Self-driving cars being planned by Google Inc. and global automakers may help counter slumping demand from younger customers by tapping the fastest-growing demographic in the world’s largest vehicle markets: the elderly. As baby boomers age in markets including the U.S. and Japan, rising numbers of older drivers being killed or injured in accidents may spur demand for autonomous vehicles. With as many as 90 percent of traffic accidents caused by human error, a key benefit of the technology is bo

DALLAS (AP) ― AT&T is leasing or selling the rights to 9,700 wireless towers for $4.85 billion as it generates cash to buy back stock, fund an acquisition and upgrade its cellular telephone system. The Dallas company said Sunday that it will lease about 9,100 towers and sell another 600 to Crown Castle International Corp. in a deal that’s expected to close by the end of the year. AT&T, the nation’s largest telephone company, said in a statement that the deal won’t have any impact on its customer

Apple Inc. is upgrading its iPad lineup to fend off a growing list of competitors, which are introducing their own tablets at lower prices with snazzier features. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will debut a high-definition iPad mini and a thinner iPad at a San Francisco event Tuesday, people with knowledge of the plans have said.  Facing two straight quarters of declining profit and a stock that’s down by more than a quarter from a September 2012 record, Apple is facing a similar challenge wit

Citing weak demand, Boeing slows production, hoping freighter demand grows next year

Company shares pass $1,000 mark for the first time on strength of earnings report

Company would pay $13b in proposed settlement over mortgage securities

China’s economic growth accelerated for the first time in three quarters, as Premier Li Keqiang spurred factory output and investment to meet the government’s expansion goal for 2013. Gross domestic product rose 7.8 percent in the July-September period from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday in Beijing, matching the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. Industrial production advanced in September by 10.2 percent, in line with projections, while retail sales gaine

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The U.S. government reopened its doors Thursday after Congress passed legislation to end a government shutdown and ― just in the nick of time ― avert a U.S. debt default in a bipartisan deal that left Republicans little to show for the epic political drama that threatened to rattle the world economy. The Senate voted 81-18 to send the measure to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which passed it late Wednesday night 285-144. President Barack Obama signed the me

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― Facebook began letting teenagers publicly share posts Wednesday as the social network moved to bolster appeal to youth and advertisers.“Teens are among the savviest people using social media, and whether it comes to civic engagement, activism or their thoughts on a new movie, they want to be heard,” Facebook said in a blog post.“So, starting today, people aged 13 through 17 will also have the choice to post publicly on Facebook.”Previously, teenagers could share comments, p

NEW YORK (AFP) ― General Motors said Wednesday it will launch a car next year with the ability to operate on both gasoline and compressed natural gas, taking advantage of abundant U.S. gas supplies.GM chairman and chief executive Dan Akerson unveiled the new dual-fuel Chevrolet Impala at an energy summit in Washington marking the 40th anniversary of the OPEC oil embargo.The 2015 model year sedan will be offered to customers beginning in mid-2014. GM says it will be the only manufacturer-produced