Abstract: A system and method provides for enabling on-line transactional services among sellers and buyers having no previous relationship with each other. The system includes a financial clearinghouse for receiving a request for goods or services from a buyer and making a real-time determination of a risk classification of the buyer utilizing an on-line repository of credit information. The financial clearinghouse determines a risk-based discount fee as a function of the buyer's risk classification in order to establish a payment amount to the seller from the clearinghouse. If the transaction is authorized by the financial clearinghouse, the financial clearinghouse transmits the payment amount to the seller and transmits an invoice to the buyer for the purchase price of the transaction. The system can also include a broker coupled to the financial clearinghouse for providing an on-line order acceptance and processing capability between the buyers and sellers.

Abstract: A portable body fat monitor is provided having electrodes arranged so that the instrument is easily operated by a user, thereby facilitating accurate measurements. Embodiments include a portable body fat monitor having an insulating main body, shaped substantially like a rectangular parallelepiped. Four electrodes are spaced apart from one another on a side surface of the main body. A display unit, such as a liquid crystal display, is disposed on a front face of the main body, and an operator unit, such as a set of push buttons, is located below the display unit on the front face of the main body. To operate the monitor, a user enters numerical values representing his or her height and weight with the thumbs of their right and left hands. The middle and index fingers of the user's left hand are then brought into contact with two of the electrodes, respectively.

Abstract: A system and method provides for enabling on-line transactional services among sellers and buyers having no previous relationship with each other. The system includes a financial clearinghouse for receiving a request for goods or services from a buyer and making a real-time determination of a risk classification of the buyer utilizing an on-line repository of credit information. The financial clearinghouse determines a risk-based discount fee as a function of the buyer's risk classification in order to establish a payment amount to the seller from the clearinghouse. If the transaction is authorized by the financial clearinghouse, the financial clearinghouse transmits the payment amount to the seller and transmits an invoice to the buyer for the purchase price of the transaction. The system can also include a broker coupled to the financial clearinghouse for providing an on-line order acceptance and processing capability between the buyers and sellers.