Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of substituted alkanesulfonates by the reaction of an aqueous metal substituted 2-hydroxyethanesulfonate with a nucleophile. 2-Alkylaminoalkanesulfonate is formed when the nucleophile is an amine. The invention also relates to the optimization of reaction conditions to produce an optimum yield.

Abstract: The present invention is direct to a portable audio player that substantially limits a target user to listening to the audio content that was initially established in the player during manufacture or subsequently established in the player under controlled conditions exclusive of the target user. Such an audio player provides missionaries and the like with the ability to provide an audio Bible to potential converts and especially to those potential converts that are incapable of reading a Bible that is in book or text form, such as potential converts that are visually impaired or illiterate. In one embodiment, the audio player occupies less than about twenty cubic inches and weighs less than six ounces. As a consequence, the player is highly portable. The audio player also utilizes a non-sequential-access memory, such as a disk drive and/or flash memory, to store the desired audio content.