WASHINGTON (AP) — As 21st century technology strains to become ever faster, cleaner and cheaper, an invention from more than 200 years ago keeps holding it back. It's why electric cars aren't clogging the roads and why Boeing's new ultra-efficient 787 Dreamliners aren't flying high.

WASHINGTON - The battery that caught fire in a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 in Boston earlier this month was not overcharged, but government investigators said there could still be problems with wiring or other charging components.

Q: Does it affect your iPhone’s battery life when you charge it every night? I have found a lot of conflicting answers on the web. — Madeline

Q: I got a new laptop battery. What is the best way to condition it? I use my laptop as a desktop with a port replicator. It's always plugged in. - Brian

With Arizona’s unemployment rate topping the national rate at 9 percent, any plan to boost the economy and get Americans back to work must be on the table — especially if it involves a sector proven to generate economic growth and provide high-paying jobs. United States mineral mining is a vital contribution to our economy and recovery from the recession.

A planned streetcar on Tempe’s Mill Avenue could be one of the first hybrid systems in the nation, allowing it to operate without overhead wires.

Q: Is it true that I should let the batteries on my laptop and smartphone run down all the way before I recharge them in order to extend the life of the battery? - Skip

Attorneys representing the Tempe mother of missing baby Gabriel Johnson filed a motion to dismiss a case against her on Friday, claiming her constitutional rights were violated when a San Antonio police detective interviewed her in May in a Maricopa County jail.

Bedbugs are enough of a problem at Mesa’s East Valley Men’s Center that shelter staff are seeking donations to replace wooden beds, shelves and walls to eradicate the pesky biters.

Q. I love my iPhone but hate how quickly the battery goes dead. Any tips on getting more time on a charge? — Marcus

Farid Melki: In this economy, saving green backs is as important as being “green.” While it’s politically correct to emphasize environmentally sustainable practices, “truly green” practices help sustain our environment, reduce operating costs and improve productivity resulting in greater savings for customers. 

The electric car is one of those alternatively powered vehicles that technologically seems just within reach but somehow never is because of problems developing the batteries to power it.

NEW YORK - It wasn't religion that broke up his marriage to Jane Fonda, Ted Turner declares in a new memoir.

TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. - The knock on Brian Hart's door came at 6 a.m. An Army colonel, a priest and a police officer had come to tell Hart and his wife that their 20-year-old son had been killed when his military vehicle was ambushed in Iraq.

TAKANEZAWA, Japan - Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.

LOS ANGELES - It's safe to say Jeremy Snyder gets a charge out of the two-seat Tesla Roadster whenever he pulls one off the lot - and not because it's equipped with an all-electric engine.

SAN FRANCISCO - Yahoo Inc. believes it's poised to revolutionize online advertising after years of being outmaneuvered by rival Google Inc.

DETROIT - General Motors Corp. says it expects to bring its first lithium-ion battery-powered hybrid engine system to market in North America in 2010.

Consumer electronics aren’t exactly easy on the environment — they consume electricity that contributes to global warming, and toxins leach out of them when they end up in landfills.

You have a huge investment in your iPod, phone, television and other gadgets. You want your gear to last as long as possible. Fortunately, you can take steps to prolong the life of your gear.

TOKYO - Amid the race among automakers to introduce a more powerful but possibly risky kind of battery to reduce emissions, Toyota has already been offering a “green” technology based on the lithium-ion battery in Japan.