To ensure you receive your Boston.com e-mails, please add newsletters@boston.com to your address book. If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to http://www.boston.com/business/ticker_headlines
Daily Business Update Get up-to-the-minute Business Updates More Business News »
Thu. Feb. 16, 2012 Kayak partners with TripAdvisor to post hotel reviews People searching for hotels on Kayak now have 60 million more resources at their fingertips. As of today, the travel search website will include hotel reviews from TripAdvisor travelers, giving Kayak users access to more than 60 million opinions from around the world on hotels’ cleanliness, location, staff, and rooms with the best views. Kayak also includes hotel recommendations from travel editors at Frommer’s and Budget Travel, and users can narrow their searches to include only reviewed hotels.	Advertisement
Hockfield to step down as MIT’s president Susan Hockfield, the 16th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said she will step down from her post but stay in place until her successor takes office. Hockfield has served as president since December 2004. During her presidency, MIT said it has raised nearly nearly $3 billion, the most successful period of fund-raising in the school’s history, despite hard economic times. Hockfield’s successor will be selected according to a process set forth in the bylaws of the MIT Corporation, the school said.
bluebird bio appoints David Davidson as chief medical officer bluebird bio, a Cambridge company that eschews capital letters while focusing on gene therapies for severe genetic disorders, announced the appointment of David M. Davidson, M.D., to the role of chief medical officer. Before joining bluebird bio, Davidson served as a senior medical director at Genzyme Corp., where he led clinical research for programs for more than a decade. Bluebird bio’s therapy-development approach uses stem cells harvested from the patient’s bone marrow into which a healthy version of the disease-causing gene is inserted.
Sycamore Networks reports 2Q loss Sycamore Networks Inc., a Chelmsford-based maker of communications equipment, today reported a second-quarter net loss of $3.7 million on a GAAP basis, or $0.13 per share, compared with a GAAP net loss of $3.5 million, or $0.12 per share, for the second quarter of last year. Revenue for the second quarter was $13.2 million, compared with $12.2 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2011.
JetBlue Airways, Japan Airlines partnering for new nonstop flights from Boston to Tokyo JetBlue Airways will partner with Japan Airlines when it begins nonstop service to Tokyo out of Boston April 22, allowing passengers to book tickets for combined travel on the two airlines. With the agreement, travelers can book connections between JetBlue’s North American network and Japan Airlines’ Asian Pacific routes.
NStar agrees to buy Cape Wind power to win state blessing on merger Massachusetts officials have reached a breakthrough deal with NStar and Northeast Utilities that would allow the two electric companies to merge in exchange for buying a significant amount of power from the offshore Cape Wind project and freezing rates for four years.
Challenge encourages Harvard students to tackle world problems The Harvard Innovation Lab will host the “$100K President’s Challenge” as a way to seek “entrepreneurial solutions” from Harvard students to such problems as global warming and poverty, Harvard University president Drew Faust announced today. The President’s Challenge has been designed to give Harvard students “access to expertise in innovation” as they look to develop potential solutions to “pressing worldwide problems.” Student teams will compete to win a share of a $100,000 prize that will be awarded just before commencement in May.
Boston deploys smartphone app for city workers Boston’s Public Works Department now has an app to help clean up the city. The city has started a pilot program that gives 45 highway and waste removal inspectors smartphones loaded with a software program called City Worker, which is designed to alert them about trouble spots -- such as potholes or graffiti -- in their respective coverage zones. The app is an extension of one the city unveiled in 2009 called Citizen Connect, which lets smartphone-totting Bostonians use their phones to report nuisances throughout the city.
Carbonite taps Arnold Worldwide Arnold Worldwide said it has been chosen to be the creative ad agency of record for Carbonite Inc., an online computer backup service. Both Arnold and Carbonite are based in Boston. A press release from Arnold did not mention the size of the marketing budget that Carbonite will be allocating to Arnold. With more than 1 billion personal computers worldwide as well as an ever larger number of tablets and smartphones, there is big growth potential for the kinds of services that Carbonite provides.
PAX East gaming convention to stay in Boston until 2023 The giant annual gaming convention PAX East, which attracted more than 60,000 visitors to Boston in 2011, will be held in the city at least through 2023, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority said this morning. PAX East will also contribute $25,000 a year for ten years to the Massachusetts Digital games Institute, the Worcester program to promote collaboration between the state’s academic institutions and its gaming industry. PAX East was moved to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center last year.
Menino tweets about ‘Top Chef’ TV show: You gotta try Boston The city of Boston and the Digitas marketing firm are collaborating on a Twitter campaign that is lobbying “Top Chef” to bring its TV show to the Hub. A competitive cooking show that airs Wednesday nights on the Bravo network, “Top Chef” brings chefs from around the country to a host city or state where contestants square-off to see who has the best uber-chef chops. According to Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Boston is a culinary hotbed that would make an ideal venue for a “Top Chef” season.
ADVERTISEMENT Looking to catch the next big game in town? Search from a wide range of Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots seats in our exclusive ticket section powered by Ace Ticket. For the best seats to any sporting event in Boston, go to Boston.com Tickets.