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Tue. Aug. 28, 2012 Peapod launches grocery pickup service at Stop & Shop in Abington Peapod.com, the service that allows Stop & Shop customers to order groceries online and have them delivered to their homes, said Tuesday that it has begun offering a new variation of its service, called Peapod Pick-Up, at a Stop & Shop store in Abington. Under a test-pilot program that is debuting the service in New England, customers can order groceries online, then pick them up later at the Abington store at 375 Centre Ave. Initially, Peapod Pick-Up will be offered free of charge.	Advertisement
Weather Channel CEO joins local start-up board Weather Channel chief executive officer David Kenny is joining the board of Boston’s SessionM, a mobile advertising start-up that was co-founded last year by a former Apple Inc. executive. Kenny, who became CEO of the The Weather Channel Companies earlier this year, is a familiar name in local and national technology circles. He served as president of the Cambridge Internet infrastructure giant Akamai Technologies Inc. for a year until he resigned in October 2011 to reportedly seek the top job at Yahoo Inc.
Global investor confidence falls in August Global investor index fell in August on a month-to-month basis, according to an index maintained by State Street Global Markets. The index posted a 90.9 reading in August, down from a revised reading of 94.3 in July. On the index, a reading of 100 represents a neutral outlook. The index also issues readings on investor sentiment in various continents. Driving the global decline in July was “a sharp deterioration in risk appetite among North American investors,” State Street Global Markets said.
INRIX study: Boston’s Labor Day traffic will be fifth worst in the country Boston area traffic over Labor Day weekend will be the fifth worst in the nation, according to a new study from INRIX Inc., a Washington state company that provides traffic data to auto manufacturers and companies that operate truck fleets. During peak times, a Labor Day trip to Portland, Maine, will take twice as long as usual, and a trip to the Cape three times as long, INRIX said. Places where Labor Day traffic will be even worse include New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
Alnylam and Monsanto form strategic alliance Alnylam Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge has been using RNAi gene-silencing technology in its quest to develop new drugs. Now as a result of a new alliance with Monsanto Co., researchers will seek to apply Alnylam’s technology to agricultural uses. With the formation of the alliance, Monsanto will make an upfront payment to Alnylam of $29.2 million. “We believe biological products have great promise in agriculture,” a Monsanto vice president said. Headquartered in St. Louis, Monsanto is a provider of technology and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.
Sonus Networks completes $42m acquisition Sonus Networks Inc., a Westford-based maker of Internet network hardware and software, said it has completed its acquisition of Network Equipment Technology. In June, Sonus disclosed plans to buy California-based Network Equipment for $42 million. Sonus said in a statement that the acquisition brings the company a talented engineering and sales work force that can accelerate its ability “to lead the market transition to cloud-based unified communications.”
New Balance taps Crimson Hexagon Crimson Hexagon Inc. said it has been hired by New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. to glean consumer insights from “social media conversation.” Both companies are based in Boston. New Balance markets athletic footwear and apparel. Crimson Hexagon provides so-called Big Data analysis software that corporate customers use to gather business intelligence. Crimson Hexagon said its technology will help New Balance to make “the partnering process with large retailers more collaborative.”
TSA moves to fire 6 bag screeners, suspend 14 at Logan The Transportation Security Administration has moved to fire six bag-screening officers at Logan International Airport for violating inspection procedures for checked luggage and suspend 14 others for inattention to duty, agency officials said. The action was triggered by a routine audit that showed some officers weren’t paying close attention to computer monitors that display the contents of each bag as it is screened by an explosive detection machine, TSA officials said. The screeners were distracted by their cellphones and other electronic devices, according to the TSA.
WPI looks to develop sensors that can detect blood loss in wounded soldiers Worcester Polytechnic Institute, or WPI, is preparing to launch a project that will focus on the early detection of blood loss as a way of saving the lives of soldiers who are wounded in battle. The three-year project is funded by a $1.9 million grant from the US Army, and the research will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Part of the project will be devoted to developing miniaturized wireless sensors that soldiers wear into battle.
Karen Clark study: Many US hurricanes would cause $10b or more in losses in 2012 dollars Gulf Coast residents have been intently watching Tropical Storm Isaac over the last few days, but for one Boston firm, studying hurricanes is a nearly full-time pursuit. The firm is Karen Clark & Co., which provides software products and consulting services that help insurance companies evaluate and manage risk. The firm has just issued a report that concludes that 28 of the roughly 175 Atlantic hurricanes that have hit the United States since 1900 would cause $10 billion or more in insured losses if they occurred today.
AAA: Mass. gas prices are unchanged The average price of gas in Massachusetts was $3.739 a gallon in the latest weekly AAA survey, the same as the previous week’s average, AAA Southern New England said Monday. Prices locally had risen 18 cents over the past month. The current national average for gas is $3.75 a gallon, AAA Southern New England said; a year ago at this time, the Massachusetts average price was $3.61.
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