Abstract: A selective call radio (10), including a housing (12), has a display (18) and touchpad (22) of the same size. The display is mounted to a surface on one side of the housing, and the touchpad is mounted to another surface on an opposite side of the housing, directly opposite the display. A screen surface of the display and a touch surface of the touchpad are parallel and have a same number of edges. Sliding of a user's fingertip on the touchpad in a right-to-left direction causes movement of a pointer (26) in a left-to-right direction, and vice versa. Movement on the touchpad causes movement in an identical amount on the display.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for destroying syringe needles. The apparatus has an incinerator unit (16) into which a syringe needle may be inserted, crimped by a crimper (30), the needle measured between its tip and the sealing crimp, burned by passing an electric current corresponding to its measured length between the needle tip and the sealing crimp, and the burned needle severed by a cutting blade (36).

Abstract: A dedicated video disc player controller for use in interactive video disc playback systems. The controller includes memory for storing instructions representing particular commands to a video disc player in response to the present segment of the video disc being displayed and a plurality of external inputs provided through a keyboard. ports ports for communicating with a variety of non-standard control posts on various video disc players are all provided through a single 25 pin connector. The ports include three serial RS-232 level ports one TTL level serial port, one TTL level 8 bit parallel port, and several TTL input lines for reading control port responses from the video disc player. Plug insertable memory cards are used to provide instructions for playback sequence and response to keystrokes as well as for selectively downloading data indicative of the responses of past users, and modifying the operating firmware of the controller.