Abstract: A heat sink provides a flat surface on which a portable computer can be placed and a finned surface for heat dissipation. An attached cushioning material protects a user from the finned surface, while micro-fans pull air through the space enclosed between the two materials. The fans are powered through the computer's universal serial bus (USB) and power management features reduce power drain from the portable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, and program for uninstalling a program and deleting files. The program is defined by a plurality of file sets. Each file set defines a set of functions performed by the program. A flag is provided with each file set of the program indicating one of a first and second value. The flag values indicate those files which are enabled and unenabled to be deleted. A determination is made as to the file sets having the first flag value. A graphical user interface (GUI) then displays at least one user selectable option to uninstall at least one determined file set or file having the first flag value. User input is then received indicating file sets or files to delete or uninstall and the file sets the user input indicated to uninstall are uninstalld.

Abstract: A system, method, and program utilizes a software state machine for carrying out the processes and functions of a program. The components of a program, e.g., the process flow, functions, dialogs, etc., are implemented using various states. A value of a state variable indicates a corresponding state. A method checks for a current value of the state variable. Any given function within any given state, or input received from a user, such as through “next” or “previous” buttons on a dialog box, can return a value for the state variable. When the method determines a new value of the state variable, an object corresponding to the state indicated by the new value is brought up and enabled. A vector keeps track of the sequence of states being executed so that a value indicating a previous state will return the program to the previous state without having program logic built into a state of how the program arrived at that state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, program, and electronic storage media for providing at least one content area of information and n different sized navigation areas. There are n addressable locations for each content area. Each of the n addressable locations for one content area comprises the same content area with a different sized navigation area. Further, each of the n navigation areas includes at least one link to another addressable location with the same content area and a different sized navigation area.

Abstract: A methodology for generating a drop shadow effect for objects in a graphical user interface is presented. A first object in a presentation space occludes the illumination from a simulated light source, and a dynamically determined drop shadow from the first object may partially occlude a second object. A portion of a drop shadow from the first object is shown on the second object; the portion of the drop shadow from the first object is displaced from the first object in direct proportion to a z-depth difference between the first object and the second object. Hence, a drop shadow can be generated in a computationally inexpensive manner, and the dynamically determined drop shadow enhances the perception of depth within the presentation space by a user.

Abstract: A heat sink provides a flat surface on which a portable computer can be placed and a finned surface for heat dissipation. An attached cushioning material protects a user from the finned surface, while micro-fans pull air through the space enclosed between the two materials. The fans are powered through the computer's universal serial bus (USB) and power management features reduce power drain from the portable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, and program for creating a file, such as a batch file, that is capable of executing on one of many different operating systems. An object is processed including a plurality of instructions. Each instruction is associated with at least one executable function. A determination is made of an operating system in which the generated file will be executed. For each instruction in the object, a native operating system command is generated that is capable of executing the function associated with the instruction on the determined operating system. Each generated native operating system command is inserted into the file. Execution of the file on the determined operating system will execute the native operating system commands in the file to perform the functions associated with the instructions included in the object.

Abstract: The system, method, and program of this invention enables a developer to write a platform independent program that can read, create, modify, delete, and enumerate registry type of information regardless of whether or not a targeted operating system supports a registry or registry equivalent functionality. More specifically, as disclosed herein, in a first preferred embodiment, there is a global registry object for carrying out, i.e., mapping, registry functions or registry equivalent functions across multiple operating systems. In a second preferred embodiment, the global registry object is used to read, create, modify, delete, and enumerate registries for the Windows operating system in a simplified manner. In a third preferred embodiment, the global registry object is used to map registry equivalent functions in an OS/2 operating system environment. In a fourth preferred embodiment, the global registry is used to map registry equivalent functions in an AIX operating system environment.

Abstract: A system, method, and program utilizes a software state machine for carrying out the processes and functions of a program. The components of a program, e.g., the process flow, functions, dialogs, etc., are implemented using various states. A value of a state variable indicates a corresponding state. A method checks for a current value of the state variable. Any given function within any given state, or input received from a user, such as through “next” or “previous” buttons on a dialog box, can return a value for the state variable. When the method determines a new value of the state variable, an object corresponding to the state indicated by the new value is brought up and enabled. A program utilizing a software state machine is easily customized by merely adding or deleting states or by changing a value of the state variable returned for a given function within a state or for any given input received.

Abstract: The system, method, and program of this invention enables a developer to write a platform independent program that can read, create, modify, delete, and enumerate registry type of information regardless of whether or not a targeted operating system supports a registry or registry equivalent functionality. More specifically, as disclosed herein, in a preferred embodiment, there is a global registry object for carrying out, i.e., mapping, registry functions or registry equivalent functions across multiple operating systems. In particular, the global registry object is used to read, create, modify, delete, and enumerate registries for the Windows operating system in a simplified manner. The global registry object has the following fields: keyname, key root, and key value. The key root field is mapped to a root in a registry of a Windows operating system. The keyname field is mapped to a key and any subkeys, if they exist, in the Windows registry. The key value field is mapped to a value in the Windows registry.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed in a computer network for efficiently permitting code applets to communicate with other code applets remotely located within the computer network, wherein the computer network includes local network sites linked to remote network sites. Initially a communications link is established at each local network site, wherein the communications link permits code applets to communicate with one another. The communications link is composed of an InfoBus for inter-applet communication. The communications links are then interconnected, such that during a subsequent processing of the code applet at a local network site, the code applet may communicate with a code applet maintained at a remote network site, thereby forming a distributed communications link throughout the computer network.

Abstract: A padded wrist rest that is integral with a portable electronic device, meaning that the wrist rest is sold with the device and does not have to be removed from the device to close and store the device, is disclosed. While integral to the portable electronic device, the wrist rest of the present invention can be removed by the user or owner of the portable electronic device for maintenance or replacement. The wrist rest may be single- or multiple-part, and includes one or more pads manufactured from encapsulated gel, closed-cell foam, fabric-covered padding, vinyl-covered padding, or leather-covered padding. The wrist rest may include one or more bases that are slid, screwed, or snapped into place on the portable electronic device.