Since the death of Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs, Apple-watchers have fretted that the $574 billion company has lost its mojo. Their fears were likely assuaged today as Apple AAPL debuted a series of exciting new products—culminating in the long-awaited Watch—to a roaring standing ovation.

Without question Apple Watch, the company’s first wearable device, stole the show at the company’s event on Tuesday. But the so-called smart watch suffers from the same issue from which prior smart watches from Samsung and Pebble suffer: They have no killer use case. It’s a major reason why consumers have been lukewarm toward the product category to date.

Sure, the Apple Watch does all the things a fitness tracker, like Nike’s soon-to-be discontinued FuelBand or Jawbone’s Up bracelet, can do. And it does lots of things a smartphone can do, such as draw maps and display push notifications. It can also display photos, and users can create doodles on the touchscreen. And of course, it tells time. But the biggest thing it can do that an iPhone can’t is a bit of a stretch: You can send your heartbeat to another person, in case that desire inexplicably strikes. Not exactly worth $349.

All new technology looks like a novelty when it is first introduced, of course. It often takes years for an obvious use case to emerge, and by the time that happens, people can’t imagine living without the technology. Remember that in 1992, Intel’s chairman went on record to dismiss cell phones as pointless—a “pipe dream driven by greed.” That’s a massive market Intel missed. Two decades later, the company is still offering mea culpas and scrambling to catch up.

The key difference between Apple’s Watch and smart watches from its peers in the category is that Apple’s offering is not hideous. The company took great pains to make the product aesthetically pleasing, with two different sizes, a variety of different metals and strap styles. Unlike Google’s Glass, which is so awkward-looking that its wearers have been equally mugged and lampooned, Apple’s fashion-forward watch has the tech world swooning, killer use case be damned:

The sinking feeling that comes with the knowledge that, inevitably, I will buy this watch.

— Christopher Mims (@mims) September 9, 2014

Yeah I want one pic.twitter.com/YeALYCXdrz — David Pierce (@piercedavid) September 9, 2014

Oh, hey mom. Apple introduced a watch today. It’s called Apple Watch. Please order me one. Thanks!

— Carolyn Penner (@cpen) September 9, 2014

What is this thing I’m feeling? Could it be… gadget lust? Is it 2007 again? What is happening to me!? #AppleLive #AppleWatch — Seth Porges (@sethporges) September 9, 2014

— Joshua Topolsky (@joshuatopolsky) September 9, 2014

The Apple watch seems bitchin’, despite all my gripin’. #applelive — John Battelle (@johnbattelle) September 9, 2014

Not everyone on Twitter was sold:

I expected iWatch to be skinnier, do less, less techie. It failed on all three fronts. Finally an Apple product I am not likely buying.

— Om Malik (@om) September 9, 2014

Summary: Apple's foray into wearable technology is attractive, but what does it do that an iPhone does not?


The asking price was just £1. That is all Jenny and Simon Cooper paid in 1995 for a derelict hospital in the Bedfordshire countryside. It seemed the perfect location for their plans to house a prayer retreat and training centre for a group of Christian organisations. The deal was that they would take on the responsibility of the making good and upkeep of the building, so that the property developers, Twigdens, who had acquired the land, could eventually build 12 bungalows in the grounds. The local council had denied permission to the developers to convert the old hospital into luxury apartments, but agreed that if the Grade II-listed building was kept from falling down, they could build new houses on the grounds.

'When we bought it, the building had been derelict for nine years,' says Jenny. The orthopaedic wing of Bedford Hospital closed down in 1985. 'Originally, we thought we'd just need to give it a lick of paint,' she says. Little did she suspect what she and Simon had taken on.

They had been quoted a sum of £450,000 to convert the house into working offices - £6m and almost a decade later, the restoration of Moggerhanger House - a jewel of British architecture, originally built by Sir John Soane in the 1790s as the country residence of one of the directors of the Bank of England - is nearing completion.

Soon after the Coopers bought their building, the architect, Peter Inskip, paid a visit. He knew about the Soane house and was curious to have a look around. He had been told that nothing of the original interior remained. It soon became clear, however, that when the building was converted into a TB sanatorium in 1919, the interiors had simply been boarded over.

The house was remarkably intact, as was the main structure of the grounds, which had been designed and built by the 18th century's most prominent landscaper, Humphry Repton. It was quickly upgraded to Grade I status by English Heritage, and the Coopers managed to buy out Twigdens, with their planning permission to build on the grounds, thanks to a Land Fill tax grant from the council of £1.2m. At last, Moggerhanger House was in safe hands, with money from the Heritage Lottery to restore it to its former glory.

'The house was a very personal work of Soane's,' says Inskip. He had completed his redesign of the Bank of England just a few years earlier, and was to leave his own house in Lincoln's Inn Fields as a library and museum to the nation when he died in 1837. This year is the 250th anniversary of the architect's birth. Over the years, Soane became good friends with the owners of the house, the Thornton family, and returned several times during a period of over 40 years to add to the building. He was a frequent visitor, leaving his London home at 7am on horseback to Barnet, and then on the Leeds coach to Biggleswade, walking the last five miles to arrive at Moggerhanger by 5pm.

'It's the only house that has this continuous development, being constantly polished and refined,' adds Inskip. 'It's a very special house, a house of innovation.'

The pendentive dome in the entrance hall predates the dome in the drawing room of Sir John Soane's own house in Lincoln's Inn Fields by three to four years. 'He used it as an experimental house,' says Inskip, who is now overseeing the restoration work. He points to the tribune, a glazed oval in the ceiling on the top floor of the house, designed to provide shafts of light for the dark hallway below; the cantilevered staircase that predates a similar one in 10 Downing Street by about 10 years; and the Doric-columned portico, which was inspired by the latest archaeological digs in Greece. 'It was the latest thing,' says Inskip.

'Discoveries like this transform the house from a really good Soane house to a remarkable piece of architecture. All the best bits of Soane are here.' Next Saturday, Moggerhanger House will be open to the public for an afternoon, as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme. Although the restoration is far from complete, it is the perfect time to view the house. You can still see the layers of wallpaper added through the years; the guts of the insides of the walls, not yet plastered over; the loving recreation of the domed ceiling in the entrance hall, concreted over during the Second World War; the original mouldings and cornices, remoulded one by one, on-site; the traces of paint on the walls, hinting at what is to come when the house is redecorated to its original specifications, before the grand opening next June.

Restoring a house like this is an exact science. First there is the archaeology, scraping back the layers to find the original bones of the place. Then there is the careful work of putting it all back together again. Moggerhanger House has been the perfect restoration project. Not only did Soane document every alteration he made to the house - including the stables, which had been due for demolition because it was thought they were a later addition of no significance - but the health authority also decided to keep what it removed. The elaborate Eating Room (as Georgians liked to refer to their dining rooms), with its symmetrical ceiling decorations, featured four decorative pillars which were removed when it was made into a hospital ward to make more space for beds. But instead of being destroyed, they were put into storage. A paint analyst has taken samples scraped from the walls and put them under a microscope to identify the original colour schemes.

'It's a very human house,' says Inskip. It is a country home rather than some grand, sprawling stately home. The Thorntons had a house on London's Harley Street and then in Grosvenor Square, and their country pile was a labour of love. 'It was a dialogue between Thornton and Soane,' says Inskip.

For the Coopers and Inskip, and everyone who has worked on restoring the house, it has become a passion, too. By June 2004 the house will be up and running as a conference suite, with the 25 bedrooms also available as hotel rooms. The house and gardens, complete with rosary, walled gardens and the magnificent copper beech tree planted by Repton in the 1790s, will also be open to the public in the summer. And, finally, the Coopers and their Christian ministries will have a permanent home for their work, and Moggerhanger Hall will have had the lick of paint it so deserves.

· For bookings and enquiries, go to www.moggerhangerpark.com (01767 641 007). Moggerhanger Park, Park Road, Moggerhanger, Bedford, will be open to the public on Saturday 14 September from 1-5pm. For more information on other Heritage Open Day events across the country, go to www.heritageopendays.org; 08700 100 150

Summary: When a Christian organisation took on the upkeep of a derelict TB hospital, they unearthed a jewel of British architecture... Tamsin Blanchard visits Moggerhanger House as part of next week's Heritage Open Day event.


FORTUNE — Life’s pretty good these days for French economist Thomas Piketty, who spent Wednesday evening having his book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, lavishly praised by two of the world’s most famous economists — Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz — who just happen to own three Nobel Prizes between them.

Piketty would probably prefer that the book that is garnering him such attention were the bearer of better news. But economists don’t tend to gain renown by assuring the public that everything is A-Okay. That is certainly not the message of Capital, a 600-plus page work that convincingly warns readers that rising global wealth and income inequality over the past generation is actually the norm for capitalist economies, and that we should expect that trend to continue in the years to come.

MORE: How France learned to hate capitalism

The title of the book is an allusion to Karl Marx’s famous critique of capitalism, and Piketty’s analysis shows that Marx was right to believe that wealth concentration would inexorably increase in capitalist societies. Piketty draws upon work he and colleagues like Anthony Atkinson of Oxford and Emmanuel Saez of Berkeley have done in recent years to show that income and wealth inequality are increasing in the rich world, and to argue that the more egalitarian economic distribution seen after World War II was an anomaly that we can’t expect to return to unless we implement government policies to bring it about.

A debate on Wednesday evening at CUNY’s The Graduate Center featuring Piketty, Krugman, Stiglitz, and University of Wisconsin economist Steven Durlauf helped distill some of the ideas presented in Capital, and to critique its weaker points.

Piketty’s colleagues were quick to praise the book. Krugman lauded it as a “unified field theory” of economics which joins together the study of economic growth, the distribution of income between capital and labor, and income inequality. Stiglitz was equally taken by the work, arguing that Americans would not be bothered by increased inequality if it were based on merit within a society that enables class mobility. But the U.S. is near the bottom when it comes to social mobility.

Durlauf played the role of the critic in the debate, poking holes in some of the more technical aspects of Piketty’s argument, like his dismissal of the “marginal product theory” of wages (which basically asserts that a worker is paid based on his marginal contribution to a commercial enterprise) without suggesting some theory to replace it. He also suggested that Piketty should spend more time thinking about whether technology could be the reason, rather than capitalism itself, for growing disparities in wealth and income.

This critique, like those that have been offered by conservative economists Greg Mankiw and Kevin Hassett, doesn’t do anything to challenge the evidence that pre-tax income and wealth inequality is growing very quickly in the rich world. Mankiw, for instance, has argued that things like government subsidies, social security, and welfare have increased people’s after-tax income, so Piketty’s evidence of rising inequality shouldn’t be taken seriously. But such programs just show that the government is already responding to increased inequality by redistributing wealth.

MORE: How a national sales tax could solve America’s inequality problem

The most interesting argument against Piketty’s idea that a global wealth tax is needed to combat inequality comes from Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute. He points out that the rise in inequality in the wealthy world over the past generation has been matched by similarly striking reductions in global inequality, and if we are studying this issue on a global scale, this reduction in inequality makes the need for a global wealth tax seem unnecessary. Hassett also believes it’s important for those of us in the developed world to not take a self-centered view of global capitalism, and that we should be hesitant to mess with a system that has brought so many people out of poverty over the past 30 years.

But none of Piketty’s critics have been able to disprove the rise in pre-tax wealth and income inequality on a national level. Capital, in other words, has shifted the debate from the question of whether inequality is a problem to what exactly we should do about it.

Summary: Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century has taken the economics world by storm with its revival of the Marxian idea that capitalism will destroy itself, if we don't act.


CHICAGO — Medical device makers, already squeezed by narrowing profits, got a blunt message Wednesday from a panel of health care industry executives: Your business is about to get tougher.

With hospitals and doctors rapidly forming larger provider systems with more purchasing clout — and health insurers increasingly resistant to paying for innovation they consider incremental — the pressure is on medical technology companies. To prosper, the industry must deliver breakthrough products that save lives and reduce costs, the executives told the annual conference of the Advanced Medical Technology Association trade group, called AdvaMed.

“The enemy used to be the Food and Drug Administration,” said Scott T. Josephs, vice president and national medical officer for health insurer Cigna Corp. “Now it’s us.”

Josephs said insurance companies and other payers are demanding more evidence that new medical devices and diagnostics can improve patient outcomes and save money. As one example, he cited Cigna’s new “outcome-based contract” with Rockland biotech EMD Serono. Under the arrangement, the drug maker is rewarded with more money when its multiple sclerosis treatment Rebif keeps patients healthy and at home.

“It’s a win-win-win situation,” he said.

Describing the new payer philosophy, Josephs said, “If it’s clinically inferior, no one wants it. If it’s clinically equal [to existing products] but costs more, that just adds cost to the system. If it’s clinically superior but costs more, then we have to ask what is the value it adds. Health costs are burdening employers. Tell me what I’m getting for my dollar.”

Susan DeVore, chief executive of Premiere Inc., a health care improvement company, said the old payment model of doctors and hospitals billing insurers for each patient visit, test, and procedure is fast giving way to new risk-based contracts, in which providers are given fixed budgets to treat patients.

“Fee-for-service is dead,” DeVore told the medical technology gathering. “The focus on value is absolutely going to be a given. So the challenge is how can we get to transformational innovation from incremental innovation. It will be easier to make the case for transformational innovation that keeps people out of the hospital.

“This will be very difficult for medical device manufacturers,” she said. “This is one of the few industries where innovation causes the price to go up always.”

With mounting demand for efficiency and data-based health care, the old fragmented hospital landscape can no longer survive, said Mark Neaman, president of NorthShore University HealthSystem. NorthShore is the largest hospital group in the Chicago area and recently agreed to merge with another large hospital system.

“Consolidation is inevitable,” Neaman said. “There is excess capacity of hospitals. We have to have scale in order to take out cost in the system.”

Neaman said hospitals and physicians practices have been slow in implementing electronic medical records, which can help better coordinate care and generate the data that help doctors decide on the best treatment courses for patients.

Such data will increasingly guide health care provider groups in making decisions about buying medical equipment. DeVore said there is a variation of 40 to 60 percent in how they price devices.

“You know this better than I do,” she told the medical technology executives. “Providers are beginning to figure this out.”

Summary: Medical device makers, already squeezed by narrower profits, got a blunt message Wednesday from a panel of health executives: Your business is about to get tougher.


Photo: Carlos Osorio / Associated Press

Jim Harbaugh holds his son Jack after being introduced as the head coach of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. The 51-year-old Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers to three straight NFC championship games. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Jim Harbaugh holds his son Jack after being introduced as the head...

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s new head football coach, took center court at the Wolverines’ basketball game against Illinois.

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s new head football coach, took center...

Jim Harbaugh will try to help Michigan regain Big Ten supremacy

By the time Jim Harbaugh walked onto the court at halftime of the Michigan basketball game, his homecoming had turned into a full-fledged pep rally.

“I pledge to you that we will do our very best to carry on the great tradition of Michigan — excellence all across the board,” the Wolverines’ new football coach said to the cheering crowd at Crisler Center during Tuesday’s matinee win against Illinois — in an overtime thriller, naturally.

“You know how to make a guy feel at home,” Harbaugh yelled, his voice sounding hoarse from a whirlwind few days.

Harbaugh is back. And none too soon for fans who desperately want him to save the football program where he starred as a quarterback 30 years ago — one that has fallen into the middle of the pack at best in the Big Ten and become an afterthought on the national landscape.

The day began with a packed news conference, onlookers peeking through the windows from outside at the famous alumnus as he strode to the podium for a smiling, lighthearted session as his family watched from a few feet away.

“Michigan’s always been great. It’s always been great. I always believe in it,” Harbaugh said. “In terms of selling something, you’re selling something you believe in in your core.”

As a starting quarterback for three seasons under Bo Schembechler, he is remembered for delivering a victory he guaranteed over Ohio State in 1986, the same season he was Big Ten Player of the Year and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.

Harbaugh’s seven-year deal is worth about $40 million, not counting performance bonuses. His $5 million annual salary increases by 10 percent after years three and five, and he also received a $2 million signing bonus. He can receive bonuses based on Big Ten championships, bowl appearances, coaching awards and team academic performance. Following a review by the athletic director after next season, Michigan will also determine a deferred compensation arrangement.

Michigan’s new coach has his work cut out for him in a Big Ten East Division that’s now full of big-name coaches. Urban Meyer is preparing Ohio State for this week’s semifinal against Alabama in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio has built a program that has staying power. Penn State is on the rise and Wisconsin and Nebraska are ahead of the Wolverines in performance and talent.

This past season was the third time in seven years Michigan finished with a losing record. The program’s most recent sub-.500 season before this dismal stretch came in 1967, two years before Schembechler began his run as coach.

Harbaugh went 58-27 overall as a college coach at San Diego and Stanford, including a 29-21 record in four seasons with the Cardinal. He took over a 1-11 team when he was hired in December 2006 and quickly turned the program back into a winner and bowl contender before the 49ers hired him.

His arrival at Michigan is a huge victory for interim athletic director Jim Hackett, who took over after Dave Brandon stepped down at the end of October.

“Our guy came home,” Hackett said.

Student reporter praised for his work

Jim Harbaugh paused during his introductory news conference at Michigan on Tuesday to offer a few kind words to a reporter from the campus newspaper who showed up at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport when the new coach arrived Monday night.

Harbaugh asked the reporter — Alejandro Zuniga of the Michigan Daily — to stand up and be recognized after talking with the coach and shooting a widely used photo. “That’s a go-getter,” the coach said.

“Heck of a job,” Harbaugh said Tuesday.

Summary: By the time Jim Harbaugh walked onto the court at halftime of the Michigan basketball game, his homecoming had turned into a full-fledged pep rally.  “I pledge to you that we will do our very best to carry on the great tradition of Michigan — excellence all across the board,” the Wolverines’ new football coach said to the cheering crowd at Crisler Center during Tuesday’s matinee win against Illinois — in an overtime thriller, naturally.  “You know how to make a guy feel at home,” Harbaugh yelled, his voice sounding hoarse from a whirlwind few days.  [...] none too soon for fans who desperately want him to save the football program where he starred as a quarterback 30 years ago — one that has fallen into the middle of the pack at best in the Big Ten and become an afterthought on the national landscape.  The day began with a packed news conference, onlookers peeking through the windows from outside at the famous alumnus as he strode to the podium for a smiling, lighthearted session as his family watched from a few feet away.  Following a review by the athletic director after next season, Michigan will also determine a deferred compensation arrangement.  Urban Meyer is preparing Ohio State for this week’s semifinal against Alabama in the inaugural College Football Playoff.  Harbaugh went 58-27 overall as a college coach at San Diego and Stanford, including a 29-21 record in four seasons with the Cardinal.  Jim Harbaugh paused during his introductory news conference at Michigan on Tuesday to offer a few kind words to a reporter from the campus newspaper who showed up at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport when the new coach arrived Monday night.


McDonald’s MCD , Fortune 500), the all-American fast food Mecca, announced it would put $20 billion towards share repurchases and dividends Thursday, jumping on board the buyback trend that has boomed over the past 18 months.

A $20 billion number would make any investor salivate, but when divided between buybacks and dividends, it’s pocket change compared to the share repurchase announcements other companies have made in 2014.

So far this year, companies have announced 376 share-repurchase initiatives for a total of $261 billion, according to data from Birinyi Associates. That’s nearly 72% higher than 2012, though slightly lower when compared to the same period in 2013, which was a record year for buybacks.

Repurchasing shares helps boost stock prices and many analysts credit the boom in stock repurchases for pushing the Standard & Poor’s 500 index to record highs.

Recently, however, the buyback boom has started to fade. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Buyback Index, which tracks the 100 companies with the largest share repurchase ratio, recently recorded its first quarterly decline since mid 2012. As stock prices reach record highs, the boost from share repurchases diminishes, making it more valuable for companies to invest in longer-term projects or use extra cash for acquisitions.

Here are the top 5 share repurchases authorized so far this year, according to data collected by Birinyi.

Summary: Stock repurchases are booming. These five companies are ready to spend over $79 billion on buybacks.


4 BILLION megadevelopment in the Rockaways is getting a YMCA to go with all the new homes and planned stores, officials announced yesterday. Mayor Bloomberg joined local leaders and construction honchos at Arverne, a once-neglected beach community, to break ground on the 30,000-square-foot Y. Hizzoner said the facility will be a community center that pulls the neighborhood together. "This YMCA will serve this community for years to come," said Bloomberg, adding that the burgeoning development will eventually be a middle-class enclave with more than 4,000 homes and 500,000 square feet of retail space. Arverne by the Sea, the 117-acre first phase, includes about half the housing and could be done by 2009. "We will help thousands of teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses and other moderate- and middle-income New Yorkers to realize the American Dream of owning their own home," he said. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who maintains a district office not far from the Rockaway Beach Blvd. and Beach 73rd St. site, said the area is recovering from poor development planning in the 1960s and 1970s. "For years, when people would come and visit Rockaway and wonder why we haven't done more with our version of the Riviera, the answer was usually because we did not have the right type of development here," Weiner said. He praised the current plan for its mix of housing, commercial and recreation space. The two-story YMCA will feature an indoor pool, basketball courts, a gym, day camps and child-care services. Officials say it will provide services for 10,000 people. "While we offer our Virtual Y after-school program in Far Rockaway's PS 197 and PS 256, this YMCA center will be our first permanent, physical branch in the area," said YMCA of Greater New York CEO Jack Lund. It's the latest step forward for the Arverne Urban Renewal Area, which is bounded by Beach 32nd St., Beach 81st St., Rockaway Freeway and the Rockaway Boardwalk. Development of Arverne by the Sea and the second phase, Arverne East, includes $1.

35 billion in private investment, according to Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff. Arverne by the Sea developer Benjamin-Beechwood, LLC already has built 484 residential units, over half of which are affordable to households making no more than $92,170 for a family of four. The 97-acre Arverne East will be developed by the Bluestone Organization, L&M Equity Participants and Triangle Equities, and will consist of 47 acres of housing and commercial space, a 35-acre nature preserve and a 15-acre dune preserve. Nearly 1,600 units of middle-income housing will be built at the Arverne East site. Doctoroff said the developments are good examples of his boss' plan to encourage a wide spectrum of new housing throughout the five boroughs, especially in areas builders once left for dead. "By transforming vacant land into diverse, vibrant neighborhoods, the city is providing more quality housing and new economic opportunities for middle-income New Yorkers," Doctoroff said. gwilson@nydailynews.

Summary:
A $1.4 BILLION megadevelopment in the Rockaways is getting a YMCA to go with all the new homes and planned stores, officials announced yesterday.
   Mayor Bloomberg joined local leaders and construction honchos at Arverne, a once-neglected beach community, to break ground on the 30,000-square-foot Y.
   Hizzoner said the facility will be a community center that pulls the neighborhood together.
   "This YMCA will serve this


DETROIT — Americans are ready to let their tops down and feel the wind blow through their hair.

That’s the feeling among automakers as they roll out new convertible models at a time when many consumers are gaining confidence in the economy and have more money to spend on less-practical big-ticket items thanks to juicy stock market returns.

At the Detroit auto show Buick, Alfa Romeo, and BMW are all showing off glitzy open-air models to capitalize on that newfound confidence, and industry analysts expect more to come.

IHS Automotive, an industry consulting firm, predicts there will be 60 different convertible models in the US by 2020, 15 more than last year and the most since at least 2000. ‘‘New models drive sales up,’’ said IHS senior analyst Stephanie Brinley, whose firm expects convertible sales to rise 63 percent from 152,400 last year to 248,000 in 2020.

Following the recession, sales of convertibles tailed off. Automakers, realizing that it wasn’t socially acceptable to flaunt wealth while others were struggling, rolled out few new ragtop models after the recession. There were 48 six years ago; now there are 45. As vehicle development budgets were cut during the recession, convertibles were early casualties, says Brinley.

But now, with unemployment down and the stock market and luxury car sales up, automakers are looking for niches such as convertibles to increase sales in a competitive market. IHS estimates that convertible sales grew nearly 9 percent last year.

‘‘The fear of conspicuous consumption is dead,’’ says Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with AutoTrader.com. ‘‘Everybody’s getting back into performance and the sexy, flashy mode. Convertibles play into that.’’

Convertibles range in price from around $20,000 to about $850,000 for a Porsche 918 Spyder.

Indeed, there’s more money available for such frivolity. US household wealth recovered to $81.3 trillion by the end of September, the latest government figures available. It plummeted in early 2009 to $54.9 trillion as the stock market and home values tanked. But the market has grown dramatically since the recession ended, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 index more than doubling. Also, a well-known measure of consumer confidence shows that consumers feel the best they have about the economy in the last seven years.

However, data shows that the gains have mostly helped wealthier households, leaving middle-class wealth largely unchanged. Luxury car sales rose 15 percent last year, the biggest gain since the recession, according to Autodata Corp.

At the Detroit show, General Motors unveiled the Cascada, a Buick version of a stylish Opel convertible from Europe.

Fiat Chrysler is showing a bright yellow Alfa Romeo 4C Spider with a removable carbon fiber hardtop. The Spider will be hand built in limited numbers in Italy, and can shoot from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.

The Spider goes on sale this summer, but will be difficult to get. Reid Bigland, the brand’s North American chief, says only about 3,000 Alfas will be produced for global sale this year; around 40 percent of those will be convertibles. Pricing wasn’t released, but will run between $60,000 and $85,000.

BMW is also revealing a refreshed M6 high-performance convertible at the Detroit show.

The four-seat Buick is the brand’s first convertible in 25 years. It has an insulated soft top that can be opened in 17 seconds with the car traveling at up to 31 miles per hour. It also has a turbocharged 200 horsepower engine and a safety system that deploys rollover protection bars behind the rear seats if the car detects that a crash is possible.

The Cascada is just what Buick needs to keep its sales momentum going, especially in the prime convertible market of Florida, says Ed Williamson, who runs a Buick-GMC-Cadillac dealership in Miami.

Currently, Williamson says he has no convertible cars to sell against the ubiquitous German and Japanese models. ‘‘We see an awful lot of Lexus convertibles in this market,’’ he says.

The convertible also helps Buick continue to change its once-stodgy image with a sportier, younger vehicle, said spokesman Nick Richards. The average age of a Buick buyer has fallen from 62 to 59 in the past six years.

Convertible sales should rise as the US economy continues to gain strength, GM product development chief Mark Reuss said. ‘‘People naturally tend to look at things that are great expressions of freedom and convertibles are one of those.’’

Summary: Automakers are rolling out new convertible models at a time when many consumers are gaining confidence in the economy and have more money to spend on big-ticket items.


02/19/2015 AT 02:55 PM EST

Colin Leypoldt is a wrestler, and wrestlers don't quit.

So when the Colorado-based Berthoud High School freshman was diagnosed with a life-threatening neurological disorder called

about four years ago, he wasn't going to let that stop him from achieving his dreams.

"My goal is to be a high school state wrestling champ and no disease is going to keep me from that," he told

Despite his significant health struggles, Leypoldt, who has been wrestling since he was 6 years old, ended up qualifying for the state meet this year, which begins Thursday.

"I worked hard and always pushed myself to be better. I wanted to wrestle in the biggest, toughest tournaments and even though I didn't always win, I learned something and kept trying," Leypoldt wrote in

in 2012. "Wrestling was teaching me more than just how to wrestle but also how to be a gracious, humble man."

"Wrestling has saved his life," Wendy Leypoldt, Colin's mom, told KUSA.

Colin's not the only one in his family to suffer from Fahr's, which causes abnormal calcium deposits in the brain. His younger brothers, Brock and Dawson, also have the exceptionally rare disease that causes them to have trouble walking and talking. The Leypoldts are only the 31st family in the world to be diagnosed with the disease, per KUSA.

Colin has some bad days, with 70 or more seizures. He can't walk or think right sometimes, and his hand and foot lock up from time to time. Doctors tell him the disease will eventually kill him.

But wrestling brings him much-needed joy, and a welcome purpose and distraction from his medical realities.

"I will stand on the world stage like Jordan Burroughs and wear my medal proudly for wrestling has taught me to be a fighter and to never give up even when the future looks the bleakest," Colin wrote in his journal entry.

"I will never give up, I will never lose hope in a cure, I will never stop inspiring others to do the impossible," Colin also wrote. "Defy all odds, set your goals and dream big. It will take hard work, dedication, persistence and skill but wrestling has already taught me all those things!! The rest is easy!!"

Summary: Colin Leypoldt and his two younger brothers all suffer from Fahr's syndrome, an exceptionally rare and fatal neurological disorder


This post is in partnership with Time. The article below was originally published at Time.com.

For heavy-duty writing on the go, regular keyboards are too big, while touchscreen keyboards are too small. But Microsoft MSFT is betting that is new, foldable keyboard will be just right.

Microsoft unveiled the Universal Foldable Keyboard on Monday, a thin, lightweight keypad that folds down the middle. Unfold the keyboard and it automatically powers on and connects wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled phones or tablets. The battery lasts upwards of three months on a single charge, according to Microsoft.

The keyboard will go on sale at the Microsoft Store and various retailers this July for $99.95.

Summary: It folds down the middle and uses Bluetooth.


Samsung Electronics Co SSNLF said Tuesday it’s expecting profit in the first quarter of this year to be its highest in three quarters, beating expectations and suggesting that the tech giant is on track for an earnings recovery ahead of the launch of new flagship smartphones.

Operating profit likely reached 5.9 trillion won ($5.44 billion) in the first quarter, the South Korean manufacturer said, against a 5.3 trillion won average estimate by 41 analysts in a Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S survey.

This was also better than 5.3 trillion won reported for the final quarter of last year, even though the first quarter tends to be weaker seasonally. Samsung typically releases final first-quarter figures towards the end of April.

“These results are meaningful and will lead to very strong earnings expectations for the second quarter,” HMC Investment analyst Greg Roh said.

Even so, the company’s shares fell 0.5% in Seoul Tuesday, underperforming a broader market that was largely unchanged.

Investors and analysts expect the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge models–on sale from Friday–to revive handset sales and propel profits in coming quarters. Researcher Counterpoint expects Samsung to sell more than 50 million units of the new devices to consumers this year, a new record for the company.

Analysts expect profit at the company to rise to 6.7 trillion won in the spring quarter. For the full year, they’re predicting a 6% rise to KRW26.5 trillion. But after a big strategic re-focusing of the company last year, it’s chips rather than smartphones that are becoming the key driver for profits.

Chips likely out-earned phones for a third straight quarter in January-March, analysts said, reflecting Samsung’s dominance in memory chips and its growing market share for system chips. Samsung opted to use more of its own chips for its Galaxy S6 models, dropping Qualcomm Inc. QCOM and adding Nvidia Corp NVDA as a new contract manufacturing client.

The smartphone business likely also saw sequential shipments growth in the first quarter as new mid-tier handsets such as the Galaxy A and E models went on sale in major markets, analysts said.

Watch more business news from Fortune:

Summary: Korean giant shows signs of being able to live with growing pressure from competition in smartphones.


Iron Mountain Inc., a Boston-based data-storage company, has agreed to buy an Australian-US competitor, Recall Holdings Ltd., for about $2 billion after raising its bid following a rejection of its offer last year. Iron Mountain’s stock rose 2.9 percent to $37.28 in New York Tuesday, giving the company a market value of about $8 billion. Recall rejected a $1.8 billion takeover offer in December, saying the price was too low when savings from the combination were taken into account. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

Sales of single-family homes in Massachusetts rose slightly in March, while condominium sales fell sharply, according to Warren Group data released Tuesday. Condo sales fell 6 percent to 1,251 statewide, versus 1,328 in the same month last year. Single-family home sales rose 1 percent to 2,778 in March, compared to 2,754 a year earlier. Prices for both condos and single-family homes rose on a year-to-year basis. The median condominium price was up 3.4 percent, to $302,000; the single-family median rose 0.76 percent to $317,400. — BENNIE DINARDO

The US homeownership rate has fallen to the lowest level in more than two decades, extending a multiyear decline as rising prices and stagnant wages keep young families out of the property-buying market. The share of Americans who own their homes was 63.7 percent in the first quarter, down from 64 percent in the prior three months, the Census Bureau said Tuesday. The rate was the lowest since 1993, data compiled by Bloomberg show. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

As Tufts Medical Center pursues a merger with Boston Medical Center, Boston city councilors are asking leaders at Tufts to sign an agreement supporting union rights. The two teaching hospitals aim to combine their operations but have not yet reached a deal. The Service Employees International Union, Local 1199, which has about 2,500 members at Boston Medical, is trying to organize workers at Tufts. “It is important that we ensure the rights of the workers employed by these hospitals,” Councilor at Large Ayanna Pressley said. The City Council sent a unanimous letter to leaders of both hospitals asking them to support union elections. Mayor Martin J. Walsh has also supported the SEIU’s efforts. Tufts, which employs 1,056 unionized nurses who belong to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, has not yet indicated it will seek an accord with the SEIU. A merger of the two hospitals, which together employ 11,500 people, would be the largest combination of two big Boston hospitals in nearly two decades. Union officials and city councilors are predicting job losses. SEIU members at Boston Medical include nurses, transportation workers, secretaries, and other employees. — PRIYANKA DAYAL MCCLUSKEY

New England should have enough electricity to meet peak demand this summer, the region’s grid manager said Tuesday, even accounting for the retirement of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. ISO New England, the grid’s manager, said that even with an extended heat wave and temperatures of about 94 degrees, transmission system upgrades, two new generating facilities, and energy-efficiency measures would offset the loss of Vermont Yankee’s 615 megawatts. A spokeswoman said the introduction of more energy-efficient bulbs and light fixtures in homes and in large commercial and industrial buildings accounts for much of the energy-efficiency savings. Two new plants in Maine, the Saddleback Ridge wind facility in Wilton and a wood-burning facility in the Bucksport area, are expected to generate a total of 120 megawatts this summer. — BENNIE DINARDO

The cost of owning and operating a car is at its lowest in four years, according to an AAA study. Lower gas prices and cheaper financing options drove the cost down 2 percent to $8,698 a year for the average sedan owner, according to the study. Gasoline prices were down 13 percent to $2.86 a gallon, on average, and finance charges fell 21 percent. Those declines offset a 9 percent rise in insurance costs and a 3.74 percent increase in state and local taxes. The study calculated ownership costs based on the purchase of a new vehicle that is driven for five years and 75,000 miles. Operating costs include fuel, maintenance and repair, and tires; fixed costs include insurance, license and registration fees, taxes, depreciation, and finance charges. — BENNIE DINARDO

Westbound travelers on the Massachusetts Turnpike now have healthier eating options than fast-food and truck-stop fare: The Pike’s first “healthy vending machine” has opened at the Westborough service plaza, courtesy of Berkshire Natural, a Northampton snack and beverage company. The machine dispenses only foods with no high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, or artificial flavors and colors, and the products are frequently from New England. Among the offerings: Biena Foods roasted chickpeas from Allston, Java Me Up energy bars from Great Barrington, Cedar’s salads from Haverhill, Sidehill Farm yogurt from Hawley, Stacy’s pita chips from Randolph, and Q’s Nuts from Somerville. — SACHA PFEIFFER

Boston Scientific Corp. swung to a first-quarter loss and cut its sales outlook for the year, citing the strong dollar and acquisition costs. The Marlborough company lost $1 million, or 1 cent per share. Earnings adjusted for one-time costs were 21 cents per share, matching projections of analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research. Revenue, though down slightly to just under $1.77 billion, also matched forecasts. Cardiovascular products made up the bulk of revenue, at $712 million. Rhythm management products brought in $514 million and medical and surgical products had revenue of $542 million. The company still expects full-year adjusted profit of 88 to 92 cents per share but cut its revenue outlook to $7.23 billion to $7.38 billion. It had previously forecast $7.3 billion to $7.5 billion. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fifty people died of work-related causes in Massachusetts last year, with the transportation industry suffering the largest share of on-the-job fatalities, according to a report from the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. Nine transportation workers, including truck, bus, and taxi drivers, died last year. Other deaths include two firefighters killed while battling a Back Bay fire, nine workers who fell from heights, and three who were murdered at a job site. The report said the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s average fine for workplace safety violations was $12,900. — KATIE JOHNSTON

BERLIN — A study shows President Obama is by far the most followed world leader on Twitter, but Pope Francis is considered the most influential, based on the number of his messages that are retweeted. The annual analysis of Twitter accounts, released Tuesday by the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller, showed nearly 57 million people following Obama, up from 44 million last year. The pope was next, with 19.5 million in nine languages, up from 14 million. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, had nearly 11 million. The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had more than 6 million. The White House had almost 6 million. Pope Francis’s words were spread the widest, with an average of 9,929 retweets per tweet, compared to Obama’s fourth-place showing of 1,210. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

Summary:
Technology

Iron Mountain raises bid for rival to $2b

Iron Mountain Inc., a Boston-based data-storage company, has agreed to buy an Australian-US competitor, Recall Holdings Ltd.


Less than a week after its $45 billion sale to Comcast fell apart, Time Warner Cable TWC reported a higher-than-expected quarterly increase in video customers. The company’s first quarter 2015 earnings, however, still missed Wall Street expectations.

“By almost any measure, Q1 was our best subscriber quarter ever,” TWC chief executive Rob Marcus said in a statement issued Thursday. “We’ve made significant investments to improve our customers’ experience and our operational performance, and they are paying off. We are a far stronger company than we were just five short quarters ago.”

But Marcus had little to say about the “elephant in the room”—the failed merger with Comcast CMCSA , or what future M&A activity could look like for the company—when asked by analysts on an earnings call Thursday morning.

“You know we’re not really going to respond about M&A,” Marcus told an analyst who had asked about future acquisition opportunities.

In fact, on two occasions analysts specifically used the term “elephant in the room” when posing questions about TWC’s prospects in light of the demise of its plans to sell to Comcast. Both times, TWC’s management team declined to answer.

Two other hot topics which were (sort of) addressed—the durability of the set-top box and “skinny” packages, a.k.a. smaller, more customizable pay-TV bundles, like the kind recently announced by TWC competitor Verizon. Not surprising, TWC was fairly dismissive of both trends.

“Customers don’t want to get bogged down in a lot of choices,” the company’s COO, Dinesh Jain, said in response to a question about slimmed down cable bundles. “There’s a lot of value in our triple play packages right now. In terms of skinny packages, we don’t want to be pioneers on that. If any of those things work we will be fast followers on that.”

TWC isn’t the only company that’s treading cautiously when it comes to smaller bundles. It’s also not the only provider that’s slow to embrace a world without traditional set-top boxes (though it has made some forays, including a streaming app for the Xbox). At one point during the call, Marcus even referred to the focus on these new models as an “obsessive interest in millennials at the expense of the broader base.”

The more short-term question is what happens to TWC post-Comcast bid. And while Marcus was mum on any future M&A activity, it’s already been widely reported that Charter Communications will pick up where Comcast left off.

Summary: On an earnings call, management refused to answer questions about its failed merger with Comcast.


VAN NUYS, Calif.— Steve Allen is signing some letters at the same time as he is skimming a manuscript at the same time as he is getting ready to utter a thought into a tape recorder. Before he can polish all that off, a script for a benefit is dumped on his desk. Then a letter arrives confirming that he is to appear with the Milwaukee Symphony. He shakes his head, emits his familiar ''heh-heh-heh'' laugh, reaches up to straighten his glasses.

''I think it would be appropriate after I die,'' he says, ''if they just shovel 8,000 pounds of paper on top of me instead of dirt.'' Working out of paper-strewn offices here on busy Burbank Boulevard, Steve Allen is a virtual one-man media conglomerate. His versatility qualifies him as a personal hedge against the uneven nature of the sundry entertainment businesses. If a television series is out of favor with the Nielsen ratings, there's always song-writing. If the book business is sluggish, there's always the nightclub act.

Indeed, the Allen empire had a banner year, pulling in several million dollars in revenues, though, to Mr. Allen, ''it's nothing great compared to an oil well or the invention of the Polaroid camera.''

Mr. Allen is the sole proprietor of two companies, Meadowlane Music, which publishes all his music (to date, some 4,000 songs), and Meadowlane Enterprises, the production entity that turns out his television shows, his nightclub acts and his theatrical performances. He also owns 55 percent of another music publishing company called Rosemeadow Publishing. He employs a full-time office staff of eight people, which swells considerably when a television program is in the works. His wife, Jayne Meadows, is a regular assistant and co-star.

It's not easy being Steve Allen. You have to write an average of three songs a day, publish a book a year, conceive 10 jokes a day, appear on television almost every week, do several symphony concerts a year and shoot a few commercials, not to mention dashing off occasional plays, poems and short stories.

At the age of 59, some 28 years since he was the first host on the ''Tonight Show,'' the highly diversified comedian is more in evidence than ever. Last year, he produced six ''Steve Allen Comedy Hour'' shows for NBC, the last of which is scheduled to run next month, and NBC is currently debating whether to order more. On public television, Mr. Allen will be kicking off his fourth season of ''Meeting of Minds,'' a series in which Mr. Allen interviews historical figures played by actors. His 22d book, ''Explaining China,'' was recently published. Two more are due out soon.

''I don't think anyone could complain about the year I just had,'' he says, ''unless they weren't breathing.'' Mr. Allen's current omnipresence is ascribable, like his life as a whole, to what he terms ''pure social accident.'' The accidents of late include the fact that a friend of his spawned the idea of Mr. Allen starring in a network show called ''The Big Show.'' He did three last year and the fan mail was so adoring that the package of six specials was commissioned. Fueling his ascension was the actors' strike, which opened the way for Mr. Allen to fill in as host of the Emmy Awards show.

Owning one's own companies affords certain efficiencies. On the matter of publishing one's own music, for instance, Mr. Allen notes, ''There is something inherently stupid about sharing half your proceeds with someone who does nothing but spend $104 for printing up some music and $30 in legal fees printing up some contracts and nothing else.''

The way in which the dollars flutter into the Allen companies furnish interesting insights into the fiscal ways of the entertainment businesses. Network television is clearly where the greenest waters flow. Mr. Allen got roughly $3 million to produce and star in the six NBC comedy hours. The Public Broadcasting System, in sharp contrast, pays him $60,000 a season to write six ''Meeting of Minds'' scripts. His books, which range from comedy to novels to serious nonfiction, have done modestly, typically earning him advances in the area of $10,000 to $30,000.

However, songs, if they become standards, are like faithful oil wells. For example, Mr. Allen wrote ''This Could Be the Start of Something Big,'' in 1954. It has since been recorded by more than a hundred people. It brings in royalties of $30,000 to $50,000 a year. Concerts can pay as much as $10,000 a night, and industrial shows (Mr. Allen recently starred at the Atlantic Richfield convention in Puerto Rico) can generate a nice five-figure salary. ''These industrial shows support show business,'' he says.

Then there are commercials. Mr. Allen has recently plugged Postal Instant Press, Mocha Mix and Restonic mattresses. He says it is not uncommon to reap as much as $100,000 for a year's run of a commercial.

Mr. Allen's hyperactive working habits are inherently tied to the tape recorder. ''I have two tape recorders with me at all times,'' he says. ''I'm not sure I have any more ideas than anyone else, but I don't waste them. I render them to the machine. I make a note of everything.'' His employees then transcribe the tapes and turn the transcriptions over to Mr. Allen for editing.

Besides his penchant for entertaining America, Mr. Allen is also committed to enlightenment. ''I have a philosophical concern that the American public is getting dumber,'' he says. ''As we sit here engaged in idle banter, the American public is getting dumber. So I've done three things. One is 'Meeting of Minds.' A second was a record album called 'How to Think.' The third was an educational game called 'Strange Bedfellows.' ''

It is late in the day now, and a camera crew from a cabletelevision show comes by to tape an interview with Mr. Allen. He is asked his opinion of PBS and cable TV. He calls them ''pills that help with the disease'' of network television. He is asked about the human race. He answers: ''I think the human race is ridiculous. So my normal state is either laughing or asleep.'' He is asked how he is able to accomplish so much. ''I think it's a genetic secret,'' he says. ''I never planned it. All I can say is what Popeye says: 'I am what I am.' '' end

Illustrations: Photo of Steve Allen (Page D3) Photo of Steve Allen


NEW YORK— One thousand years ago, the potters of Northern China began turning clay into some remarkable wine jars, pillows, bowls, dishes, vases and incense burners - everyday utensils for household or temple use that were common once but are most uncommon now. These artisans settled not far from Peking in southern Hopei Province - an area that was ideal for a successful stoneware operation.

Not only was the province rich in coal - the fuel necessary to fire the kilns - and therefore blessed with the finest clay as well, but it was also a fertile wine-producing region in need of jars to bottle the wine. The artisans prospered and the wares they spun on their wheels from shapeless wet blobs into stunning forms remain some of the most extraordinary ever potted, as will be seen in ''Freedom of Clay and Brush Through Seven Centuries of Northern China: Tz'u-chou Type Wares, 960-1600 A.D,'' on view at China Institute in America, 125 East 65th Street through May 24. On view are 58 examples of this white-glazed ware, works embellished with bold carving, robustly drawn black or brown flowers, birds, trees and animals, intricate stamping or abstract-patterned glazes.

Today, Tz'u-chou ceramics are still in production. But the bowls, dishes, jars and jugs coming off the production line lack the extraordinary vitality of the wares in the exhibition. The show wasorganized by Dr. Yutaka Mino, curator of Oriental Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, after researching the subject for 10 years. For this unprecedented show, he has also written with impressive clarity and scholarship, the voluminously illustrated 264-page catalogue, ($15) a work that offers a vivid view of everyday life in ancient China. For connoisseurs, the catalogue documents the entire range of techniques mastered in the period, and shows - in many cases for the first time - the 35 dated examples of this ware. These dated works are then compared with other ceramics, which can now be more accurately identified both the kiln where and the date when they were made. Dr. Mino's research covers the important finds in excavations from the 1920's on, detailing discoveries in many of the 21 kiln sites uncovered since 1949.

The catalog contains works from 43 collections and numbers 109 examples -almost twice the number that could be accommodated in the institute's gallery. But viewers should certainly not feel cheated. The show is, indeed, a veritable feast. The selection on view is arranged by Cleo Nichols most sympathetically against a gray background in softly lighted showcases. This combination subtly enhances the chalk white and ink-black wares. Most of the objects have a strong individual presence and the motifs on their surfaces are easily read, even by those who have never handled such wares. Virtually all boast masterfully-shaped forms - globular jars, ovoid vases, octagonal pillows, pear-shaped bottles, cylindrical incense burners, hemispherical bowls - that are a joy to examine. And the painted decorations on many are worthy of studying as one would oldmaster drawings.

The oldest work in the show is a tenth century ewer which echoes earlier Tang wares in its chunky shape but not its glaze - it is allwhite and unadorned, as were most early Tz'u-chou ceramics. By the 11th century in the Sung period, potters had advanced dramatically, shaping undecorated forms with sculptural power. Two splendid examples are a tall ovoid wine vessel and a low lobed jar with swelling body, both of which are breathtaking in their simplicity. The deeply carved decoration of peonies, scrolls and lotus petals on a slender-necked vase is extraordinary in its vigor. A globular ewer embellished with boldly carved peonies, leaves and stems with the background glazed black for contrast is an early example of this distinctive two-tone ware. A Sung hemispherical bowl, the body of which is decorated with deeply routed black parallel arcs, is one of the most memorable works in this show As works go, this one is even more modern than the plain white wares, anticipating the bold graphics of the Bauhaus, the German-design school of the 1920's. Bowls of this size - about three inches high and five inches in diameter - are even rarer today than the wine jars and vases, because, Dr. Mino explained, these wares were used until they were thrown away in pieces, whereas the wine jars, vases and pillows were entombed with their owners.

The pillows assembled for this show are remarkable, both in their form and ornamentation. Most measure about three inches high by about eight inches long, and are imaginatively shaped to resemble a bean, a flower, a cloud, a leaf, an octagon and a reclining tiger. The tiger which dates to the Chin Dynasty of the late 12th century is decorated with deftly applied black and tan brush strokes. Awash with stripes, the head rest ly striped and the back, which functions as a head rest, is painted with a bird on a bamboo branch

Collectors seeking the quality of Tzu-chou wares represented in this show, will have a problem since very few of top quality appear in shops or at auction. Until recently, in fact, it was a Tzu-chou vase - tall, slender, its white slip surface, boldly carved - that was the auction record for Sung. It was sold at Sotjeby Parke Bernet in London in July 1978 for $264,600. More recently lesser examples have appeared, including a pillow in the shape of a reclining lady that sold for $185,000 in the same rooms last December. The Bernat collection which was sold at Sotheby's in New York in October had three more modest examples - a polychrome bowl that brought $32,000, another bowl that sold for $17,000 and a stem cup that was $7,000.


Industrial production fell 3 percent in January, the biggest decline since May 1980, the Federal Reserve Board reported yesterday. The decline, which was considerably larger than many economists had expected, reflected industry's efforts to work off inventories in the face of a deteriorating economy and lower sales.

The Fed said the economy's problems were compounded by the damaging effects of January's bad weather. The drop in output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities was the sixth consecutive monthly decline, and it was the largest since the current recession began. Some economists predicted that it would be the last sizable decline in output in this business cycle, although none equated it with a significant upturn in the economy.

''This very big decline is a surprise, even after factoring the January weather in,'' said Lawrence Chimerine, chairman and chief economist of Chase Econometrics. ''A decline this sharp suggests that businessmen finally concluded that business was not going to pick up soon and that they would really have to liquidate inventories. But the key issue now, if interest rates keep rising, is whether the recovery will be delayed or whether the economy will just stay at the bottom of the trough.'' Comparison With Demand

David A. Levine, an economist at the Wall Street firm of Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, interpreted the steeper-than-expected decline as a signal that ''production has probably dropped to the point now where it is a fair distance below demand.''

He explained: ''We were already in a position where inventories were being liquidated in December. With the additional big decline in industrial production in January, we were probably liquidating inventories even faster in January than in December. By far the lion's share of the decline in industrial production is probably behind us now.''

Mr. Levine predicted that industrial production in February could be slightly positive, although he said production over the next three months would probably remain ''marginally negative as declines in capital goods production more than offset the increases in other sectors.''

According to the Federal Reserve's figures, January's decline in output was widespread. Production of durable consumer goods, including automobiles, was off 5.5 percent, while production of nondurable consumer goods, including clothes, was down 2.1 percent. The only increases were slight. These were in the military and space categories, where production was up one-tenth of 1 percent, and energy materials (including the generation of electricity), where production rose two-tenths of 1 percent. Auto Industry's Plight

The automobile industry was particularly hard hit in January, with production plunging 22 percent to an annual rate of 3.6 million cars. That is the lowest rate of production since 1959. Even during the 1974-75 recession, annual auto output fell only to some 6.5 million cars. Mr. Levine estimated that, if automobile output in January had equaled that of December, total industrial production might have been as much as four-tenths of a percentage point higher.

But economists say that the huge decline in January could establish a base for somewhat better production in February, particularly in the industries with the poorest records.

''The automobile manufacturers' schedules call for an increase in production in February, probably to the 4-million-plus range,'' said a Federal Reserve economist who asked that his name not be used. ''There is also some indication that appliance production may have bottomed out, but otherwise it is really too early to say whether we are seeing a recovery.''

Had it not been for the bad weather in many regions of the country during January, industrial production would not have tumbled to quite the same extent. But it would still have declined. Economists said the falloff might have been more on the order of the somewhat smaller declines reported in recent months. According to the Fed, industrial production declined 2.1 percent in December and 1.8 percent in November. Employment Data Noted

The extent of the January plant closings is partly reflected in the Government's employment statistics, reported earlier this month. These showed a continuing decline in employment (down 1.1 percent for January) and a much sharper plunge in average weekly hours worked (36.9 hours in January, down from 39 in December). This steep decline in hours worked translated into reduced production in January.

The Fed compiles its industrial production figures from three sets of data. When it puts together the initial report on industrial production in a specific month (about two weeks after the month has ended) it has actual production information for only a few key industries such as automobiles, steel, paper, coal and petroleum products. To fill in the picture where it does not yet have direct information on production, the Fed relies heavily on employment data, and to a lesser extent it relies on statistics showing industrial use of electricity. It later revises the production figures as it gathers more direct data about output.

Illustrations: Graph of industrial production


MPW Insider is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: What is your Sunday routine? is written by Angela Dorn, chief legal officer at Single Stop USA.

Monday through Friday I run the legal arms of Single Stop USA, a national nonprofit organization. My job is more than “full-time.” I could work 20 hour days every day without fail, and I still wouldn’t accomplish everything on my to-do list (I’m sure many of you can relate). And this doesn’t even include the menial tasks—I can’t pretend that everything I do is “mission critical.” On Saturdays, I run “Angela Dorn, Inc.” what I consider my “part-time” job. I use this day to manage home improvement projects, plan for the work week ahead, pay bills, and even run mundane errands. And then there is Sunday—the one day I can focus on the “real me.” Whether it be through service, leisure activities, or spending time with family and friends, I think everyone should use Sundays (or one day each week) to take care of themselves.

My Sundays, however, differ slightly than most people because I don’t have kids. My Sunday routine is focused entirely on doing things that will keep me personally centered for the rest of the week. In addition to going to church and catching up with friends and family, I also set aside time for exercising, self-health activities, (e.g. mani-pedi) and cooking. And I round out the night with a few of my favorite TV shows: Game of Thrones, Veep, and Mad Men. The bottom line is that my routine focuses on doing things that make me happy.

But for years, this wasn’t always the case. For as long as I can remember, I worked long hours almost every day and the weekends were rarely an exception. So it was a big deal if I took the weekend off. However, I eventually realized I would never be happy if I kept at this routine my whole life. Yes–work is important, but it is by no means everything or the most important thing in anyone’s life. Personal growth, relaxation, and relationships with others are far more important, and essential to your over all well-being. These are things that free up your mind for creativity, and coincidentally make you a better worker. So take off on Sundays, and spend them how you wish. You can’t take care of business if you don’t take care of yourself.

Read all answers to the MPW Insider question: What is your Sunday routine?

Why this executive never works on the weekend by Liz Wiseman, president of Wiseman Group.

How this CEO recharges on the weekend by Perry Yeatman, CEO of Perry Yeatman Global Partners.

Why this entrepreneur uses meditation to start her work week by Lynn Jurich, CEO and co-founder of Sunrun.

Summary: Use the weekend to do something you truly enjoy.


Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

06/03/2015 AT 11:00 AM EDT

on Wednesday for their first exclusive interview since son

"There was no magic to it," Kelly tells PEOPLE of how she secured the

. "I approached them and made the argument that I would be the best person for them to sit down with. I told them the truth, which is that I will be tough, but I will be fair. I think they know that's my reputation."

After the news broke that Josh allegedly molested five underage girls as a teenager, Jim Bob and Michelle, Josh and his wife

acknowledging his behavior, but the family has yet to speak out since.

"My goal going down there is to get the story," says

, who was involved, what the parents did about it, how they satisfied themselves that it had been resolved, what they did to help the victims, and to answer some of the harder questions about whether they behaved hypocritically."

One line of questioning that will not be answered in the interview with Jim Bob and Michelle?

"They do not want to talk about the details of the molestation, and I understand that as the parents of those involved, and that's fine," she says. "I've been told I'm not going to get answers there."

But, even with that request, Kelly says there are no limitations on their discussion.

"I think people want to hear more about when it was reported, why that time was chosen as opposed to an earlier time," she says.

"And especially the Duggars' critics, whether they regret any of their strong comments on morality. In particular, with respect to certain lifestyles, now that they have been so hammered for their own sins. I think that is a fair question, and they should answer that."

Kelly's interview with the Duggars will air on

Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. Additional portions will also air during a one-hour special on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

Summary: The Fox News journalist sits down with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar for an exclusive interview – their first since the molestation accusations against son Josh


An historic moment as Britain's heir to the throne Prince Charles (L) shakes hands with Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams during his visit to the National University of Ireland in Galway. (AAP)

Prince Charles has become the first British royal to meet Irish republican leader Gerry Adams, on a visit that will take him to the scene of his great-uncle's murder by the IRA.

Charles, the heir to the British throne, shook hands with Adams, the veteran president of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the now-defunct Irish Republican Army paramilitary group.

The prince, 66, met Adams at the National University of Ireland's campus in Galway on the west coast, shortly after starting a two-day visit to the republic.

Adams leaned forward several times as they spoke for less than a minute, before introducing Charles to other guests.

Speaking before the visit, Adams referred to Charles by his title as colonel-in-chief of the British army's Parachute Regiment.

Soldiers from the regiment were found responsible for several killings during the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre - one of the worst atrocities in the Northern Ireland conflict, known as "The Troubles."

"But he (Charles) also has been bereaved by the actions of republicans," Adams said.

Adams has always rejected allegations that he was a key figure in the IRA, which killed Charles's beloved great-uncle and mentor Earl Mountbatten in 1979.

The IRA blew up a boat carrying Mountbatten off the west coast of Ireland, in one of the most high-profile assassinations during three decades of sectarian unrest that killed 3500 people.

The 79-year-old, who was the last viceroy of India and a father figure to Charles, was killed along with two relatives, and Paul Maxwell, a 14-year-old local boy who worked on the fishing boat.

Adams and other senior Sinn Fein members boycotted Queen Elizabeth II's groundbreaking visit to Ireland in 2011, the first by a British monarch since the future Republic of Ireland gained independence from Britain in 1922.

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Summary: Prince Charles has shaken the hand of Irish republican leader Gerry Adams, in what is seen as a key step in Northern Ireland's peace process.


Australia's S&P ASX 200 index moved away from a six-month closing low hit in the previous session, thanks to stellar gains in specific counters.

Rare earths mining company Lynas surged as much as 20 percent in early trade following an announcement of a restructure of its long-term debts. Gold producer Newcrest Mining climbed 4.6 percent after its earnings report showed improved profit for the year to June 30.

Shares of Aurizon Holdings advanced 4.3 percent after the coal hualer reported a 15 percent rise in profit and raised its dividend payout ratio well above expectations on Monday.

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Bank of Australia plunged nearly 1 percent on the first day of trade since being halted last Tuesday due to the launch of a $5 billion rights issue.

South Korea's Kospi index swayed near the flatline after returning from an extended weekend.

Mixed trading among blue chips provided little direction for the bourse; Steelmaker Posco tanked 2.7 percent, and Samsung Electronics, which is set to roll out two new large-screen smartphone models this week, widened losses to 2.3 percent.

Shares of Hyundai Motor fluctuated at the open and was last seen flat, while Kepco rallied 1.4 percent.

Singapore's Straits Times index tread water on the back of data which showed non-oil domestic exports (NODX) dropping lesser than expected in July, thanks to a jump in pharmaceuticals shipments.

Meanwhile, Thailand releases GDP figures for the June quarter at approximately 1030 SIN/HK.

Summary: Asian stocks posted a higher open on Monday, as a positive lead from the U.S. offset a lackluster second-quarter growth report from Japan.


In Scotland, concerns regarding the upcoming vote are likely to curb risk sentiment in the near term. Polls currently show that the referendum is too close to call with both sides continuing to campaign hard. The upcoming vote - which is held on Thursday with the result expected Friday morning - has led investors to sell shares of Scottish companies, place bearish bets on the British pound and worry about the widespread implications of the potential split-off.

Hedgefunds short $-£ ahead of Scots vote

Back in Europe, U.K. August inflation dropped slightly in line with expectations, driven by a fall in the price of motor fuels and non-alcoholic drinks, official data showed.

Consumer prices rose 1.5 percent year-on-year in August, down from the 1.6 percent increase in July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday. The figure was still below the Bank of England's 2 percent inflation target.

Read MoreUK inflation slips, house price growth at 7-year high

Summary: European shares closed lower with investors looking ahead to a key Federal Reserve policy meeting this week as well as a referendum on Scottish independence.


MY FAIR LADY Jennifer Ellis (pictured) helps kick off the fall theater season in high style with her beguilingly multifaceted portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in Scott Edmiston’s vibrant production of the Lerner and Loewe classic. Costarring Christopher Chew as Henry Higgins. Through Oct. 11. Lyric Stage Company of Boston. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com DON AUCOIN

TIME STANDS STILL This stellar production examines the personal cost of war through the eyes of Sarah (a compelling Shannon Koob), a lauded photographer injured while on assignment in Iraq. She’s cared for by longtime boyfriend James (John Long), also a journalist, who’s nursing his own battle wounds. Through Sept. 26. Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Wellfleet. 508-349-9428, www.what.org LOREN KING

THE BOOK OF MORMON Upliftingly filthy musical comedy from the creators of “South Park” and “Avenue Q” examines faith through the story of two Mormon missionaries sent to AIDS-ravaged Uganda. Yes, it’s a comedy, and a really good one, but prepare yourself for jokes about maggots in an intimate part of the male body, among other unlikely topics. Through Oct. 11. Broadway in Boston. Colonial Theatre, Boston. 800-982-2787, www.broadwayinboston.com JOEL BROWN

THE FLICK Annie Baker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a trio of lost souls in a fading movie theater unfolds with a leisurely pace that becomes surprisingly compelling. The inimitable Nael Nacer, as Sam, provides the emotional ballast. Through Sept. 12. Gloucester Stage, Gloucester. 978-281-4433, www.gloucesterstage.com TERRY BYRNE

Summary: Globe reviewers offer a guide to area productions, including “My Fair Lady,” “Book of Mormon,’’ and “The Flick.’’


09/18/2015 AT 05:15 PM EDT

won't apologize for her sexy persona.

" star opened up to PEOPLE about her newfound self-assurance (and why she's happy to flaunt her body) at the

gala in New York Thursday.

"It's extremely important for me to even embrace my body and

with showing more skin – I think it's great," Lovato, 23, tells PEOPLE.

"I went from being in a place where I was suffering from an eating disorder and hating every single inch of my body to now baring my legs and showing more skin in front of the whole world and being proud of my body instead of loathing it," she says. "It's important for me to show people you can go from hating to yourself to loving yourself and being proud of your body and the skin your in."

The former Disney star – who has long been open about her struggles with mental illness, body dysmorphia and self-harm – channels that poise on her new album

(due Oct. 16) and its title track,

"When I give myself an hour, an hour and a half to focus solely on me, listening to the new album, getting hyped while working out and staying healthy, that meditation is what keeps me feeling confident, strong and inspired to be the best version of myself. [I can] help empower women with this album and my strength," she says.

And Lovato enlisted another strong woman to feature on her album:

, whom she says "killed it on" the collaboration, "Kingdom Come."

The artists met a year ago at a Vevo event, where they became fast friends.

"I was a big fan already. She's a strong woman, and I loved what she was doing on her album. We've become really good friends. When it was time to make [

], I was like, I definitely want you on the album, I just don't know which song would be best," Lovato says of the track. "I Finally called her and was like: Hey, I have this song. Deadline's tomorrow. Do you want to hear it? And she was like, 'No, I'll just go into the studio tonight. Just send it over, and I'll do it.' She's so dope, so loyal, and she killed it."

As for Lovato's appearance at the Samsung gala – where she performed hits including "Heart Attack" and "Skyscraper," which she dedicated to the recent

– she was excited to give back.

"Before I even made it in the industry, I'd felt like God told me if I were to ever make it, that I should use my voice for something bigger than just music. Those things – like having your own charities or giving to charity, are what makes a difference on this planet," says the singer, who's been involved with WE Day for years and launched

program in honor of her

, who also lived with mental illness.

"That's what leaves a legacy, more so than just your music. When you have a voice that reaches 30 million people on Twitter, it's important that you use it for good."

Summary: "I went from being in a place where I was suffering from an eating disorder and hating every single inch of my body to now baring my legs," she says


WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Downside risks to the global economy have risen and a combination of threats including slower growth in China and rising market volatility could severely cut the outlook, International Monetary Fund staff warned on Wednesday.

A note prepared by IMF staff for a meeting of Group of 20 finance officials describes a cocktail of potentially dangerous risks ranging from a stronger U.S. dollar to depreciating currencies in emerging markets, falling commodity prices and weaker capital inflows.

"Risks are tilted to the downside, and a simultaneous realization of some of these risks would imply a much weaker outlook," said the note, prepared for the G20 meeting in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday and Saturday.

The IMF in July lowered its global growth forecast for 2015 to 3.3 percent and forecast growth in China - where a currency devaluation and growth concerns have fanned sharp moves on global financial markets - would slow to 6.8 percent.

IMF staff said China should keep up reforms to liberalize its economy, despite the market gyrations.

"The recent sharp equity market corrections should not discourage the authorities from continuing with reforms to give market mechanisms a more decisive role in the economy, eliminate distortions, and strengthen institutions," the note said.

The need for policies to boost growth among G20 nations has become more urgent in the last six months and accommodative monetary policy in advanced economies was "essential," the note said, also stressing the case for structural reforms to boost potential output and productivity.

The U.S. Federal Reserve, whose next policy meeting on Sept. 16-17 is being keenly awaited to see if it will raise benchmark interest rates for the first time since 2006, should keep its decisions "data-dependent."

The Bank of Japan should stand ready for further easing, and the European Central Bank should extend its asset-buying program unless inflation, which is showing signs of stabilization, picks up sufficiently, the note said.

But while economic activity in advanced economies is projected to pick up modestly this and next year, the outlook for emerging markets was more worrisome and the policy response trickier.

Although allowing currencies to depreciate was critical for countries with limited room to cut interest rates or boost spending, weaker exchange rates could worsen the outlook for inflation, the note said.

(Reporting by Krista Hughes; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Summary: WASHINGTON, Sept 2- Downside risks to the global economy have risen and a combination of threats including slower growth in China and rising market volatility could severely cut the outlook, International Monetary Fund staff warned on Wednesday. The IMF in July lowered its global growth forecast for 2015 to 3.3 percent and forecast growth in China- where a...


By comparison, China's economy expanded an annual 7.0 percent in the first quarter after logging 7.3 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Read MoreIndia to be top economy by 2050

India's GDP print may seem impressive but analysts said activity indicators at the ground level suggest otherwise.

"About 60 percent of GDP is still in the woods," Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC, said in a note prior to the data release.

"On the production side, agriculture, construction, banking and public services are not showing signs of improvements. On the expenditure side, rural consumption, government spending and exports remain lackluster."

While recovery is seen in the remaining 40 percent of GDP – which includes the manufacturing, utilities, trade and transportation sectors – the pace of recovery remains "very slow," she added.

Read MoreModiwants China to 'Make in India'

The picture is clouded further, as the debate escalates over a new formula to calculate economic growth, introduced by the government earlier this year in what it says will match global practices.

In January, the Central Statistics Office, using a new method, said that India's real or "inflation-adjusted" GDP in 2013-14 grew 6.9 percent instead of the earlier 4.7 percent and by 5.1 percent in the year before, compared with 4.5 percent in the earlier system, the Hindustan Times reported.

"Like a lot of people, we're rather scratching our heads on the new GDP (methodology) numbers," Richard Iley, chief economist of Asia with BNP Paribas, told CNBC.

"A lot of the harder indicators that we look at beneath the surface of the Indian economy, PMI surveys, credit growth, industrial output itself on the monthly numbers have been pretty sluggish. There's not really much support coming up from the underlying data to suggest this is really a 7-7.5 percent economy," he added.

One person likely basking in the strong data would be Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is celebrating his first year in office this month. Modi's reputation as a reformer drew high expectations of change, but that's been tempered in recent months by the slow pace of reforms.

Summary: India's economy grew at a faster rate than its Chinese counterpart for a second straight quarter, but concerns remain over the government's new way of calculating its data.


The judge also added that Thomas Pink's "luxurious" standing could be reduced.

"The defendant's (Victoria's Secret) business aims to have a sexy, mass market appeal. The link between the CTM (community trademark) and the defendant's PINK brand will cause consumers to associate the two. The claimant's trade mark will be associated with a mass market offering, reducing its luxurious reputation," the written judgement said.

Read MoreVictoria's Secret angels make move to London

A community trademark is a trademark which has been registered across the 28 nations of the European Union, meaning that any action following the case would apply across the whole of the bloc.

Victoria's Secret faces the choice of phasing out its PINK clothing line across Europe, or appealing, according to one lawyer.

"It depends or not if they give in. If they accept the judgement of the High Court then they would have to withdraw their product during an agreed phase-out period. Or Victoria's Secret could appeal," Carrollanne Lindley, trademark attorney at Kilburn and Strode, told CNBC in a phone interview.

Read MoreSlideshow: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Victoria's Secret was not available for comment.

Thomas Pink said it was "delighted" with the result.

"We are delighted with the outcome of this case, and will continue to protect the considerable investment that has been made into building Thomas Pink into a leading luxury clothing brand," Jonathan Heilbron, CEO of Thomas Pink, said in a statement.

At the moment, Thomas Pink has no plans to pursue the case in other territories -- including the U.S..

- By CNBC's Arjun Kharpal

Summary: Victoria’s Secret has lost a trademark battle with high-end U.K. shirt maker involving its "PINK" clothing line.


"We are so excited to introduce these amazing new Quinoa Bowls that we wanted to do something big, maybe even a little crazy," said Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Mayer.

The promotion ends on Labor Day (note the pun) and only one winner will be announced.

"BJ's thinks that Quinoa could be a really great baby name, so who knows, maybe it will start a trend," Mayer told CNBC.

Read More Like to eat out a lot? You'll want to read this

For those who are not expecting a baby this summer, there is still a way to get in on the action. Anyone who changes his or her name to Quinoa on Twitter until July 6 will get a $10 off $35 coupon to the restaurant chain.

BJ's Restaurants operate 163 restaurants in 20 states including Arizona, California and New York. The new menu items that inspired the promotion are the "Roasted Chicken with Spinach Quinoa Bowl" and the "Roasted Salmon Quinoa Bowl." Both are options on the lighter menu which includes items under 795 calories.

The winner will receive a $10,000 gift card valid for use at any BJ's restaurant. Parents must provide a copy of the baby's birth certificate and submit it by October 21, 2015 by email or snail mail.

Summary: BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse is offering couples the chance to win $10,000 worth of food if they name their child after the superfood quinoa.


LOS ANGELES — Tickets for ‘‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’’ go on sale Monday, two months before the movie hits US theaters.

Sales will start after a new trailer for the seventh installment of the ‘‘Star Wars’’ saga airs during the ‘‘Monday Night Football’’ broadcast on ESPN, Walt Disney Co. said in an e- mailed statement Sunday. The movie is set to open in the US and Canada on Dec. 18.

‘‘The Force Awakens’’ is the first in the series since Disney acquired franchise-owner Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4 billion in 2012. The film is expected to be one of the top-grossing pictures of the year, if not all time.

‘‘Fans have been super-excited ever since the first ‘Force Awakens’ teaser trailer dropped,’’ said Dave Karger, chief correspondent at the online ticket seller site Fandango. ‘‘It’s been over 10 years since a ‘Star Wars’ movie was introduced in theaters.’’

Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne said in June that the movie could be the third highest-grossing film in history. He estimated ‘‘The Force Awakens’’ will take in $1.95 billion in ticket sales worldwide. That would place it behind ‘‘Avatar’’ at $2.8 billion and ‘‘Titanic’’ at $2.2 billion, according to data from Boxofficemojo.com.

Selling tickets two months before a film’s debut is a strategy Hollywood has deployed in the past for its most highly- anticipated releases.

‘‘The Force Awakens,’’ directed by J.J. Abrams, has revealed itself in two earlier trailers to be very much an homage to the 1977 original, even to the point of including most of its cast.

Disney has been seeding the market for a new generation of fans, showing ‘‘Star Wars Rebels,’’ a cartoon on its Disney XD network, and releasing toys globally last month in a promotion it dubbed ‘‘Force Friday.’’

The First Order is coming. Tune in to Monday Night Football on @ESPN for a new look at #TheForceAwakens. https://t.co/BbPQZ1cjBo

Check out the new official poster! Tune in to @ESPN?s Monday Night Football for a new look at #TheForceAwakens. pic.twitter.com/NTRWLlVyID

Summary: Sales will start after a new trailer for the seventh installment of the ‘‘Star Wars’’ saga airs during “Monday Night Football.”


Rethink Robotics, a Boston company known for its Baxter line of industrial robots, said Tuesday that it has partnered with three new distributors as it looks to get its robots into more universities, schools, and corporate research-and-development labs worldwide.

Baxter is now deployed in 18 countries and is used in such applications as manufacturing, health care, and education. Early Baxters have been used for simple repetitive production-line tasks such as sorting and loading, a May story in the Globe noted.

The new distributors are RobotShop and Teq, both in North America, and Shanghai-based Gaitech International, Rethink Robotics said in a press release.

‘‘Students as young as 10 years old are training Baxter and developing the skills they’ll need on the job from the very start of their education,’’ company chief executive Scott Eckert said in a statement. ‘‘By the time they enter the workforce, robots will be integrated into nearly every industry, as we see in manufacturing today. These children will have an important advantage - experience - thanks to the K-12 schools, colleges, and universities that are investing in robotics now.’’

Summary: Rethink Robotics has partnered with three new distributors as it looks to get its robots into more universities, schools, and corporate labs.


Laurent Claude Gaudette (left) and Ariel Winter

11/12/2015 AT 01:05 PM EST

is heading down the aisle soon doesn't mean her

is ready to tie the knot.

The 17-year-old blasted a tabloid report that she's engaged to boyfriend

– and jokingly planned the wedding of the century.

"Here are some EXCLUSIVE deets about my 'upcoming nuptials' #imonly17 #letmefinishcollegeapps #thisissilly #notgettingmarried," she captioned an Instagram late Wednesday, showing a screenshot of a texting conversation with a friend.

Among her bridezilla "demands"? Doves, 4,000 unicorns, 9 million white and red roses, Morgan Freeman narrating the wedding video and Drake yelling "I object" before she and her man exchange vows.

"Oh, and Laurent HAS to wear FULL leather. Buttless chaps if possible," she wrote. "With my face on either side."

So, yeah, the actress is definitely still a bachelorette, though she and Gaudette

"I love you so much that I don't even know where to start," Ariel captioned a romantic Instagram marking their

in October. "When we first met two years ago, I felt this insane, unexplainable connection with you and I knew from that day one that you were the one I wanted to be with."

Summary: Ariel Winter has been dating Laurent Claude Gaudette for two years