Abstract: An auxiliary screen unit is provided in conjunction with a desktop personal computer, for use in connection with editing a reading operations. The auxiliary screen unit has a touch-sensitive screen and stylus by means of which a user may operate a graphical user interface to select, highlight or otherwise edit text; edits may be performed on text displayed on the computer screen in the normal way using a mouse and a graphical user interface. The auxiliary screen unit and the computer are connected directly to each other so that text selected on one screen may be imported directly onto the other screen. Such an apparatus thus provides similar functional capability to that of paper, which is still the medium of choice for formulating edits.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus has a combined electronic camera and swipe scanner. The electronic camera has an optical system and detector array for remote capturing of a first image. The swipe scanner has an optical system and detector array for swipe capturing of a second image. The image capture apparatus further has a data storage arranged to store the first image and the second image in association with each other. The electronic camera may be a moderate resolution color camera, and the swipe scanner may have a grey-scale detector array capable of scanning an object at a higher resolution than the camera. A display is provided so that both images can be viewed separately in association with each other, or combined into a combination image, which has color information from the camera to colorize higher resolution pixels from the scanner.

Abstract: A method of associating a digital version of a document with a printed version of the document, the method being executable by a processor and comprising the steps: (a) instructing a printer to print the document; and, substantially at the time of printing, (b) transferring, to a portable solid state memory device, data interpretable by a processor to enable subsequent reprinting of the document. The invention also provides an electronic device electrically couplable to a printer, computer or network, configured to couple with a portable solid state memory device and to receive data corresponding to a print job, and operable to write data to the said solid state memory device, substantially at the time of printing of the said print job, to enable subsequent reprinting of the print job.

Abstract: A computer peripheral device, electrically couplable to a personal computer having a processor operable to process digital audio data, the peripheral device comprising a user interface manually operable by a user to supply instructions to the said processor to specify processing operations to be performed by the processor on the digital audio data and to select an audio processing device for converting digital audio data to an analogue audio signal, the computer peripheral device further comprising an audio processing device for converting digital audio data to an analogue audio signal, said audio processing device being selectable by the user interface.

Abstract: A network has first and second audio data storage devices, each including a memory area storing one or more audio data files. A file selector enables a user to select at least one stored audio data file. A data processor accesses the selected files from the memory and processes the selected files with a profile to generate a processed audio signal. The first device communicates across the network to the second device so any data files in the first device memory which are not present in the second device are automatically copied to the second device memory.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus (1) comprises: a combined electronic camera (2) and swipe scanner (4), the electronic camera (2) having an associated optical system (8) and detector array (12) for remote capturing of a first image (46) and the swipe scanner (4) having an associated optical system (28) and detector array (34) for swipe capturing of a second image (38); and a data storage means arranged to store the first image (46) and the second image (38) in association with each other. The electronic camera (2) may be a moderate resolution color camera, and the swipe scanner (4) may have a grey-scale detector (34) array capable of scanning an object at a higher resolution than the camera (2). A display (6) is provided so that both images (38,46) can be viewed separately in association with each other, or combined into a combination image, which has color information from the camera (2) to colorize higher resolution pixels from the scanner (4).

Abstract: An auxiliary screen unit is provided in conjunction with a desktop personal computer, for use in connection with editing a reading operations. The auxiliary screen unit has a touch-sensitive screen and stylus by means of which a user may operate a graphical user interface to select, highlight or otherwise edit text; edits may be performed on text displayed on the computer screen in the normal way using a mouse and a graphical user interface. The auxiliary screen unit and the computer are connected directly to each other so that text selected on one screen may be imported directly onto the other screen. Such an apparatus thus provides similar functional capability to that of paper, which is still the medium of choice for formulating edits.

Abstract: A system for disabling mobile telephones in circumstances where their use would prejudice the operation of critical systems (e.g. on an aeroplane, or in a hospital), or would irritate others includes a pair of RF beacons situated at the entrance to the controlled zone. The phone has receivers sensitive to the beacon outputs, and is adapted automatically to shut down into a standby state when passing in one direction through the beacons, and to re-activate when passing in the other direction.