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 »
Mon. Feb. 27, 2012 New Panasonic TV’s use Nuance technology to respond to voice commands Nuance Communications Inc. of Burlington is getting into the television business. The company, a leader in speech recognition software, has signed a deal with Japan’s Panasonic Corp. to add its Dragon TV speech control technology to Panasonic’s Viera TV line. Panasonic has begun shipping sets with Dragon TV to customers in Europe; the company has not announced when similar sets will be available in the United States.	Advertisement
Bridal-gown event could evoke Filene’s Basement deja vu Even though the famous Filene’s Basement wedding dress sale “Running of the Brides” is no more, local brides can still get a chance to buy discounted wedding dresses this year. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries and Lasell College are hosting “Brides on a Budget,” an event that will display high-end wedding dresses for sale starting at $100. The event was held for the first time in 2009, and will happen again this Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m., at the Goodwill headquarters at 1010 Harrison Ave. in Boston.
New York regulators probe State Street foreign exchange practices State Street Corp. said the attorney general in New York and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York has made inquiries into its foreign exchange business. Boston-based State Street was the first bank sued for alleged overcharging in foreign exchange, in what has become a nationwide probe. In October 2009, the attorney general in California sued State Street on behalf of the state’s two largest public pension plans for $56 million in alleged overcharges from 2001 to 2009.
Dunkin’ adds Angus Steak & Egg to breakfast sandwich line-up Dunkin’ Donuts is adding a Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich to its breakfast sandwich line-up. The new entree features a toasted onion bagel topped with Angus beef, an egg, and melted American cheese; it will be offered for a limited time at participating Dunkin’ restaurants, the chain said. Folks chowing down on the Angus Steak & Egg will be eating “Like a Boss,” Dunkin’ suggests, and “Like a Boss” is a theme of a Facebook marketing effort that promotes the new sandwich.
Mass. gas prices rise 8 cents a gallon The average price for gas in Massachusetts is $3.689 a gallon in the latest weekly survey from AAA, up 8 cents from the previous week’s average, AAA Southern New England said. It is the 10th straight week of increases; the average is now 21 cents a gallon higher than a month ago, AAA Southern New England said. One reason for the rise in prices is concern about Iran shutting off its oil supply in retaliation for sanctions against its nuclear program.
Fidelity launches new ad campaign Fidelity Investments is launching its first all-digital marketing campaign. For several years, Fidelity has aired its so-called “Green Line” campaign. In TV ads, investors can follow a “green line” that guides them to good investment choices. The new digital marketing effort is dubbed “Thinking Big,” and it’s designed to complement the “Green Line” campaign and delve into subjects not easily addressed in a 30-second TV ad.
Adrian Gonzalez, Eastern Bank renew endorsement deal Red Sox slugger Adrian Gonzalez is re-upping as a pitchman for Eastern Bank, the Boston-based bank said today. Gonzalez and Eastern Bank will work together for a second consecutive year as part of an endorsement agreement that includes a charitable partnership and personal appearances as well as star turns in TV and online ads, the bank said. As part of last season’s agreement, Gonzalez and Eastern Bank donated $80,000 to eight Habitat for Humanity affiliates across Eastern Massachusetts.
Study: Many retirees die nearly broke About 57 percent of elderly people living alone have less than $10,000 in financial assets when they die. That’s according to the summary of a recent research study that was posted on the blog of the Financial Security Project at Boston College. Much of the focus on retirement has been on how much Americans have accumulated as they enter retirement. But a team that included economists James Poterba at MIT, Steven Venti at Dartmouth, and David Wise at Harvard concentrated on where retirees wind up financially.
Brockton retirement board confirms probe by AG Martha Coakley The head of the Brockton Retirement Board confirmed that Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office has been looking into the pension fund’s investment in an Oppenheimer private equity fund since last fall. Harold Hanna, executive director of the $311 million Brockton Retirement Board, said Coakley’s office requested a number of documents from him, including Oppenheimer’s response to a request for proposal and various investment reports the group has received since committing $5 million to the Oppenheimer Global Resource Private Equity Fund in March 2010.
FDIC: OneUnited Bank agrees to pay $4k civil penalty OneUnited Bank has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $4,000 in a consent agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the regulator announced today. The Boston bank, one of the largest minority-owned institutions in the country, was accused of violations of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. OneUnited has been struggling since incurring large investment losses in the financial crisis and still owes the government $12 million in federal bailout funds.
Start-up developing new battery technology nets $12k in MIT contest SolidEnergy, a start-up focused on battery technology, won $12,000 in prizes after beating out 28 teams of semi-finalists during the inaugural MIT ACCELERATE Contest. SolidEnergy’s strong performance was based on its concept for a battery that would be superior to a regular lithium-ion battery. SolidEnergy’s prototype has potential applications for use in electric vehicles, biomedical devices, and oil-drilling equipment. SolidEnergy won the $10,000 Daniel M. Lewis Grand Prize along with a $2,000 Audience Choice Award.
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.