Car-charging station planned for Brattleboro

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Tesla Motors Inc. is opening a Supercharger site in Brattleboro, Vermont, where drivers of the company's electric cars can recharge.

The Brattleboro Reformer reports (http://bit.ly/1bI41RH) the eight-bay charging station has been built in the Price Chopper parking lot. Tesla is waiting on its permit to attach the charging stations to the electric grid.

The Supercharger can charge a battery in one of the company's Model S electric vehicles, halfway, in about 20 minutes.

Tesla has been adding to its Supercharger network since 2012. It has about 150 charging stations in the United States and hopes to have a station every 120-150 miles in the next few years.

Tesla recently opened a station in Hooksett, New Hampshire. Plans for stations include West Lebanon, West Springfield, Massachusetts, and White River Junction.

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Information from: Brattleboro Reformer, http://www.reformer.com/

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State clears dispensary to grow, sell medical pot in Salem

A Massachusetts company will begin growing cannabis and selling medical marijuana from a Salem dispensary, thanks to the first certificate of registration issued by the state.

The state Department of Public Health yesterday announced the clearance for Alternative Therapies Group Inc.

Alternative Therapies plans to sell its medical marijuana — which Massachusetts law requires must be grown from seed — to 1,526 patients in its first year, according to its filing with the state. The plants will be grown at its Amesbury cultivation site.

"Providing safe patient access is a priority of the Medical Use of Marijuana Program, and we are proud to take this important step forward," state Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz said in a statement. "Selecting dispensaries that meet our high standards takes time, but ensuring a launch of this new industry the right way for the people of Massachusetts is a top priority."

State public health officials visited Alternative Therapies' dispensary and cultivation sites to review its floor plans, security and cultivation operations to ensure product safety and quality; its storage and transportation standards; and responsiveness to patient needs, the DPH said.

The company will be subject to further oversight, including inspection of its transportation plans and testing of its marijuana plants once they are grown, before it's permitted to move or sell its marijuana for medical use. Ongoing oversight will include unannounced inspections before and after sales begin.

Other companies seeking to operate medical marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts are in the inspection phase.

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Report: Yahoo pursued Scripps Networks acquisition

Yahoo engaged Scripps Networks Interactive last year about a possible acquisition, according to a report Thursday in Business Insider.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is interested in potentially taking the riches her company reaped from the Alibaba IPO and funneling them into cable networks, the report suggests. Yahoo approached SNI at some point in 2014 about purchasing Food Network, and the conversation eventually extended to acquiring the rest of a portfolio that also includes HGTV and Travel Channel.

Yahoo may have also approached Time Warner about acquiring CNN. But the report doesn't suggest that either of these potential acquisitions are still in active discussions.

SNI has been mentioned as a potential takeover target in recent years, particularly in anticipation of the kind of industry consolidation that could occur should regulators approve the Comcast-Time Warner Cable and DirecTV-A&T deals. Discovery Communications held preliminary talks with Scripps in late 2013, but a deal didn't materialize.

The author of the report on Yahoo-Scripps is Nicholas Carlson, who recently published the book "Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo."

A rep for Yahoo declined comment, citing company policy on addressing rumors or speculation. A rep for Yahoo has not yet responded to inquiries for comment.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Hyundai, Kia brace for weakest growth in a decade

SEOUL, South Korea — Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. are forecasting their weakest growth in yearly car sales in more than a decade as competition intensifies and the global economy slows.

Hyundai Motor Group, the world's fifth largest automaker, said Friday the two carmakers aim to sell a combined 8.2 million vehicles this year.

That would be an increase of just 2.5 percent from last year's sales about of about 8 million vehicles. Sales grew 4 percent in each of the past two years.

Chairman Chung Mong-koo told employees in his New Year's speech that the group should cut costs, increase productivity and share components to fend off competition from Japanese rivals boosted by a cheap yen.

Sales of Hyundai and Kia cars grew at double digit rates until 2011 as the group weathered the 2008 financial crisis by introducing new designs and marketing. The Korean group was also aided by a weak local currency. In 2010, car sales at Hyundai and Kia jumped 24 percent combined as exports surged.

But that momentum has slowed since 2012 as the won strengthened against the yen and as foreign auto brands gained popularity in South Korea, hurting Hyundai and Kia's domestic sales. A series of recalls and quality issues also challenged Hyundai at home and overseas.

Chung said the auto group will put priority on improving its brand and boosting its research and development. The group will increase investment in eco-friendly technologies and its brand this year.

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GM recalls 92K trucks, SUVs for ignition lock defect

DETROIT — General Motors is recalling 92,221 full-size trucks and SUVs for a defect in ignition lock systems that can cause safety problems in hot conditions.

Thursday's recall covers certain 2011-2012-models and certain 2007-2014-models that were repaired with defective parts. The recall is for U.S., Canadian, Mexican and exported vehicles.

The affected models re Chevrolet Silverado light-duty and heavy-duty pickups; Avalanche, Tahoe and Suburban; GMC Sierra light duty and heavy-duty pickups; and Yukon and Yukon XL; Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT.

GM says the ignition lock actuators may be too wide, making turning the key difficult when it's hot inside the cab. No crashes or injuries have been reported.

Last year, GM recalled 2.6 million small cars for defective ignition switches, linked to at least 42 deaths and 58 injuries.

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Hot Property: In 2015, new digs on the block

What we will see in Greater Boston residential real estate this year will be a lot like what we saw last year.

Another big wave of high-end apartment complexes will open between winter and spring, including 315 apartments at the Ink Block in the South End, 378 in neighboring Troy Boston, 359 apartments at 100 Pier 4 in the Seaport District and 398 units at the Ava Theater District. One Greenway in Chinatown will add another 217 market-rate apartments by summer.

East Cambridge's NorthPoint area will see two large apartment complexes opening this year: 355 units at Twenty 20 and 392 apartments at the Zinc at 22 Water St., near the new Lechmere Green Line station.

Over in the Fenway, two large luxury apartment projects will debut this spring: the Viridian with 322 units and the Van Ness with 172 units. And One Canal will add 320 new apartments on the Greenway this fall.

Whether the Hub can absorb this second wave of high-end rentals will indicate whether Boston is seeing exponential job growth and an increasing influx of millennials, empty-nesters and internationals, or if there's an oversupply, which will result in cutthroat competition that reduces rents.

"The first half of 2015 will be a lot like what we saw last year, with lots of new luxury apartments and a restricted condo inventory," said real estate columnist and William Raveis agent David Bates.

Bates sees the growth of emerging markets such as East Boston, and Dorchester neighborhoods such as Fields Corner and Savin Hill, as places for buyers looking in the $500,000 range as more are priced out of neighborhoods such as South Boston and Jamaica Plain and most of Cambridge and Somerville.

The city is seeking to encourage building denser housing in corridors along Dorchester Avenue between Broadway and Andrews and around the Forest Hills Orange Line station, but there will remain a shortage of more moderately priced condos and apartments for the foreseeable future. But a few, such as the 43-apartment Parkside on Adams in Roslindale, are slated to open this year.

And the shortage also goes for the high-end condo
market. Twenty Two Liberty in the Seaport District will debut at the end of the year, but its 109 condos are nearly sold out. So, too, are almost all of the 83 units at Sepia in the South End opening in the fall.

Two big luxury condo projects are breaking ground on Dalton Street near the Christian Science Center. Construction also will start on Lovejoy Wharf, 40 Trinity Place and Copley Place Tower, but delivery on these are two years away.

What will be available this year are smaller condo projects such as the 12-unit Royal in the South End and small South Boston and Back Bay projects.

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Business leaders bullish on 2015

After a year of strong economic growth in Boston, local business leaders tell the Herald they predict booming startups, cheap gas and steady development in 2015. Here are their forecasts:

Robby Bitting, marketing director at MassChallenge, on Boston startups: "We're super optimistic on 2015. There's a lot of momentum and success. On one hand, you see the big IPOs from this year with Wayfair and HubSpot that have generated a lot of excitement and ... attention for the startup community in Boston. But, on another level, what's really important is there's a lot of activity for earlier-stage entrepreneurs. Not only do you see it in the consumer web and enterprise software, but you also see that in healthcare, biotech and energy, and even in social enterprises."

Oil expert Andrew Reed, principal of ESAI Energy: "The price decreases (for heating oil and gasoline at the pump) we saw in the last few months put us at a new level where we should be staying — not just this winter, but for the next several years. OPEC ... had a decision coming for some time: Either you cut production (of crude oil) to defend the price or you keep producing to protect your market share. They've chosen the latter, which means there's a lot of crude oil out there."

Ernie Boch Jr., CEO of Boch Enterprises: "2014 was a great year for the automotive industry. 2015 looks like a better year, as long as the domestic (automakers) keep their production in line. In 2014, there was a great balance of supply and demand, but there were signs that the domestics were starting to over-produce, which could be dangerous."

Pat Moscaritolo, CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau: "We've had three consecutive years of strong growth and are hitting new highs in visitors and hotel activity and tax revenue generated." International visitors have been the strongest market segment. "That's been fueled by the aggressive marketing that we've been doing internationally for Boston and Cambridge, but also the success of Massport's new international air service activity."

John B. Hynes III, CEO of Boston Global Investors, on real estate development: "I think you're going to see an average development year, with another 4 or 5 million square feet put under construction citywide. I would like to think it will be good for another million square feet of starts in Seaport Square, having started a million feet this year."

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In with the new: Snappy apps for 2015

NEW YORK — Uber, Facebook, Instagram — sure, they've been all the rage, but as 2014 winds down we're all ready for something fresh. From ride-hailing to photo sharing, here are a few up-and coming apps and startups to watch in in 2015. Which will be the breakout hit of the new year?

TELL A STORY

Instagram, which is owned by Facebook Inc., now has 300 million users — more than Twitter. Scrolling through its snapshot feeds gives users a quick glimpse into the lives of friends and strangers. (At least the parts that include empty beaches, cappuccinos with perfect foam hearts and smiling babies in clean clothes.) Its simplicity is part of its appeal. But what if you want to tell a longer story?

Enter Storehouse, a mobile app that promises to let you share "your stories, as they happen." Instead of sharing one-off photos, Storehouse lets users combine photos, videos and words to share anything from a detailed recipe, to travel memories or a first-person documentary on the Yakuza. Storehouse was founded by Mark Kawano, who previously worked at Apple as a User Experience Evangelist, helping developers design iOS and Mac apps.

"Writers always had a great platform for blogging," Kawano said recently. "But that hasn't happened with photographers yet." Other photo apps, he said, are basically just status updates in a visual form. Storehouse hopes to change that.

HAIL A RIDE

If you haven't heard of Uber, you must never leave your house or watch the news. Many people also are familiar with Uber's smaller rival Lyft, which burnishes its kinder, gentler image by slapping huge pink mustaches on the front of its cars. But more companies are queuing up to squire you around town.

In 10 cities in the U.S., including San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles, you can order up a Sidecar. The service differentiates itself by letting passengers input their destinations when they book rides and sort drivers based on price, shortest ETA and favorites. In Los Angeles, there's also Opoli, which lets drivers bid for your ride so you can decide which one to go with. You can pick your vehicle too, and make a reservation. Unlike many other app-based car services, Opoli also allows its drivers to work for competitors. Opoli doesn't take a commission on a fare; its drivers pay a subscription fee to use the service.

COOK A MEAL

Food-ordering apps such as Seamless have made it easy to order in. And if you want to venture outside, OpenTable and smaller competitors such as Reserve help you quickly book a table with their smartphone apps. But if you'd rather give your loved ones the personal touch, new DIY services will provide carefully measured ingredients and detailed recipes for even the clumsiest of cooks.

Sites such as HelloFresh, Plated and Blue Apron deliver weekly boxes of raw ingredients — even including spices and, at least in the case of HelloFresh, water. The only things you're assumed to have in your pantry are salt, pepper, oil and possibly butter. An upcoming "family plan" box for Blue Apron, for example, features chicken under a "brick" with rosemary, roast potatoes and broccolini; New England-style shrimp rolls with warm potato and kale salad; fresh pappardelle Bolognese with romaine, celery and apple salad and two-cheese pizza with iceberg chopped salad. The meals are quick to prepare, so if you're tired of takeout and live in their delivery location, these services could spice up your diet. Or maybe help with that "eat-healthy" New Year's resolution?

CHIT CHAT

You've heard of WhatsApp, the nearly-free messaging app that Facebook paid $22 billion for this year. And there's Facebook's own messaging tool, which was the year's most-downloaded app (likely because you had to download it if you wanted to message people using Facebook).

That's all so 2014. Why message people you know when you could instead check out Ethan, a messaging app that lets you do just one thing — message a guy named Ethan. He "may message you time to time" but cautions that he "can't respond when he's asleep." Nothing if not honest, Ethan doesn't want you to message him in an emergency, and will advise you not to fall in love with him. But want to plan a dinner-and-movie night? No problem. "Should I get Italian or Chinese for dinner?" (Answer: Italian) and "Gonna watch a movie on Netflix, what should I go for?" (Answer: "The Room.")

PUT THAT PHONE DOWN

If your New Year's resolution is to stop being so rude with your phone and talk to your friends face-to-face every once in a while, there's an app for you, too. It's called Moment, and it tracks how much you use your iPhone and iPad each day (sorry, no Android version yet).

If you are trying to cut back on your screen habit, you can set daily limits and the app will notify you when you exceed them. Moment Family, meanwhile, lets you monitor your whole family's phone use — by looking at your phone.

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Smart devices prey to hackers

An unprecedented boom in wearable technology and smart homes will make 2015 a year of huge rewards for American consumers — and terrifying opportunities for hackers.

Did you think North Korea's hack into Sony Pictures was bad? Try a hack of your insulin pump, your heart monitor, your light bulbs or your door locks.

Data thefts are about to hit us where we live. As sensors on your wrists and your walls become ubiquitous, the data derived from them is being collected and stored — and its security is about to be tested in a major way in 2015.

Central to the year's digital plot line is what is known as the Internet of Things — think of it as a revolution akin to the World Wide Web in the 1990s.

Instead of wiring computers together, we're wiring devices together, bringing online nearly everything that was previously inert.

Exhibit A: Google has acquired digital thermostat-maker Nest. Exhibit B: Apple's upcoming release of the iWatch.

From your thermostat to your health tracker, everything will start to have its own Internet protocol, or IP Address, starting this year.

The opportunities for the tech industry are huge.

Cable companies and wireless providers alike are trying to dominate in this space, offering monthly smart-home packages with huge install costs and monthly fees. But they'll fail.

What's likely to win out are the easy-setup piecemeal options that communicate well together. Those include the Philips Hue connected light bulbs, Microsoft's Kinect sensor, which straddles the line of smart home and fitness devices, the Apple HealthKit platform and, of course, Nest.

Eventually, smart home technology and wearables will work seamlessly together and you'll think of both as part of one big category, the Internet of Things.

But here's the spark that will ignite a revolution: The biggest providers of cloud computing, Amazon and Microsoft, have made it easier than ever for smaller startups to have the capability to analyze the reams of data coming from all those sensors.

Within the past several months, smaller companies have been able to take these massive quantities of intel — streams of data so big and so smart they're more like neural networks — and apply a type of artificial intelligence known as "machine learning" to them. That's when computers become so smart they program themselves.

That would usually take millions of dollars in capital investments. But advances in cloud computing mean the cost is close to zero.

In 2015, companies will start to be able to provide amazing services we can't even anticipate today, driving the entire smart home and health revolution forward and solidifying it as a central part of our consumer culture.

But as all this data is pulled and stored, access points for cyberattackers increase. And no matter what these companies tell you, our security capabilities have not caught up — and won't in 2015.

Devices that digitally secure your home may seem smart now, but what if a state-sponsored group implanted them with a virus programmed to lay dormant until one day it unlocks all the homes in a particular city? Or those smart thermostats that provide great intel on when people are home and even in a particular room? They might give rise to smart burglars.

So while corporations are worried about being the next Sony Pictures, my concern for 2015 is an attack on the Internet of Things — the digital epitome of a double-edged sword.

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Former Krispy Kreme vice president dies at 95

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — William Lewis Rudolph, a former Krispy Kreme vice president who helped to build the company, has died.

Rudolph's brother, Vernon Rudolph, opened the first Krispy Kreme in North Carolina in the 1930s. The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/1Bp5rcJ) the successful business expanded, and the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp. was incorporated in 1947. Vernon Rudolph served as president and chairman of the board while William Lewis Rudolph was vice president.

In the late 1950s, Rudolph returned to Nashville from Winston-Salem to buy two Krispy Kreme shops. He opened two more in the 1960s.

In 1976, Krispy Kreme merged with Beatrice Foods Company. When sales slumped, franchisees, including Rudolph, rallied around a buyout. He retired from the doughnut business in 1985.

Harpeth Hills funeral home in Nashville said Rudolph died Sunday at age 95.

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