Abstract: A retail unit facilitating a purchase of a customer having an electronic wallet (9) which includes an electronic checkbook (320) and an electronic purse (310). The retail unit includes a POS (10) which determines the purchase price, and a payment unit (8) for receiving payment from electronic wallet (9). Payment unit (8), upon receipt of an electronic wallet (9) and of a purchase price from POS (10), determines automatically whether to: (a) receive via electronic checkbook (320) a purchase price.gtoreq. a predetermined minimal checkbook payment sum; or, (b) receive the purchase price from electronic purse (310); or, (c) first replenish the electronic purse (310) via electronic checkbook (320) with at least the larger of a predetermined minimal purse replenishment sum and the difference between the purchase price and the electronic purse's stored value, and then receive the purchase price from electronic purse (310).

Abstract: A portable and collapsible screen unfolds and extends to provide a wall, divider or backstop which has many uses. The screen can be used as a backstop for ball games, a wind block, a privacy screen, or anywhere a small divider, screen or barricade is needed. Two base poles support a main pole where all the poles extend telescopically and a screen is attached to the far ends of the extended main poles. Anchoring means and floor base means are connected to the poles. Additional frame members and nets can be attached to extend the screen and form various shapes.

Abstract: A vending machine for serving a plurality of customers, each having a payment card, which includes a vending unit for storing and displaying an accessible inventory and for selectively enabling and barring free access of a customer to a plurality of items therefrom, a card payment unit which upon receipt of a payment card from a customer, validates, prior to said enabling, that the payment card can be charged for the value of the accessible inventory, and which charges, after the barring, the payment card with a sum in accordance with the items removed from the accessible inventory by the customer and a control unit for coordinating the operations of said vending unit and said card payment unit.