Droid Maxx has maximum battery life, but also cost

Droid Maxx ($299.99 with a two-year-contract, $27.15/month with Verizon Edge, Verizonwireless.com)

Motorola's latest Android offering is basically the same as the Droid Ultra, but with an astonishing battery life.

• The good: This speed demon of a smartphone is durably designed and perfectly sized. The 48-hour battery life works as advertised, and the 5-inch HD screen had us thinking, "iPhone who?"
• The bad: That price tag. In a word: brutal. You better be all-in with the Android operating system to plunk down that kind of cash. Especially because of the phone's one failing: the camera just isn't that great.
• The verdict: For international travelers, smartphone power-users (think games and movies) and those who wouldn't be caught dead with a pair of white earbuds, this one's for you.

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Dead delivery dotcom a tease

There have been lots of media reports over the past several days saying that the beloved, iconic dotcom failure Kozmo.com is about to make a comeback. Such reports are false.

Allow me to explain.

Kozmo, you may recall, was the delivery service that held a special place in the hearts of late-'90s college students such as myself. Kozmo's sweaty and oft-underfed bike couriers would arrive in an hour with what you craved, whether a pint of Ben & Jerry's, a pack of gum or a CD. That is, until the spectacular failure of this business model played out. There was no delivery charge or minimum order. And back then, some people were still loathe to divulge credit card info online. The implosion of Kozmo was predictable.

Fast-forward 13 years, and the Kozmo.com website was suddenly live last week with the declaration: "Remember us? We're relaunching soon with the vision to fulfill your online order incredibly fast, and on-demand."

Bloggers jumped on the Kozmo rebirth story. I wanted to as well. So I emailed an address listed for the defunct darling, half-hoping I'd soon hear back from one of the cofounders, Joseph Park or Yong Kang.

What I got instead was a canned statement from a man named Barnaby Montgomery, the CEO of Yummy.com, a same-day grocery service based in Los Angeles. It delivered the disappointing truth: Basically, Yummy plans to assume the old brand and capitalize on the name recognition. They've purchased the URL, and, apparently, the rights to the name. I'm betting they'll launch a same-day delivery service called Kozmo in locations where people still get wistful when they hear the name — like right here in Boston. It's not the old Kozmo; it's just called Kozmo.

The truth is that same-day delivery of goods and groceries is the next, maybe final frontier of online commerce. Foreseeing this, large chain stores have begun pulling out all the stops to keep you coming back. Like the Walgreens in Downtown Crossing, where you can buy sushi or live lobster in addition to all the regular standbys such as paper towels and dish detergent. Having been reared on Amazon.com, Millennials want what they want, when they want it. The term "convenience store" is actually an oxymoron for them. The decades-old ritual of wheeling a giant cart up and down the aisles and leaving with a week's worth of groceries could therefore come to an end. It could be that eventually, the only reason to roam the aisles is to acquire specialty goods — the lobster you want to pick it out yourself (yes, at Walgreens!) or the rare bacon only found at Bees Knees Supply Co. in Fort Point (true story).

With Amazon and Walmart hoping to dominate the same-day delivery space, the time is right for Kozmo to make a comeback. It's too bad that's not exactly what's happening, but here's hoping Yummy.com — or someone — gets it right this time.

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Friendly’s fights slide

Two years after filing for bankruptcy, Friendly's Ice Cream continues to churn away at a tall order: reinvigorating a 78-year-old chain competing against the likes of Applebee's, Panera, IHOP and Chipotle.

While analysts cite progress important to a turnaround — in customer service, and menu and restaurant updates — some question whether the Wilbraham-based chain can survive in the long run.

Customer satisfaction surveys show consumers like the changes, according to Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, a Chicago food industry consulting and research firm.

"The important element is will they be able to sustain that positive reaction?" he said. "It will take continuous effort. As some of these older brands continue to age, it gets increasingly difficult to turn them around."

Friendly's CEO John Maguire — a Weymouth native and former Panera COO who joined the company in April 2012 — said Friendly's has seen steady progress in three focus areas: the friendliness and retraining of employees; food quality and menu changes; and the cleanliness and energy level of its restaurants.

By year's end, Friendly's expects to have renovated 45 restaurants, with another 50 planned for 2014.

"We have a long ways to go," Maguire said. "We're just starting out, so sales increases will come as we get more consistent and make the improvements we need to make."

Friendly's expects about $500 million in revenue this year — down from 
$700 million in 2011 — from 355 restaurants and ice cream sales at 7,500 supermarkets and other retailers.

"We're going to exceed our profit expectation for 2013," Maguire said. "We grew in 2012, and we'll grow our earnings in 2013."

Friendly's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2011, citing the economic downturn and rising commodity prices. Over time, it had stopped investing in its employees, quality of its food, and the cleanliness and upkeep of its restaurants, according to Maguire. "If we (address those issues), we'll survive," he said.

Friendly's closed about 100 restaurants before emerging from bankruptcy protection in January 2012 as a leaner chain under an affiliate of private investment firm Sun Capital Partners, which acquired Friendly's in 2007.

Maguire disagrees with those who view Friendly's as past its time, noting the chain holds a special place for many customers who visited as children with parents or grandparents.

"There are people who love and always did love and probably always will love Friendly's," agreed Michael Tesler, senior marketing lecturer at Bentley College. "But I don't know if there is enough. Time has sort of passed by Friendly's between Panera and Chipotle and Shake Shack and Tasty Burger."

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App’s the way to monitor baby

A Boston-based MassChallenge finalist is taking baby-monitoring beyond devices that record only sight or sound.

The SensibleBaby SmartOne is a onesie with a front pocket containing an embedded sensor that sends a constant signal to a nearby smartphone via an app that alerts parents when a sleeping infant is too hot, too cold or sleeping on his or her stomach.

"We want to be a co-parenting tool that empowers people with information so that they don't have to worry about their child," said SensibleBaby CEO Ben Cooper, who's expecting his first child in December.

Cooper and his three co-founders — Jeff Tagen, Jill Ju and Jack Sivak — met as strangers in March at Start-up Weekend, a 54-hour marathon during which aspiring entrepreneurs form teams, pitch an idea and make it a reality.

The four decided to try to create something better than baby-monitoring audio recorders and video cameras on the market.

"Audio monitors are wonderful, but if you're not listening, they don't help," said Cooper, 29. "We wanted to only alert parents when they need to act."

By the end of the weekend, they had a name for their new company, a logo, a website and a working prototype consisting of a taped-together sensor that dropped into a hand-sewn sock.

"It wasn't very pretty," Cooper recalled with a laugh, "but it worked."

It worked well enough that the four won, and one of their prizes was a waived application fee to MassChallenge, the Boston start-up accelerator and $1 million competition, which wraps up on Oct. 30.

In the meantime, the team won $100,000 through Founder.org and is using the money to refine and test their product for what they hope will be a launch in the first quarter of next year.

SmartOne sets will contain a sensor and three onesies, and will sell for between $100 and $150 in baby boutiques and on the company's website, mysensiblebaby.com.

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‘Hot Wheels’ Camaro just for grown-ups

What are you calling a toy?

Born with the heart of a '60s muscle car, the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS pays homage to its forefather with curvy fenders, a low profile and rippling exhaust notes, yet manages decent mileage from a monster 
6.2-liter, 426-horsepower power plant.

The low-slung, high-waisted, slit-windowed Camaro handles well, although the firm suspension and oversized tires let you know what's on the road, but point this roadster down the freeway and you're driving 
All-American muscle.

Our tester, which included a special "Hot Wheels" edition for $6,995 and other add-ons, featured 21-inch low-profile rubber mounted on red-trimmed alloys, blue metallic paint scheme with a matte black racing stripe, special edition decals and badging, and contrasting red stitching on the black interior.

The interior is a bit plain, with uninspired plastics and some leather accents. But it's what's under the hood that you're paying for.

A quick jab of the accelerator and the V-8 roars, pushing you back into the driver's seat as the heads-up display rolls through the miles per hour. A smallish, tight steering wheel responds immediately to switching lanes, leaving you looking in the mirrors for blue lights.

Even at low speeds, the snarling exhaust has heads turning, admiring the handsome lines of this meaty machine. The gas mileage for the roadster is 15 in the city and 24 on the highway.

High-end, rear-wheel-spinning power packed into a sleek shell has always been the muscle cars' calling card and this Camaro coupe 
delivers — zero to 60 in 
4.4 seconds with huge Brembo brakes that bring the car to a solid stop. Quick, agile steering and solid footing as you work the curves with minimal body roll.

Our tester SS had the six-speed automatic with Tap Shift paddles in it, but for better command of the vehicle, order a six-speed manual. I've tested the manual and thought it added immensely to the driving experience.

Sling yourself into the comfortable and supportive leather driver's seat to pilot the Camaro. A simple two-gauge dash is tucked into a sleek minimalist design, while a multi-gauge cluster is mounted a bit out of sight on the center console.

I think the 7-inch navigation/Mylink display screen drops down to muddy the view, so perhaps there's a slight ergonomic rework needed in future models.

The navigation package, which I found tricky to work, includes a backup camera, which is a must, 
because peering out the highly set and smallish rear window, you do lose sight of the rear end.

The aggressive feline styling comes with a cost elsewhere as well, as all the sight lines in the car are tight, so being aware of your surroundings is critical. To use old fighter pilot jargon, "check your six" frequently — look behind you often.

You can get a really well-decked-out SS for about $36,135. Although the $46,010 Hot Wheels edition is an 
interesting co-branding idea, I'd prefer the badging and embroidered seats toned down a bit.

However, the Camaro is a excellent contender in the pony-car class. So start your engines and lay down some rubber at the next meet with the Ford Mustang GT and Dodge Challenger SRT.

Remember, this is not a toy.

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Divide over shutdown widens

With a government shutdown looming next week and no clear solution in sight, failure to reach a deal, or even a short-term stopgap spending bill, could push key issues onto the back of the critical debt ceiling showdown in mid-October when legislators debate raising the nation's borrowing limit, an expert said.

"All the things we are debating over the shutdown could carry over to the debt ceiling," said Nigel Gault, co-chief economist at the Parthenon Group.

Stocks fell yesterday for the sixth day out of seven, ending the week with a decline as investors watched while Democrats and Republicans battled over the spending bill and Obamacare. The U.S. Senate passed a spending bill that has little chance of passing in the House, where Republicans oppose funding in the measure for the health care law.

President Obama yesterday called on House Republicans to put aside their differences.

"House Republicans will have to decide whether to join the Senate and keep the government open, or shut it down just because they can't get their way on an issue that has nothing to do with the deficit," Obama said.

Congress will work through the weekend, but it's unclear if it can come to an agreement before the midnight deadline Monday.

If the government shuts down, it will have an "irritating" effect on the economy, Gault said.

About 800,000 nonessential government workers would be furloughed, resulting in the closure of national parks and monuments, among other departments. And the jobs report scheduled to be released next week may not come out, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the 17 government shutdowns since 1976, the markets have not plunged — the average decline in the Standard and Poor's 500 index for a shutdown lasting more than 10 days is 2.5 percent.

Hitting the debt ceiling, however, would be "catastrophic" and uncharted territory, opening the possibility of the government defaulting on its debt, Gault said.

"The potential impacts are far more severe," he said. "It's going to cut federal spending overnight by 20 percent."

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Bill to add FDA control over compounding pharmacies

A bipartisan committee on Capitol Hill has crafted a bill intended to prevent a public health crisis like the fatal meningitis outbreak last year that was linked to a Bay State compounding pharmacy.

The Drug Quality and Security Act would give the Food and Drug Administration greater authority over compounding pharmacies, which currently are regulated by states, by putting some in a separate category that would require them to register with the FDA, submit to inspections by the agency and notify authorities in the event of a problem.

"Compounding pharmacies have been governed by fragmented regulations for too long, leading to one of the worst public health disasters in recent memory," U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey said, referring to the New England Compounding Center debacle, which led to the deaths of more than 60 people and the sickening of another 700 nationwide. "We need to end this regulatory black hole by giving the FDA new, clear authority to protect patients and oversee these companies, and this bill is an important step."

However, the bill leaves it up to compounders "who wish" to register with the FDA as outsourcing facilities, while others would continue to be regulated by state boards of pharmacy.

"It'll be incumbent on physicians and hospitals to purchase drugs made under a higher quality standard from FDA-registered facilities," said Allan Coukell, a drug policy expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The bill also would replace the current patchwork of state prescription drug tracing laws by creating a uniform framework for tracking drugs from the manufacturer to the pharmacy.

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Delegation: Delay flood zone hikes

The state's congressional delegation is urging House and Senate leaders on Capitol Hill to fix a federal law they say could result in "devastating" increases to flood insurance premiums, while the state attorney general is vowing to explore every option to block those rate hikes.

A letter yesterday, signed by all 10 Bay State congressmen, asks for an affordability study mandated by the Biggert-Waters National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, which was designed to keep the National Flood Insurance program solvent.

The delegation also is asking for premium increases to be delayed for small businesses and
homeowners so that the Federal Emergency Management Agency can use that study's recommendations as FEMA adopts new flood zone maps.

"I want an affordability fix, not simply an affordability study about impacts of new flood maps," U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey, who organized the letter, said in a statement. "The fear of rising flood waters should not be compounded by the fear of an unaffordable spike in insurance premiums. We need immediate action to ensure that business and homeowners who cannot afford these potential increases are helped."

The letter came as state Attorney General Martha Coakley vowed to explore every legal avenue to stop exorbitant premiums, including going to court.

"If we can, we will," Coakley said. "We're going to try to move on as many fronts as possible."

The lawmakers also want FEMA to improve its outreach to inform
homeowners how the new maps will affect them, and to change its appeals process.

The rate hikes go into effect next Tuesday and FEMA has been rolling out the new flood zone maps and meeting with local officials as the law phases in this year, but the changes have caught many
homeowners off guard.

Before Chase White and his wife bought their Scituate home in July, he checked FEMA's website and made sure it wasn't in a high-risk flood zone. But they decided to buy flood insurance anyway because it was only $350 per year. Now, according to FEMA's redrawn maps, their house is at greater risk of a flood, and they expect their insurance to soar to $5,500.

"I feel duped," said White, 33. "We wouldn't have bought the house if we'd known this would happen."

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World Bank to fund Myanmar power plant upgrade

YANGON, Myanmar — The World Bank is lending Myanmar $140 million to upgrade an aging power plant in southeastern Mon state in a small step toward overcoming the country's chronic power shortages.

Myanmar, which exports natural gas to neighboring Thailand under contracts signed by its former military government, has suffered an energy deficit for years.

The World Bank said Wednesday the interest free loan will fund a refurbishment of the Thaton gas-fired power plant, increasing its generating capacity by 250 percent without an increase in its gas consumption.

It is the first World Bank loan to Myanmar since the development lender forgave $440 million of unpaid debt in January.

Myanmar only recently emerged from a half-century of military rule and isolation, during which time its once promising economy withered. More than 70 percent of people are without electricity.

A lack of funds, rising demand for energy , aging hydroelectric plants and poor grid infrastructure have resulted in frequent power cuts and rationing of electricity during the hot summer months when hydro power generators cannot operate at full capacity due to depleted reservoirs.

"It affects industries, it affects common people, kids cannot study at night because they do not have electricity," said Kanthan Shankar, World Bank country manager for Myanmar.

The bank said the 106 megawatt Thaton plant will provide 5 percent of peak power demand for the entire country and 50 percent of peak demand in Mon state.

Power shortages led to protests early last year in several cities. The government made an uncharacteristic appeal for understanding, saying that rationing was required to cope with greater demand.

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Asian stocks meander as US budget debate looms

BANGKOK — Worries about the U.S. economy and a looming budget battle in Washington kept Asian stock markets in check Thursday.

Data released Wednesday showed orders for long-lasting durable goods increased by only 0.1 percent in August after a sharp drop the month before, raising concerns that third quarter U.S. economic growth may not be as strong as anticipated.

Meanwhile, two financial deadlines for the U.S. government loom. Congress needs to pass a funding bill to keep the federal government operating after Oct. 1, when its new fiscal year starts. And the nation's borrowing limit needs to be raised before Oct. 17.

"The prospect of a U.S. Federal government shutdown is likely to undermine equity prices further in the coming days," said analysts at Capital Economics in an email commentary.

The White House and Republican lawmakers, who disagree on spending cuts and other key budget issues, have just days to reach a compromise. In 2011, a similar situation roiled markets at a time when Europe's debt crisis was flaring, and prompted Standard & Poor's to strip the U.S. of its triple A credit rating.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index overcame initial losses to advance 0.3 percent to 14,668.60. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.4 percent to 2,005.45. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.1 percent to 5,282.40. Benchmarks in Indonesia and Thailand also rose, while those in Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines fell.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.4 percent to 23,112.66 and the Shanghai Composite Index shed 1.5 percent to 2,166.17. Chinese banking shares fell after reports showed a sharp drop in total yuan deposits.

"The banks in China lost about 200 billion in deposits. The money probably went into shadow banking, which means they created a liquidity problem for banks," said Francis Lun, chief economist at GE Oriental Financial Group in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong-listed China Construction Bank fell 1.8 percent while Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world's biggest bank by market value, lost 1.4 percent.

Wall Street stocks fell for a fifth straight session. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.4 percent to close at 15,273.26. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 0.3 percent to 1,692.77. The Nasdaq composite dropped 7.16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 3,761.10.

Benchmark oil for November delivery was down 35 cents to $102.33 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 47 cents to close at $102.66 a barrel on the Nymex on Wednesday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3522 from $1.3517 late Wednesday. The dollar rose to 98.81 yen from 98.48 yen.

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Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

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