Abstract: A dry mate cable connection includes a data cable. The data cable includes a plurality of electrical conductors and at least one electrically insulating outer layer surrounding each data conductor, whereby the data conductors are electrically insulated from one another. The cable includes a termination end. The outer layer of each conductor is physically in contact with an outer layer of an adjacent conductor, except at the termination end. The plurality of electrical conductors at the termination end are physically separated from one another by a single electrically insulating overmoulded cable termination housing. The housing is in contact with at least part of the electrically insulating layers of each of the electrical conductors.

Abstract: The invention provides techniques for intelligently positioning speech in a virtual environment. Factors such as user preferences, the location of virtual environment audio and/or visual events, avatar location, and others can be taken into account when selecting a suitable location for the speech. The virtual environment can be a game environment, a meeting environment, an augmented reality environment, a virtual reality environment, and the like. The invention can be implemented by an audio processing unit which may be part of a game console.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing computer-assisted communications channels based on relationships between users who wish to communicate with one another are described. The relationship-managed communications system allows users to retain control over whom they permit to communicate with them and under what conditions such communications may take place, for example when they take place and/or using which communications channels, by allowing pairs of users to establish relationships which specify communications permissions. Users of the system provide their contact information to the relationship-managed communications system, and the system uses the securely stored information to mediate the establishment of communications channels between users. Embodiments of the system may intelligently route communications to substitute channels based on relationship-related and other information.