Abstract: A system onboard an aircraft includes: a proximity sensor to detect users within an area; a display monitor in the area; a processor; and a processor-readable medium storing executable instructions to perform a method that involves: detecting presence of a user within the area, based on output of the sensor; causing display of an animated digital representation of an assistant on the monitor; controlling the animated digital representation of the assistant to react to speech input; processing speech input of the user to identify at least one action to be carried out onboard the aircraft; controlling the animated digital representation of the assistant to respond to the identified at least one action; and issuing at least one command, instruction, or control signal to the component onboard the aircraft, to initiate the identified at least one action.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hollow knob for a sport item, for example, a bat, a golf club, or a racket, which has four flexible fingers. Each finger has an inclined peg formed on an exterior surface of each finger, such that when the knob is slid into an end of a sport item handle, each inclined peg becomes captive of a corresponding hole in the handle. When an insert is slid into a hollow area of the knob, where a ramp is formed near the top end of the interior of each finger, the knob becomes secured to the handle. An adhesive may then be applied to this assembly in order to prevent tampering of the handle by requiring destruction of the assembly.