Rules loosen for casinos

The state Gaming Commission has softened its requirement that the subcontractors that casino vendors hire automatically submit to criminal background checks, a change the commission says will streamline permitting but gaming critics fear will add a layer of secrecy.

The commission voted yesterday to change its regulation that originally required casino vendors to submit "Subcontractor Identification Forms" before the vendors are licensed to do work for casinos. Now, subcontractors will only have to submit the forms if specifically targeted by the commission's Investigations and Enforcement Bureau.

The identification forms require subcontractors to list, among other things, who owns them, and to authorize courts, law enforcement agencies, probation departments, banks and other institutions to release any information about them that the commission requests.

Catherine Blue, the commission's general counsel, said the need for the change became apparent as the panel has begun processing vendors looking to work on an approved slots parlor in Plainville and an MGM casino in Springfield.

"We have a better understanding of what we need to see in certain situations, and have a better understanding how to make the process streamlined and how to make it work better," Blue said.

Subcontractors typically hire the actual workers who perform on-the-ground tasks on behalf of vendors. According to regulations, a factor the commission can weigh in deciding to permit a vendor to do work for a casino is the "integrity, honesty and good character of any subcontractor."

John Ribeiro, chairman of the Repeal the Casino Deal campaign that is working to overturn the state's casino law in November, said he's worried the change will embolden vendors — who could provide a casino everything from security to cleaning to maintenance services — to hire questionable subcontractors because they won't be subject to the same automatic disclosure requirements as mainline casino employees.

"They can always hire subcontractors to get around the regulations," Ribeiro said. "I think if you're going to regulate anything, I think you should be making sure that we don't have criminals working at the casinos. I think that would be a basic regulation that you'd want to enforce."

Blue said the change creates no greater risk of a criminal element in casinos because the IEB retains the right to demand background information and authorization.

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Most fines upheld for Irene outages

The state's highest court yesterday reduced fines against two utilities for their handling of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and a subsequent October snowstorm, but upheld the standard state regulators used to assess the companies' response to widespread power outages.

After the storms left hundreds of thousands of people without power — some for more than a week — the Department of Public Utilities fined National Grid $18.7 million and Nstar $4.1 million for the two storms, and Western Massachusetts Electric Co. $2 million for the snowstorm only.

The Supreme Judicial Court ordered the fine against National Grid reduced by $900,000, saying the only violations DPU did not prove were those alleged during the last two days of efforts to restore power after both storms. The SJC ordered the fine against Nstar cut in half, saying regulators failed to prove that the utility did not repair downed power lines quickly enough.

Krista Selmi, a spokeswoman for DPU, called the court's decision a "clear signal DPU acted within its authority," an opinion seconded by Attorney General Martha Coakley.

"Our investigation found that the utilities' preparation and response to these storms was woefully inadequate," Coakley said. "We recommended record penalties against the utilities, and the fines upheld today send a clear message that customers deserve better."

National Grid said in a statement it was disappointed with the decision.

Northeast Utilities, the parent of Nstar and Western Massachusetts Electric, said in a statement: "We are pleased that the court invalidated penalties where there wasn't enough evidence to warrant them."

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Motorola emphasizes design in circular smartwatch

NEW YORK — Motorola rolled out a circular smartwatch Friday, counting on a more traditional design to win over consumers who have so far shunned other computerized wrist devices.

Smartwatches so far have had rectangular faces, a shape that has turned off many consumers, said Steve Sinclair, Motorola's vice president of product management. Motorola's Moto 360 is round and has an all-metal frame, making it look more like a regular watch.

"People don't want to wear a shrunken-down smartphone on their wrist," Sinclair said.

Reshaping the smartwatch still might not be enough to sway consumers' attitudes. Apart from design, smartwatches have had limited appeal because of their small displays and a requirement to have a companion smartphone nearby. Technology companies have yet to make a compelling case for why everyday consumers need them.

Nonetheless, mobile device makers are still pinning their hopes on smartwatches spurring more sales to consumers who already have smartphones and tablet computers and aren't looking to upgrade right away. Samsung and Sony already have smartwatches out, and new models are coming this fall. Apple is also believed to be working on one that could be announced Tuesday.

Friday's debut of the Moto 360 comes a week after LG Electronics Inc. announced its own circular smartwatch, the G Watch R. LG's watch won't be available for at least a month, though, and its price wasn't immediately announced.

Both watches use Google's Android Wear operating system. The system uses voice controls for basic functions, such as reading messages, checking the weather and getting reminders on calendar appointments.

The Moto 360 costs $250 and starts shipping Friday. That comes with a leather band. A metal-band version will come out this fall for $300.

Motorola, which Google plans to sell to Lenovo this year, also announced updates to two of its phones.

The Moto G will grow to 5 inches, from 4.5 inches in last year's model. The camera is also improved to 8 megapixels, rather than 5 megapixels. It will start at $180 in the U.S. with no contract requirement. The new version will have 3G cellular access only. Motorola will continue selling a 4G version of the old model for $219.

Meanwhile, the flagship Moto X will enlarge to 5.2 inches, from 4.7 inches, and will start at $500. It will have a 13 megapixel camera, up from 10 megapixels. The Moto X distinguishes itself from rival phones by allowing people to customize the backs when ordering. Wood and leather backs will be available for a higher price.

There's also a new Bluetooth headset, the Moto Hint. Headsets have typically been limited to phone calls. The Moto Hint will also allow users to control the Moto X phone with voice commands.

After smartphones, smartwatches and smart glasses, as in the computerized Google Glass, what's next?

Smart rings, perhaps.

A Sunnyvale, California, startup called Mota unveiled a prototype of its SmartRing at the IFA gadget show in Berlin this week. Co-founder Kevin Faro said the device will alert users when they receive a call or message.

To avoid message overload, the ring can be set to filter out everyone except those from contacts designated as important. Other companies will be able to build apps that interact with the ring, opening up the possibility of getting alerts on stock prices, eBay sales and Uber rides.

___

Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this story.

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Joe Scarborough to join NBC's 'Meet The Press' in bid to broaden show's appeal

Now Joe Scarborough has to get up on Sunday mornings, too.

Scarborough, the host of MSNBC's weekday morning political-roundtable program "Morning Joe," will join the ranks of NBC's Sunday-morning public affairs program "Meet The Press," part of a series of changes the Peacock is making to the program that look to leave it less dependent on a single personality - the technique it has relied upon for decades.

NBC News recently named Chuck Todd as the lead host of the show in a bid to stem a ratings tumble that took place under the most recent host, David Gregory. Todd's debut as the show's master of ceremonies will come this Sunday.

But he won't be alone. Veteran NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell is expected to have a significant presence on the show. Scarborough will serve as a regular contributor to the program, and will also join NBC News as a senior political analyst, offering a broader look at political news on various NBC News programs, including "Today." He will continue to host "Morning Joe" on MSNBC.

The additions of such prominent staffers to the Sunday show suggests NBC is trying to widen its appeal by taking some of the burden off the show's main host. To be sure, various members of the NBC News roster have long contributed to "Meet The Press" panels, but the show's main selling point was always the host - most recently Gregory, and prior to that, Tim Russert. Troubles with the show under Gregory's tenure may have the network looking to establish other pillars of support.

In Todd, NBC has one of its most visible political journalists at the helm. Todd will be managing editor of the show and will also continue as the network's political director.

The "Meet The Press" strategy echoes one that has taken place at "Today," where the show has been placing a broader spotlight on all of its on-air talent, not just its two main co-anchors.

When "Today" launches weekday mornings, Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie are cited by the announcer, but they are joined immediately on set by Natalie Morales and Al Roker. The practice was adopted in an effort to push back at ABC's "Good Morning America," which has trumped "Today" in the ratings, partially with an emphasis on a wider array of personalities.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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8 fast-food workers arrested in protest

Eight Boston fast-food workers and a community organizer were among dozens of protesters arrested across the country yesterday in an ongoing national effort to pressure McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts and other fast-food companies to pay workers $15 an hour and to earn the right to unionize.

Darius Cephas, a 22-year-old employed by McDonald's in Dorchester, was among the Hub workers and a Massachusetts Jobs With Justice organizer who volunteered to risk arrest by staging sit-downs in two downtown intersections to draw attention to a movement that started in New York City in 2012 and yesterday included protests in about 150 cities.

"This is my second time doing civil disobedience," Cephas said prior to the first sit-down at Washington and Milk streets. "Some way or another, somebody has to stand up. If we don't do it, no one else will."

Cephas made $8 an hour at McDonald's prior to a May protest when he participated in a job walkout, he said. "My store owner came in a week later and gave us a 25-cent raise," he said. "I'm still here because $8.25 ain't nothing either."

Cephas and the eight others arrested were charged with disturbing the peace when their sit-down moved to the much busier intersection at State and Congress streets, where police gave them a five-minute warning of their impending arrest and diverted traffic.

An estimated 100 to 150 workers and supporters participated in the peaceful Boston protest, which otherwise was without incident. The national movement is backed financially by the Service Employees International Union, and Hub actions have been organized by MassUniting, a coalition of labor, community and faith-based groups.

Four Boston fast-food workers with a loudspeaker went into the McDonald's on Washington Street in Downtown Crossing, chanting and telling customers how hard it is to make a living on their pay. "We'll be in your face, we'll be in your face. Whatever it takes, as long as it takes," they chanted before being escorted out by police.

Khadijah White, a shift manager earning $9.50 an hour at a McDonald's in Dorchester, was among the four who wanted to "let everybody know we're here to fight for $15."

"We work too hard to get paid too little," she said. "I have a son to take care of. We can (get $15), as long as we continue to work together and hold our own."

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The Ticker

Transit startup raises $4M

Cambridge transportation startup Bridj, which runs a fleet of buses in Boston that travel on routes determined by demand, has raised $4 million in seed funding, the company said yesterday.

The company also announced that it has hired Gabe Klein as chief operating officer. Klein was formerly the head of the Chicago and Washington, D.C., departments of transportation.

The money was invested by Atlas Ventures, NextView Ventures and others. Bridj said thousands have used the service since it launched in beta in June.

Google agrees
to refund kids' 
app purchases

Google has agreed to pay full refunds totaling at least $19 million to consumers who were charged for purchases that children made without parental consent from the Google Play app store.

The settlement is part of the third case by the Federal Trade Commission about unauthorized in-app purchases made by children. It settled with Apple for $32.5 million in January and it filed a complaint against Amazon, which has said it won't settle over the charges.

In Google's case, the FTC said that since 2011, consumers have reported children had made unauthorized charges ranging from 99 cents to $200 within kids' apps downloaded from the Google Play store.

TODAY

•  Labor Department releases employment data for August.

— staff and wire reports

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Tesla CEO: "Nevada is it;" $1.3B package offered

RENO, Nev. — The Biggest Little City in the World is about to get a new neighbor: the biggest lithium battery factory in the world that Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval asserted will create more than 22,000 new jobs and pump $100 billion into the state's economy over the next 20 years.

Tesla Motors Inc. CEO Elon Musk declared the Silver State the winner Thursday of a high-stakes battle with California and three other states for the $5 billion "gigafactory" he says they need — and need fast — to mass produce cheaper batteries for its next line of more-affordable electric cars.

Sandoval unveiled the package of tax breaks and incentives worth as much as $1.3 billion that his economic development team negotiated with Tesla in secret for nearly a year to bring the plant to an industrial park 15 miles east of Sparks, a Reno suburb founded along the Union Pacific Railroad a century ago.

The package still must be approved by lawmakers during a special session of the Legislature, which appears inclined to do so and could take action as early as next week. But Sandoval called it a "monumental announcement that will change Nevada forever."

Musk confided Nevada's wasn't the most lucrative among the offers from California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.

But "it wasn't just about incentives," he said, citing Nevada's pro-business regulatory climate and his "high confidence" the plant will be ready to open in 2017. "That was truly the most important thing."

Later, Musk told reporters that Tesla would stop looking for another state as a backup, as the company had said earlier it would do in case Nevada did not come through.

"Nevada is it," he said.

Musk, who had just flown in from London, briefly bungled the pronunciation of "Nevada" during the ceremony — a big no-no for locals — but recovered and twice received standing ovations from more than 200 dignitaries on the Capitol lawn.

"It's a real get-things-done state," Musk said, explaining how Nevada prevailed in a "relatively close" competition.

Steve Hill, executive director of Sandoval's Office of Economic Development, drew a laugh from the crowd when he said:

"That's the first I've heard incentives weren't the most important thing."

Earlier Thursday, at least a half-dozen road graders, bulldozers and dump trucks were working at the site at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center along I-80 where Musk said the plant would cover an area equal to 174 football fields and produce more lithium batteries than all the existing factories in the world combined last year.

"It's difficult to describe in words, but it's a heck of a big factory," he said.

Also a heck of a lot of jobs for a state that had the nation's worst unemployment rate during the depths of the Great Recession.

Hill said the 22,000 jobs would include 6,500 permanent ones at the factory with hourly wages above $25 and a peak of 3,000 construction jobs before the 2017 opening.

But Greg LeRoy, executive director of the research group Good Jobs First, said the factory would bring a total of 19,500 jobs, and not the 22,000.

Tesla's choice for the facility takes it a big step closer to mass producing an electric car that costs around $35,000 and can go 200 miles on a single charge. That range is critical because it lets people take most daily trips without recharging, a major barrier to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

A man who stopped at an I-80 truck stop Thursday to refuel across the street from the access road to the site told a reporter he'd consider buying an electric car someday.

"But right now they don't have enough of those places to charge," said Donald Hopkins, headed from his home in Rio Vista, California to vacation in Indianapolis. "Maybe if they get one where you can drive from here to Detroit."

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SiriusXM to broadcast 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'

SiriusXM announced Friday that it will start broadcasting syndicated daytime talker "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" beginning Sept. 8 along with the new season.

The satellite radio provider will air the audiocast on channel 109 at 10 a.m. weekdays, with a rebroadcast of each episode the following day at 9 a.m. The broadcast will also be available on via the SiriusXM Internet Radio app and siriusxm.com.

"'Ellen' is the most popular nationally syndicated daytime talk show, and we know our listeners, whether they are in the car, at home or on the go, will love being able to tune into the daily show through satellite radio, and not miss a minute," said Scott Greenstein SiriusXM's president and chief content officer.

DeGeneres' premiere week will include interviews with "The Voice" hosts Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams, as well as appearances by Kim Kardashian, Channing Tatum and Nicki Minaj. Music performances include Maroon 5, Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora, and Megan Trainer.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Movies help make Lego the world's largest toymaker

Licenses to "Star Wars," "The Simpsons," DC and Marvel's superheroes, and its own films like "The Lego Movie" have helped make Lego the world's largest toy company when it comes to revenue and profits, beating Mattel and Hasbro.

At least that's for the first six months of the year.

Lego attributed much of this year's success so far to "The Lego Movie," which helped boost sales by 11% during the first six months of the year, the company said.

"The Lego Movie," which was produced for $60 million, went on to earn more than $468 million worldwide, and was backed by 17 playsets, minifigures, a videogame, theme park attraction, and slew of branded merchandise. The film is also available on homevideo platforms.

"We are thrilled by the reception of 'The Lego Movie' products," said Lego Group chief financial officer John Goodwin, with company sales up double digits in Europe, the Americas and Asia. In fact, sales rose more than 50% in China during the six-month period.

The Danish brick maker generated $2.03 billion in the first six months of the year -- eking out Mattel, which earned $2 billion in sales -- while profits rose 14% to $273 million.

While a deal with Lucasfilm to produce "Star Wars" toys 15 years ago began Lego's relationship with Hollywood, the company has especially been aggressive lately in locking down licensing deals for more studio films and franchises as a way to keep kids interested in its playsets and minifgures.

This year that includes toys based on "Star Wars," "The Simpsons," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "The Hobbit," DC's Batman, Superman and the rest of the Justice League, and Marvel's Avengers and Spider-Man. A replica of "The Simpsons" house sells for $200.

In the past, Lego also had tie-ins with "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Harry Potter," "Indiana Jones," "The Lone Ranger," "Prince of Persia," "Toy Story" and "Jurassic Park."

Looking ahead, "it remains to be seen how the [The Lego Movie] line will continue to develop," said Lego chief Jørgen Vig Knudstorp.

Lego hopes to replicate that success in 2017 when Warner Bros. releases "The Lego Movie 2." The studio also plans to release a movie based on Lego's Ninjago toy line, revolving around ninjas.

The company also should see a sales bump in the second half of the year, with Disney and Lucasfilm introducing a new "Star Wars" animated series -- ahead of next year's "Star Wars: Episode VII -- and Warner Bros. launching the final installment of "The Hobbit" trilogy.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Apple to tighten online security after recent hack

NEW YORK — Apple plans to tighten its online security measures to reduce the chances of its users being victimized by intrusions like the ones that stole nude photos from actress Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities.

CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal in a story published Friday that Apple Inc. will use email and push notifications to alert the hundreds of millions of people using its services when there has been an attempt to restore their iCloud data on a new device, change an account password or log on to an account with a new device. Previously there were no notifications for restoring iCloud data, but users did receive an email when someone tried to change a password or log in for the first time from a new device.

Apple expects to start sending the additional notifications in two weeks. The iPhone maker said the new security will allow users to change passwords to reclaim control of an account or notify Apple's security team about a potential problem.

An Apple spokesman confirmed the report Friday but declined to comment further than what was said in the interview.

Apple is also urging users to ensure they have complex passwords that are difficult to guess and are enabling a feature known as two-factor authentication that requires a numeric code sent to a phone to gain access to an account.

The security clampdown comes just a few days after Apple acknowledged computer hackers broke into the accounts of Lawrence and several other stars whose revealing photos were posted online during the Labor Day weekend. The Cupertino, California, company blamed the security breakdown on the intruders' ability to figure out passwords and bypass other safeguards.

The embarrassing episode raised doubts about Apple's online security at a time when the company is preparing to introduce several services that will seek to vacuum up even more information about people's lives and finances. When Apple unveils its next iPhone at a Tuesday event in Silicon Valley, Cook also is widely expected to provide more details about previously announced services designed to help people manage their health and home appliances. Analysts also believe Apple will include a digital wallet for making payments on the iPhone and, possibly, a long-awaited smartwatch, too.

As part of its efforts to reassure users, Apple has emphasized that it found no evidence of a widespread problem in iCloud or its Find my iPhone service. Instead, the affected celebrity accounts were targeted by hackers who had enough information to know the usernames, passwords and answers to personal security questions designed to thwart unauthorized entries, according to Apple.

Knowing this crucial information would enable an outsider to break into Apple accounts, including iCloud, and many other types of online accounts. The digital burglaries, though, probably would have been thwarted with two-factor authentication.

Apple's stock added 65 cents to $98.74 in Friday's early afternoon trading.

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