WALTHAM, Massachusetts (AP) ― An alcohol-detection prototype that uses automatic sensors to instantly gauge a driver’s fitness to be on the road has the potential to save thousands of lives, but could be as long as a decade away from everyday use in cars, federal officials and researchers said Friday.U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited QinetiQ North America, a Waltham, Massachusetts-b

International Jan. 31, 2011

BEIJING (AFP) ― In stews, as pets or adorning shop windows, rabbits are ubiquitous as millions of Chinese mark the Lunar New Year, hoping for a more tranquil time ahead as the old Year of the Tiger roars its last.The nation’s 1.3 billion inhabitants will welcome the Year of the Rabbit on the night of Feb. 2-3 in a hugely important family event marked by feasts and a blaze of fireworks.Occupying th

International Jan. 31, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) ― President Barack Obama tried to win over Egyptians enraged by their autocratic ruler and assure an essential ally that the U.S. stood by it.His four-minute speech from the White House on Friday evening was a balancing act. He had much to lose in the chaos engulfing Egypt, where protesters are demanding that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak step down from a government violently cl

International Jan. 30, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― Amazon has released the first of a new line of short digital books pitched as quick, captivating works for its popular Kindle electronic readers.The launch of Kindle Singles included the debut of TED Books, written versions of inspirational 18-minute talks that are a trademark of renowned TED gatherings dedicated to cultivating “ideas worth spreading.”“This first set of Singl

Industry Jan. 27, 2011

BEIJING (AP) ― China on Wednesday unveiled fresh measures to curb property prices, including requiring unruly local governments to set price controls, but made no mention of a widely expected property tax.City governments must set property price control targets in line with local income levels for 2011 and need to make the targets public in the first quarter, according to a state media report citi

Industry Jan. 27, 2011

Fed likely to cite economy's gains and risks and maintain pace of $600b bond-buying programWASHINGTON (AP) ― The economy isn’t growing fast enough to lower unemployment and still needs help from the Federal Reserve’s $600 billion Treasury bond-purchase program.That was the assessment Wednesday of Fed policymakers as they ended their first meeting of the year. The Fed made no changes to the program

Jan. 27, 2011

 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Yahoo Inc.’s fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled, but the Internet company’s sagging revenue showed that it is still lagging in the high-stakes race for online advertising.The results announced Tuesday illuminated why many investors are wondering if Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz is the right person for the job as she enters the second half of a four-year contract she signed in

Industry Jan. 26, 2011

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― U.S. coffee chain Starbucks on Wednesday began allowing customers in its U.S. stores to keep their cash and credit cards in their wallets and pay for their drinks with mobile phones.Starbucks said the mobile payment system, which has been tested in selected cities since last year, was being expanded to the nearly 6,800 Starbucks around the country and the more than 1,000 Starbuc

Industry Jan. 20, 2011

Nation's economy grew 10% in 2010, spurred by surging investmentSHANGHAI (AP) ― By the usual measures, the world’s second largest economy is doing just fine: China’s growth this year looks likely to slow only slightly. Prices appear to be moderating and shops are packed as families stock up on food and clothes for Lunar New Year festivities.But despite the upbeat holiday mood, China is struggling

Jan. 20, 2011

Top U.S. financial regulator issues recommendations to implement controls on banksRegulators should carry out a “robust implementation” of the Volcker rule by forcing banks to wind down or sell trading desks that don’t comply with the law, the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council said.Government agencies should require banks to perform “quantitative analysis to detect potentially impermissib

Jan. 19, 2011

Tunisia announces new national unity government after one-party rule, but protesters want moreTUNIS (AP) ― Tunisia took a step toward democracy and reconciliation Monday, promising to free political prisoners and opening its government to opposition forces long shut out of power ― but the old guard held onto the key posts, angering protesters.Demonstrators carrying signs reading “GET OUT!” demande

International Jan. 18, 2011

DETROIT (AP) ― Sharp designs with pizzazz, power and elegance helped pull in crowds during the public opening Saturday of the North American International Auto Show, with U.S automakers doing their best to impress consumers looking for signs of the industry’s recovery.Thousands of people from around the world filed from exhibit to exhibit inside the sprawling Cobo Center in Detroit. They perused t

Industry Jan. 16, 2011