The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau has created an iPhone app to help tourists and residents experience the city.

The 99-cent program offers event listings, “great deals” on dining and lodging, and e-tickets to trolley tours, harbor cruises, whale watches, musuems and more. The app has a built-in GPS “Map It” function.

And once visitors are here, hopefully they won’t have to use that other Boston app, Citizens Connect. That’s the one for calling in complaints about potholes and broken street lights to City Hall.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo dealt more details this morning about his preferences for expanded gambling in Massachusetts.

DeLeo wants two resort casinos and slots at the state’s four racetracks. A bill is expected later this month.

The speech at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event drew reactions from various movers and shakers involved in the casino debate.

Gov. Deval Patrick:

“I’m not persuaded on slots at the tracks.

“The point is that slots at the tracks (are) not where the jobs are. Where the jobs are is in the destination resort casino setting.

“The big uptick in the jobs is in the resort-casino setting because you don’t have folks just working in a gambling hall. You have recreation and dining and entertainment and hotels and the rest of it.”

Jeffrey Hartmann, chief operating officer of Mohegan Sun:

“We’re very pleased with the speaker’s comments today. A tremendous amount of work and study by legislative leadership has gone into this so far, and we look forward to the process that lies ahead.

“Mohegan Sun for more than a year has invested time in becoming part of the Palmer community and talking to people about our plans, because we believe ours is the premier site for resort gaming in the commonwealth.

“A destination resort casino in Western Massachusetts will provide excellent job opportunities for people who are looking to begin a new career path, deliver meaningful economic impact in one of the regions where it is needed most, and create long term revenue for the entire commonwealth.”

George Carney, owner of Raynham Park:

“Speaker DeLeo hit it right on the money today: Expanding our gaming laws is an economic stimulus that can and will create thousands of new jobs for Massachusetts residents, and that’s exactly what we want to do at Raynham Park.

“We are developing a plan to create more than 500 construction jobs and 1,500 new, permanent jobs if expanded gaming is approved in Massachusetts.

“Raynham’s plan is to build a destination gaming facility with full amenities at one of the ideal locations in region. Massachusetts needs this shot in the arm.

“News today that the unemployment level in Massachusetts has risen again [to 9.5 percent] should convince our elected leaders even more that we cannot turn our backs on any opportunity to create new jobs.”

Kathleen Conley Norbut, president of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts:

“This bill will create a ‘casino culture’ in Massachusetts that will hurt our economy and small businesses. This bill will turn Massachusetts from an education, medical and technology based-economy into a host for casino capitalism that is failing dismally around the country.

“I have no doubt there are some well-intentioned proponents looking to create jobs. But every objective measure, study and experience says that casinos and slots will increase crime, addiction and disproportionately drain money from the low-income and blue-collar workers that they allegedly want to help.

“Only the wealthy investors win with slots and casinos — the rest of us pay.”

Chip Tuttle, chief operating officer of Suffolk Downs.

“As the state’s premier gaming destination for 75 years, and as a respected community partner, Suffolk Downs is ready to begin construction and to hire thousands of skilled men and women to build a world-class entertainment, gaming, thoroughbred racing complex and hotel upon authorization by the commonwealth.

“We’re excited to work with the speaker, Senate president, their respective chambers and the administration to create thousands of new, permanent jobs and to help grow the region’s tourism and hospitality business.”

The Federal Reserve’s latest “Beige Book” is out today, providing snapshots of regional economic activity.

The Boston Fed reports that “economic conditions continue to show improvement” across the region. The job market is thawing out, employers are removing pay freezes and prices are holdings steady, the Fed said. The weak spot is still the commercial real estate market.

The Fed report echoes this morning’s chatter at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce economic outlook breakfast.

Business Development Strategies Inc., a Medway consulting firm that advises companies on government incentives such as tax breaks, has issued a list of the top 10 Massachusetts communities “poised for growth” in 2010.

Criteria included the size of recent developments, available real estate and infrastructure, and “innovative pro-business initiatives” that help draw companies to town.

Here’s a look at the communities (listed alphabetically) with a few reasons why:

AYER — “scores big in terms of available real estate and infrastructure and the ability to expedite projects.”

MANSFIELD — home to Cabot Business Park, one of the biggest in the state, and has approved a biotech overlay district.

MARLBORO — city has a “pro-business mayor and city council that encourage business expansions.”

MIDDLEBORO — “boasts a strong internal team who go the extra mile to welcome companies.”

MILFORD — “local officials are committed to growth and understand the importance of forging partnerships with the companies” that locate there.

NORTON — “available land and buildings” and “the town leaders are assertive and successful in their business outreach efforts.”

OXFORD — “this quaint Central Massachusetts community has many available land parcels.”

RANDOLPH — “the town has developed creative initiatives to attract companies looking to expand or relocate.”

TAUNTON — home to the state’s largest industrial park (Myles Standish) and “tops the list when it comes to attracting and retaining businesses.”

WESTFIELD — “city offers exceptional geographic access to other parts of New England.”

“The packet has long been the bane of our consumers,” says Heinz Ketchup exec Dave Ciesinski. “The biggest complaint is there is no way to dip and eat it on-the-go.”

Now there is.

H.J. Heinz finally figured out a way to satisfy consumers with a single ketchup packet. The new design allows diners to squeeze the tomato product out of one end or peel back the top for easy french-fry dipping.

For a few minutes there it looked like a lot of people — up to 2.3 million, given the size of Toyota’s recall — were going to seek alternative transportation to ensure a safe trip home from work today.

At a House panel hearing, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged owners of recalled Toyotas to stop driving them.

But that red light quickly changed to green, with LaHood later telling reporters that he misspoke.

Make that a yellow light for caution. The recalled cars with the potentially sticky gas pedals aren’t totally safe to drive but apparently safe enough to wait for a turn at the Toyota dealership for a repair.

Ken Salazar, the U.S. interior secretary, is in Massachusetts to take a closer look at the controversial Cape Wind project and meet with interested parties.

After a meeting today, Cedric Cromwell, chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, issued the following statement:

“We deeply appreciate Secretary Salazar’s willingness to address the serious issues presented by the proposed location for the Cape Wind project. In particular, we are gratified that the Secretary took significant personal time to visit Mashpee today and learn first-hand about the religious cultural and historical significance of the proposed site to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

“We have repeatedly raised serious concerns over the proposed project for more than six years. For the first time, we believe that our concerns are being heard, and we look forward to continuing the process of consultation until an acceptable outcome has been achieved. This process is long overdue, and we thank Secretary Salazar and President Obama for their commitment to the rights of Native Americans.

“The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has deep historical ties to this land dating back more than 12,000 years. Both state and federal officials have determined that the land is a traditional cultural property with cultural and religious significance to the Tribe. As a sovereign nation, we are afforded the right under Federal law to have our voice heard on decisions affecting our ancestral land. It is our expectation that as this process continues, our voice will be heard, and our concerns will be considered in any negotiated settlement.”

Local Saab dealers were happy to hear today that GM has finally secured a deal to sell Saab and save the Swedish brand from the scrapheap.

Ray Ciccolo, president of Village Automotive Group, runs the oldest Saab dealership in the U.S. in Watertown (Charles River Saab, in biz since ‘57), while auto baron Herb Chambers operates Saab of Boston.

The buyer is Spyker, a tiny Dutch maker of expensive sportscars. The deal’s value was pegged at $400 million.

Boston Properties announced today in a regulatory filing that company president Douglas T. Linde will join the board to replace his father, Edward H. Linde, who died Jan. 17 at the age of 68.

Douglas Linde will serve on the board until 2012.

After Edward Linde’s death, company Chairman Mort Zuckerman took over as chief executive officer.

They’re all past winners of innovation awards from the Smaller Business Association of New England.

SBANE,  which has 700 member companies from across the six-state region, put out a call today for nominations for its 2010 New England Innovation Awards.

Details about nomination requirements are available here. The deadline is Friday, March 5.

The awards will be handed out May 13 at the Westin Hotel in Waltham. The gala dinner features keynote speaker Chip Bergh, group president of Procter & Gamble’s global Gillette male grooming business.

For more info, visit www.sbane.org.