The Ticker

N.H. co. settles with Apple

A New Hampshire company that was manufacturing synthetic sapphire glass has reached a settlement with Apple, but at the expense of layoffs at its facilities in Salem and New Hampshire.

GT Advanced Technologies said in a statement yesterday it will "wind down" its sapphire production in Salem and Mesa, Ariz., under a settlement with Apple that is part of the company's ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

GT has laid off 650 workers in its Arizona plant and six employees in Salem. The Salem facility will remain open, but a number of positions will be transferred to its Merrimack, N.H., headquarters.

MBTA launches Green Line tracking

The MBTA began providing real-time information on the Green Line yesterday for the first time in the line's 
117-year history. Real-time data on the location of Green Line trains is now fed to the dozens of MBTA real-time apps. This will mark the completion of the first phase of a multi-phase project to provide real-time information and predictions to the Green Line's 227,000 daily riders.

Raytheon reports $515M in net income

Raytheon Co. yesterday reported third-quarter net income of $515 million.

On a per-share basis, the Waltham company said it had a profit of $1.65, beating Wall Street expectations.

The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.61 per share.

The defense contractor posted revenue of 
$5.47 billion in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Analysts expected $5.62 billion, according to Zacks.

Lynch donates $50G to foundation

The New England Chapter of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship announced it has received a $50,000 donation from the Barbara Lynch Foundation. The Hub restaurateur's donation will be used to specifically expand NFTE's programming within Boston schools, including Charlestown High School, the Josiah Quincy School, Boston International High School and West Roxbury Academy.

Today

• Commerce Department releases new home sales for September.
• State Street Global Advisors, the asset management business of State Street Corp., has announced the appointment of Lori Heinel as chief portfolio strategist. In this newly created position, Heinel will oversee a global team of 20 investment professionals dedicated to communicating information about investment strategies and solutions to prospects, clients and consultants. A 30-year industry veteran, Heinel most recently served as chief investment strategist for OppenheimerFunds Inc., where she oversaw product management, product development and investment thought leadership.

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Amazon’s new Kindles a perfect read

The new Kindle Voyage is the perfect binge-reader.

It proves that the iPad isn't for bookworms anymore, because even the most old-school lover of dead trees should take a look at the Voyage, which takes all the best aspects of Amazon's previous e-readers and rolls them into the best digital book experience on the market.

While the iPad is still king of the tablet market with about 30 percent marketshare, Amazon has steadfastly catered to people who love to read. It's a strategy that should pay off this holiday shopping season with impressive sales of this impressive product.

The ultra-thin, 7 mm device starts at $200 and costs $290 for the 3G model, a price reflective of a super-luxe and refined style.

Like the excellent Kindle Paperwhite, the Voyage has a unique lighting system that directs light from the screen itself down onto the ink — just like a light in the room would reflect off a piece of paper — very cool technology that doesn't strain your eyes.

At 300 pixels per inch, the same as the printed page, reading on the Voyage is literally like reading a book.

The Kindle Voyage is an electronic reading device that melts away, with alerts and annoyances muted while you read, excellent battery life and very little bezel. The buttons for the next and last page are capacitive, so you can hold the Kindle anywhere without fear of triggering them.

A magnetic latch cover with a built-in stand makes it easy to take a book to bed.

A particularly awesome feature is Kindle X-Ray, which helps with instant word definitions and information about obscure characters and themes.

It's worth noting that Amazon also has a winner with the Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition, the first tablet for children that's worth a try. It costs $149 for the 6-inch version and $189 for the 7-inch base model. The price includes a one-year subscription to 5,000 games, videos, and books for kids. A rugged protective case and two-year, no-questions-asked warranty rounds out that excellent offering.

Both the Voyage and Fire for kids are evidence that Amazon should stick to the things that made it great — namely, books.

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Lumiere shines light on high-end Medford site

A large site across from the Mystic River Reservation in Medford is being turned into the area's latest luxury apartment development with views across the river to the Boston skyline.

The 164-unit Lumiere is about a mile from the Wellington Orange Line T Station, and sits on the site of a former car dealership. The first 48-apartment phase has just opened, with 18 of the units leased. The final two phases will be finished in December and February.

The Lumiere is in the same apartment submarket as Station Landing in Medford and Assembly Row in Somerville, but without the urban village feel.

"People who go there get the hustle and bustle, but those who rent here want a little more tranquility," said Lumiere property man­ager Robin Boersner, citing nearby walking and cycling trails and kayaking on the river. "We're across from a natural retreat."

Waltham- and Dallas-based Criterion Development Partners also recently built the Rivers Edge apartments near Wellington, but the Lumiere is targeting a higher-end market.

"Criterion wanted to create a real upscale feel at the Lumiere, with larger apartments and higher quality finishes than the competition," said Michelle Tomasetti, director of marketing for Winn­Residential, which is managing the development.

All apartments have 9- to 10-foot ceilings and tall windows, kitchens with Silestone countertops and islands, and two-tone zebrawood and white cabinetry. The master bedroom suites have spacious walk-in closets and soaking tubs in the en-suite tiled bathrooms. Fifth-floor apartments have gas fireplaces and some units have hardwood floors throughout. Most have sliding-glass doors to private balconies.

Studios at the Lumiere, with 623 square feet, start at $1,829, one bedrooms, from 690 to 840 square feet, range from $2,071 to $2,688 and two bedrooms, with 1,038-1,301 square feet, go for $2,655 to $3,033. All apartments have in-unit washers and dryers.

And each comes with one garage parking space, with additional spaces available at $100 apiece. The complex is currently offering a leasing­ concession of one free month's rent.

While the apartments have earthy tones, the common-­area finishes — starting with a striking white marble tile wall in the entry foyer — go for a bolder, contemporary look.

"There's a lot of texture with bright colors to give the amenity spaces a boutique hotel feel," Boersner said.

The second-floor common spaces take advantage of Mystic River and Boston skyline views. The Lookout Lounge has wraparound windows and glass mosaic tile walls, and features a full high-end kitchen for tenant use as well as a clubroom with a two-sided gas fireplace and a billiards table.

This room opens onto an outdoor courtyard, one of two in the complex, which features a heated pool and a sundeck. There's also a fitness facility, a Wi-Fi conference room and a dedicated room for gaming­ consoles. The second courtyard will feature a "green" community garden.

The pet-friendly Lumiere is going for a LEED designation, and has other green features such as LED lighting as well as electric car- charging stations.

"What we're offering is elegance with an edgy touch," Tomasetti said.

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Gaming foes can’t come close in TV buys

The group working to repeal the state's casino law will likely be unable to match the multimillion dollar ad blitz from a group of gaming powerhouses — now including Wynn Resorts —that in the past month have spent $2.7 million on TV spots touting jobs.

"We're uncertain at this point, but we're still hopeful, I think we still have time," John Ribeiro, chairman of the Repeal the Casino Deal committee, said of running an ad in the two weeks left before the Nov. 4 election.

The repeal committee — which has been at a marked fundraising disadvantage — took in $124,947 from Oct. 2 to Oct. 15, a good chunk of which went to pay outstanding liabilities, according to campaign finance records.

Meanwhile, the pro-casino committee took in a whopping $4.5 million in the same time period, including $1 million from Wynn Resorts, the first donation from the Vegas powerhouse.

Ribeiro expressed optimism a win is within reach even without TV ads.

"The more I look at this, I think we can win without being on TV," Ribeiro said. "Our ground forces truly do grow every day. We've got people clamoring for signs all over the state. It's really an organic movement."

But Ribeiro's group faces an uphill battle — a Suffolk University/Boston Herald poll earlier this month showed nearly 53 percent of voters favor casinos, while 38 percent want to repeal the state's gaming law.

The pro-casino group made four media buys this month through GMMB, an influential Washington, D.C., firm. The most recent buy was for $1.34 million on Oct. 14, and more ads are coming, said Justine Griffin, spokeswoman for the No on 3 Committee.

"We believe the more people learn, the more support is likely to grow, and we plan to continue our efforts over the next two weeks," Griffin said.

David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said it is going to be a struggle for repeal backers to win without television ads.

"Unless you have a viable alternative strategy, you need to be on TV to counter the ads that are being run," Paleologos said. "You never say never, because you don't know what events or news stories might be generated between now and then, but it makes the effort that much more difficult."

The opposition is largely funded by MGM, which has a license to build a casino in Springfield, and Penn National, which is building a slots parlor at the Plainridge Race Track in Plainville. Wynn was initially hesitant to get involved in the repeal fight, but changed its tune after the state Gaming Commission picked its $1.6 billion Everett plan for the only Boston-area casino license.

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Penthouse price tag shatters Boston record

The high life in the Hub has never been loftier than the staggering $37.5 million room with a view Millennium Partners is now offering — a record-breaking price for the entire top floor of the soaring 60-story Millennium Tower Boston.

And that includes just a raw shell, unfurnished — albeit 12,846 square feet of space with a wraparound outdoor terrace and 360-degree city views.

"It's a blank canvas for an owner to create a masterpiece," partner Richard Baumert said.

Although it's still under construction, demand already is high for the 625-foot glass tower's 442 condos in Downtown Crossing, which start at $850,000 for a 759-square-foot unit, according to Baumert.

Before the sales office opened to the public today, Millennium had 150 units under contract. They include three penthouses going for more than $9 million each, with the top price at $9.91 million.

"The response has been overwhelming, both in interest and tours, and sales," Baumert said.

Millennium Partners is enticing buyers with five-star amenities: 24-hour valet and concierge service, and a two-level club with a fitness center, lap pool, billiards room, library and lounge. A private-dining menu will feature Michelin-starred chef Michael Mina's "greatest hits" from all of his restaurants.

"The only place in the country where you can get these dishes on the list is here," Baumert said.

Millennium Tower Boston is rising in the former construction hole that long dogged Downtown Crossing as part of a $689 million project that includes the redevelopment of the former Filene's building.

Millennium's $37.5 million penthouse price translates to $2,919 per square foot. This year's city record is $2,744 per square foot for finished space: a 10-room condo at the coveted Carlton House at 2 Commonwealth Ave. that faces the Public Garden and sold for $8.5 million in May, according to Boston real estate agent David Bates.

"If they sell that penthouse, that will be the highest sale in the city's history by a long shot," Bates said. "There was some speculation if Boston was going to have its first $20 million sale, and now they're going to put this out at $37.5 million."

But the penthouse is unique, according to Bates.

"With people who have that money, they like a story around the lifestyle," he said. "You're not going to have anything else that's 60 floors up and be able to occupy the whole top floor."

The three tower penthouses already under contract also are raw space and are going for more than $2,200 per square foot.

Millennium knows "how to present," Bates said.

"They just go to an extra length," he said. "They have a doorman on the sales center. They're already trying to set the tone of what they want you to feel."

The "Millennium experience" is derived from the company's partnerships with luxury hotel chains Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons, Baumert said: "We've taken the best of their services … and branded ourselves. That really, for us, is the evolution of residential luxury living."

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New group to fight Uber-type services

Taxi owners and operators have formed a new statewide group to fight Uber and other so-called ridesharing companies as they continue their push to new cities and towns across the state.

The Massachusetts Regional Taxi Advisory Group wants to work with communities to ensure Uber and similar companies such as Lyft don't have an unfair advantage because they don't have to follow the same requirements as taxis.

"These entities have been allowed to operate outside the regulatory model," spokesman Stephen Regan said.

It's become a familiar complaint of taxi companies as Uber and similar services expand. Boston has formed a Taxi Advisory Committee to overhaul its rules, and a proposed plan by Cambridge officials to regulate Uber led to heated hearings over the summer.

"Massachusetts riders and drivers deserve better than the current regulatory system that does nothing to embrace more choice and opportunity," said Uber Boston general manager Meghan Verena Joyce.

Uber recently announced it would begin operations in Worcester.

"There are 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, and most of them have regulations," Regan said. "We'll be taking a multi-jurisdictional approach."

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Mayor Martin J. Walsh seeks global partnerships, startups

Mayor Martin J. Walsh, hosting attendees from 14 countries at a State House conference yesterday, said Boston can't just rely on home-grown businesses to fuel its economy.

"Boston and Massachusetts cannot operate in silos," Walsh said. "It's so important to build relationships."

Walsh said the city has received 16 initial pro­posals for its startup incubator in the soon-to-be unveiled Ferdinand Building in Dudley Square. The building will house the new headquarters for the Boston Public Schools, but will include up to 4,000 square feet for startups.

"Hopefully it's the beginning of many incubators we're going to have in and around the Boston area," he said. "We are looking to continue to start and develop businesses here in Boston."

But, he said, Boston needs to continue growing its "global economy. We must be willing to form partnerships with like-minded cities," he said.

One of those cities is Belfast, where Walsh traveled in September and signed a sister city agreement.

As in Boston, health care is one of the leading industries in Belfast, said the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Nichola Mallon.

"We will be discussing the economics and skill sectors of both of our cities, and e-health will feature highly," she said. "We are committed to making that sister city agreement work."

The conference is Mallon's first international visit.

State Senate President Therese Murray agreed. "To continue to grow, collaboration is key," she said.

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China lowballs MBTA bid

The controversial train manufacturer run by the repressive Chinese government submitted an extraordinarily low bid to make new Orange and Red line subway cars that was hundreds of millions of dollars lower than its rivals, records show.

But while that may be a coup for the Patrick Administration, angry human rights and labor activists say it's a raw deal for Chinese workers forced to toil on the cheap by their totalitarian overlords — and U.S. companies that have to compete against them.

"This happens every day," said Charles Kernaghan of the Institute for Global 
Labour and Human Rights. "If those bids are so wildly apart, we can imagine these trains (will be) made with cheap labor in the manufacturing part of China. ... China doesn't play on a level playing field. It has no respect for its own workers. They have zero rights. ... It's really a rotten deal."

The MassDOT Board of Directors is expected to vote today on whether to award China CNR Corp. the $566.6 million deal in what would be the first rail contract the company has landed­ in the United States. Other bidders included Hyundai Rotem at $720.6 million, Kawasaki at $904.9 million and Bombardier at $1.08 billion.

The Alliance for American Manufacturers — a national labor group — blasted the deal in a letter yesterday to Gov. Deval Patrick, warning that he will put other companies across the country at a competitive disadvantage in future contracts if the China contract is signed.

"By making CNR's entry into the U.S. market possible, this procurement opens the door to unfair, state-owned competition on other rail and transit procurements throughout the United States," executive director Scott Paul wrote. "Government-backed entities are able to undercut market prices that privately owned businesses are able to offer. It is cheating, plain and simple, and should not be rewarded using taxpayer dollars."

MBTA officials yesterday insisted their own investigation "revealed no record of violations of human rights against workers by China CNR Corporation Limited," known as CNR MA Corp. in the Bay State subway deal.

State officials claim the project will be an economic boon for Springfield, creating 250 new manufacturing and construction jobs at a new 150,000-square-foot factory. CNR MA will invest $60 million of its own money in the facility, said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo.

State officials have issued conflicting figures about the deal over the past year. Patrick told the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce last October that the project was a "$1.3 billion procurement to replace decades-old Orange and Red Line trains with new and modern equipment."

Even the T's own press 
release last year referred to it as a "$1.3 billion procurement to replace ... Red Line cars and ... Orange Line cars."

But Pesaturo yesterday walked back the cost of the subway cars, saying the $1.3 billion figure also includes necessary upgrades to subway signal systems and an expansion to maintenance 
facilities in Medford and South Boston.

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Toys R Us pulls 'Breaking Bad' action figures after parent petition

Toys R Us is sending its "Breaking Bad" action figures on a trip to Belize, if you catch the drift.

Following a Change.com petition from a Florida mom that called for the retailer to stop selling its line of action figures based on the AMC drama, the toy company announced it would pull the collection from its shelves and online store.

The petition claimed that the toys were a "dangerous deviation from (Toy R Us') family friendly values."

"Let's just say, the action figures have taken an 'indefinite sabbatical,'" a Toys R Us rep said in a statement, referencing a line from the show.

The toys, which the petition says included "a detachable sack of cash and a bag of meth," were intended for consumers 15 and up.

As of Tuesday evening the petition had over 8,700 signatures.

Though Toys R Us seems to have bowed to the backlash, "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston had his own response to the outcry.

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

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Samsung seeks boost from redesigned Note

SEOUL, South Korea — The latest version of Samsung's popular big-screen Galaxy Note has gone on sale at a crucial time for the South Korean company as it suffers a rapid decline in profit from its global smartphone business.

With the Note 4 launch in the U.S. last week, Samsung introduced one of the biggest design changes to the Note series since it started sales three years ago, ditching plastic in favor of metal for its frame.

The choice is not a result of a change in the company's design policy, but a product of what Samsung does well: identifying the consumer trend and improving upon it. Yet it's unclear if that's enough to stanch sliding sales as the holiday shopping period nears.

By the end of 2013, Samsung had sold at least 48 million Galaxy Notes. The company would not reveal more recent sales figures. Even though reviews for the Galaxy Note 4 have been favorable, analysts said its redesign may not be enough as Apple Inc. has entered the large-screen smartphone category with the iPhone 6 Plus.

"It will not be easy," said Lee Sei-chul, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities. The Note 4 "is a nice product but response to the iPhone 6 Plus has been good. "

Samsung estimated earlier this month that its July-September quarterly profit shrank to 4.1 trillion won ($3.8 billion), a 60 percent plunge from record-high 10.2 trillion won a year earlier. Samsung is scheduled to disclose earnings for business divisions later this month and analysts believe profit from its mobile business plunged to about one third of its level a year earlier.

Samsung's first Note in 2011 is credited with making big-screen smartphones popular, especially in Asia, but the "phablet" market has become crowded with rival models since then. The Note 4 with its 5.7-inch screen faces competition not only from the new iPhone 6 series, but also from Chinese handset makers.

Samsung is also under pressure to make amends for design missteps in the Galaxy S5 smartphone that led to the departure of its design team chief.

Samsung designers and developers said the opinions of consumers and their demands drove the design changes from plastic to metal and guided the direction of the technology behind the S Pen, as the Note's stylus is known.

"Giving the values that consumers want is important. I don't think simply making smartphones beautiful is important," said Kim Nam-su, a senior designer at Samsung's mobile design team.

The Note 4's metal frame is coated in the same color as the rest of the phone's body, except for the polished, chamfered edge.

The painted frame gives a sense of unity but also prevents users from leaving fingerprint marks, one of the main complaints about the Note 3's glossy frame made of polycarbonate, a type of plastic. Though the Note 4 still uses plastic for the back cover, Samsung gave subtle, tactile patterns to imitate leather.

The Note 4's adoption of a metal frame is a first for Samsung's top-of-the-line smartphone and may foreshadow changes in its future flagship mobile devices. The Galaxy Alpha used metal a little earlier but its phone power falls short of the Note 4. Many other high-end smartphones such as iPhones have used metal for a few years.

Critics have long complained the plastic body of Samsung phones makes them look cheap for the price, which is higher than $600. Some reviewers compared the dimpled plastic back cover of the gold version of the Galaxy S5 to a band aid.

"Overall trends cannot be ignored," said Kim.

But he said Samsung's mobile team doesn't think design is so important that other aspects of the phone should be sacrificed.

Though some people have complained about the protruded camera in Samsung phones, Kim said a slight protrusion in the rear camera in the Note 4 shows that when the phone's performance is important, designers should help engineers to achieve their goal. The iPhone 6 also had its camera bulging from the back for the first time in the iPhone's history.

An engineer behind the S Pen stylus said his team's goal was to incorporate a natural note taking feature in the digital device and using the digital pen like a mouse in personal computers by clicking and dragging.

The Note 4's stylus, embedded in the bottom right corner, responds to the screen faster and to more subtle variations of hand pressure than its predecessor, allowing more natural writing experience.

Despite a learning curve that still exists for first time stylus users, Samsung is trying to boost the use of S Pen by improving the user interface.

"There is a great possibility that it would become a major inputting device" for large smartphones, said Lee Joohoon, principal engineer at Samsung's mobile team.

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Youkyung Lee can be reached at http://twitter.com/YKLeeAP

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