IPad mini is Apple's sweetest tablet ever

This might just be Apple's best tablet yet.

Holding it for the first time, I couldn't help but think that the size of the iPad mini is what iPad should have been all along. At 7.9 inches, you can grip it with one hand and type with the other. It feels like an e-reader, the size of a book. It's the best content consumption device on the market, and it makes its predecessor seem as if it has been trying to be too many things.

The screen resolution is the same as the iPad 2; the pixel density is higher. The camera is better, and battery life is far better. The overall design is sleeker, with its thin, rounded corners reminiscent of the iPod Touch's slim frame.

The amount of innovation that Apple packs into such a svelte form is impressive. For that reason, this isn't just a shrunken down iPad.

No, this doesn't boast Retina Display. But requiring that on a sub-10-inch tablet is like trying to win a spec horse race. Unless you're hovering over it with a monocle, who cares?

The question many will have is whether it's worth sinking between $329 and $659 into the mini, or if it's better to spend $199 for the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire. There are two big considerations: Heavy movie-watchers might prefer the picture on Nexus 7, and voracious readers might like Kindle's lack of glare. But while the Kindle and Nexus don't feel quite as high-end, the mini is pure top-shelf.

One thing that confounds me is why Apple still sells iPad 2. The iPad 2 costs $399 for the WiFi-only 16 GB version. For up to $60 more you can purchase a version of the mini that will have far better rear- and front-facing cameras, HD video recording capability, higher storage capacity and Siri. Plus, at about .68 pounds, the mini is half the weight.

So while a choice between the mini and its similarly sized competition can be a tough one given pricing, the choice between a mini and the iPad 2 is a no-brainer.

The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who famously knocked the idea of a smaller iPad, was, it seems, very wrong on this one.

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New developers to change Lovejoy potion

New developers have taken on Lovejoy Wharf, Boston's largely abandoned and dilapidated northern gateway that has the potential to become a bustling waterfront office, residential and retail complex.

Hub-based Beal Cos. and Related Cos. of New York filed revised plans to renovate the historic Hoffman building at 160 North Washington St. for offices instead of condos. Sneaker maker Converse is reportedly eyeing the space.

The project, across Interstate 93 from the TD Garden, also includes demolishing the adjacent 131 Beverly St. and erecting a 14-story residential tower.

"This project will play a central role in rejuvenating Lovejoy Wharf and making it a vibrant waterfront center reflective of both its history and its distinguished location," the developers wrote to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

The developers are buying the property from Ajax Partners. The Lexington firm won city approval in 2007 but its $200 million project bogged down in a lawsuit with abutters.

With the dispute settled, the new developers plan to start construction early next year. The filing indicates a single tenant will lease the 187,000 square feet of office space and bring in 300 employees.

A Converse spokeswoman said the North Andover-based company is "exploring options for an expanded company headquarters" in Greater Boston but "no decision has been made."

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Economy at 'standstill'

A mixed October jobs report is fueling the final weekend presidential pitch with President Obama admitting his work is far from over, and GOP nominee Mitt Romney decrying the nation's nearly unchanged jobless rate as proof the economy remains in a "virtual standstill."

"We have made real progress," Obama said yesterday. "But we are here ... because we know we've got more work to do. As long as there's a single American who wants a job and can't find one, as long as there are families working harder but falling behind ... our fight goes on."

The nation added 171,000 jobs last month, as the U.S. unemployment rate rose a tenth of a point to 7.9 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised upward the numbers of jobs created in September and August to 148,000 and 192,000, respectively.

But Romney, who has pledged to create 12 million jobs in his first term if elected president, blasted Obama yesterday, saying that come Tuesday the nation will make a choice between "stagnation and prosperity."

"For four years, President Obama's policies have crushed America's middle class. For four years, President Obama has told us that things are getting better and that we're making progress," Romney said. "For too many American families, those words ring hollow."

Yesterday's jobs numbers are the last broad snapshot of the economy before Election Day. Obama now faces voters with the highest unemployment rate of any incumbent since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Elliot Winer, chief economist for Northeast Economic Analysis Group, said while the economy "is at a standstill," it would take time for the nation to produce at least 200,000 jobs a month, even if Romney is elected to office.

"We're seeing modest job growth at best right now," he said. "It's not as if all of a sudden things have turned around the last couple of months and are booming."

But some saw a positive trend in the data.

"We have a long way to go back to 2007," said UMass Dartmouth public policy professor Michael Goodman. "However, when you see the labor force growing; when you see jobs growing across a reasonable range of industries; when you see the previous months' data rise up ... that's certainly good news for the national economy."

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Today's look in 1860 townhouse

This 1860-built Charlestown townhouse has been given a high-end gut-rehab and interior makeover, turning it into a showpiece contemporary single-family with four floors of living space.

The four-bedroom attached brick rowhouse at 6 Washington St. features a new Spanish mahogany cabinet kitchen with high-end appliances and a third-floor master bedroom suite with a large walk-in closet and a private rear deck off the bedroom. It's on the market for $1,589,000.

Every room in the home has been redone, with new windows with built-in plantation shutters, new or refinished oak floors and contemporary lighting. There's a lot of paneled wainscoting, Gregorian runners in the hallway and newly added window trim, and the rear addition was remodeled in 2008 with radiant-heated floors.

The new black walnut entry doors have etched glass, and lead into a foyer with a coat closet. To the left is a formal dining room with a decorative wood fireplace with an original mantel.

A large opening leads into a kitchen with a breakfast nook that overlooks a fenced-in rear brick patio. The recessed-lit kitchen — redone in the mid-2000s — features new oak floors, Spanish mahogany cabinets, beige granite counters and a center island with pendant lights overhead. There's a large SubZero refrigerator, and other stainless-steel appliances include a Viking gas stove, two Bosch convection wall ovens and a Kitchen Aid dishwasher and compactor. The rear of the kitchen has a pantry area with a wine cooler.

Another dining nook with a wet bar sits in the rear addition, with radiant-heated yellow limestone floors and an adjacent redone half bath with limestone floors and a pedestal sink.

The second floor has a formal living room with contemporary lighting, restored oak floors, three front-facing windows and an original working wood fireplace.

The adjacent recessed-lit library has a floor-to-ceiling bookcase and two rear windows. A recessed-lit study in the rear addition has radiant-heated oak floors and diagonally set windows that overlook the patio. There's a newly added half bath with closet that holds a stacked Asko washer and dryer.

The entire third floor was converted into a master bedroom suite in 2011. The recessed-lit bedroom has new oak floors and glass doors out to a newly built rear deck.

The en-suite master bathroom has porcelain tile walls and floors, gold granite accents and a porcelain tiled walk-in shower. Through a frosted glass door is a large dressing room with custom maple wardrobe cabinets and storage drawers topped with a gold granite countertop.

There are three bedrooms on the fourth floor, all with reconditioned original wide-pine floors. Two are decent sized, but the smaller one is more suitable as a nursery. There's a newly added bathroom with white subway tile and a Japanese soaking tub.

The unfinished basement has been repainted and has lots of storage space. It also holds a three-zone Buderus furnace that provides heat through forced hot water for antique radiators on the first and second floors and forced hot air on the top two floors. There's also a central vacuum system, and central air conditioning with a rooftop unit replaced in 2010. The townhouse also has an alarm, intercom and CCTV systems.

Parking is on-street with a residential permit, but there is garage parking in nearby City Square.

For more information or to see this property, call Frank Celeste of Gibson Sotheby's International Realty at 617-872-3227.

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Sexy, stylish Fiat turns heads

Undersized, underpowered, but with a huge personality, the 2012 Fiat 500C is just a blast to drive.

Let's face it, you're not going to win any races with this runaround, but heads will turn as you sport about the city.

The sexy Cinquecento is the second smallest car offered in the United States — the Smart Fortwo is the smallest — but the Fiat still gives its direct competition, the British Mini Cooper, a run for its money in the subcompact class.

Despite its size, the higher roof gives two adults plenty of leg room and a comfortable, albeit a bit noisy, ride.

The car, or its maker, also likes to brag — it's splashed with at least 17 "500C" logos!

Our upgraded Lounge edition enhanced the cruising experience by including leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, a six-speaker Bose stereo and Bluetooth. It also had voice-only navigation, but the highlight was the convertible roof that can be operated at up to 50 mph!

The curvaceous car resembles the 1950s Italian original, but is longer, taller and as a friend who once lived in Italy pointed out, doesn't have any dents in the doors.

It will get only minor tweaks for 2013.

The Fiat plays nicely — it's quick, spirited and responsive.

Parking is a dream; you're able to squeeze into the tightest spots.

The high-end Arbath Edition adds a sports suspension and more powerful turbo engine.

There are rear seats, but they're super-cramped. They drop for some added cargo space, but the easiest way to get my golf clubs in and out was through the open roof. And although the roof was a hit, you do sacrifice vision out the rear window. And, seriously, the Fiat needs a backup warning alert!

The 101-horsepower, 1.4-liter engine pushed out enough pep to bop around doing errands or commuting, but is a glacially slow 12.4 seconds to 60 mph.

The six-speed automatic on our tester was a drag on the fun factor of this pint-sized convertible and oddly returned rather poor gas mileage, too. Get this with the five-speed stick to maximize the personality of the 500C, but more importantly to pick nearly 5 mpg in fuel savings over the automatic's 27 mpg city/34 mpg highway. Also, stay out of the wake of tractor-trailers!

This fun car certainly has its drawbacks and the sticker is the whopper.

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All eyes on jobs report

Today's October jobs report will be the last — and loudest — word on the U.S. economy before Election Day, but experts say it still may not produce a clear-cut presidential winner in the minds of undecided voters.

Both President Obama and GOP nominee Mitt Romney will spin the numbers to their own advantage, said Elliot Winer, chief economist for the Northeast Analyst Group.

"If it turns out to be something positive, then (Mitt) Romney's people can still say it's ... far short," Winer told the Herald. "If the report turns out to be worse, (President) Obama can point to the fact we're still adding jobs and we're on the right track."

Economists estimate the report will show 135,000 jobs were added in October even as applications for U.S. jobless aid fell by 9,000 this week, and U.S. manufacturing and automobile sales rose for October.

While it's not "out of reach" for the economy to have added 250,000 jobs last month, Northeastern University economist Alan Clayton-Matthews said other economic indicators, such as the gross domestic product and consumer spending, show the economy growing at a slower pace.

"Someone would have to be a little bit out of touch with reality to think one indicator shows we've got enormous growth or we're about to fall into recession," he said, adding, "It would take a very dramatic employment report one way or the other to sway undecideds."

September's report showed the jobless rate dropping to 7.8 percent, which drew fire from conservatives, including former General Electric CEO Jack Welch. Today, the Labor Department could revise its September numbers.

If the unemployment rate falls well below September's figure, then Obama is poised to have "a quiet weekend," yet it still leaves the commander-in-chief with a jobs deficit of at least 4 million since first taking office, said David Tuerck, executive director of Suffolk University's Beacon Hill Institute.

"What matters is the number of jobs compared to the working age population," he said. "On that score, Obama's going to end up looking bad no matter what happens."

"(President Obama's) not going to be at ease over the weekend regardless of whatever the numbers are," said Clayton-Matthews. "This election fight, which is largely centered on the economy, will go down to Election Day."

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With offices out, NY Daily News keeps publishing

NEW YORK — The Daily News got its Plan A and its Plan B eviscerated by Hurricane Sandy. The storm knocked out of commission the newspaper's Manhattan main office and the place where it planned to work during emergencies — its Jersey City, N.J., printing plant.

Help from other news outlets let the Daily News keep publishing its daily print edition and its frequently updated website throughout Monday's storm. On Thursday evening, a Daily News editor said the newspaper would resume printing at the Jersey City plant within hours.

But it was unclear how long the main office would be out of use. The office, in an evacuation zone near the Staten Island Ferry, was flooded and lost power.

Ted Young, editor of Daily News Online, went into work at the main office at 6 a.m. Monday dragging an air mattress, expecting to spend the night. He did, but it wasn't quite how he imagined.

At about 8:45 p.m., the lights went out, he said. Another hour later, the computers were down. The phones went out, and so did most cellphone coverage. Young and about 15 other staffers waited through the night, smelling gas and watching the front lobby fill with 3 feet of water.

But even then, the newspaper kept updating, Young said. That's because Lauren Johnston, an editor who had gotten stuck in Pittsburgh, updated the website as reporters throughout the city sent her updates.

Back at the darkened main office, a few staffers made an escape through the lobby around 2 a.m. The rest trekked out around 7 a.m., through a lobby that was wet but no longer flooded.

Young said that website traffic surged on Monday evening, making the ordeal worthwhile.

"Our main concern," he said, "was how do we keep letting New Yorkers know what's going on."

He never did get to use the air mattress: He neglected to inflate it before the power went out.

On Tuesday, he and a few other staffers moved into borrowed space in The Associated Press' newsroom in midtown. Others worked from other temporary offices or spread out around the city and worked from wherever they could find wireless signals.

While the Daily News printing press was down, rival newspapers including The New York Times [NYT], Newsday and Newark, N.J.'s The Star-Ledger agreed to help print copies and perform some of the company's other commercial printing work, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Daily News, a pugnacious tabloid that has one of the highest circulations among U.S newspapers, was responsible for one of the most famous headlines in journalism. "Ford to City: Drop Dead," it wrote after President Gerald Ford wavered on a bailout for the struggling city in 1975.

On Thursday, the Daily News ran a front-page photo of firefighters hoisting an American flag in a flooded part of Queens under the headline "Stormin' Back."

Young said that the Jersey City plant was to print Friday's newspaper Thursday night.

The main office, meanwhile, was still deserted except for a clean-up crew. Hoses pumped water from the front lobby onto the street. The front doors were covered in yellow caution tape, but a supervisor there said that Daily News staffers might be allowed in Friday to pick up belongings.

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

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Economy adds 171,000 jobs in October

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 171,000 jobs in October and hiring was stronger over the previous two months than first thought. The unemployment rate inched up to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in September.

The Labor Department's last look at hiring before Tuesday's election sketched a picture of a job market that is gradually gaining momentum after nearly stalling in the spring.

Since July, the economy has created an average of 173,000 jobs a month, up from 67,000 a month from April through June.

Still, President Barack Obama will face voters with the highest unemployment rate of any incumbent since Franklin Roosevelt. The rate ticked up because more people without jobs started looking for work. The government only counts people as unemployed if they are actively searching.

Investors were pleased by the news. The Dow Jones industrial average futures were flat before it came out at 8:30 a.m. EDT, and within minutes they were up 30 points.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note climbed to 1.77 percent from 1.72 percent, a sign that investors were moving money out of bonds and into stocks.

Most of the details in the report were positive. The government revised the jobs figures to show that 84,000 more jobs were added than previously estimated.

The gains in October were widespread across most industries. And the percentage of Americans working or looking for work rose for the second straight month.

The economy has added jobs for 25 straight months. There are now 580,000 more jobs than when Obama took office.

But there were also signs of the economy's ongoing weakness. Average hourly pay dipped a penny to $23.58. And the number of unemployed increased 170,000 to 12.3 million.

The department said Hurricane Sandy had no noticeable impact on the report.

The economy has picked up a bit in recent weeks, mostly on the strength of consumers. Americans are more confident and buying more big-ticket items, like cars and appliances. Auto companies reported steady sales gains last month despite losing three days of business to the storm in heavily populated areas of the Northeast.

Yet businesses remain nervous about the economy's future course. Many are concerned that Congress will fail to reach a budget deal before January. If lawmakers can't strike an agreement, sharp tax increases and spending cuts will take effect next year and possibly trigger another recession.

American companies are also nervous about the economic outlook overseas. Europe's financial crisis has pushed much of that region into recession and cut into U.S. exports and corporate profits.

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

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U.S. jobless rate climbs to 7.9 percent; 171,000 jobs added

The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent in October as the nation added 171,000 jobs.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics report also revised the number of jobs created in September to add another 34,000, increasing the number to 148,000. The August jobs number was revised upward to show 192,000 jobs created.

The October employment report solidified the picture of the U.S. job market that's emerged this year: Companies are hiring steadily, but cautiously. And unemployment remains high.

"It seems to me if the folks who are working for Gov. Romney were hoping the story this weekend would be the deteriorating U.S. economy and the declining jobs situation, then they've got to be disappointed this morning about that," said Michael Goodman, public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. "I don't think anybody looks at the employment situation in the United States and says, 'we're out of the woods,' but certainly this data and the data over the last couple of years suggests we've been slowly and steadily moving in the right direction. ... We're adding jobs; people are returning to the work force. This is a stronger report than I expected. It's very encouraging."

Today's report is the last broad snapshot of the economy before Tuesday's presidential election. President Barack Obama still faces voters with the highest unemployment rate of any incumbent since Franklin Roosevelt.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford lost to Jimmy Carter when unemployment was 7.8 percent.

A weaker jobs report would have provided more ammunition for GOP challenger Mitt Romney, who has charged that Obama's policies have held back the economic recovery.

On the other hand, Obama might benefit from recent declines in unemployment. The 7.8 percent rate in September was the lowest since Obama entered office in January 2009. The rate dropped by a half-point in just August and September.

Yet it's unclear how much political effect any economic report will have. By this point, all but a few voters have made up their minds, particularly about the economy.

"People have given this a lot of thought," said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. "One report ... is unlikely to affect their view of whether Obama has done a good job with the economy or if Romney would do a better job."

The number of Americans employed part time for economic reasons — often because they cannot find full-time work — fell by 269,000 to 8.3 million in October, according to the BLS report.

The recent drop in unemployment has heartened consumers, who are more confident and spending more. That's providing much-needed support to the still-weak economy.

The Conference Board said yesterday that its index of consumer confidence surged to 72.2 in October, its highest level since February 2008, two months into the Great Recession.

The index is still below the level of 90 that's consistent with a healthy economy. But it's far above its all-time low of 25.3 in February 2009, in the midst of the financial crisis.

Americans are buying more big-ticket items, like cars and appliances. Auto companies reported steady sales gains last month despite losing three days of business to the storm in heavily populated areas of the Northeast.

Yet businesses remain nervous about the economy's future course. Many are concerned that Congress will fail to reach a budget deal before January. If lawmakers can't strike an agreement, sharp tax increases and spending cuts will take effect next year and possibly trigger another recession.

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Markets buoyed by upbeat US jobs news

LONDON — Stronger than expected U.S. jobs figures gave markets a boost Friday in the last major economic news release before the country's presidential election.

The Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy generated 171,000 jobs in October, higher than the 125,000 or so expected in the markets. The unemployment rate, which is based on a separate survey, rose to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent, but that was in line with predictions.

As a result, President Barack Obama and his rival Mitt Romney will each have something to cling onto in the final days of their campaigning before Tuesday's election.

Overall, this week's economic indicators, which also showed a rise in consumer confidence and a bounce-back in the housing market, are likely provide some last-minute support for Obama.

"A better than expected payrolls number continues the recent run of better economic data from the U.S., and should boost the Obama campaign," said Ian Kernohan, an analyst at Royal London Asset Management.

Following the data's release, European stock markets pushed higher, while Wall Street futures turned positive.

The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was trading 0.2 percent higher at 5,874 while Germany's DAX rose 0.5 percent to 7,370. The CAC-40 in France was up 0.4 percent at 3,489.

On Wall Street, Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures were up 0.3 percent.

Elsewhere, the dollar garnered further strength after the data, especially against the euro, which was weighed down by poor manufacturing figures for the 17-country eurozone. By midafternoon London time, the euro was 0.7 percent lower at $1.2855.

The fall in the October purchasing managers index — a gauge of business activity — fell to 45.4 in October from 46.1 in September. Anything below 50 indicates a contraction in activity. Particularly worrying was that most of the euro countries are seeing their manufacturing sectors contract, including Germany and France.

The euro is also being weighed down by worries over Greece, with signs that the coalition government is fracturing ahead of a parliamentary vote next week on a €13.5 billion package of spending cuts and tax increases that are required by international creditors in return for giving the country more bailout cash.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has said the country will start running out of money by the middle of the month, so the clock is ticking.

"It all looks very fragile," said Neil MacKinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital.

Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index advanced 1.2 percent to close at 9,051.22. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.3 percent to 22,111.33 and South Korea's Kospi gained 1.1 percent to 1,918.72.

Oil prices gave up most of the previous session's gains — benchmark oil for December delivery fell 70 cents to $86.39 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

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

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Springfield developers blast gambling honcho

The head of the state gaming board encouraged a top casino exec who had been considering Springfield to mull Boston, raising ethical questions from industry watchdogs as well as the ire of developers who claim the conversation helped sink their project.

Two Springfield developers who were working with Hard Rock International to build a proposed gaming palace in the city blasted Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby yesterday for suggesting to a top Hard Rock executive that the firm consider Boston, where Suffolk Downs racetrack is the odds-on favorite to land a coveted casino license.

"In the chairman's zeal to find a competitor for Suffolk Downs, he severely undercut and damaged our ability to deliver a world-class project for the city of Springfield," said Anthony Ravosa, a former Springfield city councilor whose company, Western Mass Development, was working with Hard Rock. "I think it's entirely inappropriate."

The conversation occurred in August between Crosby and Hard Rock chief financial officer Brad Buchanan at a gaming board hearing in Springfield.

Anthony Cignoli, another Western Mass Development partner, said the conversation led the businessmen to believe that Crosby was urging them to consider a Boston license, rather than Springfield. Hard Rock pulled the plug on its Springfield plans last month.

"I think it's a step over the line," Cignoli told the Herald. "To have a commissioner take an international player like Hard Rock and suggest to them they should be somewhere else besides Springfield is really egregious."

Crosby downplayed the flap, saying he made a "passing comment" to Buchanan, whom he said he had never met before the meeting.

"Somewhere in the course of that conversation I said, 'It's great to have you interested in western Mass. You should look at eastern Mass. too,' " Crosby said last night. "It was a complete nothing. It's totally silly to say that had anything to do with the Hard Rock's actions.

"It's certainly appropriate to talk to people about the various opportunities in Massachusetts," he added. "I don't think it would be inappropriate for us to sort of generically encourage all people to look long and hard at the competitive opportunities."

Crosby has been pushing for more competition in the Boston region for months. Casino experts question whether Crosby — who will be tasked with approving casino license applicants — may have crossed an ethical line.

"I don't think it's appropriate," said gaming expert Richard McGowan, a Boston College professor. "He's not supposed to be going out soliciting bids."

Sources say Hard Rock has, in fact, turned its sights to the Boston area and is eyeballing a site in Everett. So far, the only competition for Suffolk Downs is Crossroads Resorts in Milford, but the developers of that project have yet to reveal any formal plans.

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'Facebook' for docs sees rash of success

Matthew J. Goldstein was stumped. Three months ago, the Brigham and Women's Hospital physician had a patient with a mysterious rash. So, uncertain what to prescribe, Goldstein obtained the woman's permission to post photos of it on Doximity, the equivalent of Facebook for doctors, seeking advice.

Within 24 hours, he received a half dozen responses from other physicians, most recommending a high-dose steroid cream for what turned out to be a case of dyshidrotic eczema.

"Doximity is like a remote consult service," Goldstein said. "The ability to get real-time advice from colleagues around the country about a difficult case I'm having is really helpful."

He isn't the only who thinks so. Started in San Mateo, Calif., two years ago, Doximity already counts some 100,000 doctors — one in six U.S. physicians — as users, according to Jeff Tangney, the company's founder.

Tangney saw a need for such a Web site because doctors, for liability and patient-privacy reasons, often are discouraged from using Facebook. In addition to being a social-media site, Doximity.com acts as a referral service for lawyers looking for an expert witness and Wall Street analysts and hedge-fund managers seeing stock advice on medical products, he said. Clients pay an average of $500 to the doctor and $200 per interview with a physician to Doximity.

Alexi Nazem, another Brigham and Women's doctor, uses its mobile app to keep up-to-date on medical news and find the internal numbers of other hospitals. Doximity also has a separate mobile app called Amion that Nazem uses to find out who's on call at his hospital.

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New player enters casino sweepstakes

BOSTON --A new player has entered the sweepstakes to open a casino in Massachusetts.

The Boston Globe reports that Chicago casino and real estate tycoon Neil Bluhm is pursuing casino development rights in the state and will send representatives to meet with the state gambling commission next week.

Bluhm, chairman of Rush Street Gaming, has not yet chosen a site for a casino in Massachusetts.

The state plans to allow up to three casinos.

In another development, the head of the state gambling commission is under fire from two western Massachusetts developers who were working with Hard Rock International to open a casino in the region. They tell the Boston Herald that commission Chairman Stephen Crosby encouraged a Hard Rock executive to turn efforts to eastern Massachusetts. Crosby says he made a "passing comment

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

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Twit does damage to Twitter

It took a 29-year-old hedge fund analyst and political operative with a sick compulsion for inciting panic to expose the dark side of Twitter earlier this week.

Using his widely followed account @ComfortablySmug, the New Yorker posted false updates on Monday claiming disastrous scenarios during already-disastrous Hurricane Sandy. He preyed on fear and caused people to waste precious time refuting his lies. Among his hoaxes: that the New York Stock Exchange had flooded, Governor Cuomo was trapped, and that Con Edison would shut off all power in Manhattan. He sprinkled truth amid fiction, lending credence to his con. Some of the ploys received more than 600 retweets.

Every number I called for Shashank Tripathi appeared to have been disconnected yesterday. He issued a public apology only after being outed by the web site Buzzfeed on Tuesday, and resigned his job as manager of a GOP congressional campaign.

It seems as if Tripathi falsely yelled "fire" in a virtual crowded theater. But the metaphor used by the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes as the classic example of unprotected speech is not an accurate reflection of what's punishable today.

"It's a very handy metaphor, but it doesn't represent the state of the law today," said Jeff Hermes, director of the Digital Media Law Project at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

For @ComfortablySmug to face charges, he would have had to incite lawless activity, such as a riot. There are enough unenforceable laws on the books anyway. But as the ultimate in crowd-sourced information, Twitter failed to self-correct for the truth.

"So many people who are respected kept re-tweeting him," said Jim Manley, the former aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and a relative newcomer to Twitter, who called out Tripathi. "I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with it."

Manley was trying to decide whether to "unfollow" those who retweeted the falsehoods without checking the source. It's simply not enough that we all include in our profiles the disclaimer that retweets aren't endorsements. That's not gonna fly when a similar con artist finally incites that riot.

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Weekly US jobless aid applications fall to 363K

WASHINGTON — Weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 363,000 last week, a level consistent with modest hiring.

The report comes just before Friday's October jobs data, the last broad snapshot of the economy before the presidential election Tuesday. The still-weak job market has been a top issue for voters during the campaign.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week average of claims, a less volatile measure, declined to 367,250. The average has been around that level for three months.

A department spokesman said Hurricane Sandy had no effect on the number of applicants. The report covered the week ending Oct. 27, before the storm reached shore.

But the devastation and economic disruptions that the storm caused this week will likely increase applications for unemployment aid in coming weeks. Workers who have been temporarily laid off because of the storm are expected to seek benefits.

Applications have fluctuated between 360,000 and 390,000 since January. During that time, employers have added an average of about 150,000 jobs a month. That's reduced the unemployment rate from 8.3 percent in January to 7.8 percent in September.

The economy picked up slightly this summer after a sluggish spring. Growth rose to a 2 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter, up from 1.3 percent in the April-June quarter. Consumers and the federal government spent more, and the housing market contributed to growth for the sixth straight quarter.

Still, the economy is growing too slowly to rapidly bring relief to roughly 12 million out-of-work Americans. With the unemployment rate still high, steady growth of more than 3 percent is generally needed to create a sufficient number of jobs.

The unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent in September. That's the first time the rate has been below 8 percent since January 2009, President Barack Obama's first month in office.

The rate fell because a government survey of households found a huge increase in the number of people who had jobs. Still, a jump in part-time employment accounted for most of the gain.

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Chestnut Hill to add 3 restaurants

The Mall at Chestnut Hill wants to expand its footprint so it can fit in three new restaurants and spiff up the front of the upscale shopping center.

Owner Simon Property Group's plans come amid a flurry of competing Route 9 retail developments taking shape around the mall.

"They're looking for flexibility to turn some retail space to restaurant space and slightly bump out the facade for these new potential tenants," said Alexandra Ananth, a Newton senior city planner. "It's sort of in response to improving their visibility on Route 9."

A spokesman for Simon acknowledged it wanted to add some "great restaurants to the dining mix" but declined further comment. Plans filed with the city show space for patio seating, a relocated mall road and new signs.

Newton Mayor Setti Warren said he's excited about the expansion but wants to ensure residents' and city officials' input guides the permitting process.

"There's also questions about parking on the site that need to be answered," said Warren, who called infrastructure improvements and other projects on Route 9 "transformative."

Directly across from the mall, a Wegmans grocery store will anchor Chestnut Hill Square, a 340,000-square-foot retail, restaurant, residential and medical office project.

Adjacent to the mall, the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center is expanding to 406,000 square feet, and Bernard's Gourmet Asian Cuisine is relocating there from the mall. Other new tenants include Del Frisco's Grille, Davio's Cucina and Shake Shack.

The nearby Atrium Mall, recently sold by Simon, is being converted into medical offices with some retail.

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In NYC, the show goes on, even if sans audience

NEW YORK — For the second night in a row, superstorm Sandy and its aftermath forced David Letterman to live out that performer's nightmare: Telling jokes to a vacant theater, or as he called it, "a big ol' empty barn."

Letterman hosting the "Late Show" to an unpeopled Ed Sullivan Theater on Tuesday, as he did on Monday, was the oddest sight of the considerable and continuing cultural fallout of the hurricane that left New York institutions like Broadway, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center no more open for business than the city's damaged subway system.

But the New York entertainment industry was fighting to go on with the show, and none more than several of the city's late-night shows. Though "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show" canceled tapings for the second day, the "Late Show," Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" and a traveling out-of-towner, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," went ahead with shows Tuesday.

When "Late Show" band leader Paul Schafer asked Letterman how they were supposed to approach such an awkward situation, Letterman quickly replied: "Just like every night: We pretend the audience isn't here."

When Letterman introduced his first guest, Kate Hudson, the actress didn't stride out; instead appeared a middle-aged bald man — presumably an employee of the "Late Show" — who bantered with Letterman as if he were Hudson.

The three shows took varied approaches to inviting audiences to brave the difficult transportation prospects. Kimmel, a Brooklyn native, had planned to begin a week of shows in the borough on Monday. He began them a day late on Tuesday — with audience — at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

"I was born in Bay Ridge. I grew up in Mill Basin, and tonight I have returned to save my people from the storm," said Kimmel, referring to Brooklyn neighborhoods. "Thank you for ignoring the local authorities to be here tonight."

Like Letterman, Fallon had hosted his show Monday without an audience — an experience that guest Seth Meyers compared to watching Charlie Rose "if he had a band and everybody was a little high" — but he happily welcomed audience members back on Tuesday.

"First off, thanks to our great audience for making it out to the show tonight," Fallon began his monologue Tuesday. "I'm so glad you're here, because last night's audience was the worst."

As the city took account of the damage wrought by the storm, the aftermath of Sandy continued to cause the cancellations of film premieres, film and TV production and even that most unshakable performer: Bruce Springsteen.

The Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert scheduled for Tuesday night at the Rochester Blue Cross Arena in upstate New York was postponed until Wednesday because of flight cancellations for the band and ticket holders.

The city revoked film permits for a second day Tuesday. The sets of "Smash," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "30 Rock," "Deception" and "Do No Harm" were closed, NBC said, and "SVU" won't tape Wednesday. Other series temporarily knocked out of production included "666 Park," "Gossip Girl" and "Person of Interest."

Films forced to stop shooting include Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" and Akiva Goldsman's "Winter's Tale," and the Tuesday premiere of Joe Wright's Tolstoy adaptation "Anna Karenina" was canceled.

ABC's "Good Morning America," NBC's "Today" show and "CBS This Morning" aired live Tuesday with extensive storm coverage, though "GMA" was forced to cancel its planned Wednesday Halloween special.

Daytime shows were less successful, with production called off for "Live! With Kelly and Michael," "Katie," "The View" and "The Chew." ABC said work on all the programs would resume Wednesday.

All 40 Broadway theaters were closed, and while most hoped to open Wednesday, both "The Lion King" and "Mary Poppins" announced that Wednesday's shows would also be canceled.

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Taylor Swift's 'Red' sells 1.2 million copies in debut

NEW YORK — Taylor Swift's new album is called "Red," but its true color is a brilliant platinum. The 22-year-old sold 1.2 million copies of her latest album in its first week — the largest sales week for any album in a decade.

Nielsen SoundScan confirmed the blockbuster sales on Tuesday night. "Red" marks Swift's second straight album to sell more than 1 million copies in its first week; "Speak Now," her third album, sold a little over 1 million copies when it was released in 2010. She is the only woman to have two albums sell more than 1 million copies in its first week.

"They just told me Red sold 1.2 million albums first week. How is this real life?! You are UNREAL. I love you so much. Thanks a million ;)," Swift tweeted Tuesday night.

The only other act to sell more than 1 million copies of an album in its debut week twice was 'N Sync.

Swift isn't a boy band, but she's certainly got the appeal of one: the country crossover has a huge following, particularly among teens who have followed her since she was a teen herself, releasing her first album. But she's also a critic's darling: The Grammy-winner's "Red" garnered plenty of acclaim when it was released last week.

Swift was omnipresent in the week of the album's release, appearing on such shows as "Good Morning America" and "Katie." She also joined with two untraditional partners — Papa John's and Walgreens, which offered the album for sale. And she announced her upcoming tour.

The last album to sell more than 1 million copies in its debut week was Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," which sold 1.1 million copies last year. However, that album was deeply discounted on Amazon.com in its first week.

Swift has the opportunity to celebrate for a second time this week: As the reigning "Entertainer of the Year" at the CMA Awards, she has the chance to capture the trophy again when it is held Thursday in Nashville.

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Hurricane Sandy scares Wall Street

After a two-day shutdown caused by Hurricane Sandy, Wall Street will be back in business this morning as experts tally the storm's damage — a figure that could reach as high as $50 billion — and worry about ripple effects on the economy.

"There will be no Halloween costumes on the New York Stock Exchange when the market opens back up because there will be a great deal of tension just in terms of restarting the markets and making sure ... trading goes smoothly," said Peter Andersen, senior portfolio manager at Boston-based Congress Asset Management. "Other than, say, repairing their roofs, money managers have had two additional days to be thinking about portfolios and the stocks they're in, and they may have changed their opinions in the past two days of certain stocks."

Nationwide, Hurricane Sandy could end up costing as much as $20 billion in property damage and up to $30 billion more in lost business, the forecasting firm IHS Global Insight predicted yesterday. Last year's Tropical Storm Irene caused $4.3 billion in insured losses, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

IHS said the short-term blow to the economy could shave about 0.6 percentage point from U.S. economic growth in the October-December quarter, given the hits to retailers, airlines and home construction firms.

"It's going to be felt in the New York City/New Jersey area where they got devastated," said Elliot Winer, chief economist for the Northeast Analyst Group. "In Massachusetts, it's probably not going to be any different than any bad storm that comes in for a day and people don't go out."

Teams from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency fanned out across the state yesterday to assess the damage caused by Sandy, which knocked out power to about 370,000 Bay State households and businesses on Monday.

"We don't know yet if there's enough damage to qualify for (federal) aid," said MEMA spokesman Peter Judge. "The damage has to be large and widespread, with schools closing for the better part of a week and nursing homes having to be evacuated. Those things we're not seeing yet."

As stores reopened and workers returned to their jobs, hurricane damage claims poured into insurance companies yesterday. By mid-afternoon, Eastern Insurance Group had received nearly 200 claims, mostly related to tree and roof damage, said claims manager Roy Grafton.

"These are the types of events that test an insurer's value," said Glenn Greenberg, a Liberty Mutual spokesman.

Greenberg would not disclose how many claims the company had received but said it had several hundred employees handling claims coming in by phone.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said they will offer help to borrowers whose homes were damaged or destroyed, who live in designated disaster areas and whose loans the mortgage giants own or guarantee.

Barbara Anthony, undersecretary of the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, urged people to photograph any damage to their property, shop around for a contractor, ask for references and a written estimate, make sure their insurer will pay for the work, keep all of their receipts and call the state's insurance hot line (1-877-563-4467) with any questions.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

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US futures rise ahead of week's first trading day

NEW YORK — Stock futures rose Wednesday, the first day of trading this week after Hurricane Sandy shut down Wall Street and darkened a broad swath of the East Coast.

Global markets remained relatively buoyant while U.S. financial markets were shut down, and they rose again ahead of the opening bell on strong earnings from automakers in Europe and the U.S., and also on quarterly results from European airlines.

Dow Jones industrial futures rose 47 points to 13,101. The broader S&P futures tacked on 7.7 points to 1,415.30. Nasdaq futures rose 8.25 points to 2,667.25.

General Motors Co. easily beat most expectations for the third quarter, though profits were dragged down by the debt crisis in Europe. North American warranty costs cut into earnings as well.

Mazda broke free of a long string of losses, posting a $153.3 million profit in the July-September quarter, though it revised downward its sales forecast for the year.

Other corporate earnings coming out Wednesday include, MasterCard and Visa. Dozens of quarterly reports which had been postponed will be arriving over the next two days.

The government releases its comprehensive jobs report for October at the end of the week.

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Holiday gadgets: Microsoft phones, Google gadgets

NEW YORK — Microsoft launched its new Windows phone system and Google unveiled new devices under its Nexus brand. Both part of an effort to grab more of consumers' holiday-shopping dollars.

Last week, Microsoft started selling its Windows 8 operating system and Surface tablet computer. Apple announced new iPads and Mac computers. Samsung launched a giant smartphone.

Barnes & Noble Inc. will start shipping new Nook devices Thursday, while Apple's new iPads, including a smaller one, will be out Friday. A larger version of Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire comes out later in the month.

These are some of the gadgets to expect for the holidays:

— APPLE DEVICES

Apple has done well selling its full-sized tablet computer, which has a screen that measures nearly 10 inches diagonally. But companies such as Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc. have made inroads selling tablets with smaller, 7-inch screens and lower price tags.

To maintain its dominance, Apple will start shipping the iPad Mini on Friday, though new orders through Apple's website will take longer because initial supplies had sold out. It will have a 7.9-inch screen, making it slightly larger than those smaller rivals but about two-thirds the size of a regular iPad.

The iPad Mini starts at $329, well above the $159 starting price for Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire and $199 for Google Inc.'s Nexus 7. Both have 7-inch screens. The Mini will be just $70 cheaper than the 2011 iPad 2, which is still available.

Apple will make a version of the iPad Mini that can access cellular networks from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. That version will start at $459, compared with $629 for the full-sized cellular model.

Apple is also refreshing its full-sized iPad, giving it a faster processor and faster Wi-Fi capabilities.

Meanwhile, Apple has unveiled a 13-inch version of a MacBook Pro with sharper, "Retina" display, complementing the 15-inch version unveiled in June. Apple also updated its iMac line.

Last month, Apple began selling its iPhone 5. The new phone is bigger, but thinner than previous models and works with faster cellular networks known as 4G.

— PHONE RIVAL

Apple's leading rival, Samsung Electronics Co., came out with a new version of its flagship phone, the Galaxy S III, months ago. But Samsung is known for releasing products throughout the year, each targeted at a different base of consumers.

For those who like to work with a stylus, the Galaxy Note II smartphone came out last week. T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular are selling it now. Verizon and AT&T are taking advance orders for shipments in the coming weeks.

The Note comes on the heels of Samsung's campaign touting its Galaxy S III phone as its "next big thing." The Note is even bigger, with a 5.5 inch screen, compared with the S III's 4.8 inches and the iPhone 5's 4 inches, all measured diagonally.

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Wall Street still dark, exchanges test systems

NEW YORK — With large portions of lower Manhattan still dark early Tuesday, U.S. stock exchanges said they were testing contingency plans to ensure trading resumes as soon as possible this week after Hurricane Sandy smashed into the East Coast.

U.S. markets will be closed for a second day, but the New York Stock Exchange said that despite reports that its historic trading floor suffered irreparable damage, no such damage has occurred and that contingency plans are being tested only as a safety measure.

The measures would push the opening and closing auctions to the electronic NYSE Arca system.

Futures trading will go on until 9:15 a.m. Eastern Tuesday, but volume is light.

Dow Jones industrial futures fell 21 points to 13,033. The broader S&P futures gave up 0.6 points to 1,407. Nasdaq futures slipped 7.75 points to 2,651.25.

Officials with the NYSE and Nasdaq say they plan to open on Wednesday, though portions of southern Manhattan were inundated with water.

Tuesday marks the first time since 1888 that the NYSE remained closed for two consecutive days due to weather.

Dozens of companies have postponed earnings reports this week because of the storm, but Ford Motor Co. did release results for the third quarter that topped Wall Street expectations.

Ford's revenue fell 3 percent to $32.1 billion because of the economic crisis in Europe and falling sales in South America. The company exceeded Wall Street's revenue forecast of $31.5 billion largely because of North America, where revenue jumped 8 percent.

Global markets rebounded Tuesday though trading was subdued in the wake of the storm that pounded Wall Street, in addition to a broad swath of the East Coast.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.7 percent at 5,835 while Germany's DAX rose 0.9 percent to 7,266. The CAC-40 in France was 0.8 percent higher at 3,436.

Earlier in Asia, trading was mixed.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1 percent to close at 8,841.98.

South Korea's Kospi index rose 0.4 percent to 1,899.58 but Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.4 percent to 21,428.58. Benchmarks in mainland China also rose.

Crude oil prices rose 50 cents to $86.04 Tuesday in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

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Ford earns $1.63 billion in 3Q

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford's third-quarter profit eased 1 percent to $1.63 billion as European losses swamped record North American profits.

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday its per-share net income was 41 cents, unchanged from the July-September period a year earlier. Before special items, including severance payouts, it earned 40 cents, beating Wall Street's forecast of 30 cents, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

Ford's revenue fell 3 percent to $32.1 billion as vehicle sales dropped in Europe and South America. The company exceeded Wall Street's revenue forecast of $31.5 billion largely because of North America, where revenue jumped 8 percent to $19.5 billion thanks to higher pricing and strong sales of higher-margin trucks and SUVs.

Dearborn-based Ford earned a record $2.3 billion in North America. Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks noted that this was the third quarter in a row that the company has made more than $2 billion in North America and reported an operating margin of 10 percent or more. Ford's North American operating margin was 12 percent in the third quarter, up from 8.6 percent a year earlier.

"To me the story isn't just the results but the consistency of the results," he said.

The company lost $468 million in Europe, where sales have fallen sharply because of the troubled economy. The company hopes to stem its losses by introducing a raft of new vehicles to Europe, including the iconic Mustang sports car. It also announced last week a plan to close three European factories by 2014, affecting 6,200 employees. But in the meantime, the company expects to lose more than $1.5 billion both this year and next year in Europe. It doesn't expect to return to profitability in the region until the middle of this decade.

Shanks said Ford is being hurt by its competitors' aggressive incentive spending in Europe. Ford has raised its prices slightly in the region, which is helping its margins but hurting its sales. Ford's European market share dropped to 7.8 percent in the third quarter, down from 8.5 percent a year ago.

Ford earned $45 million in its Asia Pacific region, reversing a loss from a year ago. It's the first profit in that region since the second quarter of 2011.

Shanks said a big investment in new plants and products for Asia is paying off. Ford reached its highest-ever market share in China in the third quarter thanks to strong sales of the new Focus, which went on sale in the spring. Ford controlled 3.6 percent of the Chinese new-car market, up from 2.8 percent a year ago.

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Boeing to sell 35 new 737 airplanes to Russia

NEW YORK — Boeing is selling 35 of its redesigned 737 aircraft to a Russian state-run leasing company in a deal that would be worth $3 billion, if sold at current list prices.

The deal with Aviation Capital Services LLC, a subsidiary of State Corporation Russian Technologies, marks the first commitment for the new 737 from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Boeing, based in Chicago, says it's working with Aviation Capital Services to finalize the details of the agreement.

The redesigned 737, which Boeing calls the Max, is a new version of the classic 737 equipped with a more efficient engine to lower fuel costs.

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US Steel 3Q profit doubles despite revenue drop

U.S Steel's third-quarter net income doubled as a tax benefit helped balance pressure from price increases and a challenging global economy.

The Pittsburgh manufacturer said Tuesday that it earned $44 million, or 28 cents per share, in the quarter that ended Sept. 30. That compares with $22 million, or 15 cents per share, a year ago.

Revenue fell more than 8 percent to $4.65 billion.

U.S. Steel Corp. makes steel for a number of end uses from cars to building construction. Steel manufacturers have coped with anemic demand for much of the year because key customers such as the construction industry have cut purchases.

All trading in company shares has been suspended on the New York Stock Exchange because of Hurricane Sandy.

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Finally, good karma for Windows

The slew of new Windows 8 devices that just hit shelves includes Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga 13, a backflipping tablet/laptop combo that measures up well against the Microsoft Surface.

Of all the new devices running Windows 8, the Yoga has been most anticipated since it won best in show at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. And it's easy to see why.

A glass touch-screen monitor and a textured leather palm rest provide a great feel for your hands. For anyone who needs to work with a computer in their lap — at a coffee shop, on the train — the Microsoft Surface isn't going to fit the bill. The Yoga, however, is perfect for the task. Though it's a few inches larger than the ultra-portable Surface, the Yoga's form is more versatile. It configures four ways: like a laptop, a tablet, a tent or a stand.

The MacBook Pro is just about my favorite laptop. Yet the Yoga is 25 percent lighter than the current MacBook Pro and it's even a tiny bit lighter than the upcoming version with Retina display. The memory and storage of the Yoga will rival or exceed the MacBook Pro, depending on the configuration. The Yoga has a giant leg up in terms of design and its touchscreen monitor. Though the Pro has higher screen resolution, the Yoga's price is better, starting at $999.

Problems with the Yoga are simply problems with Windows 8. Because "programs" are now "apps," things are just, well, different. I got particularly hung up on my inability to run apps in split-screen mode, a feature Windows 7 allowed. In Windows 8, two programs running alongside one another appear with one as a small sidebar and the other filling the rest of the view. Legacy programs such as Microsoft Office can run, but only if you're in "desktop mode." Microsoft gave Windows 8 users the ability to switch back to the old interface for two reasons: to placate consumers who'd otherwise be scared away, and because the new version of Office optimized for the new interface isn't ready yet. This feature definitely muddies the waters for the new face of Windows, and Surface has this problem as well.

I'd like to see sharper screen resolution on the Yoga, but it's otherwise hard to find fault with this device. No, this isn't a gamer's laptop or a graphic designer's work machine. But, it easily renders the MacBook Pro a distant second. Though it's not as sexy as the Microsoft Surface, the Yoga might just be worth plunking down the extra cash if it's a choice between the two — especially for someone with real laptop needs.

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Clean Harbors buying Safety-Kleen for $1.25B

NORWELL — Clean Harbors is buying Safety-Kleen for $1.25 billion in cash as it looks to enter smaller markets and expand its waste treatment capabilities.

Safety-Kleen Inc. is a re-refiner and recycler of used oil and provides parts cleaning and environmental services. It collects approximately 200 million gallons of used oil annually, the majority of which it returns to the marketplace as reusable motor oil.

Clean Harbors Inc., based in Norwell, Mass., provides environmental, energy and industrial services. It said Monday it will be better able to penetrate small quantity waste generator markets after the acquisition.

The company expects the acquisition to immediately add to its results, excluding one-time fees and acquisition-related expenses.

The deal, expected to close by year's end, still needs approval from U.S. and Canadian regulators.

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Pearson, Bertelsmann confirm publishing tie-up

LONDON — Pearson PLC will merge its Penguin Books division with Random House, which is owned by German media company Bertelsmann, in an all-share deal that will create the world's largest publisher of consumer books.

The planned joint venture brings together classic and best-selling names. As well as publishing books from authors such as John Grisham, Random House scored a major hit this year with "Fifty Shades of Grey." Penguin has a strong backlist, including George Orwell, Jack Kerouac and John Le Carre.

The two companies said Monday that Bertelsmann would own a controlling 53 percent share of the joint venture, which will be known as Penguin Random House.

Bertelsmann would keep full control of Verlagsgruppe Random House, its trade publishing business in Germany, and Pearson would retain the right to use the Penguin brand in education.

The announcement may lay to rest the ambition of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. [NWS] of netting Penguin. Reports over the past couple of days have indicated that News Corp. has expressed an interest in buying Penguin for 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) in cash. News Corp. owns HarperCollins, another big publishing house.

Under the terms of the deal, Random House worldwide chief executive Markus Dohle will be CEO of the new group while Penguin's CEO John Makinson will be the chairman of its board of directors.

"Together, the two publishers will be able to share a large part of their costs, to invest more for their author and reader constituencies and to be more adventurous in trying new models in this exciting, fast-moving world of digital books and digital readers," said Marjorie Scardino, chief executive of Pearson.

And Bertelsmann's Dohle said the link-up will "create a publishing home that gives employees, authors, agents, and booksellers access to unprecedented resources."

The closing of the deal is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2013 following regulatory approval.

Pearson said the deal does not require approval by shareholders; Bertelsmann is privately owned.

Pearson shares were down 1 percent at 1,209 pence in midmorning trading in London.

The Financial Times, a Pearson publication, reported Monday that News Corp. had approached Pearson "at the highest level" about a possible cash offer for Penguin. The Sunday Times, owned by News Corp., reported that Murdoch was prepared to offer 1 billion pounds in cash.

Pearson declined to comment on the possible interest of News Corp.

In 2011, Random House reported revenues of €1.7billion ($2.2 billion) and operating profit of €185 million. Penguin had revenues of 1 billion pounds and an operating profit of 111 million pounds.

Pearson meanwhile reported that its operating profit in the first nine months of the year fell 5 percent although revenue increased by 5 percent. Revenue from Penguin was down 1 percent on a constant currency basis.

The company attributed the profit drop to its sale last year of its half share of FTSE International, a joint venture with the London Stock Exchange.

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Fitch: US money funds dip toes back into Europe

FRANKFURT, Germany — The big U.S. money market funds are loaning more to banks in the 17-country eurozone as fears ease over the continent's debt crisis and shaky financial system.

Fitch, the credit ratings agency, said Monday that the 10 largest U.S. funds increased their exposure for the third straight month in September. The funds now have 10.6 percent of their holdings in credit to European banks, up 16 percent from August.

The agency said that is because actions by central banks have reduced turmoil and volatility in the financial system. The European Central Bank has said it is willing to buy the bonds of indebted governments on financial markets, lowering their borrowing costs and the chance they might default.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is also buying financial assets to increase the supply of money in the U.S. economy and support growth.

Money funds take cash from investors and put it to work in credit markets — by lending to banks for short periods of time, for example.

The money funds had pulled back from lending to European banks because of fears they might run into trouble and not repay the money. But now fund managers are making modest increases in the amounts of bank commercial paper and CDs that they hold.

European banks are troubled because many are still working off big losses on government bonds that have fallen in value and on loans made during soured real estate booms in countries like Spain and Ireland.

Despite the recent increase, money funds' exposure to Europe remains just 70 percent what it was before the crisis, and won't soon return to earlier levels, Fitch analysts said.

That's because of lingering investor caution toward the eurozone. It's also because banks are relying less on the more volatile forms of getting credit. Borrowing from money funds can be volatile for a bank because borrowing rates can fluctuate. As a result, some banks are focusing on safer ways of financing, such as attracting more customer deposits.

The Fitch Ratings study measured the lending of the top 10 prime money funds by size, with $646 billion under investment, or about 45 percent of the $1.4 trillion in total U.S. money fund assets.

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US consumer spending rose 0.8 percent in September

WASHINGTON — Americans increased their spending in September at twice the rate their income rose, a sign of confidence in the economy.

The Commerce Department says consumer spending increased 0.8 percent in September, the best showing since February. Personal income rose 0.4 percent, an improvement from a slight 0.1 percent gain in August and the best gain since March.

A pickup in consumer spending helped lift economic growth in the July-September quarter to a still-modest 2 percent annual rate. The economy had grown at a 1.3 percent rate in the April-June period.

The slight acceleration in growth was seen as encouraging, but economists are still worried that the economy is stuck in a slow-growth rut.

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Obama's head of the class

The sluggish economic recovery has the Hub's collegiate upperclassmen wracked with worry over their job prospects come graduation day, yet many say President Obama remains the right leader to fix the nation's ills.

"Obama has already pushed down the unemployment level. Romney just seems entirely out of touch with the whole situation in that he approaches everything as if it were a business plan," said Boston University senior Colin White, 21, of New Jersey. "He always talks about how he's a self-made man, but he's had his opportunities."

White, a double major in anthropology and film and television, said he has some job prospects, "but at this point they are kind of tenuous."

"I wish I had done engineering to begin with, because jobs in engineering are much better to come by," he said. "Anthropology and film and television, while interesting industries ... are looked down upon in a lot of regards."

The Herald interviewed upperclassmen at seven local colleges and universities this week. When asked whom they would vote for on Election Day, more than two-thirds pledged their support for Obama.

Amira Downes, 22, a Boston University senior from Harwich majoring in sociology, said Obama needs more time to repair economic damage left in the wake of George W. Bush's two terms as president, yet added she was "scared" about finding a job in her field.

"I'm sort of relying on my father to help me out," she said. "I think in the future I do wish I took something that could help me gain more skill instead of just having general knowledge."

Last month, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds with a bachelor's degree or higher and not enrolled in school was 6.3 percent, compared to 8.1 percent and 9.1 percent for the same period in 2011 and 2010, respectively, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While new jobs are being created, there aren't enough to meet the needs of both the unemployed and new entrants into the workforce, said Michael Goodman, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

"Just because you have degrees in the social sciences or humanities doesn't mean you're unemployable," Goodman said. "There are jobs available for college students, but they aren't always going to be held for new college graduates."

Connecticut native and Suffolk University senior Elizabeth Kelleher, 20, said while she has some concerns about securing a job, Obama seems more apt to keep financial aid funding intact for students.

"I think that government majors do fairly well with finding a job," said Kelleher, who is majoring in international affairs and Spanish. "I think that my professors here at Suffolk and the different experiences that I have had have set me up so that I will be ready for the workforce in May."

College students looking to land performing arts careers told the Herald they were prepared to hit vocational roadblocks post-graduation, yet added Obama was the more trustworthy candidate.

"I had five jobs this summer, so, at least for me, I don't think it's hard getting a job just to survive," said Devin Holloway, 21, an Emerson College junior from New Orleans majoring in musical theater. "My gut feeling, from just looking at Mitt Romney, is I just don't trust him. I think (Obama's) doing the best he can."

"I don't really have a job opportunity ahead unless I get cast in something," added Adam Santaniello, 21, a theater major at Suffolk University from Connecticut. "If I have to vote, I'm voting for Obama. He's more gay-friendly, and that's a major reason for me. I don't think you can turn (the economy) around in four years."

Job fears also extend to members of Boston's graduate student population.

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Shelburne Falls nurse practitioner helps promote homeopathy in Haiti

SHELBURNE FALLS — The first time nurse practitioner/homeopath Lauren Fox of West County Physicians went to Haiti was six months after the catastrophic earthquake hit Port-Au-Prince, a city of about 6 million people.

"People were in emotional and mental shock," she said. "They needed physical help. People were still walking around in a total daze. Some had lost their homes or their family. Some didn't even know where they are."

"It has evolved since then," Fox said.

Fox has been to Haiti three times since the 2010 earthquake, as a volunteer with Homeopaths Without Borders (HWB), a group that offers both homeopathic treatment and training in the use of homeopathic medicine.

Fox spent a week in early September both treating patients and helping train the first group of 15 students who are to graduate from HWB's "Fundamentals Program," a curriculum in homeopathic therapeutics. According to Fox, the students include nurses, medical students, pharmacists and a couple of community workers. She said the students spent 90 hours in a classroom and under supervision in a clinic setting.

"We're going to move this teaching project to another part of the island, in the mountains where there is no medical practice whatsoever," she said. "The whole project is to get them to be teaching and to do clinics and run study groups."

A nurse practitioner for 40 years, Fox was also a home-births midwife for about 20 years. She has been a practitioner of homeopathy, an alternative medical treatment, for 30 years.

"It's a systematic form of medicine that uses minute doses of natural substances that encourage the body to heal itself," says Fox. "It's safe and effective for all ages. It also can be used to stimulate the immune system, she said. "It's easily learned."

On her website, Fox explains: "The more individualized this medicine is, the more likely the person will respond with a lasting healing response. ... Guided by sound medical knowledge, the remedies can be utilized together with conventional treatments and drugs."

Although Fox is busy with her practice in Shelburne Falls and in Florence, she says she treated about 100 people in Haiti over four days in September, at a temporary clinic she and others set up in a remote, hilltop church.

"Before the earthquake, there were 300 hospitals and clinics in Port-au-Prince," she said. "Now there are about 100. Not to mention all the people outside of the city that have no access to health care."

When Homeopaths Without Borders sets up temporary clinics, people learn about the clinics through word-of-mouth.

"The last time, we were in a school with a big courtyard," she said. "There's no advertising, but the word got out to the neighborhood and they all came. They waited out in the hot sun for hours just to see us."

In these makeshift clinics, a dispensary is set up, and the available homeopaths, like Fox, have about 15 minutes per patient. With the shortage of medical providers in Haiti, those seeking help even include gravely ill people, with malaria or with the AIDS virus.

"Their main complaints are headache, muscular/skeletal problems, eye problems, digestion, reflux," she said. "They are chronically malnourished," she said. "Many have severe anemia."

Fox said that HWB organization has several obstacles to overcome in Haiti. One of them is to find a pharmacy to partner with, so that homeopathic remedies can be shipped to Haiti. Fox said the group has to bring their supplies whenever they go to Haiti.

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

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Insurers nervous over prospect of Mitt Romney victory

WASHINGTON — You'd think health insurance CEOs would be chilling the bubbly with Republican Mitt Romney's improved election prospects, but instead they're in a quandary.

Although the industry hates parts of President Barack Obama's health care law, major outfits such as UnitedHealth Group and BlueCross Blue Shield also stand to rake in billions of dollars from new customers who'll get health insurance under the law. The companies already have invested tens of millions to carry it out.

Were Romney elected, insurers would be in for months of uncertainty as his administration gets used to Washington and tries to make good on his promise repeal Obama's law. Simultaneously, federal and state bureaucrats and the health care industry would face a rush of legal deadlines for putting into place the major pieces of what Republicans deride as "Obamacare."

Would they follow the law on the books or the one in the works? What would federal courts tell them to do?

The answers probably would hinge on an always unwieldy Congress.

Things could get grim for the industry if Republicans succeed in repealing the Affordable Care Act's subsidies and mandates, but leave standing its requirement that insurers cover people with health problems. If that's the outcome, the industry fears people literally could get health insurance on the way to the emergency room, and that would drive up premiums.

"There are a lot of dollars and a lot of staff time that's been put into place to make this thing operational," G. William Hoagland, until recently a Cigna vice president, said of the health care law.

Insurers "are not going to be out there saying, 'Repeal, repeal, repeal,'" added Hoagland, who oversaw public policy at the health insurance company. "They will probably try to find the particular provisions that cause them heartburn, but not throw the baby out with the bath water."

The Romney campaign isn't laying out specifics on how the candidate would carry out his repeal promise, other than to say the push would begin on his first day in office. Romney has hinted that he wants to help people with medical conditions, doesn't say what parts of the health care law he'd keep.

Likewise, America's Health Insurance Plans, the major industry trade group, isn't talking about what its members are telling the Romney campaign, though informal discussions are under way through intermediaries. Insurers like Romney's plan to privatize Medicare, and some point out that it looks a lot like Obama's approach to covering the uninsured.

Robert Laszewski, an industry consultant and blogger, says the tension is becoming unbearable.

"I spend a lot of time in executive offices and board rooms, and they are good Republicans who would like to see Romney win," said Laszewski. "But they are scared to death about what he's going to do."

There is no consensus among Republicans in Congress on how to replace Obama's law, much less anything like a bipartisan middle ground on health care, a necessity if the House retains its GOP majority and the Senate remains in Democratic hands.

In contrast, Obama's law is starting to look more and more like a tangible business opportunity. In a little over a year, some 30 million uninsured people will start getting coverage through a mix of subsidized private insurance for middle-class households and expanded Medicaid for low-income people. Many of the new Medicaid recipients would get signed up in commercial managed care companies.

A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study estimated the new markets would be worth $50 billion to $60 billion in premiums in 2014, and as much as $230 billion annually within seven years.

Under the law, insurance companies would have to accept all applicants, including the sick. But the companies also would have a steady stream of younger, healthier customers required to buy their products, with the aid of new government subsidies. That finally could bring stability to the individual and small-business insurance markets.

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

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An uneasy economy, and those living through it

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Here was Chas Kaufmann's life before the Great Recession: $28,000 in restaurant tabs in a year, cruises, house parties with fireworks. His Mr. Gutter business was booming in the Pennsylvania Poconos.

Now: "We mainly shop at Sam's Club and portion out our meals. We spend $4 to $5 a night on eating." He and his wife use space heaters in their elegant house and leave parts of it cold. The Hummer is gone, and he drives a 2005 pickup. On Nov. 6, Kaufman is voting for Mitt Romney.

Lower down the ladder, the recession put Simone Ludlow's life in a full circle. Laid off by an Atlanta hotel company in 2009, Ludlow, 32, bounced from job to job for two years, got by with a "very generous mother," still makes do by renting a room in a house owned by friends, and is back working for the company that had let her go. She's voting for President Barack Obama.

For four years, the bumpy economy cut an uneasy path. It raked small towns and big cities, knocked liberals and conservatives on their backs, plagued Republicans and Democrats alike.

It was the worst economic setback since the Depression, and it didn't take sides.

___

Across the country, Associated Press reporters asked people to talk about their livelihoods before and after the December 2007-June 2009 recession and how those experiences have shaped their politics in the presidential election just days away. Their answers help illuminate why the race is so close. In this time of great polarization, their stories bridge the partisan divide, showing that resilience and optimism are shared traits, too, and that no one seems to think either candidate can work miracles.

"Our potential doesn't rely on an election and one man or even a ballot," said Ben McCoy, 35, of Wilmington, N.C., creative director for 101 Mobility, a company that sells, installs and services handicapped access equipment. "I don't think either candidate for president has the conviction to go as far as we need to go to really get back to stability."

Economic well-being, for him, will come from personal decisions by his wife and himself, not Washington. "We will roll up our sleeves and cut the family budget down to the core if we have to, where we know we're going to eat and we know the lights are going to stay on, and that's it. We'll do it. We won't laugh and dance about it, but we'll do it."

In the Charlotte area, the recession played a cruel trick on Obama supporter Tamala Harris, wrecking the Charlotte housing market just after she quit a job to go into selling real estate. It drove Romney supporter Ray Arvin out of business selling industrial equipment from North Carolina and cleaned out his retirement savings with not that many years left to start from scratch. Both have more hope than you might think.

Harris, 38, is back in Charlotte after getting her master's in business from the University of Rochester in New York. During the worst of the calamity, she used loans and scholarships to advance her education, and looks back on it all as a time that made her dig deep.

"It made me realize what was important," she said. "It's just not the material things and having things to improve your status. I know that people are in such a rush to have things. They feel that is a validation — 'Oh I have this, I have that.' I was one of them. So, for me, I found it was a time to reflect on your character — and rebuild again. It was a wonderful time to realize when you don't have certain things — money is not coming, or houses are not selling — who's really in your corner. "

Arvin, 47, is starting over, too.

In 2001, he and his wife bought a small company that sold equipment to power utilities and the aviation industry. Business hummed until 2007, when five big customers filed for bankruptcy and the couple raided their retirement and savings accounts to keep the enterprise afloat. It sank in 2009. Now he travels five states in a 2005 Suburban as sales representative for a business supplying equipment to electric and gas companies, bringing home $50,000 to $60,000 after taxes and travel expenses.

"Am I doing better? Yes. But I've lost so much. I'm starting new. I'm confident in my ability to work hard and do well with what I do."

___

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

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Beware of app-aritions this Halloween!

Trick-or-treating has gone digital.

No more going door-to-door without a plan. These days, you've got to maximize your treat-collection efficiency by plotting a route with a mobile app. For 99 cents, the Trick or Treating app, available at the iTunes app store, allows you to save your favorite candy collection hotspots, and plot your route for the night of Halloween.

Android users can keep tabs on their children's whereabouts with Trick or Tracker. At $4.99, this is one of the higher priced apps, but it allows parents to know exactly where their child is on a map during Halloween — and year-round. Both the child and parent must install the app for it to work. The price includes the "Latch Key" app, which tells you when your child has arrived at home and at school.

What's more, Trick or Tracker includes geofencing, which allows parents to draw a virtual fence and receive alerts when their child enters or leaves the perimeter. It's a feature also offered by Snap Secure ($57.99 for five phones, Android), which is a comprehensive security suite that has a personal panic button and allows you to see every place your child's been.

Planning a Halloween party? Halloween Planner (99 cents, Android) will ensure you don't freak out, with hundreds of tips on how to create that ghoulish vibe. All the songs anyone could want to set a haunting mood are just 99 cents with Halloween Party Pack (Android).

SpookyPic, which has a free and 99-cent version, and iMut8r put the monster in your mash of photos. SpookyPic overlays creepy shadows and broken glass on your photos, and iMut8r, which costs 99 cents, will turn your images into something out of a "Thriller" video. Both are available for Apple devices.

This Halloween, you can play an even "scarier" version of Angry Birds. Angry Birds Haunted Hogs is out. If the idea of slaying Frankenstein swine appeals to you, so will this game. But it might be more fun to battle against the inevitable zombie apocalypse with Plants vs. Zombies, which is available for Apple, Android and Kindle devices starting at $2.99.

Thanks to real estate website Zillow's Trick or Treat Index, we know that Boston is the second best city in the nation for the annual rite, just behind San Francisco. With that in mind, go forth and trick-or-treat. Just don't forget your smartphone.

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