Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Digest

Talk of the day: Gatorade goes for early risers to awaken sales

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 12, 2007

PepsiCo Inc. plans to increase Gatorade sales by adding breakfast flavors and new advertisements that show athletes Peyton Manning and Mia Hamm, above, relying on the sports drink for early-morning workouts. Gatorade faces increased competition after Coca-Cola Co. bought the maker of Glaceau vitamin-spiked Vitaminwater for $4.1-billion this month. PepsiCo hasn't changed Gatorade's original formula since it was created in the 1960s for the University of Florida's Gators football team. PepsiCo introduced morning-inspired flavors of Gatorade such as orange-strawberry this year to attract people who exercise early in the day.

Japanese kidding around with robot

A group of scientists in Japan have developed a robot that acts like a toddler to better understand child development. The Child-Robot with Biomimetic Body, or CB2, developed by a team of researchers at Osaka University, is designed to move just like a real child between 1 and 3 years old. CB2, at just over 4 feet tall and weighing 73 pounds, changes facial expressions and can rock back and forth. When it stands up supported by a person, the robot wobbles like a child who is learning how to walk.

To array of ESPN fare, add cricket

ESPN said Monday it is buying a Web site focusing on news from the world of cricket, www.cricinfo.com, from the British publishing company the Wisden Group for an undisclosed amount. Cricinfo, founded in 1993, reaches more than 7-million users each month on Internet and mobile applications. It carries news, features and statistics on about 45, 000 cricketers. The sale adds to ESPN's growing international portfolio, including Spanish-language sports site ESPNdeportes.com and ESPNsoccernet.com, an English-language soccer Web site.

Wal-Mart's Dell sales start strong

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said first-day sales of Dell Inc. computers met its expectations. The world's largest retailer introduced Dell desktops at stores Sunday. It will begin carrying a $900 Dell Inspiron laptop at its Sam's Club stores this month. "We set high expectations for ourselves and for Dell, and honestly, we met them, " said Gary Severson, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of entertainment, without providing exact sales figures.

[Last modified June 12, 2007, 00:09:17]