Obama wants research to wean vehicles off oil

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is pushing Congress to authorize $200 million a year for research into clean energy technologies that can wean automobiles off oil.

Obama proposed the idea of an energy security trust last month in his State of the Union address, but he was putting a price tag on the idea during a trip Friday to the Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago — $2 billion over 10 years. The White House said the research would be paid for with revenue from federal oil and gas leases on offshore drilling and would not add to the deficit.

The money would fund research on "breakthrough" technologies such as batteries for electric cars and biofuels made from switch grass or other materials. Researchers also would look to improve use of natural gas as a fuel for cars and trucks.

The proposal is modeled after a plan submitted by a group of business executives and former military leaders who are committed to reducing U.S. oil dependence. The group, called Securing America's Future Energy, is headed by FedEx Corp. Chairman and CEO Frederick W. Smith and retired Marine Corps Gen. P.X. Kelley. The nonpartisan group says its goal is to "break oil's stranglehold on the transportation sector" through alternatives such as electric cars and heavy-duty trucks fueled by natural gas, but it had proposed a much larger $500 million annual investment.

Creation of the trust would require congressional approval at a time of partisan divide over energy issues. Obama tried to appeal to both parties by pitching the policy not just as an environmental issue but as a job-creation plan that would help the United States remain a technology leader.

"If a nonpartisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we," Obama said in his State of the Union address. "Let's take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we've put up with for far too long."

There were signs agreement may be possible. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has called it "an idea I may agree with."

Murkowski, senior Republican on the Senate Energy Committee, did not fully endorse the plan, which is similar to one she has proposed to use revenue from drilling for oil and natural gas on public lands that previously were off-limits to energy production to pay for research on new energy technologies.

White House officials said the president's proposal would not require drilling on federal lands or water where it is now prohibited. Instead, they are counting on increased production from existing sites, along with efficiencies from an administration plan to streamline drilling permits. The government collects more than $6 billion a year in royalties from production on federal lands and waters.

Argonne is one of the Energy Department's largest national laboratories for scientific and engineering research, staffed by more than 1,250 scientists and engineers. White House officials said it was chosen as the site of the president's speech because of its tradition of research into vehicle technologies.

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Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nedrapickler and Matthew Daly at https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

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Samsung refreshes iPhone-challenging Galaxy line

NEW YORK — Samsung Electronics is ratcheting up its rivalry with Apple with its new Galaxy S 4 smartphone, which has a larger, sharper screen than its predecessor, the best-selling S III.

Samsung trumpeted the much-anticipated phone's arrival Thursday at an event accompanied by a live orchestra while an audience of thousands watched the theatrics unfold on a four-level stage at Radio City Music Hall. Summoning up a touch of Broadway, Samsung employed 17 actors to demonstrate the new phone's features in a series of scripted vignettes.

The Galaxy S 4, which crams a 5-inch screen into body slightly smaller than the S III's, will go sale in the U.S. sometime between the end of April and the end of June.

In the U.S., it will be sold by all four national carriers — Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA — as well as by smaller ones US Cellular and Cricket. All told, Samsung plans to offer the Galaxy 4 S through 327 carriers in 155 countries, giving it a wider reach than Apple's iPhone 5.

Samsung didn't say what the phone will cost, but it can be expected to start at $200 with a two-year contract in the U.S. That's comparable to the iPhone 5.

JK Shin, the executive in charge of Samsung's mobile communications division, promised the money would be well spent for a "life companion" that will "improve the way most people live every day."

That bold promise set the tone for the kind of flashy presentation associated with the showmanship of Apple, the company that Samsung has been trying to upstage. Apple contends Samsung has been trying to do it by stealing its ideas — an allegation has triggered bitter courtroom battles around the world.

In the last two years, Samsung has emerged as Apple's main competitor in the high-end smartphone market. At the same time, it has sold enough inexpensive low-end phones to edge out Nokia Corp. as the world's largest maker of phones.

The Galaxy line has been Samsung's chief weapon in the smartphone fight, and it has succeeded in making it a recognizable brand while competitors like Taiwan's HTC Corp. and Korean rival LG have stumbled. Samsung has sold 100 million Galaxy S phones since they first came out in 2010. That's still well below the 268 million iPhones Apple has sold in the same period, but Samsung's sales rate is catching up.

Research firm Strategy Analytics said the Galaxy S III overtook Apple's iPhone 4S as the world's best-selling smartphone for the first time in the third quarter of last year, as Apple fans were holding off for the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 took back the crown in the fourth quarter.

One way Samsung and other makers of Android phone have been one-upping Apple is by increasing the screen size. Every successive generation of the Galaxy line has been bigger than the one before. The S III sported a screen that measures 4.8 inches on the diagonal, already substantially larger than the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen. The S 4's screen is 56 percent larger than the iPhone's.

In a Wednesday interview, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller declined to discuss whether Apple is considering enlarging the screen on the next model of the iPhone, which is expected to be released later this year. He said Apple remains confident that the iPhone 5 is the most useful and elegant smartphone available, hailing it as "the most beautiful consumer electronics device ever created."

Samsung believes the S 4 will set the new standard.

Apart from the larger screen and upgraded processor, the S 4 has a battery that's 20 percent larger than that of the S III. Samsung didn't say if that translates into a longer battery life — the added capacity might be gobbled up by the bigger screen or other internal changes.

The S 4 comes with a built-in infra-red diode, so it can control an entertainment center as a universal remote. This is a feature that has showed up in Android tablets before.

The S 4 comes with several new technologies intended to help users interact with the phone. For instance, the screen now senses fingers hovering just above the screen, and some applications react. The Mail application shows the first few lines of an email when a finger hovers above it in the list, and the Gallery application shows an expanded thumbnail.

Users can control some other applications by making gestures in the air above the phone. In the browser, you can command the screen to scroll up by swiping from top to bottom a few inches from the phone.

The Camera application can now use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously, inserting a small picture of the user even as he's capturing the scene in front of him.

When several S 4s are in close proximity, they can link up to play the same music, simultaneously — perfect for headphone dance parties.

The Galaxy 4 S also will include a tool that enables users to create a dividing line so part of the phone is devoted exclusively to work while the other part is filled with personal information and photos. The feature is similar to a function on the latest BlackBerry — an indication that Samsung is going after other smartphone makers besides Apple with its latest model.

The new features illustrate Samsung's drive to make its phones stand out from the crowd of Android smartphones. Jan Dawson, an analyst with Ovum, said they could be seen as "gimmicks rather than game changers."

"At this point, Samsung appears to be trying to kill the competition with sheer volume of new features — there should be something here for everyone, even if most of these new features won't be used by most users," he said.

While the event in New York was going on, Samsung Electronics Co. kicked off its annual meeting in Seoul. CEO, Kwon Oh-Hyun, told the audience that he expects slow growth in the global consumer electronics market, except in smartphones, where sales are still zooming.

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AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke contributed to this report from San Francisco. AP Business Writer Youkyung Lee contributed from Seoul.

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Patriots unveil plans to expand shopping center

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The owners of the New England Patriots want to expand the shopping plaza next to the team's stadium.

A proposal by the Kraft Group unveiled Thursday before the Foxborough Planning Board calls for 125- to 150-room hotel, a 14,500-square-foot retail store and a 4,500-square-foot "quick serve" restaurant.

The Sun Chronicle (http://bit.ly/ZamBZE ) reports that Dan Krantz, the company's director of site development, outlined the proposal in an informal "courtesy" visit with the planning board.

He said the Kraft Group's development arm will file formal site plans with the planning board in 30 to 60 days.

The project on Route 1 would be installed on a six-acre section of Patriot Place, just south of an existing hotel.

One resident expressed concern about the town's ability to supply water to a second hotel.

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Information from: The (Attleboro, Mass.) Sun Chronicle, http://www.thesunchronicle.com

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Gas spike drives US consumer prices up 0.7 percent

WASHINGTON — 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 Friday. 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 price have started to decline again.

For the 12 months that ended in February, prices increased 2.0 percent. That's in line with the Federal Reserve's inflation target.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, core inflation rose just 0.2 percent in February. Over the past 12 months, core prices have risen just 2 percent.

"Aside from the spike in gasoline prices, which is already being reversed, it is hard to find any evidence of major price pressures," said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist for Capital Economics.

Low inflation leaves consumers with more money to spend, which benefits the economy. It also allows the Federal Reserve leeway to keep interest rates low to help spur economic growth.

In February, total energy costs rose 5.4 percent. In addition to gasoline, prices for natural gas and home heating oil also showed big gains.

Food prices grew just 0.1 percent. Prices for fruits and vegetables jumped 1.4 percent jump. Meat, poultry and fish prices increased 0.5 percent. Most other food prices declined.

Prices for new cars fell 0.3 percent, the largest monthly decline in three years. Airline fares and clothing prices also fell. Monthly rents and used car prices increased.

Gas prices rose sharply in February after falling at the end of 2012. The national average price for a gallon of gas jumped from $3.42 on Jan. 31 to $3.78 on Feb. 28.

Since then, however, gas prices have come down a bit. They averaged $3.70 per gallon on Thursday, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

An increase in gas prices also drove a measure of wholesale prices up in February by the most in five months. The government said the producer price index rose 0.7 percent last month. The index measures prices before they reach the consumer.

The unemployment rate is still high at 7.7 percent. As long as the inflation outlook stays mild, the Fed said it plans to keep the short-term interest rate it controls near zero until the unemployment rate falls to at least 6.5 percent.

The Fed will hold a two-day meeting next week and economists expect the central bank will keep its low-interest-rate policies unchanged.

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Harvard on the move in Allston

City officials have backed Harvard University's plan to shift some of its campus support services across Western Avenue in Allston to make way for a residential project at Barry's Corner.

The plan to relocate Harvard facilities such as mail, IT, campus police training, furniture storage and fleet management won favor only after the school agreed to a list of nine conditions pushed by the neighborhood and formalized by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

The conditions on the move to 28 Travis St. included keeping traffic away from homes, limiting hours of operation, funding local charities and creating a park. The Boston Redevelopment Authority board signed off on the plan last night.

"We will comply and are pleased with all of the obligations that the mayor and the BRA have suggested," said Kevin Casey, Harvard's associate vice president for public affairs. "So we are all on the same page on this."

Paul Berkeley, president of the Allston Civic Association, said the most important condition was that Harvard agreed to incorporate its campus services into its master planning. He said the neighborhood has been "fighting off" certain uses since Harvard started buying up Allston land in 1989.

"After 24 years, hearing that it's now going to be part of the planning process, is a huge victory for us," Berkeley said at the BRA board meeting. "It gives us a way forward."

State Rep. Michael Moran (D-Brighton) explained that Allston residents have "angst" about Harvard's ambitions because of all the back and forth in community task force meetings, broken promises and stalled developments such as the massive life sciences facility near Barry's Corner.

"All we've seen is a hole that was capped, and that's it. And the first thing out of the gate since that happened was a garage with a fleet of trucks that they want to move closer to the community," Moran said. "So as you can imagine, the community is a little bit disappointed."

"That's necessary to say, but it's also necessary to understand that this move will hopefully spur a whole bunch of other development that will be extremely positive and good for the community," Moran added.

Hub developer Samuels & Associates, in a partnership with Harvard, is planning an 11-story building with 325 apartments and 45,000 square feet of retail at Barry's Corner, a prime spot where Western Avenue meets North Harvard Street. The BRA board is expected to take up the project at next month's meeting.

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Cocktails will flow year-round in Frost’s cool setting

Customers can expect a cool reception at Boston's newest attraction this spring.

Frost Ice Bar — where everything but the floor and ceiling will be made of ice — is under construction in a building near Faneuil Hall in preparation for a June opening.

The 1,500-square-foot bar, similar to the Minus5 ice bars in Las Vegas, will be a chilly 17 degrees.

"Most of them that have been done are temporary outdoor ones, but this is going to be year-round indoors," said Cindy Brown, CEO of the Frost Group, the Hub company building the bar. "Interestingly, it's not as cold as it sounds, given there's no humidity or wind. It's amazingly comfortable."

The bar is taking shape in former office space on the third floor of the north building, above the American Eagle store, at Marketplace Center, which borders the Greenway on the east end of Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Customers will check into a retail area and don hooded capes and gloves before entering a 32-degree "transition room" for about a minute to get acclimated to a cooler temperature and receive brief instructions.

"Then the doors open, and you're kind of wowed by a beautiful cave all made of ice — the walls, the furniture, the actual bar, the glasses for the drinks," Brown said. "It will have beautiful sound, beautiful lights ... ice sculptures, and you can get your photos taken."

A Canadian company is constructing the bar's ice components and will ship them to Boston, while Brookline Ice Co. will handle the artistic end, supplying ice sculptures and specialty logos for private parties.

Customers will be admitted about every 15 minutes for a 45-minute stay in the 115-capacity bar. The Frost Group is considering a $29 admission charge, which would include one drink.

The cocktail menu will include about eight Boston-themed drinks that will rotate seasonally. It will be 21-plus after 5 p.m., but will admit adults with kids age 6 and older, and serve non-alcoholic drinks, before then.

The Frost Ice Bar will cater to locals and tourists alike. Brown said she plans cross-marketing with Boston Duck Tours, which she co-owns and is part owner of the bar.

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Roxbury grocer aims to triple size with $44M plan

Madison Park Development Corp. and Tropical Foods International hope to start construction by July on their $44 million mixed-used project in Roxbury's Dudley Square.

The companies have filed a "letter of intent" to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the 2.75-acre development. The $14 million first phase will be a new home for Tropical Foods, an urban supermarket that has operated in Dudley Square since 1974.

"It's only fair to our customers that we get that new store so we can give them the shopping experience that they deserve," co-owner Ronn Garry Jr. said. "It's also a good sign, in this day and age — when independent (grocers) such as Johnnie's Foodmaster and Hi-Lo are going out of business — to see an independent that's willing to expand and build new."

Garry hopes to open the "long overdue" store by late 2014, with offerings including a deli, bakery, fresh seafood and prepared foods.

The developers say city and state approvals are time-sensitive. Bank of America's financing is contingent on the phase-one construction loan closing by July.

The new Tropical Foods, with 27,000 square feet of retail, will be more than triple the size of the current market, which draws 14,000 shoppers weekly.

"People call us the 'United Nations,' " Garry said, noting Tropical Foods' Caribbean, black American, and Central and South American customers. "But we're not just an ethnic store; we're a full-service supermarket."

Bordering Melnea Cass Boulevard, Washington Street and Shawmut Avenue, the project covers four parcels owned by Tropical Foods and vacant land, called Parcel 10, owned by the BRA and state Department of Transportation.

The project's estimated $17 million second phase will be a 54,000-square-foot building with office and retail. Madison Park scrapped a wing of 36 residential units there.

"Part of the reason for some of the design changes was that the city is widening Melnea Cass Boulevard because they're planning a bus lane down the middle," Madison Park CEO Jeanne Pinado said.

The nonprofit has yet to secure financing for the building or the third phase — a $14 million rehab of the Tropical Foods building into 30 subsidized apartments and first-floor retail.

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Samsung makes smart call

Samsung is expected to unveil its newest smartphone tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York, blocks from prime competitor Apple's flagship store.

"It's a good place to have a flashy event," said Max Wolff, senior analyst at Greencrest Capital. "They're obviously copying Apple, which is king of the marketing game."

The Galaxy S IV is expected to have a larger screen and a better camera than its predecessor, as well as technology that tracks eye movements to let users scroll through articles, said N. Venkat Venkatraman, a Boston University management professor.

"It does put pressure on Apple to respond," said Roger Kay, founder and president of Endpoint Technologies Associates in Wayland. "The new iPhone will have to have some really cool features, or else Apple will have to concede some of that premium market. Apple can't charge the same 'Monopoly' rent. It's a pitched battle at this point, and the outcome is far from assured."

Samsung has the advantage of releasing about two phones a year, whereas Apple typically unveils one, Wolff said.

"It's a pressure tactic," he said. "It shows a strategy of being more aggressive on market share and less focused on margin. This is Samsung trying to solidify its lead not only in market share but also mind share. They're trying to brand into everyone's head: For the next new thing in smartphones, think Samsung."

Samsung has sold 100 million Galaxy S phones since they first came out in 2010. Although that's well below the 268 million iPhones Apple has sold in the same period, Samsung's sales rate is catching up.

Research firm Strategy Analytics said the Galaxy S III overtook Apple's iPhone 4S as the world's best-selling smartphone for the first time in the third quarter of last year, as Apple fans were holding off for the iPhone 5, which took back the crown in the fourth quarter.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

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Apple CEO required to testify in NY e-books case

NEW YORK — Apple CEO Tim Cook has been ordered to testify in a New York court case the Justice Department brought against the company over the pricing of e-books for consumers.

Federal Judge Denise Cote on Wednesday granted a government request to depose Apple Inc.'s chief executive.

The government sued Apple last spring, saying the technology giant conspired with five major book publishers to raise e-book prices on consumers and eliminate competition. The publishers have all settled.

In its lawsuit, the Justice Department had claimed that Apple and the publishers conspired to drive the cost of e-books from $9.99 to $15 or more for the most popular books.

An Apple spokesman declined comment.

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Denver Post CEO Ed Moss resigns

DENVER — Ed Moss, the president and chief executive officer of The Denver Post, is resigning effective April 1.

Moss told Post staff in an email Wednesday that he also is resigning his position as executive vice president of Digital First Media, which manages newspapers owned by MediaNews Group and Journal Register Co.

The Post reports (http://tinyurl.com/cvpy8wq ) that Moss said he needs to dedicate his time to recover from injuries he suffered in an October accident.

Moss is a former publisher of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was hired by Digital First Media in February 2012.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

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India agency files case against air force ex-chief

NEW DELHI — India's top investigative agency filed a criminal case on Wednesday against a former air force chief and 11 other people on charges of cheating and conspiracy in a $750 million helicopter deal marred by bribery.

The Central Bureau of Investigation filed the charges under India's corruption prevention laws against Shashi Tyagi, three of his cousins and officials of four defense companies after an investigation revealed that huge bribes were paid to steer the contract to Italian defense group Finmeccanica's helicopter division, AgustaWestland.

The CBI is India's equivalent of the FBI.

The agency searched the homes and offices of Tyagi and his cousins, who it suspects were among those who received bribes to clinch the purchase of 12 helicopters two years ago. The helicopters were to be used by the air force to ferry top political leaders.

India's defense ministry received three of the helicopters in December but has placed the rest of the contract on hold.

Among the 12 people involved in the case is Satish Bagrodia, the brother of former federal minister Santosh Bagrodia, who belongs to India's ruling Congress party.

The CBI said it filed the criminal charges based on evidence it had gathered from the men and from documents it obtained from Italy and India's defense ministry that indicated that alterations were made in the helicopter specifications to favor AgustaWestland.

The inquiry into the helicopter contract began last month after Italian authorities arrested Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of Finmeccanica, in Italy on charges that the company paid bribes in India. Orsi, who has been jailed, denies wrongdoing.

Italian authorities also placed AgustaWestland chief Bruno Spagnolini under house arrest.

Tyagi has also denied any wrongdoing in the case and said decisions on the helicopter deal were made before he assumed the top job in the air force. Tyagi was India's air force chief from 2004 to 2007.

The agency said Finmeccanica paid a commission to three middlemen who channeled the illegal payments through Tunisia and Mauritius to two India-based companies as payments for an engineering contract. Those companies and two Indian men associated with them were among those named as accessories in the case.

India has become the world's biggest arms and defense equipment buyer in recent years and is expected to spend $80 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its military.

However, arms deals in India have often been mired in controversy, with allegations that companies have paid millions of dollars in kickbacks to Indian officials.

In the 1980s, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's government collapsed over charges that Swedish gun manufacturer Bofors AB paid bribes to supply Howitzer field guns to the Indian army.

Following the Bofors scandal, India banned middlemen in all defense deals.

The developments in the Finmeccanica case come at a time when New Delhi and Rome are entangled in a diplomatic row after Italy's refusal this week to return two Italian marines facing trial in India for the killing of two fishermen off the southwest Indian coast last year.

The case is also a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government, which has been buffeted over the past year by a string of corruption scandals ahead of national elections scheduled in the first half of next year.

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Bahrain detains 6 over anti-government tweets

MANAMA, Bahrain — The public prosecutor's office in Bahrain says six people have been detained for allegedly defaming the country's ruler on Twitter.

The six, who were not identified, join a growing list of anti-government activists caught up in an Internet crackdown by authorities in the Sunni-ruled Gulf nation.

Bahrain has seen nearly two years of unrest over demands by the country's majority Shiites for a greater political voice.

The six were detained over the past couple of days and the prosecutor's statement Wednesday said they will be charged with misusing Twitter and insulting King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The arrests come two days after a court acquitted rights activist Yousef al-Muhafedha of spreading false news on Twitter. He is one of dozens to face charges for posting comments on social media.

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Eurozone finance ministers to meet on Cyprus

BRUSSELS — The finance ministers of the 17 euro countries will hold a special meeting this week to discuss the planned bailout program for Cyprus.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs the ministers' meetings, on Wednesday called an extraordinary session for Friday in Brussels to discuss the rescue loans for the cash-strapped country. Cyprus needs up to €17 billion ($22 billion) to recapitalize its banks, which took huge losses on Greek debt, and to keep its government afloat.

Dijsselbloem's spokeswoman, Simone Boitelli, says it is too early to gauge whether the ministers will make a final decision on the bailout at the meeting. She says the "troika" of creditors — the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund — will report back on negotiations with the new Cypriot government.

Ministers are aiming to finalize the bailout package by the end of the month.

Cyprus' president said the current round of talks with the troika is showing signs of progress. Nicos Anastasiades urged patience, saying it will soon become clear that "hard work produces good results."

Cyprus government spokesman Christos Stylianides said authorities were "working ceaselessly" to reach a bailout accord as soon as possible to end the uncertainty that's dragging the economy down.

Stylianides ruled out forcing bank bondholders or depositors to share in the cost of the bailout or cutting wages and pensions beyond what has already been agreed in a preliminary bailout deal.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Michalis Sarris will travel to Russia on Monday, a finance ministry official confirmed on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to speak publicly.

Cyprus has been trying to get longtime ally Moscow to agree to a five-year repayment extension on a low interest, €2.5 billion loan it received two years ago, when it could no longer borrow from international markets. The previous Cypriot government also tried unsuccessfully last year to secure another €5 billion loan from Russia.

Some form of help is expected from Russia, though, since many investors and depositors in Cypriot banks are Russian. Top Cypriot officials said in January that Russia was ready to contribute to a rescue package.

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Fidelity, BlackRock's iShares teaming up on ETFs

BOSTON — Fidelity Investments is ramping up its small presence in the rapidly growing exchange-traded fund business by expanding a 3-year-old partnership with BlackRock Inc.'s iShares unit, the largest ETF provider.

BlackRock, in turn, will be able to sell its iShares ETFs to a much broader range of investors, including Fidelity customers and their industry-leading 18.5 million brokerage accounts. BlackRock doesn't have anything to rival that client base.

Boston-based Fidelity and New York-based BlackRock announced the partnership on Wednesday. The companies agreed in early 2010 to cooperate on a smaller scale in a three-year deal that expired.

Under that agreement, Fidelity offered its brokerage clients commission-free online trades on 30 iShares ETFs. The commission-free total expands to 65 under the new pact. With a total $250 billion in assets, those ETFs invest in U.S. and foreign stocks and bonds, as well as commodities.

Fidelity also will create new options for its customers to build investment portfolios using iShares ETFs. And BlackRock agreed to help Fidelity develop new funds that passively track narrow segments of the market, such as stocks of companies in specific industries.

Fidelity hasn't been a significant player in directly offering ETFs, instead serving as a distributor offering its clients ETFs managed by other firms like iShares.

Similar to low-cost index mutual funds, ETFs track segments of the market and try to match a benchmark stock or bond index rather than beat it. But ETF shares can be traded throughout the day like stocks. That makes it possible to lock in a preferred price without waiting for a closing price. Mutual funds are priced only at the close of daily trading.

Another appeal of ETFs has been a recent round of reductions in investment management fees, including cuts announced last fall by iShares and Charles Schwab. Index mutual funds have long been the first choice for anyone looking to invest on the cheap, but they're now being undercut by the lowest-cost ETFs.

ETF assets have doubled over the past three years, reaching $1.3 trillion, and they continue to grow at a much faster pace than mutual funds. However, for every dollar in an ETF, investors have stashed $7 in mutual funds. ETF assets are projected to nearly double to almost $3.5 trillion by 2016, according to a recent study by Cerulli Associates.

About 1,200 ETFs are on the U.S. market, with BlackRock's iShares recently commanding a market leading share of 44 percent of all ETF assets, according to the research firm ETFGI. Combined, iShares, State Street and Vanguard commanded 84 percent of the market.

But Fidelity, the second-largest manager of mutual funds behind Vanguard, has been late to venture into ETFs. In December, the privately held company filed a regulatory application to launch its first actively managed ETFs that seek to outperform the market, rather than match an index. Actively managed ETFs are a small but growing segment of the overall ETF market.

Kathleen Murphy, president of personal investing at Fidelity, said her company will continue to focus on developing actively managed ETFs as well as strengthening its existing lineup of managed mutual funds. The company will rely on iShares' index-oriented ETF lineup, rather than launching Fidelity-branded index ETFs, she said.

Mark Wiedman, global head of iShares at BlackRock, said the agreement allows his company to partner with a company "that's the leader in talking to the direct client, something that BlackRock does not have."

As the end of the initial three-year deal approached, BlackRock decided to "double down" by expanding it, Wiedman said.

The new agreement will last longer than the earlier three-year deal, although the companies aren't disclosing how long it will last.

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US futures rise after retail report

NEW YORK — Stock futures erased early losses Wednesday after government data revealed a surprisingly resilient American consumer that was barely slowed by the sting of tax hikes and higher gas prices.

Dow Jones industrial futures rose 5 points to 14,391. The broader S&P futures have gained 1.1 points to 1,547.90. Nasdaq futures rose 1.25 points to 2,799.25.

Americans spent their money in stores at the fastest clip in five months, according to the Commerce Department, a strong showing even when higher gas prices are stripped from the equation.

Retail spending rose 1.1 percent compared with January. About half the jump reflected higher gas prices, but excluding gas purchases, retail sales rose 0.6 percent.

Economists had predicted a much more modest increase of 0.2 percent in February, with higher payroll taxes cutting into take-home pay nationwide.

That Americans came out in force is especially surprising given some seemingly lackluster sales figures posted by retailers just last week.

Later on Wednesday, the government is expected to report that new taxes and a healing economy drove down the federal deficit compared with last year. While the deficit likely grew sharply from January to February, it is believed to have remained below last year's pace.

The annual deficit now looks like it will come in below $1 trillion, the first time that has happened under President Barack Obama.

If the Dow is in positive territory at the end of the trading day, it would mean the ninth-straight day of gains, extending the longest winning streak in two years.

Markets overseas are mixed.

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Cape Wind going overseas, snubs Mass. steel co.

Cape Wind going overseas, snubs Mass. steel co.

Another significant portion of the Cape Wind project — due to be underwritten by taxpayers and ratepayers — will be built in Europe instead of locally, and an embittered Bay State steel maker claims that's always been the project developer's plan.

"Cape Wind used our intended participation to garner public support," Mass Tank President Carl C. Horstmann wrote to U.S. Energy officials after Cape Wind developer Jim Gordon backed out of a manufacturing deal with his company. An executive at Mass Tank of Middleboro said the split came after his firm spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars" learning how to build the massive steel foundations that would support Cape Wind's turbines in all sorts of weather conditions.

Horstmann told federal energy officials — now considering a government-backed loan for the $2.6 billion project — that when he and Gordon signed a nonbinding letter of intent at a well-publicized event in 2010, he thought "we were initiating a mutually beneficial business arrangement that would pay dividends to the state and the region.

"But now I can only conclude I was wrong, and question whether Cape Wind's commitment to Mass Tank and the local manufacturing jobs was ever made in good faith," he wrote.

Cape Wind seeks to be the nation's first offshore wind power project, with as many as 130 wind turbines spinning on a 25-square-mile stretch of Nantucket Sound.

Cape Wind spokesman Mark Rogers acknowledged that the project's 140-foot-tall turbines and the 350-ton foundations would be made in Europe, but said that's only because the U.S. doesn't have firms with the technology and experience to build them.

Rogers said Cape Wind tried to make its Mass Tank deal work, but had to go with a firm that met their needs and budget.

Still, he insists, the project — which is in line to secure tens of millions of dollars in state funding — will benefit the state.

"Cape Wind has already spent tens of millions of dollars in the local economy hiring scientists, engineers and other specialists," Rogers said. "Cape Wind will put hundreds of people in the region to work constructing our facility and we will create 50 permanent jobs."

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Judge strikes down NYC ban on supersized sodas

NEW YORK — A judge struck down New York City's pioneering ban on big sugary drinks Monday just hours before it was supposed to take effect, handing a defeat to health-minded Mayor Michael Bloomberg and creating uncertainty for restaurants that had already ordered smaller cups and changed their menus.

State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling said the 16-ounce limit on sodas and other sweet drinks arbitrarily applies to only some sugary beverages and some places that sell them.

"The loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the stated purpose of this rule," Tingling wrote in a 36-page ruling that examined the scope of power that should be afforded an administrative board for regulations. The ruling was seen as a victory for the beverage industry, restaurants and other business groups that called the rule unfair and wrong-headed.

In addition, the judge said the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health intruded on the City Council's authority when it imposed the rule, citing in part a case from the 1980s which questioned whether a state public health council had the authority to regulate smoking in public places.

The city vowed to appeal the decision, issued by New York state's trial-level court.

"We believe the judge is totally in error in how he interpreted the law, and we are confident we will win on appeal," Bloomberg said, adding that the city would emphasize to higher courts "that people are dying every day. This is not a joke."

For now, though, the ruling means the ax won't fall Tuesday on supersized sodas, sweetened teas and other high-sugar beverages in restaurants, movie theaters, corner delis and sports arenas.

"The court ruling provides a sigh of relief to New Yorkers and thousands of small businesses in New York City that would have been harmed by this arbitrary and unpopular ban," the American Beverage Association and other opponents said.

While some eateries had held off making changes because of the court challenge, some restaurants had begun using smaller glasses for full-sugar soda. Dunkin' Donuts shops have been telling customers they will have to sweeten and flavor their own coffee. Coca-Cola has printed posters explaining the rules.

Frames Bowling Lounge developed — and is keeping — a slate of fresh-squeezed juices as an alternative to pitchers of sodas for family parties, investing staff time, buying new glasses and changing menus.

"All that cost a lot of money — but you have to go with the flow," executive general manager Ayman Kamel said. Customers have started calling about the new juices, and "we're all very excited about it," he added.

Bloomberg urged businesses to comply despite the court ruling, and not just because the city may yet prevail.

"If you know what you're doing is harmful to people's health, common sense says if you care, you might want to stop doing that," he said.

The first of its kind in the country, the restriction has sparked reaction from pizzeria counters to late-night talk shows, celebrated by some as a bold attempt to improve people's health and derided by others as another "nanny state" law from Bloomberg during his 11 years in office.

On the "Late Show with David Letterman" Monday night, Bloomberg defended the ban but he also joked about his own "addiction."

"As long as you don't ban Cheez-Its," he said. "Cheese-Its are OK. That's my addiction."

On his watch, the city has compelled chain restaurants to post calorie counts, barred artificial trans fats in restaurant food and prodded food manufacturers to use less salt. The city has successfully defended some of those initiatives in court.

Because of the limits of city authority and exemptions made for other reasons, the ban on supersized beverages doesn't cover alcoholic drinks or many lattes and other milk-based concoctions, and it doesn't apply at supermarkets or many convenience stores — including 7-Eleven, home of the Big Gulp.

The rule, if upheld, would create an "administrative leviathan," warned Tingling, who was elected to the Supreme Court bench in 2001 as a Democrat.

The health board has considerable regulatory power, but its limits will likely be a central question in the appeal.

"I think it turns on whether the appellate division feels that the mayor has gone too far in ruling by decree in bypassing City Council," said Rick Hills, a New York University law professor who has been following the case.

In defending the rule, city officials point to the city's rising obesity rate — about 24 percent of adults, up from 18 percent in 2002 — and to studies tying sugary drinks to weight gain.

The judge acknowledged the impact of obesity on the city's residents, and noted that those bringing suit likewise didn't dispute obesity is a significant health issue, but questioned how much sugary drinks can be blamed for it. Ultimately the judge said whether the issue of obesity is an epidemic is not the key issue here, but whether the board of health has the jurisdiction to decide that obesity is such an issue that it could issue a cap on consumption of sugary drinks.

The judge found that the regulation was "laden with exceptions based on economic and political concern."

Critics said the measure is too limited to have a meaningful effect on New Yorkers' waistlines. And they said it would take a bite out of business for the establishments that had to comply, while other places would still be free to sell sugary drinks in 2-liter bottles and supersized cups.

The city had said that while restaurant inspectors would start enforcing the soda size rule in March, they wouldn't seek fines — $200 for a violation — until June.

The ruling "serves as a major blow to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's incessant finger-wagging," said J. Justin Wilson at the Center for Consumer Freedom, created by restaurants and food companies. "New Yorkers should celebrate this victory by taking a big gulp of freedom."

Jose Perez, a fifth-grade special education teacher in Manhattan who was getting a hot dog and can of soda from a street vendor, called the ruling "dead-on."

"Really, I think it's just big government getting in the way of people's rights," he said. "I think it's up to the person. If they want to have a giant soda, that's their business."

___

Associated Press writers Meghan Barr and Deepti Hajela contributed to this story.

___

Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz

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Media watching for results of papal conclave

NEW YORK — White smoke or black smoke? Maybe it's easier just to wait for a text message that a new pope has been elected.

A Catholic organization has set up a website, www.popealarm.com, that lets people register to receive a text or email notification when a pope has been selected.

While the process of selecting a new pope is as old as the ages, there are enough changes to the media to make the last papal conclave — in 2005 — seem like ancient history.

The text service was set up by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, or FOCUS, and had proven so popular with more than 40,000 respondents that the popealarm website said Monday it was accepting no new registrants. The site hopes to increase its capacity before the cardinals begin voting, said Jeremy Rivera, spokesman for the Christian campus ministry.

"When the smoke goes up, you'll know what's going down" is the website's motto.

FOCUS paid nearly $10,000 to set up the free service, figuring it was good publicity. Now the group's leaders are sifting through co-sponsorship offers from other organizations impressed with the amount of online traffic it has generated and hoping for their own exposure, he said.

Another new website, www.adoptacardinal.org, assigns interested people one of the voting cardinals at random to pray for him as he deliberates on a new pope. More than 450,000 people had signed up by Monday.

American television network stars are in place in Vatican City for the start of the conclave Tuesday. All will wait for the traditional signal that a new pope has been selected: white smoke from the burned ballots of cardinals wafting from a Sistine Chapel chimney.

Two of the three U.S. evening news programs broadcast from Rome Monday in anticipation of the conclave: ABC's "World News" with Diane Sawyer and the "CBS Evening News" with Scott Pelley. Brian Williams of NBC's top-rated "Nightly News" did not make the trip.

In 2005, none of the top network anchors went to Rome for the conclave. Some network planners are reluctant to move broadcasts to Rome for the conclave because it's an open-ended event; no one knows how long it will last. It's different for the installation of a new pope, a defined event that can be scheduled around.

Lester Holt is the leading newscaster on hand for NBC News, the network said Monday.

Besides Pelley, CBS has sent its morning show team of Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell to Rome. The other network morning shows will have anchors on scene for special reports — Holt for NBC's "Today" show and Josh Elliott for "Good Morning America" on ABC.

Shepard Smith, who is Fox News Channel's top news anchor, is that network's top person on the scene. CNN has sent Anderson Cooper and Chris Cuomo, who will trade off coverage during the day and evening. Chris Jansing is the anchor leading MSNBC's coverage.

Among the specialized websites offering coverage of the event, the National Catholic Reporter is among the most watched by people following the story.

While Nate Silver of The New York Times' FiveThirtyEight blog predicted odds for last fall's presidential election, he's making no such call this time. The blog did publish a list from Oddschecker.com that was a compilation of various betting odds on who will be the next pope.

The top choice, with an average chance of 23 percent, was Angelo Scola of Italy. Oddsmakers gave him a narrow advantage over Peter Turkson of Ghana.

Asked what media outlet he'll follow most closely, James Martin, a Jesuit priest and commentator, said that "the person matters much more than the site."

He has a handful of experts whose reportage on the conclave he closely follows: John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter; Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church;" Robert Mickens, a writer for the Catholic news weekly The Tablet; John Thavis, whose book "Vatican Diaries" came out last month; and Sandro Magister, a television producer and blogger.

Allen warned readers in the National Catholic Reporter about the chance for initial confusion since smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel often seems grey at first. That was a big complaint among TV anchors at the last conclave.

"Generally, it takes a few minutes to sort out what's actually happened," Allen wrote.

NBC News will let people judge for themselves online. It is setting up a "smoke cam" of live streaming video of the Sistine Chapel chimney.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE — David Bauder can be reached at dbauder(at)ap.org or on Twitter (at)dbauder.

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Markets drift as investors ponder outlook

LONDON — Financial markets were leaden-footed on Tuesday, a day after the Dow Jones index posted its seventh straight rise to record another all-time high.

With many of the world's major stock indexes at multi-year highs, too, investors have paused to mull whether the rally can make another push higher.

So far, a dearth of scheduled economic news has kept investors on the sidelines but a pick-up over the rest of the week will test confidence in stocks' valuation.

"Nobody wants to get off the gravy train too soon, but on the other hand no one wants to commit to buying a season ticket," said David Madden, market analyst at IG.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was flat at 6,502 while Germany's DAX fell 0.1 percent to 7,979. The CAC-40 in France was 0.1 percent higher at 3,838.

Wall Street was poised for a modest retreat at the open, with both Dow futures and the S&P 500 futures down 0.2 percent.

While the Dow has recorded a series of all-time highs, the S&P has also made ground and it, too, is not far off its record peaks.

"Although the S&P is within a whisker of fresh all-time highs, history has shown us that in both 2000 and 2007 when it's been around this level, it's been the tipping point for a considerable sell-off," said Fawad Razaqzada, market strategist at GFT Markets. "Whether 2013 can be any different remains to be seen."

It's fairly quiet across most other financial markets, with the euro hovering around $1.30 and the price of benchmark New York crude down 12 cents at $91.94 a barrel.

However, two currencies were prominent movers.

The British pound fell as far as $1.4830, its lowest level since June 2010, after weak British industrial production figures raised fears that Europe's third-largest economy was heading for its third recession in a little more than four years. The pound has since settled around the $1.4880 mark.

The Japanese yen was also a focal point once again, as it recovered some of its recent losses. The dollar was 0.8 percent lower at $95.86 yen. The yen earlier fell to a three and a half year low against the dollar on mounting expectations that the Bank of Japan will soon announce a big stimulus program to get the moribund Japanese economy going again.

The reverse in the yen had an impact on the country's main stock index, the Nikkei 225. It did an about-face after spurting higher in the morning. After hitting 12,461.97, an intraday high not seen in more than four years, the benchmark dropped 0.3 percent to close at 12,314.81. That finish put an end to an eight-day winning streak.

The index's moves have hinged on the fortunes of the yen. A lower currency potentially makes the country's exports more competitive in international markets.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.9 percent to 22,890.60. Australia's S&P/ASX dropped 0.6 percent to 5,117.90. South Korea's Kospi shed 0.5 percent to 1,993.34.

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

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Coal-fired Mass. power plant sold

Coal-fired Mass. power plant sold

SOMERSET  — A Massachusetts power plant frequently cited as one of the most polluting in the state has been sold.

Virginia-based Dominion announced Monday that the coal-fired Brayton Point power plant in Somerset is one of three plants nationwide being sold to Energy Capital Partners, a private equity firm with offices in New Jersey and California.

The price was not disclosed.

Dominion bought the Somerset plant in 2005.

The sale, which requires approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, is expected to close in the second quarter.

Brayton Point topped the Environmental Protection Agency's list for most toxic emissions in Massachusetts in 2011.

A Dominion spokesman says Brayton Point meets federal and state clean air standards and the company invested $1 billion in environmental controls for the facility.

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AirAsia expands in Philippines, buys into Zest Air

MANILA, Philippines — AirAsia, the region's largest budget carrier, has expanded its foothold in the Philippines by acquiring 49 percent of local budget carrier Zest Airways Inc.

Philippines' AirAsia Inc. CEO Marianne Hontiveros said that the deal signed Monday will complement AirAsia's growth strategies. Zest Air operates 11 aircraft on 10 domestic and 10 international routes. It has hubs in Manila, Kalibo and Cebu in the central Philippines, which are major tourist destinations.

Malaysia-based AirAsia started operations in the Philippines in 2012 from Clark airport, a 2-3 hour drive from the capital, while Zest Air operates from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. AirAsia's routes from Clark include Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei and Kalibo and Davao in the Philippines.

Discount airlines have burgeoned in Asia in the past decade, with AirAsia leading the charge, as economic growth that has lifted millions out of poverty boosts demand for affordable air travel.

Under the deal, Zest Air will get a 15 percent stake in Philippines' AirAsia.

"I think size is everything. You've got to get your critical mass," AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes told reporters. He said that combining the resources of the two airlines "enables us to get that critical mass much quicker than if we did it organically."

Fernandes said that having access to Manila's airport will enable quicker growth for both airlines.

The domestic market is dominated by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, with AirAsia lagging behind.

Zest Air has a bigger fleet in the Philippines while AirAsia has a larger network and will make available its fleet of A320 aircraft to Zest Air, making the partnership a good marriage, Fernandes said.

Fernandes said that AirAsia will continue to operate from Clark and has no plans to fly from Manila. He said details were still being discussed, but both airlines will share resources and sell each other's tickets. Zest Air's flights will be featured on AirAsia's website.

Fernandes also expressed hope that the U.S. aviation watchdog will soon lift a ban on Philippine carriers from mounting additional flights to the U.S.

Safety and management concerns led the Federal Aviation Authority to downgrade the rating of the Philippines to Category 2 from Category 1 in 2007, limiting U.S.-bound flights from the country. In 2010, the European Union also blacklisted Philippine carriers.

Philippine Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said he was confident that the ban will be lifted after the country passed the safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization from Feb. 18 to 22.

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Sheryl Sandberg: On a mission to elevate women

Sheryl Sandberg is not backing down.

The Facebook chief operating officer's book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" goes on sale Monday amid criticism that she's too successful and rich to lead a movement. But Sandberg says her focus remains on spurring action and progress among women.

"The conversation, the debate is all good, because where we were before was stagnation — and stagnation is bad," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "And sometimes it takes real heated debate to wake people up and find a solution."

With "Lean In," Sandberg aims to arm women with the tools and guidance they need to keep moving forward in the workforce. The book's release is coupled with the launch of Sandberg's LeanIn.org a nonprofit that will receive all of the book's proceeds.

The book isn't just for women. It calls on men to lend support, both at home and in the office.

"This is about who we are as people," Sandberg says. "Who we can be as individuals and as a society."

In the book, Sandberg illuminates facts about the dearth of women in positions of power and offers real-world solutions. Women, Sandberg writes, make up only 14 percent of executive officers, 18 percent of elected congressional officials and 22 of 197 heads of state. What's worse, Sandberg says, is that women have not made true progress in corporate America over the past decade. Boardrooms are still as overwhelmingly male as they were 10 years ago.

"While women continue to outpace men in educational achievement, we have ceased making real progress at the top of any industry," she writes in "Lean In." ''This means that when it comes to making the decisions that most affect our world, the voices of women are not heard equally."

Sandberg, 43, has worked at Facebook as its No. 2 executive since 2008. CEO Mark Zuckerberg lured her away from Google to help run what has since become a social networking powerhouse and formidable Google rival. Sandberg says it's only been in the last few years that she's started thinking seriously about the issues affecting working women. As recently as three years ago, Sandberg says, she would not have spoken the words "women in the workforce."

"You never say the word 'woman' as a working woman because if you do, the person on the other side of the table is going to say you are asking for special treatment," she says.

But seeing women stall in their quest for corporate success bothered her more and more. In 2010, she was asked to speak at the newly minted TEDWomen, an arm of the annual TED conference which showcases "ideas worth spreading."

Her speech was titled "Why we have too few women leaders." The video became wildly popular. It has been viewed more than 2 million times on TED's website. Yet before she gave speech, Sandberg says "a whole bunch of people told me not to." And although she'd given hundreds of talks on Facebook and social media and exactly one on women, after her speech people would ask her "is this your thing now?'"

"That was really the first time I spoke up," she says. Since then, Sandberg has come to call herself "a proud feminist."

Sandberg says it was the flood of responses that she received following the speech that got her thinking about writing a book. Some women wrote to her and said the speech encouraged them to ask for a raise. Others said it motivated them to ask for more family-friendly work hours.

LeanIn.org grew out of the book with the help of co-founder Gina Bianchini, who was inspired by a course she took at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research called "Voice & Influence." Its mission — "to empower women and men to be as effective as possible and to create organizations where all people can thrive" — is at the core of LeanIn.org. LEanIn.org hopes to reach as many people as possible by offering materials and easy-to-replicate guidelines online, for free. Sandberg calls it a platform, which, in the technology world means something that others can take, change and make their own.

"We are a startup," Sandberg says. "We are going to see what happens, and what companies do with our platform."

___

Online:

www.leanin.org

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Portugal endures worst recession in 37 years

LISBON, Portugal — Portugal's statistics agency says the economy contracted 3.2 percent last year — its sharpest annual downturn since 1975.

Portugal is enacting broad debt-reduction measures, including tax hikes and pay and pension cuts, in return for a €78 billion ($102 billion) international financial lifeline it received in May 2011. Those austerity policies are widely blamed for the deepening recession and growing hardship.

The National Statistics Institute said Monday that a drop in private consumption and slower export growth were the main factors behind the slump, with the economy shrinking 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter.

Unemployment stands at 17.6 percent, the third-highest rate in the 27-nation bloc after Greece and Spain.

The economy contracted 1.6 percent in 2011. The government predicts a 2 percent contraction this year.

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One Direction pop-up store to open in Mall of America

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The boy-band phenomenon One Direction is coming to the Mall of America for six weeks.

But the fab five won't be there in the flesh. A pop-up store offering all manner of swag branded with the likenesses of the British singers opens on March 16, selling posters, calendars, T-shirts and a chance to win prizes — including coveted tickets to their summer tour.

It's part of the latest push to build the buzz and bottom lines of the English-Irish pop stars, whose meteoric rise has become a $50 million business enterprise.

But the armies of young fans (and their parents) that the store is expected to bring to the mall may serve as a shot in the arm to brick-and-mortar stores as they fight to combat online competition and remain a destination.

"The real winner is not just the band but also the Mall of America," said Michael Brown, a retail analyst with global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. "As more people shop online, they're putting in a shop that could draw hundreds or thousands of people to the mall who might not have come out to shop."

The temporary store, which will be called 1D World, is the third to open in the United States and one of 20 expected to open by the end of the band's tour in August, said William Stone, the U.S. project manager for the 1D World stores.

The first store launched almost on a lark in Sydney, Australia, for a couple of weekends last year, and more than 2,500 young fans showed up for the opening. The pop-up concept has since spread to New Zealand, Sweden, Spain and Canada, with a couple of stores finally heading to London.

The Mall of America store will be heavy on accessories, with 120 items including rings, wrist bands and iPhone covers. The most popular items are life-size cutouts of the band members, which sell for $35. Also popular: an adult "onesie," a zip-up jumpsuit that sells for $100.

"We put together an exclusive line just for the store," Stone said. "The concept is basically taking a concert retail operation out of that venue and moving it into a retail store."

The five-member band — Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan — are cheekily referred to as part of a new "British Invasion."

After competing on the British TV singing show "X Factor" in 2010, One Direction catapulted onto the music scene. Their voices and charisma (and great hair) won the hearts of teenage girls everywhere. The band has more than 13.7 million Facebook fans and 10.4 million followers on Twitter.

One Direction goes beyond most celebrity retail endeavors. They've got duvet covers, dolls, even a toothbrush that plays their hit, "One Thing," to encourage kids to brush longer through the two minutes of music. British catalog giant Argos signed One Direction to launch a line of silver bracelets and necklaces in its spring-summer issue.

The pop-up store is emerging as a new merchandising channel for the music industry.

"Years ago, there were record stores and CD stores that could move the intellectual properties," Brown said. "With everything being digital, more artists and more acts are going to have to find creative venues to bring their brand to the market."

The store opening comes in advance of a sold-out show on July 18 at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, where scalpers are selling tickets for hundreds of dollars.

1D World will occupy space recently vacated by the Mayo Clinic's Healthy Living store. It will open its doors at 9 a.m. on March 16, but mall officials already have issued "official event guidelines" that include a double-asterisked, all-points alert that "One Direction will NOT be making an appearance at this store opening."

To accommodate expected crowds, the mall will allow fans through the lower-level doors on the East entrance beginning at 5:30 a.m. that Saturday. Then they'll be placed in a line and ushered into the store in small groups throughout the day.

Camping out overnight "is not encouraged," said officials at the Bloomington mall.

Kyra Rose, 11, missed out on concert tickets but is hoping to talk her mother, Karla, into letting her be among the throngs to show up the day the store opens. "I love Harry," she said. "He's my future husband."

Kyra's Golden Valley bedroom is teeming with One Direction posters, and she's got a drawer full of T-shirts. But there's room for more. "I have fake nails, a keychain. I have their albums, earrings, a necklace, I have a book about them," she said. "I want shoes."

———

©2013 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at www.startribune.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Latvia enjoys strongest economic growth in EU

RIGA, Latvia — Latvia's economy grew 5.6 percent last year — the best performance among the 27-country European Union — thanks to robust trade and manufacturing.

The national statistics agency said Monday that growth accelerated from 5.4 percent in 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2012, gross domestic product increased 5.1 percent.

Though Latvia is enjoying fast growth, it remains one of the poorest of the bloc's 27 members.

After several years of rapid expansion, the country's economy entered a deep recession in 2008 and had to be bailed out by international lenders such as the EU and the International Monetary Fund.

The Baltic state's center-right government hopes to phase in the euro in 2014, which would make it the 18th member in the currency union.

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Catholic faithful get wired for papal selection

The vote to select a new pope may remain shrouded in secrecy — the Vatican even installed special jamming equipment to block cellphone use inside the Sistine Chapel — but for the Catholic faithful who want to follow the papal election in real time, there's more than one app for that.

Since Pope Benedict XVI announced he was resigning last month, apps such as Conclave, iConclave, Popechart and Conclave Alert have sprung up, allowing mobile and tablet users to view photographs and biographies of all the eligible pope candidates, watch live webcams in St. Peter's Square for signals of white smoke for a new pope, follow the papal chatter on Twitter and vote on their pick for a new church leader.

"The interesting dynamic this time around is the conclave has become a much more communal event," said Brandon Vogt, a Catholic blogger based in Orlando. "Tools like this will allow people to watch in real time. Now you're going to have millions of people who will know right when it happens. As soon as the pope is announced, we're going to have access to an incredible amount of material. I'll be able to talk immediately on Twitter and Facebook with hundreds of my friends. In 2005, those sort of reactions took days and weeks to roll out."

Vogt told the Herald he plans to watch webcam feeds from the Vatican and has signed up with Pope Alarm, a text and email alert, which advertises that "When the smoke goes up, you'll know what's going down."

Vogt, one of the bloggers invited to the Vatican in 2011 to consult with church leaders on how to use new technology, said the church has embraced social media and even released its own Pope App in January complete with speeches and the pope's event schedule.

In recent years other Catholic leaders have been following the lead of technology trailblazers such as Boston's Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, the first cardinal with a personal blog and the author of the foreword for Vogt's book, "The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet."

"This is really the first crop of cardinals that are Internet savvy with 10 cardinals that have personal Twitter accounts," said Vogt. "I think we're seeing a new movement with the cardinals and the pope and his successor leading the way."

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Co. offers cash rewards 
for comparison shopping

Co. offers cash rewards 
for comparison shopping

There was a time when small businesses took out ads in the Yellow Pages to get noticed. Today, they find themselves competing with national companies for attention online. But a new website founded by two Bay State entrepreneurs offers an alternative.

Inforpaid is a comparison-shopping site that allows small businesses to pay serious customers just for checking them out. Businesses offer cash rewards to shoppers and, if a purchase is made, the customer collects the money from all the firms considered.

"As a small business, it's very hard to compete with national players," said
 Renan Levy, who launched the website this month with co-founder Meny Elany. "(Small businesses) spend money on things that don't work, and they get frustrated. With Inforpaid, we redirect some of the money they would have spent on marketing to customers."

Inforpaid contracts with nearly 120 Greater Boston businesses in four categories — insurers, accountants, mortgage companies and financial advisers — but plans to add more categories, such as moving companies and car dealerships, in the coming months.

People can choose to be contacted by up to three businesses per category. Each business decides the amount of the cash reward to offer. (Currently, rewards range from $10.50 to $35.)

If a person closes a transaction and the business confirms the sale, Inforpaid sends a check to the person for the reward amounts from each business compared. The website also collects a separate fee.

"If it gets the phone to ring a few more times, I feel I have a really good chance of winning that business," said Rick Scherer, vice president of sales at MSA Mortgage in Winthrop.

Like Scherer, Frank Keaney Jr., a manager at Amity Insurance in Quincy, said most of his leads have traditionally come from referrals. To drum up more business, Amity tried to increase the visibility of its website and the company's presence on social media.

"We were getting some leads, but not as much as we would have liked," Keaney said. "Inforpaid seemed to be a great idea to drive business. I think it's going to be a win-win for everyone — for us, for Inforpaid and for clients."

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The Ticker

EA to give free game to SimCity buyers

SimCity's launch has been termed a disaster, as many players have been unable to connect to servers required to play the city-building game that was released last week.

So Lucy Bradshaw, general manager of Sims creator and Electronic Arts subsidiary Maxis, is not only promising to fix the connectivity problems, but will deliver a free game as a peace offering.

"To get us back in your good graces, we're going to offer you a free PC download game from the EA portfolio," said Bradshaw. "On March 18, SimCity players who have activated their game will receive an email telling them how to redeem their free game."

MONDAY

•  Analogic Corp. and Urban Outfitters report quarterly financial results.

TUESDAY

• Costco Wholesale Corp. reports quarterly financial results.
• The U.S. Treasury releases the federal budget for February.

WEDNESDAY

• The 2013 Boston Flower & Garden Show is held at the Seaport World Trade Center.
• The Boston Redevelopment Authority and consultant Utile hold a project overview meeting for the downtown waterfront municipal harbor plan at the New England Aquarium.
• Guess reports quarterly financial results.
• The U.S. Commerce Department releases retail sales data for February.

THURSDAY

• The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce hosts an economic outlook breakfast at the Westin Copley Place Hotel.
• The Boston Redevelopment Authority board meets at City Hall.
• Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. hosts its fourth quarter 2012 investor conference call and webcast.
• The Labor Department releases the Producer Price Index for February.

FRIDAY

• The Labor Department releases the Consumer Price Index for February.

THE SHUFFLE

• Kathleen Connolly, left, counsel at Murtha Cullina LLP and resident in the firm's Boston office, has been elected president of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commission for 2013-2014. Connolly previously served as MACC vice president.

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Producers fish for 
ideas at trade shows

Boston is a food mecca this week.

Exhibiting companies from 46 countries have descended on the Hub for the three-day International Boston Seafood Show/Seafood Processing America that starts today.

More than 19,000 attendees are expected to pack the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center for the event, which coincides with the New England Food Show.

The trade-only seafood show is the largest in its 32-year history in terms of exhibition space, with more than 1,850 booths and 1,000-plus exhibiting companies. A record 19,905 buyers, suppliers and other industry professionals attended last year's show, and registrations are tracking very well this year, according to show director Liz Plizga of Diversified Business Communications, the Portland, Maine, company that produces the exposition.

"Our trade show mirrors the industry … so it's a good indication for the economy and industry here in the North American market," Plizga said.

The event's keynote speaker tomorrow comes with controversy attached to his name. Soren Kaplan is the author of "Leapfrogging: Harness the Power of Surprise for Business Breakthroughs" and founder of InnovationPoint, a San Francisco-area management consulting firm.

The Wall Street Journal last month chronicled how Kaplan bought his way onto its best-sellers list for business books last August when "Leapfrogging" debuted. Kaplan paid a marketing firm to buy 2,500 of copies of the book in advance of its publication, the Journal reported. Sales of the book plummeted 99 percent the next week, and the book dropped off the list, but Kaplan conceded the best-seller status helped him land speaking and consulting gigs.

Seafood show organizers were unaware of the controversy, Plizga said, and chose Kaplan because he'll talk about breakthrough innovation, a topic that resonates with any industry.

"We booked him a while back," she said. "He's participated with other groups within our company, and we've seen his work before."

TV personality Regis Philbin is the keynote speaker for the New England Food Show, a trade event for the food and beverage industry which last year drew 18,000 people, 7,000 of them crossovers from the seafood show.

Joe Piantedosi, of Malden's Piantedosi Baking Co., will join Philbin to discuss the parallel between Philbin's work entertaining audiences and Piantedosi's work pleasing customers in the hospitality industry.

"Philbin was out in the front in having cooking segments on his show, and he always talked about the restaurant industry," said Peter Christie, CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, the show's sponsor. "He loves dining out."

With close to 500 booths and more than 300 exhibiting companies, New England Food Show attendees range from buyers for large hotels to small mom-and-pop restaurateurs.

"The reason they come is they're always looking for new ideas," Christie said. "They're looking for better ways to cut costs or come up with a new product to help their business and attract customers."

Boston chefs Jamie Bissonnette, Joanne Chang, Brian Poe and Jason Santos also will participate in a panel about social media,"Social Chefs: How to Use Your Followers to Build a Following."

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Lighting is net gain for tennis

Watertown co. creates green bulbs that don't cast glare

A bright idea from Think-
Lite has indoor tennis clubs throughout Massachusetts going green and saving green.

The Watertown-based technology company, which designs and manufactures custom lighting solutions for everything from hotels to airports, is replacing standard 1,000-watt metal halide bulbs at clubs with ones that burn for 10 years, provide zero glare to the eyes and help players see tennis balls clearer when lobbed at high speeds.

"People who play often take their lighting very seriously. It was very important to be a perfectionist in creating that solution," said ThinkLite CEO Dinesh Wadhwani, 23. "They may not know or care to understand the technical needs, they just know the light is not good enough. So they'll tell you, 'It's not bright enough, go figure it out.' "

Wadhwani, who co-founded ThinkLite as a Babson College student, said more than 30 clubs worldwide, including nine in the Bay State, have signed up for the Hamme-
Lite solution, with new facilities clamoring for greater energy cost savings "almost every week."

ThinkLite, which continues to serve its solution to indoor courts nationwide, is hoping to generate more than $15 million in total revenue this year through its products, Wadhwani said. The company has 54 employees in the United States and 13 other countries.

ThinkLite's reduced wattage bulbs can be installed in courts without having to change their 
infrastructure. Unlike traditional metal halide bulbs, ThinkLite's products can also be turned on and off at any time as they don't need to "warm up," Wadhwani said.

"Before, all the light would go up to the ceiling and come back down. Now you see light in all directions," he said. "It's much more softer and lighter on the eyes."

Wadhwani, who has gotten back into the swing of playing tennis, said the HammeLite solution can help club owners and managers save 60 to 70 percent on their lighting and energy costs, which can run upwards of $600 a month, per court, at the average club.

ThinkLite sources its core technology from a private research lab in Germany, and has a manufacturing partnership with Samsung. The four-year-old company also has lighting designs "ready to go" for indoor soccer, track and lacrosse fields, and basketball courts, Wadhwani said.

HammeLite was researched, designed and prototyped over a 13-month period, and is named after local tennis pro Laury Hammel, owner of the Longfellow Clubs in Wayland, Natick and Franklin.

Hammel said he was happy to make the switch to ThinkLite bulbs as a way to better "reduce carbon footprints."

"Light in that size of a facility is critical to performance and fun," Hammel said. "It's not fun if you're swinging at a ball and you miss it because you can't see it."

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