LPGA Tour boss 'disappointed' with Golf Digest

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan weighed in Friday on Golf Digest's provocative cover featuring Paulina Gretzky.

"Obviously, we're disappointed and frustrated by the editorial direction (and timing) Golf Digest has chosen with the announcement of its most recent magazine cover," Whan said in a statement at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the tour's first major tournament of the year.

"If a magazine called Golf Digest is interested in showcasing females in the game, yet consistently steers away from the true superstars who've made history over the last few years, something is clearly wrong. ... 'Growing the game' means a need for more role models and in these exciting times for women's golf, the LPGA is overflowing with them."

The cover photo shows Gretzky in skintight capris and a bra.

Known for provocative pictures on her social media accounts, Gretzky is former hockey star Wayne Gretzky's daughter and PGA Tour player Dustin Johnson's fiancee.

Former LPGA Tour star Lorena Ochoa in 2008 was the last female pro to appear on the magazine's cover. Golf Digest featured Golf Channel's Holly Sonders in May 2013 and model Kate Upton posed with Arnold Palmer for the December issue.

"It's frustrating for female golfers," third-ranked Stacy Lewis said. "It's kind of the state of where we've always been. We don't get respect for being the golfers that we are. Obviously, Golf Digest is trying to sell magazines. But at the same time you'd like to see a little respect for the women's game."

Jerry Tarde, Golf Digest's editor in chief, released a statement about the cover.

"Sports figures, celebrities and models have appeared on Golf Digest covers since the magazine's beginning," Tarde said. "Paulina ranks at the high end of the golf celebrity scene today, and she has a compelling story to tell. She also might get some new people interested in the game."

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Economy seen back on track

The U.S. economy hit a key milestone in March as it restored all the jobs lost during the recession and continued its steady, moderate improvement, analysts said.

"I thought it was a pretty positive report," said Robert Murphy, an economics professor at Boston College. "It showed what we've been seeing, steady gains in jobs."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics yesterday said 192,000 jobs were added to the workforce, a month after 197,000 jobs were added.

While not eye-popping numbers, the last two months are confirmation, experts said, that the slowdown at the end of last year was due to snow and cold temperatures that hit all over the country.

"It's not a blockbuster report, but certainly good enough to encourage people that the temporary slowdown over the winter months was weather related," said Nigel Gault, co-chief economist of the Parthenon Group. "We're getting back on track here."

Still, some were hoping for a stronger month.

"This is hardly the catch-up number anticipated from months of pent-up demand," said Lindsey Piegza, chief economist of Sterne Agee, in a report. "And at sub-200K, employment continues to fall short of the levels seen in October and November 2013, undermining confidence in reestablishing above-trend momentum in hiring."

A Bloomberg survey of 90 economists projected an increase of 200,000 jobs.

Last month, the number of total private sector jobs in the country rose to 116.1 million, the first time in six years it has been above the pre-recession peak of 116 million.

"It's an interesting side-note, and it's a commentary on how far we dropped and how long it's taken us to come back, but it doesn't really mean much," Gault said.

The population has increased since the downturn, though, and many public sector jobs have not been recovered.

"It in no sense gets us back to where we were," Gault said.

Also in yesterday's report, 500,000 more people were either employed or looking for work. Gault said that increase may mean people are more optimistic about their job prospects.

"The fact that the number of people in the labor force went up was comforting," Murphy said.

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5-year-old finds flaw in Xbox Live security

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Samsung adding anti-theft solutions to smartphones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

___

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

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Fitchburg couple takes over Marshall Farm

FITCHBURG, Mass. — Jim Lattanzi is no stranger to hard work. At 29, he has operated a highly successful food-truck business, started a farm in his Hollis Hills home backyard with wife Allison, and expanded the business to include maple sugaring.

The couple, who are expecting their first child in the summer, are taking their business to a whole new level after purchasing Marshall Farm in Fitchburg, and expanding their services beyond home-grown beef, bacon, chicken, eggs and maple syrup.

In addition to providing those services in the farm's store, they plan on providing apple picking and pumpkins in the fall and full-service breakfast at their state-of-the-art kitchen and restaurant.

The couple had been looking for a place to move their farm for about a year, and Allison Lattanzi said her mother approached her about Marshall Farm being on the market. She said she initially brushed it off, thinking Jim wouldn't be interested.

The next time he saw his mother-in-law, she told Jim about the farm and a light instantly went off in his head, she said.

"My mother is very involved in this farm," she said.

Purchasing the 100-acre farm is like coming home for Jim Lattanzi, he said. When he was first getting his food-truck business off the ground, he used to lease kitchen space at Marshall Farm from the owner.

Their retail store will not only sell products from Hollis Hills farm but from other farms in the area, including Carlisle Honey in Tyngsboro.

"We're looking to revive this place," he said, while noting he and Allison first began pondering the idea in the fall. "The opportunity just presented itself."

The couple closed on the property March 25.

Lattanzi said Marshall Farm has a rich history in the city, and it is his hope to bring back some of the historical charm.

"We're excited to bring this back as an institution to the city of Fitchburg," he said.

He said for many years in recent history, the farm had moved away from being a fully functioning farm and dabbled in other business ventures.

"We're looking to change it back to a fully functioning agricultural farm and provide clean food to the community," he said.

The couple also bought the Marshall homestead, which was built in 1784, and is next to the farm. They plan to move in this spring.

Despite the move, he said, the farm will still have a presence in Lunenburg.

"I still have a ton of crop land in Lunenburg. It's still a vital part of our business," he said. That includes fields he hays and maple taps that provide sap for his maple syrup.

Lattanzi was renting the old Ewen's Sugar Shack in Lunenburg and has since moved the entire operation to the farm and upgraded a lot of the equipment.

The couple said they are appreciative of all they were able to do in Lunenburg and feel they still have a lot to offer.

"We work with excellent landowners in Lunenburg. Lunenburg has always been an agricultural community. You definitely like to see your farm help to maintain that," he said.

Allison Lattanzi said one of the biggest things they focus on when raising their animals is attention to detail.

"We're not pushing out animals for the fastest production," she said. "We maintain our soils and pay close attention to the environment.

She said they use no hormones or antibiotics with their animals.

Jim Lattanzi said that principle has become more and more important now as more and more people want to "see where their food is coming from."

"We're more farm to table, using what you get from us on our farm and use those ingredients in everything we make that we put on the table," he said.

Lattanzi was one of the driving forces in establishing an Agricultural Commission in Lunenburg and helping to write a right-to-farm bylaw for the town, and although he said he still plans on being active in the farming community, this was a chance to help grow his business.

-KATINA CARAGANIS, Sentinel & Enterprise

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World stocks muted ahead of US jobs report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tech giants back Aereo vs. broadcasters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tasty Burger cooks up Fenway Park deal

Move over Fenway Franks. Boston's famed Fenway Park now has an official hamburger, too.

Local quick-service restaurant chain Tasty Burger has signed a three-year deal to be the Official Burger of the Boston Red Sox, just in time for Opening Day.

Tasty Burger celebrated its new-found status by giving away 2,014 free burgers yesterday at its original Fenway location.

"It feels to us like such a natural fit because Tasty Burger was born right here in the Fenway in the shadow of the ballpark," said Tasty Burger Corp. CEO Dave DuBois, a Cambridge native. "I think it's so cool for somebody with the size and the weight of a brand like the Red Sox and Major League Baseball to tip their hats to a small local brand like ours."

The Fenway faithful will find a new Tasty Burger concession stand in the recently renovated third-base deck, which will sell burgers, fries, milkshakes and Tasty Burger tater tots made exclusively for Fenway Park.

Tasty Burger opened its first restaurant in the Fenway in 2010 and has added locations in Harvard Square and South Boston.

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Boston trumps gaming panel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A spokesman for Wynn had no comment.

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J.C. Penney teams up with Elle Macpherson for lingerie

NEW YORK — J.C. Penney is hoping that some supermodel magic will win over shoppers in the lingerie department.

The beleaguered department store chain is launching an exclusive lingerie collection in the U.S. with a partnership with Elle Macpherson, who along with Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and others became part of a new generation of supermodels in the 1980s.

The collection will be in 300 of Penney's 1,100 stores starting April 11. Penney says it will wait to see how the brand fares before deciding whether to roll it out to its other stores.

The collection, called The Body by Elle Macpherson, which refers to her nickname, offers bras and panties in mostly cotton. Its emphasis is on the smoothest, most precise fit that can be worn every day.

The collection builds on Macpherson's lingerie business she founded in 1990 with the launch of an upscale collection of lacy and silk lingerie that's sold at upscale stores here and abroad including Bloomingdale's and Harrod's.

The Body Bras top out at around $50, while bras in the Elle Macpherson Intimates Collection can go as high as $150. The bras have four distinct silhouettes designed to suit varying needs and body shapes: the push up, a sporty demi-cut version, an unlined alternative, and a subtle lift.

"I created this for myself, because I thought there was a gap," Macpherson told The Associated Press. "I really wanted to address this idea of shape."

Macpherson, who is creative director for a series of fashion business ventures, said Penney offers the opportunity to design for a wider audience.

The collection comes as Penney is trying to recover from a botched transformation spearheaded by its former CEO Ron Johnson, who was fired in April 2013 after 17 months on the job. That month, Mike Ullman, Johnson's predecessor, returned to the helm and has restored frequent sales events and basic merchandise to help reverse plunging sales and massive losses.

A key focus: revitalizing its lingerie business. The partnership with Macpherson was forged under Johnson's regime. But under the former Apple executive, Penney got rid of bra specialists and its store brand Ambrielle, a conservative line of lingerie. In February, Penney brought back the specialists and Ambrielle.

Also, more than 600 Penney stores will see their lingerie areas refreshed with new graphics and special fixtures.

Penney executives said Victoria's Secret benefited the most from Penney's woes when it came to lingerie sales.

"By offering the best brands, a greater level of service and an inspiring environment, J.C. Penney is making the necessary improvements to reclaim its market share," said Ivy Spargo, a senior vice president for Penney.

Macpherson's collection will be at the high end of Penney's offerings. Bras are priced anywhere from $40 to $49, while panties will be priced at $12 to $14.

Spargo says Penney shoppers will be able to relate to Macpherson outside of being a celebrity.

"She's a working mom. She's a business owner," she said.

Macpherson, who is based in London but travels around the world, says she's "passionate" about lingerie. It began in 1990 with her partnership with Bendon Limited Apparel, the same manufacturer that is producing the line for Penney. It marked one of the first examples of a model becoming a fashion brand.

Macpherson said she created her original collection back then because she saw a void between European-style lingerie and the comfort that American brands offered.

"As a model, I was constantly getting undressed," Macpherson added. "I wanted to make sure I looked good."

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