Abstract: The present invention helps to develop a smaller sized portable terminal without reducing the functions available for the user. A USB device which is detachable from the portable terminal is provided with a USB connector which is inserted into a USB port of the portable terminal, a power source terminal which comes into contact with a power supply terminal of the portable terminal, when the USB connector is inserted into the USB port of the portable terminal, and a screw which is engaged with a screw hole of the portable terminal. When the screw is engaged with the screw hole of the portable terminal, a switch inside the screw hole is pushed down due to a contact with the screw. The portable terminal detects mounting of the USB device by an output from the switch, and initiates power supplying from the power supply terminal of the portable terminal to the power source terminal of the USB device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for: selectively supplying a first source of power to a plurality of circuit blocks of a system using a plurality of gate circuits responsive to respective control signals provided by at least one control circuit; and providing a second source of power to operate the control circuit before the first source of power is available to the gate circuits such that the control signals are valid before such availability.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a heat sink withheat pipe, which is limited in height, not so noisy, compact and highly efficient in radiation, and can lower the temperature inside a casing as a whole more effectively even when it is used in an electronic appliance limited in height such as a personal computer, a game machine or the like.

Abstract: When a plurality of items of data are sequentially read and reproduced from a data storing means which stores the data, data suited to a user's mood at the moment or a situation is selected to be reproduced without needing any complex operation.

Abstract: An instruction decoder identifies, for each instruction, an operational block involved in the execution of the instruction and an associated heat release coefficient. The instruction decoder stores identified information in a heat release coefficient profile. An instruction scheduler schedules the instructions in accordance with the dependence of the instructions on data. A heat release frequency adder cumulatively adds the heat release coefficient to the heat release frequency of the operational block held in the operational block heat release frequency register as the execution of the scheduled instructions proceeds. A heat release frequency subtractor subtracts from the heat release frequency of the operational blocks in the operational block heat release frequency register in accordance with heat discharge that occurs with time.