BMW’s SUV runs like a hot rod

Some cars you just know are fast, others have a flashy appearance to compensate for a lack of performance and then there's the 2014 BMW X5, a hot rod disguised as a sport utility vehicle.

Our $73,000 X5 tester was the top-shelf 50i model with a twin turbocharged 4.4-liter, V8 engine. BMW seamlessly blends luxury and cargo capacity in its flagship all-wheel-drive SUV and leaves it up to the driver to discover the X5's astonishing power and coupe-like handling.

BMW actually calls the X5 a "sport activity vehicle" rather than an SUV, which I agree better suits our tester, considering the X5's low ground clearance and 20-inch, low-profile tires. While the X5's sophisticated all-wheel-drive provided peace of mind when I got caught in sleet and then snow on an early spring commute, this BMW, with its robust exhaust note, seemed better suited for the drag strip than picking its way along a rocky dirt road.

When I took the wheel of the X5, I had only a vague notion of the beast under the hood. The first few days, I soaked up the interior's distinctive European leather aroma and dialed in the seemingly infinitely adjustable driver's seat that provided firm support with just enough comfort. I focused on the superb handling that kept the X5 flat through the corners with a decent amount of steering feedback.

Initially, I drove the compact SUV the same way I drive my own car, using the cruise control to conserve fuel. One day on my way to work, I thought I forgot my laptop. I pulled off the highway to check, and sure enough it was in the back. Now I had to find a gap in traffic and get the X5 up to highway speed. I toggled through the X5's drive modes from "Eco Pro," which boosts fuel economy, and the road- dulling "Comfort" mode to the "Sport Plus" mode, which ramps up throttle response, adjusts the shift points of the 8-speed transmission and stiffens the suspension.

After waiting for traffic to clear, I stomped the accelerator. The BMW's 445 horses came to life and I was thrust into my seat. The sides of the road blurred and the 
tachometer jumped far to the right with each precision shift. Cars in the rearview mirror vanished and glancing at the speedometer, I was suddenly well beyond the 5-10 miles per hour of speed limit grace that most state troopers grant motorists. I laid off the accelerator and set the cruise control to an appropriate speed. I couldn't wait for the toll booth up ahead to do it all over again.

City fuel economy at 14 miles per gallon is certainly a downside to the X5's powerful V8 engine. BMW does offer the X5 with a turbo-charged inline 6-cylinder and a diesel option as well, both of which greatly improve the SUV's fuel economy. On top of the $68,000 base price, the X5 has several trim packages. We had the $3,600 M Sport line, which includes upgraded seats and transmission along with "M" badging on the steering wheel, foot rest, and door sills. The X5 50i is a bit overpriced considering the absence of safety technology such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning and lane departure warning, some of which are available at an extra cost.

Even with a large rear cargo area that expands with fold-down rear seats, the X5 was a thrill to drive, and it lives up to BMW's reputation, a well-built luxury car with an emphasis on performance.

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5-year-old finds flaw in Xbox Live security

SAN DIEGO — A 5-year-old San Diego boy has outwitted the sharpest minds at Microsoft — he's found a backdoor to the Xbox.

Kristoffer Von Hassel managed to log in to his father's Xbox Live account. When the password log-in screen appeared, Kristoffer simply hit the space button a few times and hit enter.

Robert Davies tells KGTV-TV (http://bit.ly/1hmrTan ) that just after Christmas he noticed his son playing games he supposedly couldn't access.

Davies, who works in computer security, says he reported the issue to Microsoft, which fixed the bug and recently listed Kristoffer on its website as a "security researcher."

A Microsoft statement says "we take security seriously" and thanks customers for highlighting issues.

It's not the Kristoffer's first triumph. At a year old, he bypassed a cellphone toddler lock by holding down the "home" button.

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Samsung adding anti-theft solutions to smartphones

SAN FRANCISCO — Samsung Electronics will add two safeguards to its latest smartphone in an effort to deter rampant theft of the mobile devices nationwide, the company said Friday.

The world's largest mobile-phone maker said users will be able to activate for free its "Find My Mobile" and "Reactivation Lock" anti-theft features to protect the soon-to-be-released Galaxy 5 S.

The features that will lock the phone if there's an unauthorized attempt to reset it will be on models sold by wireless carriers Verizon and U.S. Cellular. The phones go on sale next week.

"Samsung takes the issue of smartphone theft very seriously, and we are continuing to enhance our security and anti-theft solutions," the company said in a statement.

The announcement comes as San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other U.S. law enforcement officials demand that manufacturers create kill switches to combat surging smartphone theft across the country.

Earlier this week, California legislators introduced a bill that, if passed, would require mobile devices sold in or shipped in the state be equipped with the anti-theft devices starting next year — a move that could be the first of its kind in the United States. Similar legislation is being considered in New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and bills have been introduced in both houses of Congress.

In July, Samsung officials told Gascon's office that the major carriers were resisting using kill switches. However, Gascon and Schneiderman said in a joint statement Friday that Samsung's latest move sends a strong message that the wireless industry can work together to make consumers safe. The prosecutors have given the manufacturers a June deadline to find solutions to curb smartphone theft.

"More work needs to be done to ensure that these solutions come standard on every device, but these companies have done the right thing by responding to our call for action," the prosecutors said. "No family should lose a mother, a father, a son or a daughter for their phone. Manufacturers and carriers need to put public safety before corporate profits and stop this violent epidemic, which has put millions of smartphone users at risk."

Apple created a similar "activation lock" feature for the popular iPhone last year.

Almost one in three U.S. robberies involve phone theft, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Lost and stolen mobile devices — mostly smartphones — cost consumers more than $30 billion in 2012, the agency said in a study.

CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group for wireless providers, has said a permanent kill switch has serious risks, including potential vulnerability to hackers who could disable mobile devices and lock out not only individuals' phones but also phones used by entities such as the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and law enforcement.

The association created a national stolen phone database last year to remove any market for stolen smartphones.

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Follow Terry Collins at: https://twitter.com/aptcollins

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Tech giants back Aereo vs. broadcasters

Tech giants have fired back at broadcasters, throwing their support behind Internet TV startup Aereo as a Supreme Court case looms later this month and setting up a showdown between two generations of technology companies.

In a brief filed with the Supreme Court in support of Aereo, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which includes Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Facebook, said a finding against Aereo "would threaten one of the most important emerging industries in the U.S. economy: cloud computing."

Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia has repeatedly said the effects of a negative ruling on the cloud computing industry — which includes everything from Dropbox to cheaper, remote servers targeted toward small businesses — will be significant and "will endanger the thriving cloud computing industry just as it starts to mature."

Groups that filed briefs in support of Aereo also included the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Mozilla, which makes the Firefox browser, and Dish Network.

Aereo is being sued for copyright infringement by major broadcasters, who say the startup illegally transmits content without paying licensing fees. The National Football League and Major League Baseball, among others, are supporting the broadcasters' suit.

Using miniaturized antennae, Aereo receives over-the-air signals and sends them over the Internet. The service starts at $8 per month.

Aereo, headquartered in New York, has a majority of its employees, including its engineering office, in Boston.

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Boston trumps gaming panel

The state gaming commission yesterday scheduled a meeting next month to decide how much sway Boston will have over proposed casinos in Everett and Revere — a move that will delay the awarding of the area's sole license by at least two months.

The Gaming Commission had hoped to award a license by June to either Wynn Resorts, which wants to build a resort casino in Everett, or Mohegan Sun, which has proposed a casino at Suffolk Downs in Revere, but now that decision likely won't come until August. On the advice of its lawyers, the commission decided to solicit public comment before a May 1 meeting, after which it will decide whether Boston is a "host community," a status that would give Hub voters veto-power over the projects.

"We're bending over backwards to give the city a fair opportunity — a very fair opportunity — to make its case," Chairman Stephen Crosby said. "I think it's the right thing to do. But a big price is being paid by a lot of people to try and accommodate the city."

Mayor Martin J. Walsh has argued that the commission has no power under state law to determine whether Boston is a host community. East Boston residents, who rejected a previous casino proposal, should have the opportunity to vote on the Mohegan Sun project, Walsh has argued, and Charlestown residents should have the chance to vote on Wynn's.

In an email last night, Kate Norton, a spokeswoman for Walsh, said: "The city is now evaluating today's response from the gaming commission and exploring the possible next steps in this process."

Richard McGowan, a Boston College professor and gaming expert, said the commission's decision to schedule the May 1 meeting and put off awarding a license for at least two months is a coup for the mayor.

"They could easily have said, 'You're just a surrounding community,' " McGowan said.

It's also a blow, he said, to Revere and Everett.

"Voters in those two communities said yes (to the projects)," McGowan said, "and right now, the mayor of Boston is calling the shots."

In a statement yesterday, Mohegan Sun said: "Our discussions with Mayor Walsh and the city of Boston have been positive, ... and we will continue to work with the gaming commission on the time line they have established."

A spokesman for Wynn had no comment.

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Asian stocks muted ahead of US jobs report

SEOUL, South Korea — European stocks made modest gains Friday and Asian markets meandered as investors looked to the upcoming U.S. job report for a fresh trading cue.

Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent to 6,674.11 while Germany's DAX added 0.2 percent to 9,645.57. France's CAC 40 was also up 0.2 percent to 4,459.32.

Wall Street appeared set for a day of moderate gains, with Dow Jones futures up 0.1 percent. S&P 500 futures added 0.2 percent.

The U.S. March jobs report will be released early Friday morning in Washington. Many economists think it will show a bounce-back in hiring by employers who held off adding staff during winter.

A strong jobs report would boost confidence that that U.S. economic recovery is on track while also reinforcing expectations that interest rate hikes are in the pipeline after the Federal Reserve ends its bond purchasing program that has provided extraordinary monetary stimulus.

Analysts forecast that employers added 195,000 jobs last month, according to a survey by FactSet. That would be the highest total in four months and up from 175,000 in February. The unemployment rate is predicted to fall to 6.6 percent from 6.7 percent in February.

Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 edged down 0.1 percent 15,063.77 and Seoul's Kospi drifted down 0.3 percent to 1,988.09. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.2 percent to 22,510.08.

But mainland China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.7 percent to 2,058.83 while Australia's S&P ASX/200 added 0.2 percent to 5,422.80. Stocks in Indonesia were the biggest losers, down 0.8 percent ahead of elections. Other Asian markets were mostly flat.

Asia is "a market that is really keen to see a genuine improvement in U.S. data again," IG's Chief Strategist Chris Weston said in a market commentary.

In earlier trading, sentiment was mixed after the European Central Bank did not cut interest rates or announce any new stimulus measures, as some had been hoping.

On Thursday, the ECB decided to leave its main interest rate at a record-low 0.25 percent. ECB President Mario Draghi dismissed fears that consumer prices might fall in countries that use the euro common currency, but stressed that the bank was ready to act if inflation remained low.

In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude for May delivery was up 50 cents to $100.79 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 67 cents Thursday to close at $100.29.

The euro fell to $1.3701 from $1.3720 late Thursday. The dollar was down to 103.87 yen from 103.90 yen.

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Dish Network backs Aereo in Supreme Court battle with broadcasters

Dish Network, Echostar and the American Cable Assn. are among those supporting Aereo in its showdown with broadcasters in the Supreme Court.

They were among the companies and organizations which filed briefs to the high court on Wednesday, the deadline for amicus briefs in favor of Aereo. Oral arguments in the Supreme Court are scheduled for April 22.

If Aereo is allowed to continue, broadcasters say that cable and satellite operators could merely start their own similar services and bypass having to compensate them for retransmitting station signals, in what is now a multi-billion dollar revenue stream.

Dish and Echostar argue that if the court's decision stands to have implications "far beyond Aereo" and "go so far as to touch technologies like Sling and cloud computing. It might even carry implications for a broad swatch of well-established functionality on the Internet -- for example, Internet hyperlinks or indexed thumbnails."

Dish's legal team wrote in their brief that if the high court decides to rule against Aereo, it should issue a narrow ruling.

"Even if Congress intended to prevent free riding by commercial intermediaries on the public performance right, it never intended to authorize copyright holders to charge the public repeatedly just to access their lawful copy of a work at a different time or place," Dish said in its brief.

The American Cable Assn., which represents small- and medium-sized cable operators, argued that Aereo and other new technologies provide a "modest safety valve against what smaller cable companies consider to be unfair and oppressive retransmission consent rates extracted by threat of blackouts that would leave customers with a 'dark' channel unless untoward price demands are met."

"Congress intended to encourage commercial dissemination of local broadcasts," the ACA said in its brief.

The broadcasters argue that Aereo's technology, in which subscribers receive digital streams of broadcast signals via dime-sized remote antennas, violates the public performance "transmit" clause of the Copyright Act, and in particular the intent of Congress when it was written in 1976. The U.S. Solicitor General sided with broadcasters in a friend-of-the-court brief filed last month.

Aereo contends that the streams are private performances, in that viewers are in control of what streams are delivered to their devices. The broadcasts are not live, but captured by the antennas, recorded and then transmitted to viewers after a short delay of about six seconds.

The Consumer Electronics Assn., which filed a joint brief with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge and Engine Advocacy, argued that the broadcasters were seeking a "copyright expansion" to cover new, potentially disruptive technology. The organizations said that Congress in 1976 "did not foresee that TV viewers would be able to transmit signals over over a communications medium like the Internet for their own personal use."

"Copyright law has never assigned all commercially valuable uses of creative works to rightsholders; many have always been reserved to the public," the organizations said in their brief. "This creates breathing space for technological and business innovation by entrepreneurs who have no affiliation with rightsholders. As history shows, that leads in turn to new markets for creative work, increasing both rewards for authors and access to creative works in the long term."

Also siding with Aereo were the Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America, as well as a group of small (in some cases very small), independent broadcasters. The latter includes Block Broadcasting Co., which operates a station with familiar call letters, WKRP in Cincinnati.

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

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Josh Elliott on move to NBC Sports: 'Coming here was the best decision for me'

Just days after announcing hismove from ABC's "Good Morning America" to NBC Sports, Josh Elliott joined NBC Sports Group chairman Mark Lazarus for a conference call to discuss the new role.

Elliott, who spent nearly a decade working at ESPN and ABC, began by explaining that making the switch between networks was not an easy decision.

"Coming here was the best decision for me, but it was a decision that was tough to make," Elliot said. "It was bittersweet. It was made with a degree of melancholy and it was made with a heavy heart."

When asked about making the transition from on-air personality to "the last man on the bench," Elliot said being on the air every day was never something he needed.

"If a day goes by that I'm not on television, I don't look at it as a lesser day, nor do I look at changing from a news world to a sports world as any sort of step other than a step in a new direction," he explained. "The ability to join this team - to be the rookie on this team - is really what I want for myself personally."

Elliott added that no news role has been discussed with him as of yet and, when asked about the possibility of eventually succeeding "Today" anchor Matt Lauer, he said, "I hope Matt Lauer is here when I step away from this gig 30 years down the road."

While he didn't get into specifics, Elliott said he looks forward to telling stories and providing sports content across NBC's multiple platforms.

Lazarus said that Elliott will be a key player in NBC's Olympics coverage and his duties at the network will begin with the upcoming Kentucky Derby. Lazarus also mentioned that the network is in discussions about its coverage of the French Open, golf majors, the NFL's opening night and the Super Bowl, all of which would involve Elliott.

"He was a journalist, a reporter, a host, an anchor. He's done hard interviews. He's done soft interviews," Lazarus said. "You'll see a mixture of that. You'll see him hosting in some areas and interviews and reporting in other areas. ... It's still early and we're planning."

Elliott expressed confidence in his successor, Amy Robach, and said knowing she would be replacing him made his departure a bit less difficult.

Even so, Elliott hasn't been immune to the media backlash following his network move. While he said this type of reaction was probably inevitable, he also shared that it has been hard to swallow at times.

"It's been difficult to read categorical falsehood after categorical falsehood," Elliott said. "To be in the center of whatever this has been the last couple of days has been incredibly uncomfortable and, at times, very painful."

Elliott said he had no reaction to ABC News prexy Ben Sherwood's comments about their contract negotiations and credited Sherwood with taking a chance on him.

"Ben was crazy to give me a shot. He took a huge gamble," Elliott said. "He is and always will be the reason I'm here."

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

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Bill Hemmer re-ups with Fox News

"America's Newsroom" cohost Bill Hemmer has signed a multi-year contract to stay on with Fox News Channel, Variety has learned.

In addition to his duties surrounding the weekday morning news talk show he hosts with Martha MacCallum, Hemmer has anchored the network's 1 p.m. ET timeslot since September. He will continue in this position until a new show debuts at that hour.

"Bill Hemmer is a fantastic all-around newsman and a tremendous talent," said Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News. "One of his great gifts is his ability to work so well with everyone -- there isn't an hour in our news lineup that Bill couldn't anchor. He's the consummate team player."

Hemmer, who joined the politically conservative-leaning 24-hour news network in 2005 after 10 years at CNN, said "There is no better boss in America than Roger Ailes. I'm proud to work for him and my wonderful, hardworking colleagues at FNC."

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

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Boston eyes all-star games, Final Four

In a city that celebrates sports, Mayor Martin J. Walsh is creating an office to lobby for high-profile events such as the X Games, professional all-star games and even the Final Four to come to Boston, a move that could bring in big tourism dollars.

"Boston is such a sports town, and (sports) is such a way of attracting tourists," Walsh told the Herald. "I want to use these opportunities for us to capitalize on these tourism dollars."

The Office of Sports, Entertainment and Special Events will operate under John Barros and the city's economic development department. Walsh said he is eyeing events such as the X Games and professional sports all-star games, as well as bringing hockey's Winter Classic back to Boston. Tony Nunziante, acting director of the former Arts, Tourism and Special Events office, will run the new office.

Patrick Moscaritolo, president of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, said sports events can have a significant impact on the economy.

"The major league events, or these huge events like the NCAA Final Four, these are the kinds of things that could really propel the city's industry forward," Moscaritolo said. "That's where you get a lot of spending impact, you get a lot of bang for your buck."

Still, landing the Final Four may be a reach. It's been held in domed football stadiums for at least 10 years, something Boston — or even New England — doesn't have. Boston hosted the Sweet Sixteen in 2012. Moscaritolo said playing host to earlier rounds of the tournament is more likely.

Walsh said a marquee event would not put a strain on the city's amenities.

"We have the hotels, we have the restaurants," Walsh said. "That's the beautiful thing, we have all the infrastructure."

The U.S. Figure Skating Championship was held in Boston in January, and Walsh said attending that event sparked the idea for the sports-focused office.

Next year, the Frozen Four — the NCAA men's hockey tournament — will be held at TD Garden.

Moscaritolo, who has led bids for the Frozen Four and the Women's Final Four, said a focused city office will give the Hub an edge with the leagues and organizations evaluating cities for their high-profile events.

"You rise to the top," Moscaritolo said. "This is a broad, citywide effort that has the mayor's stamp of approval.

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