Abstract: An improved tailgate device allows a host to have full access to a long-term storage device when the drive interface on the host and the drive interface on the storage device are of different types. An improved tailgate device is placed between the host and the storage device. A second host may be connected to the improved tailgate device. Commands from the first host are interpreted as industry standard Tailgate commands. Commands from the second host are not restricted to industry standard commands. Any data returned by a command is returned to the Host that issued the command.

Abstract: An application specific device for erasing data from a long-term storage device includes a power supply, a control circuit, and an interface to the storage device. The control circuit controls the long-term storage device to irretrievably remove data from the storage device. The storage device may be, for example, a hard disk drive or compact flash memory. The application specific device is physically small, is operating system independent, and has simple interface that is useable by non-computer professionals.

Abstract: Our current invention provides a means to have full access to a long-term storage device attached to a tailgate device. A tailgate device is a device which bridges between different drive interfaces, see FIG. 1. Different interfaces may not have identical command sets. For example the USB command set does not support the IDE HPA command. Therefore a host may not be able to issue commands to have full access to a long-term storage device connected to a tailgate device. Our current invention overcomes this restriction in numerous ways. Referring to FIG. 1, the host may issue encoded commands to the tailgate device. The tailgate device decodes these commands and subsequently issues them to the storage device. For example, if interface “a” is a USB interface and interface “b” an IDE interface, the host may issue an encoded HPA command, which is not supported by the USB protocol.

Abstract: An application specific device for erasing data from a long-term storage device includes a power supply, a control circuit, and an interface to the storage device. The control circuit controls the long-term storage device to irretrievably remove data from the storage device. The storage device may be, for example, a hard disk drive or compact flash memory. The application specific device is physically small, is operating system independent, and has simple interface that is useable by non-computer professionals.

Abstract: A method and system for producing audio speech for a speech-impaired user and/or a user desiring audio speech in a language a user is unfamiliar with. Phrases and sentences are spoken in different voices, converted to Digital Speech Audio Files (DSAF) and stored on a server. These DSAF are then organized into Social Groupings. A user is granted access to this server. These DSAF organized into Social Groupings may also be distributed on physical digital media. A user moves desired DSAF either individually or in Social Groupings onto client machine. If a user requires phrases or sentences not offered, a request is issued, and subsequently the requested phrases or sentences are distributed to user and moved to client machine. A user organizes the DSAF on the client machine by modifying existing Social Groupings, creating new Social Groupings and/or assigning a unique code to selected phrases and sentences. The DSAF arranged in Social Groupings are moved to a portable device, if not already on one.