Abstract: The present invention is directed to a tool having a wrist mechanism that provides pitch and yaw rotation in such a way that the tool has no singularity in roll, pitch, and yaw. A positively positionable multi-disk wrist mechanism includes a plurality of disks or vertebrae stacked in series. Each vertebra is configured to rotate in pitch or in yaw with respect to each neighboring vertebra. Actuation cables are used to manipulate and control movement of the vertebrae. In specific embodiments, some of the cables are distal cables that extend from a proximal vertebra through one or more intermediate vertebrae to a distal vertebra, while the remaining cables are medial cables that extend from the proximal vertebra to one or more of the intermediate vertebrae. The cables are actuated by a pivoted plate cable actuator mechanism.

Abstract: A first person can give a gift by using a mobile phone or other communications device to access a central computing system to which a gift and a second person (the intended recipient of the gift) can be identified by the first person. Thereafter, the central computing system transmits a unique code to the mobile phone or other communications device of the second person. The code can then be given by the second person, verbally or by transmission or display by his/her mobile phone, to a retailer of the gift. Upon validation by the retailer, such as by communication between the retailer's point-of-sale system and the central computing system, the retailer provides the gift identified by the first person.