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By Times Staff Writer
Published September 27, 2007

New Nike shoe a healthier fit for U.S. Indians

Nike has unveiled what it said is the first shoe designed specifically for American Indians, an effort aimed at promoting physical fitness in a population with high obesity rates. The company says the Air Native N7 is designed with a larger fit for the distinct foot shape of American Indians and has a culturally specific look. It will be distributed solely to American Indians. "Nike is aware of the growing health issues facing Native Americans," said Sam McCracken, above, manager of Nike's Native American Business program. Nike designers and researchers looked at the feet of more than 200 people from more than 70 tribes nationwide and found that in general, American Indians have a much wider and taller foot than the average shoe accommodates.

T-Mobile tweaks Sidekick phones

T-Mobile USA is updating its Sidekick cell phones, adding a high-end model and the first Motorola-built entry in the line of quirky gadgets with a screen that swivels to reveal a keyboard. The new luxury model, the Sidekick LX, has a screen with more than twice the resolution of the previous top-of-the-line model, the Sidekick 3. The LX will go on sale online Oct. 17 for $300 with a two-year contract, T-Mobile USA said. The cheapest current Sidekick, the iD, costs $50. The LX is the first Sidekick to allow text messages with attached pictures. T-Mobile also announced the Sidekick Slide, which breaks away from the Sidekick line in two ways: It's made by Motorola Inc. rather than Sharp Corp., which makes the others; and its screen slides up to reveal the keyboard. It will cost $200 with a two-year contract when it goes on sale Nov. 7.

Hardee's agrees to animal guidelines

The Hardee's and Carl's Jr. fast-food chains, both owned by CKE Restaurants of Carpinteria, Calif., will begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers who do not keep animals in cages or crates, spokesmen for Hardee's and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Wednesday. CKE joining Burger King in the move toward cage-free chickens and pigs. CKE has agreed to immediately begin buying 15 percent of its pork from suppliers that do not use metal "gestation crates" to confine sows, and increase that to 25 percent by 2009, as well as buy 2 percent of its eggs from suppliers whose hens are not kept in wire cages by July.

Wal-Mart cleans up detergent policy

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Wednesday it will sell only concentrated liquid laundry detergent, a move the world's biggest retailer says will save millions of pounds of packaging each year. Wal-Mart said its stores account for 25 percent of liquid laundry detergent sales in the United States and that its effort will save 400-million gallons of water, 95-million pounds of plastic and 125-million pounds of cardboard. The company would save fuel by transporting less mass. The concentrated liquid detergent will arrive on all shelves at U.S. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores by May.

[Last modified September 26, 2007, 23:59:01]