Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus is provided wherein a device is disabled if the device is located more then a predetermined distance away from the owner. Accordingly, a lost or stolen device is rendered unusable. The device has coupled thereto a receiver or transceiver. A transmitter or transceiver is located separately from the device. When the receiver and transmitter can communicate, the device is usable, when the receiver and transmitter cannot communicate, the receiver disables the device, rendering the device unusable.

Abstract: A system for testing middleware of applications in the N-tiered model. The test system contains test code generators, test engines to execute multiple copies of the test code and a data analyzer to analyze and present the results to a human user. The system is able to automatically generate test code to exercise components of the middleware using information about these components that would otherwise be available to the application under test. Multiple copies of the test code are executed in a synchronized fashion. Execution times of multiple events are recorded and then presented in one of several formats. With the system, an application developer can identify components that represent performance bottlenecks or can gather information on deployment properties of individual components that can be used to enhance the performance of the application under test.

Abstract: An automated telephone line test system that is well suited for determining the location of faults within a telephone network. The telephone line test system uses time domain reflectometry to aid in locating the faults. The time domain reflectometry unit is connected through a switch in the network so that the time domain reflectometry unit can be connected to multiple lines without human intervention. Parameters of the time domain reflectometry signals are controlled so that reflections from the switch do not interfere with measurement of parameters on the faulty line.