PAX East goes for big game

Bay State digital artists are taking their creations to a new level for this year's PAX East video gaming expo, which kicks off Friday.

Visible from a half-mile away on a digital canvas, six marquee artworks have gone live on an 80-foot-tall LED tower outside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. All the videos were designed by video game company employees or video game design teachers.

"This is the future of public art," said George Fifield, president of Boston Cyberarts, a local nonprofit arts group that organized the display with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. "The first time (the artists) see something they made on something so humongous, you see their jaws drop and their eyes open wide."

The 30-second works on the digital billboard reflect gaming culture, either in vintage or modern forms. For example, a group of eight artists who work for Needham-based game design company Turbine Inc. created "Mists of Mortal Legends" featuring "high-flying intergalactic combat where issues of control are turned upside down."

Meanwhile, Fitchburg State College media professor Jeffu Warmouth's "1UP" shows a self-inspired character "moving through a shifting set of game environments drawn from the Golden Age of arcade games."

Warmouth, 42, a Groton resident, said he spent about 100 hours creating his video, which recalls scenes from the classic 8-bit games "Donkey Kong," "Joust" and "Dig Dug."

"I've always done work with kind of a popular bent to it and I've done a lot of work about pop culture, and I've always been interested in venues that are not white gallery space," said Warmouth, who has made two previous videos for the BCEC marquee. "There's something great about the marquee being in the public space where people are not expecting art. Definitely, it's expanded my audience."

Other digital works include "LARP" by Chris Florio; "Space Plants" by Fish McGill; "Tiger Training" by William Russell Pensyl; and "Growing Phones" by Joshua Pablo Rosenstock.

The artists and teams chosen to produce marquee art are paid a $500 honorarium for their work, which take about a month to complete.

PAX East, which attracts thousands of video game enthusiasts from around the globe, runs March 22-24.

"(The marquee's) become something of a landmark for the South Boston waterfront and reflective of the fact this is the Innovation District," said convention center chief Jim Rooney, adding the agency would consider calling for more videos geared toward future BCEC events.

A separate Boston Cyberarts gallery exhibition in Jamaica Plain titled "The Game's Afoot: Video Game Art" runs until April 14.

"The whole gaming industry has been in retreat these days as people change the game platforms they've been using," Fifield said. "When all gaming finds its feet again, Massachusetts is positioned to be a really important player."

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70,000 slated to flood event

This year's sold-out PAX East convention is poised to be the biggest one yet, as more than 70,000 attendees will fill the Hub to access the latest in gaming know-how and product releases.

Along with its exhibit hall and Console Freeplay zone, the expo, which arrived in Boston back in 2010 and will stick around until at least 2022, is known for its PC and tabletop areas, and epic video game tournaments.

Here are some of the expected highlights at this year's expo, which will be held Friday through Sunday at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center:

• Cliff Bleszinski, former design director for Epic Games and best known for his work on the mega-selling "Gears of War" series, serves as the expo's keynote speaker.

• 343 Industries team members discuss the past, present and future of Halo 4 Multiplayer.

• Square Enix panelists provide the inside scoop on new details for "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn."

• Blizzard Entertainment showcases a new, yet-to-be-disclosed game.

• Capcom shares the latest details on upcoming games such as "Remember Me," "Lost Planet 3," "Resident Evil Revelations" and "Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen," plus it announces two new products.

• Ubisoft offers up exclusive footage and new content for the games "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag," Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell: Blacklist" and "Watch Dogs."     

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The Ticker

Gas spikes prices

A spike in gas prices drove a measure of U.S. consumer costs up in February by the most in more than three years. But outside the gain in fuel costs, inflation was mostly modest.

The consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent last month from January, the Labor Department said. It was the biggest monthly rise since June 2009.

Still, three-fourths of the increase in the index reflected a 9.1 percent surge in gas prices. That was also the largest monthly gain since June 2009. Gas prices had fallen in the previous four months. Since last month's increase gas prices have started to decline again.

TOMORROW

• The Boston Redevelopment Authority holds a community meeting for a convention center hotel project on D Street in South Boston.
• Moscow government officials and KPMG host concluding presentations of their "Destination Moscow Roadshow 2013" at the InterContinental Hotel in Boston.

TUESDAY

• The Commerce Department releases housing starts for February.
• Federal Reserve policymakers meet to discuss interest rates.

WEDNESDAY

• FedEx and Oracle report quarterly financial results. 
• Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke holds a news conference on interest rates and an economic forecast.

THURSDAY

• Massachusetts releases the unemployment report for February.
• Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser addresses the Boston College Chief Executives Club of Boston during a luncheon at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
• The National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for February.
• Nike reports quarterly financial results.

FRIDAY

• Tiffany & Co. reports quarterly financial results.

THE SHUFFLE

• Cape Cod Biofuels has hired Ed Miles, left, as vice president of business development. Miles previously served as director of sales for the eastern New England region at Baker Commodities, and vice president of sales and marketing for North Carolina-based EcoPlus.
• RBS Citizens Financial Group Inc. has hired John Rosenfeld as executive vice president for everyday banking. Rosenfeld joins RBSCFG from TD Bank, where he had headed up retail deposit and payment products.

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Heiress talk of Tinseltown

Hub celebrity hounds are giddy about sightings of Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams, but the person who is really shaking up Hollywood is the 27-year-old heiress who is signing their checks.

Megan Ellison is the daughter of Oracle Corp. co-founder and CEO Larry Ellison, who is ranked by Forbes as the fifth-richest person on the planet and whose $43 billion fortune includes the Hawaiian island of Lanai.

Megan and her brother, David, also a film producer, are Ellison's only children, the products of his marriage to Barbara Boothe — his third of four wives.

Like any young woman who has received — depending on which reports you believe — anywhere between $200 million and $2 billion from her father, Megan 
Ellison has skipped the waiting tables, fetching coffee and doing commercials stages of most Hollywood hopefuls. She seems to have started her career as a film prod­ucer — and a very talented one.

So far, unlike many super-rich folks who have tried to take Tinseltown by storm, Megan and her production company, Annapurna Pictures — operated from three houses in the Hollywood Hills — have backed some real winners.

In fact, if you enjoyed "Lawless, "The Master" or "Zero Dark Thirty," you have Megan Ellison to thank.

According to its website, 
Annapurna Pictures, which gets its name from the Hindu harvest goddess who protects the world from starvation, has "the goal of creating sophisticated, high-
quality films that might otherwise be considered risky by trad­itional Hollywood studios."

It seems that Ellison is on the right track again by backing 
David O. Russell's untitled 
Abscam film project, which has brought the latest crop of stars to Boston.

Ellison, who "does not do press interviews," according to her publicist, reportedly rides a Harley and likes to hang out with Jessica Chastain. In a nod to Hollywood's love of sequels, she also has purchased the rights to the "Terminator" film franchise.

In other words, Ellison is living the dream.

According to her Twitter 
account, she was recently at the South by Southwest festival for the premier of "Spring Breakers," a film she produced that stars James Franco and several women in 
bikinis, including Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez.

Hopefully, Boston will be next on Ellison's itinerary. She can stop by the Herald — we're in the same building as the Abscam flick's 
offices — and we can join her 
in bashing Vanity Fair for a nasty little comment about her looks in a recent profile.

It may take several more great films, but we can't wait for the day when Larry is introduced as Megan Ellison's father.

Boston, keep an eye out for 
Megan. She's the one to watch.

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Cab lawyer eyes suit against SideCar

The lawyer who filed suit against on-demand-private-driver service Uber said he is now targeting the ride-sharing app SideCar, which last week added Boston to its growing roster of cities.

Calling itself a ride-sharing service is merely a way for SideCar to avoid taxi regulations, said Sam Perkins, who represents the Boston Cab Association.

"Both existing taxi companies and the hackney division need to pay attention to any private transportation company whose drivers don't meet hackney division standards and whose cars haven't passed safety inspections," Perkins said.

Just to apply for a hackney license in Boston, drivers have to meet 13 criteria, including undergoing criminal record and sex offender registry checks, he said.

Nick Allen, SideCar's co-founder, said drivers who offer rides to people through its app also undergo those checks and must have a valid license and registration.

Unlike cab fares, however, payment is up to the discretion of the passenger and made via the app, with 20 percent going to SideCar, Allen said, and both driver and passenger can rate each other at the end of the trip.

"We don't charge a metered fee," he said. "We are a technology platform, not a transportation company. We also take safety very seriously."

Since it launched in San Francisco last June, SideCar has facilitated more than 100,000 rides in eight cities, Allen said.

Last Tuesday, members of Boston's taxi industry filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court against the company's competitor, San Francisco-based Uber, accusing it of operating a car-for-hire service that violates state and city laws, and deceives consumers about fees, drivers, safety and insurance.

Michael Pao, general manager of Uber Boston, called the charges "baseless," adding Gov. Deval Patrick reversed a prior ban on the service in the Hub last summer.

Ira Kantor contributed to this report.

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Rowling to UK govt: Don't let down hacking victims

LONDON — Celebrities like J.K. Rowling and Hugh Grant accused the British government on Sunday of letting down the victims of media intrusion and urged tough new measures to rein in Britain's unruly press.

Lawmakers are to vote Monday on rival plans for tougher controls in the wake of the country's phone-hacking scandal.

The Conservative-led government says it will propose a new press watchdog with the power to levy fines of up to 1 million pounds ($1.5 million). But hacking victims say the regulator must be backed by a new law to give it real teeth — something Prime Minister David Cameron opposes.

"Harry Potter" author Rowling — who testified previously to a media ethics inquiry about the impact of intrusive media upon her family — said she and other victims felt they "have been hung out to dry" by the government.

Grant, who won damages for phone hacking by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World tabloid, said hacking victims supported a rival plan by the Liberal Democrats and the Labour party for stronger media measures. The actor said lawmakers "promised victims to do right by them, and they have that chance on Monday."

Debate about how to control the press has raged in Britain since revelations in 2011 that tabloid journalists had eavesdropped on voicemails, bribed officials for information and hacked into computers in a relentless quest for scoops.

The scandal has brought the demise of one newspaper — Murdoch's News of the World — along with dozens of arrests and resignations, scores of lawsuits against Murdoch's media empire and a public inquiry into media ethics.

That inquiry, led by Lord Justice Brian Leveson, last year recommended the creation of a strong press watchdog body dominated by non-journalists and backed by government regulation.

But negotiations between Cameron's Conservatives and others over how to implement those recommendations have stalled amid an increasingly acrimonious debate. Politicians are divided about whether a new press watchdog should be set up through legislation — as recommended by Leveson — or through a Royal Charter, an executive act that does not require a vote in Parliament.

Proponents say passing a law will put the watchdog on a firmer footing and give it more power to discipline rogue newspapers. Opponents believe that passing a media law would endanger the country's free press.

In fact, the proposals aren't all that different. A new law would set up an independent press watchdog, not control the media directly. And the regulator would only have the power to impose fines or demand published apologies from newspapers — not to stop articles being published.

But the language of the debate has been fierce, with opponents fearing the demise of Britain's free press and advocates seeing a bullying media riding roughshod over people's rights.

"The idea of a law — a great, big, all-singing, all-dancing media law ... would have been bad for press freedom, bad for individual freedom," Cameron said.

Rowling accused the prime minister of letting down hacking victims by ignoring Leveson's proposals.

"I believed David Cameron when he said that he would implement Leveson's recommendations 'unless they were bonkers,'" she said. "I did not see how he could back away, with honor, from words so bold and unequivocal.

"Well, he has backed away, and I am one among many who feel they have been hung out to dry."

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Cyprus parliament delays vote on bank deposits tax

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus' parliament on Sunday postponed a debate and vote on a controversial levy on all bank deposits that the cash-strapped country's creditors had demanded in exchange for €10 billion ($13 billion) in rescue money.

The vote, which had been expected later Sunday, has been pushed back to Monday afternoon, parliamentary official Antonis Koutalianos said.

The announcement set off an immediate scramble among top European officials, with reports that the European Central Bank was pressuring Cypriot authorities to hold the vote without delay.

The stakes are high for the tiny island nation of one million people, because a rejection of the levy by lawmakers could push Cyprus into bankruptcy and possibly out of the common euro currency. Officials also fear a massive run Tuesday on Cypriot banks — after a national holiday on Monday — no matter which way the voting goes.

The state-run Cyprus News Agency said President Nicos Anastasiades had personally requested the postponement, but no reason was given.

The decision by Cyprus' 16 eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund to impose a one-time tax of 6.75 percent on all deposits under €100,000 ($131,000) and 9.9 percent over that amount has enraged Cypriot politicians, who have condemned it as unfair and disastrous. That brings into sharp doubt its approval in the 56-seat parliament.

It marks the first time that the IMF and the 17 eurozone nations have dipped into people's savings to finance a bailout, a move that analysts worry may roil international markets and jeopardize Europe's fragile economy.

"There are two choices, voting in favor which allows the country to avoid a disorderly bankruptcy, or rejection, which will have us face a disorderly bankruptcy with all that that entails," said Averof Neophytou, deputy chief of the ruling Democratic Rally party.

It's not only Cypriot depositors who will take a hit but foreign nationals as well, including many Russians who are estimated to have some €20 billion ($26.2 billion) sitting in Cypriot banks.

At their peak, Cypriot banks had assets totaling eight times the country's €17.5 billion economy. Those numbers have prompted accusations from some European countries, primarily Germany, that Cypriot banks serve as money laundries for dirty Russian cash.

"It's a lose-lose situation. There will be a huge deposit withdrawal from Cypriot banks with or without a (levy)," said Cyprus Greens lawmakers Giorgos Perdikis. "We should have the courage to make the right decisions that will restore the public's confidence which was drastically shaken."

To counterbalance their cash loss, depositors will receive Cypriot bank bonds. Neophytou said there are efforts to back up those bonds — which have little value now — with Cyprus' newfound offshore gas reserves, although extraction is still several years away.

"Now the faith in Cyprus as a place where it is convenient to keep one's money will be undermined,"  Anatoly Aksakov, president of the Association of Regional Banks of Russia, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

Aksakov also suggested some of the Russian money now deposited in Cypriot banks will move back to Russia.

Meanwhile, Britain's Treasury chief said the government will compensate about 3,500 U.K. troops who will lose money to Cyprus's bailout tax.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said Sunday the government would compensate troops and civil servants. But those among the 59,000 British residents of Cyprus who not working for the U.K. military or the government could still be out of pocket.

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AP Writer James Heintz in Moscow contributed.

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Yukon Denali’s tires just won’t stop leaking air

The tires on my 2007 Yukon Denali keep losing air. The dealer said it is most likely because the rims are rusted. They recommend buying new rims or, for a temporary fix, resealing the rims, which would cost approximately $300. Do you think it's really necessary to buy new rims?

Slow loss of air from alloy or steel rims that have had several sets of tires mounted on them is not uncommon. Residue from previous tires along with road dirt and debris can prevent the new tire from seating. Trapped moisture can lead to corrosion. But before spending big bucks for new rims, have the tire from one of the leaking rims dismounted for a careful inspection of the "bead" seating areas on the rim. Unless the corrosion is severe, the rim can be sanded to clean and remove corrosion and sealed to stop air loss. If the rims cannot be saved, it might be possible to find a used set in a salvage yard at a reasonable price.

• • •

I have a pristine 2001 Cadillac DeVille DHS with 96,000 miles. I took it to my Cadillac dealer, because the "Service Engine Soon" light was on. I was told that it could be a sticking torque converter clutch solenoid and would require a transmission rebuild for $4,000. I was also told that the transmission won't go into overdrive with the bad solenoid. At 65 miles per hour, the engine runs at 2,000 rpm. Does this indicate it's not going into overdrive? I believe I'm seeing three shifts when accelerating. And if the solenoid does need replacing, does that require an entire transmission rebuild for $4,000?

There are a number of possible causes for this problem, including low, contaminated or overheating transmission fluid, a sticking TCC solenoid or a stuck-closed TCC control, regulator or feed valve.

A scan tool can record the "freeze frame" data and failure records, then clear the fault code. During a test drive, the scan tool can command the TCC solenoid "on" and monitor the slippage rate for the torque converter clutch. If the slippage is slightly above designated limits, fluid contamination or a stuck valve might be the cause. But if the converter slippage rate is high, the solenoid may be stuck in the "off" position.

All of this points toward a torque converter, solenoid or electronic problem, not necessarily a failing transmission. I'd start with a careful check of fluid level and condition.

And, yes, the higher rpm at road speed indicates no TCC engagement or overdrive.

• • •

We have a 2007 Ford Five Hundred with just over 60,000 miles that we bought new. I have noticed that the hood paint is chipping on the very front edge or lip. Dealers told us that unless there is rust or corrosion there was nothing they would do. The hood is made of what looks like galvanized metal so it can't rust. My wife contacted Ford to no avail.

First of all, galvanized metal can rust. The galvanization process involves applying a coating of zinc to protect the metal for a number of years. Most corrosion warranties from carmakers offer protection for rust that occurs from inside out, meaning the corrosion originates on the base metal and ultimately bubbles the paint.

Typically, rust on the front edge of a hood is caused by abrasion and tiny chips in the paint from road debris allowing moisture under the paint.

The solution is to have the rust properly removed, the metal repaired and the hood repainted. Transparent anti-chip film or a front end "bra" or cover can protect this area from future damage.

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 paulbrandstartribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Home run: For many, value of house is going up

WASHINGTON — Home equity is back! And it's growing fast: According to the latest data from the Federal Reserve, Americans' net 
equity holdings in their houses jumped by nearly half a trillion dollars during the last three months of 2012, and have increased by $1.7 trillion since the spring of 2011.

What does this mean to you? Depending on where you own your home, it could mean that finally the market value of your property has risen enough to put you into positive equity territory. Or closer to break-even equity than you assumed. Zillow Real Estate Research estimates that nearly 2 million American owners exited negative equity status during 2012 alone.

It also could mean that should you wish to sell your house, you're now in a better position to do so. And if your home is located in one of dozens of local markets that are experiencing severe shortages of listings for sale combined with strong demand from buyers, this spring could bring you a higher price than at any time in the past seven years.

Here's what the Fed found in its "flow of funds" study released March 7:

• Thanks to recovering housing values, total home equity is now at its highest level — about $8.2 trillion — since the bust and gaining rapidly. From January 2012 through December, it rose by a stunning $1.2 trillion.

• Outstanding mortgage debts continued to fall as owners paid down their balances and refinanced into smaller loans, taking advantage of unprecedented low mortgage rates. Foreclosures and principal forgiveness by lenders also have helped whittle away mortgage debt. Americans now owe about $1 trillion less on their homes than they did in 2008.

Jed Kolko, chief economist for Trulia.com, an online real estate research and information company, said growing home equity has three key effects. First, owners feel wealthier and are more likely to spend some of that perceived wealth — even if it's in the form of real estate 
equity — on goods and services. Second, higher equity stakes reduce the likelihood of mortgage defaults. People have a deeper financial stake in their properties and are less willing to risk loss through foreclosure.

Fewer delinquencies, in turn, Kolko said in an interview, "mean less stress on the financial system," thereby reducing the probability of another banking crisis a la 2008-2009. Finally, by encouraging owners to consider selling, growing equity holdings allow the real estate market to work better, with more transactions, more mobility for families, more new construction, more jobs and so on.

Doug Duncan, chief economist for mortgage investor Fannie Mae, said the recent jump in equity holdings "puts us back on track toward where we were prior to the crisis," and represents a "transition to normal" conditions in the housing market. Though there are local markets where last year's double-digit price gains look bubbly and unsustainable to Duncan — notably in some of the inland cities of California — the increases in values elsewhere tend to be more modest and solid, simply making up for the declines experienced in the latter half of the past decade.

One major market does concern him, however: Washington, D.C., and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Though D.C. has seen significant year-to-year gains in prices recently, Duncan said prices could "flatten out" if the federal budget sequestration and cutbacks in government jobs and defense spending continue.

Despite the impressive increases in equity reported by the Fed, there's a sobering flip side: There are still millions of owners — nearly 14 million according to Zillow — who remain in negative equity positions. They are often the folks who purchased at the wrong time — near the peak of their local markets from late 2005 through 2006 — or used mortgages that required little or no down payment to buy bigger houses than they could afford.

In Miami and Phoenix, roughly 40 percent of owners have mortgage debt in excess of property value. In Tampa it's 41.5 percent; Chicago, 37 percent; Seattle, 33.5 percent; Columbus, Ohio, 29 percent; San Diego and Washington, D.C., about 28 percent; and Los Angeles, 24 percent.

The bittersweet news from the Fed for most of these owners: The odds are good that you are not as deep in negative territory today as you were 12 months ago.

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MGM says Springfield casino plan to begin review

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Resorts International says it's ready to begin an environmental review for its proposed casino in Springfield.

As required by state law, MGM must send copies of its environmental notification form to communities that may be affected by possible environmental impacts. The Republican reports  that Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, West Springfield and Wilbraham will be notified.

The proposed $800 million MGM Springfield in the city's South End falls will compete with Penn National Gaming, which is proposing a casino in Springfield's North End neighborhood.

Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun wants to build a luxury hotel, resort and gambling facility on 152 acres in Palmer.

Three casino licenses are being granted in Massachusetts, one each for three geographic regions.

___

Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican

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