Abstract: The present invention comprises a method, apparatus and business system for allowing on-line communications with members of a group of recipients for whom the invention has been implemented. A group may, for example, comprise members of a particular business or profession. For example, a group may consist of doctors admitted to practice medicine in the United States. Individual members of the group may or may not have existing internet presences. The invention allows online users to communicate with each member of a given group regardless of whether or not the member has an existing internet presence. In one or more embodiments, the invention does so by setting up a database of contact information for members of the group, creating an internet presence for each member of such group, creating an on-line user interface allowing a user to access the member's created internet presence, and providing means of communications between the created internet presence and the member recipient.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for attaching earphones to eyeglass and similar frames. In one or more embodiments, the apparatus of the present invention comprises an earphone that comprises an elongated support arm that supports the earphone electronics and speaker unit. In one or more embodiments, the elongated support arm has a configuration such that it has a first free end, an elongated, typically curved center portion, and a second end to which the earphone speaker unit is attached. An expandable, resilient, tubular sleeve having a bore is slid over the free end such that it is disposed along the center portion. The combination of the earphone and resilient sleeve forms an audio unit that may be attached to a temple of an eyeglass frame by sliding the free end of the temple through the resilient sleeve until the temple's free end projects from the rear of the sleeve. The earphone and sleeve unit may be slid along the temple to adjust to the position of a user's ear.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method, apparatus and business system for allowing on-line communications with members of a group of recipients for whom the invention has been implemented. A group may, for example, comprise members of a particular business or profession. For example, a group may consist of doctors admitted to practice medicine in the United States. Individual members of the group may or may not have existing internet presences. The invention allows online users to communicate with each member of a given group regardless of whether or not the member has an existing internet presence. In one or more embodiments, the invention does so by setting up a database of contact information for members of the group, creating an internet presence for each member of such group, creating an on-line user interface allowing a user to access the member's created internet presence, and providing means of communications between the created internet presence and the member recipient.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for distributing a serial work such as a novel, story, book, or other single-media or multi-media serial work over a communications network such as the internet in a manner that provides the entire work to users for free, while still providing an incentive for users to purchase the work. Instead of distributing a limited (e.g. abridged) free version and a more complete paid-for version as in the prior art, in the present invention, the content of the free and the paid-for versions are substantially the same. The thing that is different, however, is the time period over which the entire work is delivered. The present invention may be used with works that consist of serial data that can be divided into discrete portions. An example is a novel that is divided into chapters. In one embodiment of the invention, portions are provided for free to the users over a period of time.