic development to the next level throughout our entire city."


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Southwest flight lands at wrong Mo. airport

BRANSON, Mo. — A Southwest Airlines flight that was scheduled to arrive Sunday night at Branson Airport in southwest Missouri instead landed at an airport about 7 miles northeast — with a runway about half the size of the intended destination.

Southwest Airlines Flight 4013, carrying 124 passengers and five crew members, was scheduled to go from Chicago's Midway International Airport to Branson Airport, airline spokesman Brad Hawkins said Sunday in a statement. But the Boeing 737-700 landed at Taney County Airport, which is also known as M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport.

Hawkins did not have information on why the plane went to the wrong airport. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro says the agency is investigating the incident.

"The landing was uneventful, and all customers and crew are safe," Hawkins said.

It's the second time in less than two months that a large jet has landed at the wrong airport. In November, a Boeing 747 that was supposed to deliver parts to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kan., landed 9 miles north at Col. James Jabara Airport. That plane was flown by a two-person crew and had no passengers.

The website for M. Graham Clark Airport says its longest runway is 3,738 feet. Branson Airport's website says its runway is 7,140 feet long.

"The landing was really abrupt and the pilot applied the brakes really strongly," Dallas attorney Scott Schieffer, who was on the flight, told WFAA-TV. "You could hear it and you could certainly feel it."

Flight tracking website Flightaware.com said the Southwest flight landed at 6:11 p.m. Sunday. It was partly cloudy and in the high 50s in Branson at that time.

"Our ground crew from the Branson airport arrived at the airport to take care of our customers and their baggage," Hawkins said.

Flight 4013 had been scheduled to go from Branson to Dallas' Love Field. Hawkins said a plane was flown in specifically to Branson Airport around 10 p.m. to take the passengers and crew to Dallas, which flightaware.com showed landed at 11:42 p.m.

Hawkins told The Associated Press that the aircraft at M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport will be able to take off on the smaller runway, and Southwest expects to fly it out "as early as tomorrow morning."

The Taney County Sheriff's Office referred all calls to M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport. Messages left for comment from M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport were not immediately returned.


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Boston apps find common home

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 12 Januari 2014 | 16.30

One of the most popular fitness apps in the country was created in Boston, and many locals, including some who use RunKeeper, have no idea.

That's the problem Tom O'Keefe is trying to solve with DownloadBoston, an effort to increase awareness of Boston-made apps.

"We should know and be supporting our local startups," O'Keefe said. "The vast majority of the population here can't name one or two startups that are based here in Boston."

Boston has gained a reputation as a hotbed for biotech, robotics and enterprise, but consumer companies have had trouble in the past, a stigma that is slowly fading with the help of the upcoming IPO of Care.com, a Waltham company.

"It is not only possible, but advantageous to do consumer Internet companies here in Boston," said Andy Palmer, an investor and entrepreneur. "The more strong, independent but modern companies we have, the easier it is for young people to lean into startups."

In addition to eating and shopping local, people should download local, O'Keefe said.

"There's something for everything," O'Keefe said. "It's just trying to build awareness."

Big name apps like RunKeeper and Springpad, which are routinely included in "best of" lists for fitness, are both from Boston, along with more than a dozen other apps whose Boston roots have flown under the radar.

Some apps, like alcohol delivery app Drizly and parking ticket payment app TicketZen are focused on Boston, but others appeal to a more general audience.

Nick Rellas, co-founder of Drizly, said Boston doesn't get the credit it deserves for the great apps created here.

"Boston has been an awesome city to launch in," Rellas said. "I think it's great, and we're excited to be a part of it."

Still, it can be hard to get the attention a budding app needs, he said.

"One of the hardest things is to get your foot in the door," Rellas said.

O'Keefe and DownloadBoston also plan on some behind-the-scenes advocacy and lobbying, to the media and legal, PR and other firms that can be helpful to startups. He is also looking at lobbying bigger companies to take on partnerships with small startups that would be helpful to both parties.

Sarah Hodges, co-founder of startup educator Intelligent.ly and former director of marketing at RunKeeper, said DownloadBoston is something that has been missing.

"We just have so many really fantastic services in Boston," Hodges said. "There's never been a really good way to aggregate them and put them in one place."

DownloadBoston could also help build the start-up community, particularly around consumer mobile start-ups, Hodges said.

"These companies have a lot that they can learn from each other," Hodges said.

"It does bring them together and put them in touch and maybe form those ties and learn from each other."


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VW Golf diesel teaches lessons about glowplugs

I have a 2001 VW Golf TDI. It starts right up but after I drive a few feet, the "Check engine" light pops on. I get a code P0380. I replaced the glow plugs, as they had 120,000 miles on them. Any help would really be appreciated.

According to my ALLDATA database, the P0380 DTC fault code relates to a problem with the glow plugs, the glow plug relay or the RPM sensor. But first, a question: Did you have the P0380 code cleared from the engine control module (ECM) after replacing the glow plugs? A scan tool is required to clear DTCs; they cannot be cleared manually.

If the P0380 code has returned after having been cleared, there is a continuing issue. The glow plugs on this diesel engine are controlled by the ECM, which engages the glow plug relay to turn them on to "preglow" to warm the air in the combustion chamber adequately to start the engine. When the glow plug light goes off, "preglow" is finished and the engine is ready to start. After the engine starts, the glow plugs operate in "afterglow" mode to shorten warmup time, reduce combustion noise and emissions. The "afterglow" mode lasts until engine RPM reaches 2,500, coolant temperature reaches 140 degrees F. or three minutes elapse.

Since the "Check engine" light comes on after the vehicle is in motion, meaning that engine RPM is likely above 2,500, the problem may well be associated with the RPM sensor.

My vehicle is kept outside all year. I did not get a good coat of wax on it before the cold and snow arrived. How do I get the snow and road grime off during the cold weather without having the doors freeze shut?

Whether or not the vehicle has been waxed, the only way to remove road debris, dirt, grime and — worst of all — salt is to wash the vehicle regularly and thoroughly. It's best not to wash a vehicle when temperatures are seriously below freezing, but if temperatures are or will be in the 20s or higher, wash the vehicle. In addition to the exterior painted surfaces, it is critically important to flush the underside, wheel wells, bumpers, valances and any areas that can trap winter debris. Also, wash the inside edges of the doors, hood and trunk along with their jambs and sills.

How can you keep the doors, hood and trunk from freezing closed after washing? Dry the inside edges, seals/gaskets, jambs and sills, then apply aerosol silicone spray to the door seals and gaskets and their contact surfaces.

To finish up, insert the extension tube of a spray lubricant/moisture dispersant like Deep Creep into the outside key slots and spray liberally. Do the same to the locking mechanism on the door jamb. Then operate each lock/latch a few times to make sure the lubricant is well distributed.

We bought a 2002 Lexus RX300 with 134,000 miles on it. The "Check engine" light indicated an issue with the camshaft sensor. The owner of the dealership said that if the vehicle was his, he wouldn't spend the money to replace it. What do you think?

A scan tool can identify the specific fault code associated with the "Check engine" light. P0340 indicates a cam sensor issue. P0345 indicates an issue with the variable valve timing actuator position sensor. Both are easily accessible under the engine cover. The cam sensor costs roughly $85 and takes about 20 minutes to install. Since both of these are part of the variable valve timing system, if either is faulty I wouldn't hesitate to replace it.

The dealer may be thinking of a more expensive failure of the variable valve timing system, but until you know the specific DTC that triggered the check engine light, you won't know.

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


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Just one Mass. compounder registers with FDA

A Massachusetts hospital is one of 14 compounding pharmacies nationwide that has voluntarily registered with the Food and Drug Administration as the federal agency pushes states to inform businesses of new regulations passed in the wake of a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak.

Marlboro Hospital, a member of UMass Memorial Health Care alliance, is the only Bay State facility on the FDA's list of 14 compounding pharmacies registered by the federal agency.

Candra Szymanski, the hospital's chief operating officer who oversees its pharmacy, said the small community hospital sought FDA licensing of its pharmacy more than two years ago to increase supervision and boost quality when they began looking to provide compounded drugs to other hospitals in their affiliated group.

"We decided to up the ante a little bit and to be sure of the quality of the drugs we produce at our hospital and for the system if we do so," Szymanski said.

The new registration was a natural continuation of the FDA licensing Marlboro Hospital took on voluntarily, Szymanski said, which led to the hospital's pharmacy mixing drugs, not only for its own patients, but also for those at UMass Memorial Medical Center campuses.

In November, Congress enacted new regulations under which compounding pharmacies can voluntarily register with the FDA and submit to federal inspections in response to last year's fungal meningitis outbreak that was traced to the New England Compounding Center in Framingham that killed 64 people and sickened 751.

U.S. FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg last week sent letters to state officials who regulate compounding pharmacies on the local level to push the companies to seek federal registration, thereby voluntarily submitting to FDA oversight.

"States have a critical role to play in the oversight of pharmacy compounding," Hamburg wrote in her Jan. 8 letter to state health officials. "One new opportunity afforded states by (the new law) is the ability to encourage compounding pharmacies located outside of the state that ship compounded drugs into the state to register with FDA as outsourcing facilities. Once facilities are registered, states could be assured that FDA will inspect the facilities on a risk-based schedule."

She said there are more than 15,000 compounding pharmacies across the U.S. and federal food and drug officials continue to find problems at some of them.

Massachusetts lawmakers continue to work to come up with state regulations on compounding pharmacies. A conference committee met for the first time last week to sort out differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

"When Governor Patrick launched his series of aggressive pharmacy reforms last fall, our mission was to ensure every patient can feel confident in knowing that their medicine is safe," state Department of Public Health spokeswoman Anne Roach said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing our work with leaders at the state and federal level to advance additional reforms that continue this mission."


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Victorian features tasteful updates

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 11 Januari 2014 | 16.30

This 1895 country Queen Anne Victorian in West Concord has a lot of its original charm, but has been updated with an expanded kitchen, master bedroom suite and bedroom/office addition.

The four-bedroom house at 1394 Main St. sits on a 16,000-square-foot lot that includes a large backyard and a two-car garage that opens onto a side street. One of the current owners, an interior designer, has restored the home to its Victorian glory while adding a high-end kitchen in a 1998 bumpout addition, turning the master bedroom into a suite and expanding another bedroom with a home office addition in 2004. The house, with new windows and an updated furnace, is on the market for $925,000.

The home's exterior is white clapboard and aluminum with black shutters and an octagonal turret with 
diagonally set windows. A flagstone walk flanked by hedges leads up to a large covered front porch.

The front door opens into a foyer with restored oak floors. To the right of the foyer is a sitting room with crown molding. To the left is a large Victorian living room with five windows, including a three-bay bumpout addition, crown molding and restored oak floors as well as a brick woodburning fireplace with a white wood mantel.

The expanded kitchen off this room features white cabinets, including a large pantry, and two cabinets with leaded-glass fronts and brown granite countertops. There's a wood-topped 
peninsula, a beautiful tin ceiling with recessed lighting and white beadboard backsplashes. High-end stainless steel appliances include a Jenn-Air electric burner/oven, refrigerator and dishwasher as well as a second oven, an Electrolux. There's a large eat-in area in a bumpout addition with a chandelier.

Off the kitchen is a wallpapered half-bath — redone in 1998 — with a white marble floor, beadboard walls and an antique vanity topped with black granite.

On the far right end of the kitchen sits a formal Victorian dining room with a glass chandelier hanging from a plaster medallion and chair rail wainscoting.

At the other end of the kitchen, a mud room leads out to a rear porch and a large backyard. At the end of the yard sits the garage and a driveway that holds three more vehicles.

Back inside, the house's four bedrooms are on the second floor, up a carpeted staircase with a stained-glass window on the landing.

The redone master bedroom suite retains its original wide-pine floors. An en-suite bathroom, added in 2004, has a green granite vanity with double sinks and a glass-enclosed steam shower with white subway tile walls and a green granite bench. There are also two walk-in closets, and right outside the bedroom are original built-in linen closets.

The large second bedroom was expanded with a connected home office with new pine floors and a wall-length built-in desk.

The third and fourth bedrooms are on the small side, but have restored oak floors and good-sized closets.

There is a second full bathroom on this floor, with beige ceramic tile floors, a pedestal sink and an off-white tiled tub and shower.

A stairway to the third floor leads to a heated attic home office. The rest of the attic space is unfinished, providing lots of storage space.

The home's basement holds a laundry room with a full-size Kenmore washer and dryer and a slop sink. The rest of the basement is unfinished with lots of storage space. It also holds the house's water heater and a 10-year-old furnace for an oil heating system fed through original radiators. There are two zones of central air conditioning in the home.

  • Address: 1394 Main St., Concord
  • Bedrooms: Four
  • Bathrooms: Two full, one half
  • List price: $925,000
  • Square feet: 3,160
  • Price per square foot: $293
  • Annual taxes: $10,116
  • Features: Original woodwork throughout including hardwood floors and moldings; expanded redone kitchen with tin ceiling, high-end appliances and large eat-in area; formal Victorian-style living, dining and sitting rooms; master bedroom turned into suite with granite bathroom in 2004; home office addition with built-in desk added to second bedroom; third-floor home office; updated oil heating and central air systems; basement laundry room; large backyard; two-car garage.
  • Location: Three-tenths of a mile from shops and restaurants in West Concord center and the West Concord MBTA commuter rail station.
  • Built in: 1895; kitchen expanded and redone in 1998; master bedroom suite and bedroom/office addition done in 2004
  • Broker: William Raveis Real Estate agents Marjorie Gold at 617-549-0181 and Shari Jacobson at 617-512-5169.

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