Abstract: The present application facilitates creation of electronic book files by defining and utilizing application programming interfaces to facilitate execution of scripts to facilitate display, execution, graphic icons, audio, and graphics, and any insertion of content into an electronic book format.

Abstract: An article is protected with a wear-resistant coating. The wear-coated article is thereafter treated to produce a chemical conversion coating on any portions of the surface of the article accessible through micropores in the wear-resistant coating. For steel articles, the wear-resistant coating is preferably a titanium nitride-based intermetallic compound such as TiN, Ti2N, (TiAl)N, Ti(CN), (TiAl)(CN), ZrN, and CrN, and the chemical conversion coating is preferably a phosphate-based compound.

Abstract: An electronic financial system for providing financial services over the Internet has multiple billers, a service center, multiple financial institutions. The service center is responsible for distributing electronic bills on behalf of billers. The service center has a Web site that customers can directly access to examine their bills. The financial institutions also offer their own Web sites for their customers. Each financial institution's Web site presents a home page that allows its customers to select different services, such as examining a checking or savings account balance, or conducting a funds transfer. These services are supported locally at the financial institution's Web site. The home page also offers an option to view personal billing statements from the billers, which are stored at the service center.

Abstract: Structural clay products such as bricks, tile and blocks are made using waste soda lime glass, other inorganic materials and ball clay. The products are produced at the relatively low firing temperatures between 1300.degree. and 1900.degree.F and are of minimum porosity.