Abstract: A coffee puck removal device (10) to remove a coffee puck (24) from a portafilter (20) is disclosed herein. The coffee puck removal device (10) has an open compartment (22) containing the coffee puck (24), the coffee puck (24) having an exposed major outer face (26) and a major inner face (28) when the coffee puck (24) is located in the open compartment (22). The device (10) includes: a body (12) having a rim (14) surrounding an aperture (16), with the rim (14) being configured to engage the portafilter (20), with the open compartment (22) facing the body (12) to inhibit air passing between the portafilter (20) and the rim (14); and a vacuum source (30) to remove air from the aperture (16) so that air pressure applied to the major inner face (28) is greater than air pressure applied to the exposed major outer face (26) so that the coffee puck (24) is removed from the portafilter (20).

Abstract: Methods of forming semiconductor packages include providing a lead frame having leads and no tie-bars. Tape is attached to the lead frame and one or more semiconductor die are coupled therewith. Electrical contacts of the die are interconnected with the leads using electrical connectors. An encapsulated assembly is formed by at least partially encapsulating the die and electrical connectors. The assembly is singulated to form a semiconductor package. The tape is detached from the package or encapsulated assembly. One or more die attach flags may be attached to the tape and the die may be attached thereto. Semiconductor packages formed using the methods include one or more semiconductor die at least partially encapsulated, pins exposed through the encapsulant, electrical connectors within the encapsulant and electrically interconnecting the pins with electrical contacts of the die, and no tie-bars coupling the die with the pins. Packages may also include die attach flags.

Abstract: An aerosol generating device for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user includes an induction coil and a heating compartment arranged to receive an aerosol generating article. The device further includes a projecting element which projects into the heating compartment so that at least part of the projecting element is positioned inside an aerosol generating article received in the heating compartment, and at least part of the projecting element is inductively heatable in the presence of a time varying electromagnetic field.

Abstract: An apparatus powered by batteries may include a first processor and a second processor. The first processor may consume more electrical power than the second processor. The second processor acquires data from one or more sensors. At a predetermined time or other trigger, the second processor activates the first processor that is then used to send the acquired data to an external device. For example, items are stowed on the apparatus that includes weight sensors. The second processor awakens hourly, acquires weight data indicative of the weight of items stowed on the apparatus, and returns to a sleep mode. After 24 hours of acquiring weight data, the second processor activates the first processor to send the accumulated weight data to an external device, such as a server, using a network interface. Power consumption is substantially reduced, allowing the apparatus to operate without external power for extended periods of times.

Abstract: An aerosol generation article for an aerosol generation device has a distal end, which is first inserted into a cavity of the aerosol generation device, and a mouth end downstream of the distal end, The aerosol generation article includes: an aerosol generation substrate; a wrapper; an air inlet at the distal end and an air outlet at the mouth end; and a self-sealing airflow barrier; wherein the self-sealing airflow barrier includes an orientation means.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are disposable devices for measuring sweat having low dead volumes and allowing a quick sensory response. Also disclosed herein are methods of making and using such devices.

Abstract: A downhole measurement module includes a microcontroller having a plurality of inputs and a sensor connected to a first input of the plurality of inputs. A switch is connected to a second input of the plurality of inputs. The microcontroller implements a measurement program to receive measurements from the sensor, the measurement program being based on a setting of the switch.

Abstract: 1. An inverter device is disclosed, including; an enclosure comprising a plurality of sides; an antenna port in a first side of the plurality of sides; and an antenna pass through module comprising: an exterior connector assembly comprising a plurality of pins and a base, wherein the plurality of pins are operable to be connected to respective ones of a plurality of antennas, wherein the plurality of pins passes through the antenna port to an exterior of the enclosure, wherein the base of the exterior connector assembly is sealed against the first side on an interior of the enclosure to provide ingress protection; and an interior antenna circuit configured to: terminate connections from a plurality of transceivers within the interior of the enclosure; and select antenna signals from at least the plurality of pins on the exterior connector assembly to route the plurality of transceivers.

Abstract: A method for determining a degree of degradation of a user interface worn by an individual during one or more uses of a respiratory therapy system includes receiving data associated with the user interface. The method further includes determining, based at least in part on the received data, a value of at least one degradation indicator associated with the user interface. The method further includes determining the degree of degradation of the user interface based at least in part on the value of the at least one degradation indicator.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed related to determining whether there is a proper fit between a user interface and a face of a user. The methods and systems involve generating seal information associated with a seal region between a face of a user and a current user interface donned on the face of the user. The methods and systems are further related to analyzing the seal information to determine whether a leak exists in the seal region. If the leak exists, the systems and methods include analyzing the seal information to determine a location of the leak within the seal region. The systems and methods further include determining a new user interface to replace the current user interface based on the current user interface and the location of the leak.

Abstract: A system for making a brine solution is provided comprising: a single conveyor; and a hopper assembly configured to receive a salt and a solvent, the hopper assembly comprising a lower hopper having a shape in which sides of the lower hopper direct any solid contents of the lower hopper, under a force of gravity, towards an entry point of the single conveyor, the hopper assembly further comprising a solvent inlet arranged to spray the salt, wherein the solvent inlet is configured to create a brine solution from a spray of the solvent combined with the salt in the hopper assembly, and wherein the single conveyor is configured to remove debris from the hopper assembly at the entry point of the single conveyor. A novel sediment tank is also provided.

Abstract: Devices and techniques for continuous in-memory versioning are described herein. A memory subsystem includes a memory device configured to store a first data unit, a second data unit, and a third data unit, wherein the first, second, and third data units have a set of physical memory locations on the memory device, and metadata associated with the first, second, and third data units, the metadata including state information and a dirty commit timestamp; and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device, the processing device configured to: receive, from a host system, a first memory command associated with a logical memory address, the logical memory address mapped to the set of physical memory locations of the memory device; and in response to receiving the first memory command, perform a data operation on the first, second, or third data unit based on the state information and the dirty commit timestamp.

Abstract: A multiple-access transceiver handles communications with mobile stations in environments that exceed mobile station design assumptions without necessarily requiring modifications to the mobile stations. One such environment is in Earth orbit. The multiple-access transceiver is adapted to close communications with mobile stations while exceeding mobile station design assumptions, such as greater distance, greater relative motion and/or other conditions commonly found where functionality of a terrestrial transceiver is to be performed by an orbital transceiver.

Abstract: Disclosed in some examples are systems, devices, machine-readable mediums, and methods for customizing an in-memory versioning mode for each memory location according to a predicted access behavior to optimize memory device performance. Usage data in a previous time period may be utilized along with policy rules to determine whether to configure a particular memory address as a zero copy or direct copy mode. For example, memory addresses that are read frequently may be configured as direct copy mode to reduce the read latency penalty. This improves the functioning of the memory system by reducing read latency for memory addresses that are frequently read but written to less frequently, and reduces write latency for memory locations that are frequently written to, but not read as frequently.

Abstract: A process for reducing microbial growth in solutions of sugars extracted from waste materials, the process comprising monitoring indicators of microbial growth in the solution in situ and administering an antimicrobial; a sugar substrate obtained by concentrating a solution of sugar treated using the process; an apparatus for extracting sugars from waste materials, the apparatus comprising a reaction vessel (10), one or more sensors (15,20) for monitoring indicators of microbial growth in the reaction vessel, a software for analysing signals from the sensor and a source of antimicrobial.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to monitoring network traffic of an embeddable browser displayed by an application executing on a mobile computing device. In some embodiments, a first layer of the application manipulates one or more user interface elements displayed in the embeddable browser. The first layer of the application then detects network requests made by one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) executed by the embeddable browser in response to the manipulating. In some embodiments, the first layer sends to a second layer of the application results of observing network requests. In some embodiments, the second layer of the application displays, in real-time, information corresponding to the results of observing network requests.

Abstract: A handheld vacuum cleaner includes a dirt separator. The dirt separator includes a chamber having an inlet through which dirt-laden fluid enters and an outlet through which cleansed fluid exits the chamber. A disc located at the outlet rotates about a rotational axis and comprises holes through which the cleansed fluid passes.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprising receiving, based on a first user interface of a first application executing on a first device, user input that indicates a recipient, the recipient associated with registration information that indicates a method of communication with the recipient and an encryption key associated with the method of communication. The method causing an encrypted message to be generated based on the encryption key, the encrypted message encrypting clear data based on received user input, causing the encrypted message to be formatted into an encrypted package, that is in an application format compatible with a second application corresponding to the method of communication, wherein the application format is compatible with the second application by at least being a format that is allowed to be sent or to be processed by the second application, and providing the encrypted package to the second application to be sent to the recipient.

Abstract: An LCD display, comprising an active display area, a backlight to illuminate the active display area, and an LCD display stack. The LCD display stack may comprise a substrate, a liquid crystal layer over the substrate, and liquid crystal cover layer. The substrate, the liquid crystal layer, and the liquid crystal cover layer define a liquid crystal cell. The LCD display stack has an edge seal extending between the substrate and the liquid cover layer, and extends over the active display area and beyond the active display area to bend around an edge of the backlight, such that the edge seal lies beyond the active display area.