Battery Deal Takes On Green Hue

A small Boston-area company backed by venture capitalists won a contract from Hewlett-Packard Co. to make batteries that will be sold as so-called green power supplies for laptop computers. The contract awarded to Boston Power Co. marks a rare inroad for a U.S. company in the rechargeable-battery business for consumer electronics. Japan's Sony Corp., Sanyo Electric Co. and Panasonic Corp....