Over rocks, other hard places

'Strong," "tough," "enduring" — just a handful of terms that describe those who serve our country as members of the armed forces.

These characteristics also apply to some of the world's most rugged and capable off-road sports utility vehicles and pickup trucks.

And while off-road dynamos aren't known for their fuel economy, it's their rough image and presence on our nation's streets and highways that epitomize the definition of "powerful."

"They certainly exude strength. They exude a lot of attitude. That's part of their appeal," said Scott Oldham, editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com. "Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't drive a Hummer because it got good gas mileage. The image attached is a big selling point. It's the same mindset when a guy goes out and buys a Corvette or sports car."

Certain large-scale models, such as Chevy Silverado and Ford F-Series pickups, have been the pride of the auto industry for decades (on Monday we'll highlight the industry's veteran models), while others rev up within a smaller market niche.

This Veterans Day we salute all who have served, regardless of their rank and military branch. Be prepared to do the same for the following models — our top 10 greatest tough and rugged vehicles for 2013.

10. Nissan Xterra

In the age of SUVs based on sedans, the Xterra has a truck mindset, a robust suspension and a drivetrain perfect for off-road adventure. Yet the model tends to put performance and rugged capabilities over comfort and fuel economy. For those ready for fun in the wilderness, this is "a different beast" to get behind the wheel of, said Oldham, adding: "If you want comfort and economy, you buy a Mazda C-X5. If you want to go off-road and put a mountain bike wherever you need it to be, you buy an Xterra."

(Max Tow: 5,000 lbs; Max MPG: 18; MSRP: $30,592)

9. Toyota 4Runner

This is the first of three Toyota offerings on this list. A well-known, capable, mid-sized SUV for decades, the five-door 4Runner remains one of the Top 10 factory built, off-road machines still out there, yet a recently designed model is "not quite as hard-core as its predecessors, which is why it's No. 9," Oldham said.

(Max Tow: 5,000 lbs; Max MPG: 19; MSRP: $38,824)

8. Jeep Grand Cherokee

As rugged and off-road capable as ever, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a "best of both worlds vehicle" that offers smooth on-road capability and the "high levels of comfort expected at its price point," Oldham said. Leather-lined interiors, for example, contribute to the mid-sized SUV's luxurious feel. "It doesn't feel very much like a truck until you ask it to do something only a truck can do," Oldham added.

(Max Tow: 7,400 lbs; Max MPG: 19; MSRP: $38,258)

7. Chevrolet Silverado

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spain's PM seeks end to mortgage arrears evictions

MADRID — Spain's prime minister says his government aims to fast track reforms to halt evictions related to mortgage non-payments after a woman committed suicide as bailiffs arrived to repossess her flat.

The death of 53-year-old Amaia Egana, who threw herself from her fourth-floor balcony as bailiffs arrived Friday, has caused a national outcry.

Mariano Rajoy said Friday that current legislation was allowing "inhuman situations" to occur as people unable to keep up with repayments were forced from their homes while still saddled with the remainder of their mortgage debt.

Rajoy said he wants "a temporary stop to evictions" by introducing a better code of practice among lenders that would allow renegotiations of debt, or an agreement permitting debtors to remain in their homes for longer when this was not possible.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

EU officials: We were hacked at Web conference

LONDON — A European official says her staff members were hacked when they joined her for a conference on Internet security in Azerbaijan.

European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said in a blog post Saturday that her advisers' computers were compromised as they attended a meeting of the Internet Governance Forum in the Azeri capital of Baku.

Her spokesman Ryan Heath told The Associated Press that the attack occurred while they were in their hotel. He declined to say who might be responsible, adding that the computers would be analyzed for clues.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the attack resulted in theft of any information.

Kroes criticized her hosts during the forum Wednesday, attacking the Azeri government for allegedly spying on activists online and "violating the privacy of journalists and their sources."

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

John Henry quits trading after striking out

Red Sox owner John Henry is getting out of the business that made him rich.

After years of dwindling returns, the enigmatic billionaire's commodity trading firm, John W. Henry & Co., reportedly told clients it will no longer manage their money as of Dec. 31.

The firm's assets have gone from $2.5 billion in 2006 to less than $100 million today.

In an email to the Wall Street Journal, Henry said: "The firm has been small since 2007 and once assets fell below $100 million this year the company became too small to sustain itself."

Known as a trend follower extraordinaire, Henry began trading corn and soybean futures with his own money in the 1970s before being recognized as an industry savant.

Henry hasn't had a hands-on role in his firm for years, but whether that's related to the slump is unclear. According to performance data on the JWH website, the five funds it offers have lagged far behind the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500. In one particularly poor result, the firm's main commodities trading program, JWH GlobalAnalytics, has a negative 32 percent one-year annualized rate of return compared to positive 30 percent rate for the S&P 500. The firm's decline in assets began largely in 2005, when Merrill Lynch defected.

Financial planner Barry Armstrong, owner of Armstrong Advisory Group in Needham, said commodities trading is a high-burnout business.

"You're watching weather reports, you're watching the news, you're waking up to read things," Armstrong said. "By the time you're 50, you feel like you're 80."

He added, "you're only as good as your last wager."

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

BBC chief quits after saying TV report was wrong

LONDON — The BBC's top executive resigned Saturday night after the prestigious broadcaster's marquee news magazine wrongly implicated a British politician in a child sex-abuse scandal, deepening the crisis that exploded after it decided not to air similar allegations against one of its own stars who police now say was one of the nation's worst pedophiles.

In a brief statement outside BBC headquarters, George Entwistle said he decided to do the "honorable thing" and step down after just eight weeks in the job.

"The wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader," he said.

It was a rapid about-face for Entwistle, a 23-year BBC veteran who earlier Saturday had insisted he had no plans to resign despite growing questions about his leadership and the BBC's integrity in the wake of the scandals.

Lawmaker John Whittingdale, who chairs a parliamentary committee on the news media, said Entwistle had no choice but to go, as the BBC's management appears to have "lost their grip" on the publicly funded organization.

"I think that what has happened in the last few days has immensely weakened his authority and credibility," Whittingdale said. "It would have been very difficult for him to continue in those circumstances."

The scandal comes at a sensitive time for Britain's media establishment, struggling to recover from an ongoing phone-hacking scandal which brought down the nation's best-selling Sunday newspaper, led to the arrests of dozens of journalists and prompted a judge-led inquiry into journalistic ethics and the ties between politics and the news media.

Kevin Marsh, a former senior editor of the BBC, said the resignation does little to re-establish public trust in the BBC, which is funded mainly by a tax on U.K. households that have televisions.

"The BBC asks the British public to pay its bills every year, and the only way it can do that is if the British public trusts the way it is spending its money," he said.

Entwistle took over as head of the BBC two months ago from Mark Thompson, who will become chief executive of The New York Times [NYT] Co. this month. The broadcaster was emerging from a difficult period marked by budget cuts, job losses and mounting calls to justify its 3.5 billion pound ($5.6 billion) budget.

A month into Entwistle's leadership, the BBC was thrown into crisis with the revelation that its "Newsnight" program had shelved an investigation into allegations that Jimmy Savile, the renowned BBC TV host who died last year, had sexually abused several hundred children — cajoling some into having sex with him in his car, his camper van, and even in dingy dressing rooms on BBC premises.

The sex allegations were later aired on the rival ITV network. Since then, scores of adults have come forward to claim that their allegations of sexual assault had been ignored by authorities and the news media.

The BBC's decision not to air the Savile report — and the suggestion that managers did not investigate allegations of sexual abuse by one of their stars — prompted deep soul-searching at the trusted broadcaster and assurances from Entwistle that he would get to the bottom of the decision.

He said the broadcaster would hold an inquiry into the "culture and practices of the BBC" during the years Savile worked there. Soon after, "Newsnight" editor Peter Rippon stepped aside pending an investigating into his decision to scrap the Savile story.

But the furor was reignited soon after the same program aired a Nov. 2 report about alleged sexual abuse of children in Wales in the 1970s and 1980s. During the program, victim Steve Messham claimed he had been abused by a senior Conservative Party figure.

The BBC didn't name the alleged abuser, but online rumors focused on Alistair McAlpine, a Conservative Party member of the House of Lords. On Friday, McAlpine issued a fierce denial and threatened to sue.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

The Ticker

Hydroid's sub station

Robotic mini-sub maker Hydroid Inc. will break ground later this week on a new research and manufacturing facility in Pocasset on Cape Cod.

The subsidiary of Norway-based Kongsberg Maritime makes autonomous underwater vehicles for the marine research, defense, hydrographic and offshore energy markets.

Cloud backup Intronis raises $12M

Boston-based Intronis Inc., which offers cloud backup services for information technology providers, said it received $12 million in funding led by new investor Greenspring Associates, with participation from OpenView Venture Partners and the company's executive management team.

Interim CEO Jay Bolgatz said Intronis will use the funding to hire workers, develop its technology and expand its market.

MONDAY

L Bond markets are closed for Veterans Day, but stock markets are open.

TUESDAY

L BG Medicine, Home Depot and TJX Cos. report quarterly financial results.

WEDNESDAY

L The U.S. Commerce Department releases retail sales data for October.

THURSDAY

L Massachusetts releases the unemployment report for October.

L Lt. Gov. Tim Murray speaks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce forum.

L The Boston Redevelopment Authority board meets.

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Extended warranties: Value is a matter of personal choice

I would like to comment on your recent column on whether it is worthwhile to buy an extended warranty for a car. Extended warranties are provided by companies that need to earn a profit. In order to do this, they have to collect more money from their customers than they pay out. It is possible for a car owner to benefit from buying an extended warranty, but most people pay out more than they get back. Otherwise, the company providing the warranty won't stay in business. When I buy a car, computer or home appliance, I always decline the extended warranty. If something breaks after the warranty period, I pay for the repair with money I've saved by not buying any extended warranties, and I come out ahead. With regard to deductibles, I used to pay for low deductibles on car and house insurance. After a while I realized this was not the best option and I switched to higher deductibles. If I have to make an insurance claim, I will pay the higher deductible with money I save on insurance premiums, and I come out ahead. The same principle applies to the deductible on an extended warranty, which is another form of insurance.

I received a number of letters and e-mails commenting on my column regarding my change in position on extended warranties and service contracts. It described how now, after nearly 30 years as a "car guy," I believe in the value of purchasing an extended warranty or service contract on a new or late-model vehicle that you're going to keep for long beyond the original manufacturer's warranty expires.

I agree with the above car owner in terms of extended warranties and service contracts on appliances, home electronics and other relatively low-cost purchases. But with modern vehicles costing hundreds, even thousands of dollars to repair, I disagree.

I certainly respect the position but want to point out that, while liability coverage, and in some states personal injury protection, is mandated by law, insurance for your own vehicle is not. Thus, choosing collision and comprehensive coverage is very much akin to purchasing an extended warranty or service contract.

I choose to carry collision and comprehensive coverage on my newer vehicles. With repair and replacement costs potentially in the tens of thousands of dollars, I can't see operating them with no coverage for a loss from a crash, fire, theft or vandalism.

Ditto health insurance. It's difficult to imagine the consequences of having no coverage for a significant health issue.

I feel the same way about potential mechanical and electronic failures. Labor and replacement parts for major repairs can easily run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Most of us worry about engine or transmission failures as a major expense, but systems such as climate control, electronic steering, anti-lock braking system and traction control, and other sophisticated systems can cost just as much to repair or replace.

The question of deductibles is valid. I, too, carry high deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage (and health insurance) for the basic reason that I don't expect to make claims very often. But I recognize that repairs from mechanical and electronic failures, and wear and tear over the 10-plus years I keep my vehicles, are virtually inevitable. Thus, I want to continue protection for the time/mileage frame beyond the original carmaker's warranty.

I prefer zero or very low deductibles for extended warranties and service contracts because unlike collision or comprehensive claims, which tend to deal with a single large-loss event, mechanical and electronic breakages, failures or problems can occur a number of times, particularly later in a vehicle's service life — precisely the time and mileage framework covered by these warranties and contracts. I'd rather not have to pay $50 or $100 every time I take the vehicle in for even a minor problem.

As always, life is a matter of choices. In this case, you pay your money or you take your chances. There's no right or wrong answer. It's what you're comfortable with.

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Using their heads to combat cancer

A hair-raising presidential election and Hurricane Sandy didn't stop Small Army's Be Bold, Be Bald! campaign from achieving its highest participation numbers to date.

The 4-year-old initiative, spearheaded by the Hub advertising agency in the wake of co-founder Mike Connell's death from Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma, saw upward of 6,000 people donning bald caps nationwide Nov. 2 to show solidarity with patients suffering from cancer.

Since 2009, Be Bold, Be Bald! has generated close to $600,000 for 30 large and small cancer organizations, including the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, The Jimmy Fund and Wellesley-based Heaps of Hope Inc., said Small Army CEO Jeff Freedman.

"Riding a bike, going on a walk, growing a mustache, it's all great and it's all great for fundraising, but we're more than fundraising," Freedman told the Herald. "We want discussions to start to honor the strength of cancer survivors and patients. That's equally, if not more, important than the money itself."

Newton North and Everett high schools and Boston ad agency Connelly Partners were among several local schools and businesses going "bald" for a day.

At Merrimack Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, nearly half of the company's 240 employees wore the caps. Spokeswoman Kathleen Gallagher said the company, which donated $1,700, was inspired to join the cause after seeing how its pipeline of six clinical cancer drugs was affecting patients.

"It made us think, not just about the fact that what they're doing progresses our drugs, but the sacrifices they're making," Gallagher said.

Connell, a father of three diagnosed with cancer three times, died in November 2007 at the age of 45.

"As weak as he was; as skinny as he looked; even seeing him with all the IVs and knowing he was dying, the strength he had was just amazing to me," Freedman said. "I'd be bawling and crying and he'd be comforting me. It gave me a whole new perspective of how strong he was."

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Microsoft hopes to 'break barriers' with translator

Reason No. 2,347 why Microsoft is making the world more like Star Trek: its latest voice translation project.

In an astonishing video that's making its way around the web, the company's chief research officer Rick Rashid speaks before an audience in Tianjin, China, as a computer translator spits out his words in Mandarin — in his own voice.

If you're familiar with the United Federation of Planets, you'll know that Star Fleet officers spoke different languages than Klingons and Ferengi and Vulcans. Yet they all communicated seamlessly thanks to the real-time "universal translator" that enabled everyone to hear their native language no matter what dialect was being spoken.

"The results are still not perfect, and there is still much work to be done, but the technology is very promising," Rashid wrote in a blog post this week. "And we hope that in a few years we will have systems that can completely break down language barriers. In other words, we may not have to wait until the 22nd century for a usable equivalent of Star Trek's universal translator."

He added, "We can also hope that as barriers to understanding language are removed, barriers to understanding each other might also be removed."

This latest advance brings to mind another sci-fi quest on the part of the Redmond, Wash.-software giant: its patent for "immersive display experience." As anyone who's ever watched Cmdr. William T. Riker play Parrises squares on the USS Enterprise well knows, the Star Trek holodeck provides a three-dimensional virtual reality experience, projecting images and shapes that surround the user.

While playing on your local holodeck is many decades away, Rashid's translation technology is being perfected now. In a breakthrough technology that Microsoft Research devised in cooperation with the University of Toronto, the translator learns the nuances of an individual's speech and builds a profile.

Using that data, it combines with properties from native Chinese speakers. In the case of Rashid, the system's profile then took his words, found the Chinese equivalents and reordered them to be grammatically correct Chinese.

A video of Rashid's speech shows cheers from the crowd of mostly Chinese students.

Wrote Rashid, "The commentary that's grown on China's social media forums ever since suggests a growing community of budding computer scientists who feel the same way."

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Texas firm takes on 2 apartment complexes

A Houston-based developer will break ground on two major apartment projects — one in Boston, the other in Cambridge — by the end of the year as the rental market heats up in the Hub.

Hanover Co. recently finalized a $25.6 million purchase of a 4-acre site near the Alewife MBTA station where it will build a 398-unit apartment complex. The seller was Equity Office, which carved off a piece of the Cambridgepark Drive site it acquired last year for $81.5 million. With permits for the apartment project already in hand, Hanover expects to start construction next month.

"We like the access to transit at the Alewife station and the biotech and pharmaceutical activity that Cambridge is well known for," said David Hall, a Hanover executive.

Meanwhile, the company is expected to break ground this week on a 21-story tower with 369 apartments at Pier 4 — the first wave in a redevelopment of the South Boston restaurant property.

Hanover purchased a piece of Pier 4 on Northern Avenue for $24.6 million in May from New England Development, the Newton company that shelled out $48.7 million to the Athanas family for the entire waterfront property. Two other buildings will follow.

In Cambridge, Hanover will go up against three other sizable apartment projects in the Alewife area, including a 244-unit complex by Houston-based Hines right across the street at 165 Cambridgepark Drive.

"We certainly will compete with each other," Hall said, "but the projects are somewhat staggered."

The influx of apartment projects has raised concerns among North Cambridge residents about potential traffic and environmental impacts. Construction started on a 227-unit complex at the former Faces nightclub site on Route 2, as well as a 428-unit project on Fawcett Street called The Atmark, by Boston's Cabot, Cabot & Forbes and O'Connor Capital Partners of New York.

"We just think it's a superb zone for housing given the employment all around it," said Michael Boujoulian, a senior vice president at Cabot, Cabot & Forbes.

23.40 | 0 komentar | Read More