boston April 19, 2013 at 3:25 PM ET As the greater Boston population sheltered indoors Friday afternoon awaiting the conclusion of the massive manhunt for one of the Boston Marathon blast suspects, at least one business was allowed to keep its doors open to feed the first responders: Dunkin’ Donuts."Our franchisees are working closely with authorities to determine which select locations should be open and which restaurants should be closed. For example, at the request of authorities, a Dunkin' Donuts restaurant in Watertown, Massachusetts, is open and the franchisee Continue reading >>>

“I don’t drive that much,” said Greco, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s program in urban planning. And when he does drive, Greco is being watched. His rented Zipcar is rigged with
an array of digital monitoring devices that measure Greco’s state of mind as he cruises through the challenging traffic of Greater Boston.

Cars make Kael Greco nervous. And he has the computer read-outs to prove it. A graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s program in urban planning, Greco drives only occasionally. But when he does, Greco tricks out a rented Zipcar with an array of digital monitoring devices to measure his state of mind while cruising through the challenging traffic of Greater Boston. The result: Greco found driving a lot more stressful than taking a tough class or giving a presentation about his research. Greco and his colleagues at MIT’s Senseable City Laboratory are trying to Continue reading >>>

With a mayoral election looming that could change the cable landscape in Boston, Comcast has launched what is effectively a pre-emptive, audience-pleasing strike, stepping up its game with the Xfinity X1, its new cable box that lets customers record four shows at once — and watch them from any television in the home.Boston viewers of course have been denied the Verizon FiOS option that their suburban counterparts enjoy, due to a failure of Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Verizon to cut a deal — a logjam that a new mayor might want to clear.But now available to Greater Boston customers who purchase Continue reading >>>

With a mayoral election looming that could change the cable landscape in Boston, Comcast has launched what is effectively a pre-emptive, audience-pleasing strike, stepping up its game with the Xfinity X1, its new cable box that lets customers record four shows at once — and watch them from any television in the home.Boston viewers of course have been denied the Verizon FiOS option that their suburban counterparts enjoy, due to a failure of Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Verizon to cut a deal — a logjam that a new mayor might want to clear.But now available to Greater Boston customers who purchase Continue reading >>>

Do you support Suffolk Downs’ proposal to be granted a license to build a resort gaming facility on its property located in East Boston? Would you contact the Greater Boston Labor Council prior to Wal-Mart seeking formal approval to locate in Boston? Do you support or oppose the creation of an independent commission to oversee the taxi industry? Those were some of the queries put to mayoral hopefuls in the Greater Boston Labor Council’s questionnaire. Their answers were used to create questions for a June 27 forum, which featured 10 candidates on the stage at IBEW Local 103. After the Continue reading >>>

FOXBOROUGH — Christian Sady slung a red duffle bag over his shoulder as he walked past Gillette Stadium Tuesday evening, gazing up at the galactic steel structure. For two hours, the North Andover native and 19 other local soccer players practiced on the neighboring field. “I think all of us have a dream to play inside there one day,” said Sady, an 18-year-old who is committed to play at Harvard. “We would all love to play for the New England Revolution.” By participating in this training session — for the Revolution’s youth team, FC Greater Boston — Sady’s odds are better than Continue reading >>>

Human error has been ruled out by France’s transport minister, and the investigation is focused on a detached piece of metal in a switching joint on the tracks, the head of the French national railway, SNCF, said on Saturday, according to an Associated Press report.

The French passenger train that crashed outside Paris Friday, killing at least six, was operated by the owners of one of the two companies vying to run Greater Boston’s commuter rail service. Human error has been ruled out by France’s transport minister, and the investigation is focused on a detached piece of metal in a switching joint on the tracks, the head of the French national railway, SNCF, said on Saturday, according to an Associated Press report. ‘‘The SNCF considers itself responsible,’’ said rail company chief Guillaume Pepy, according to the Associated Press. ‘‘It is Continue reading >>>