Abstract: The present invention provides an anti-theft security method and system for portable electronic devices. This invention shifts the locking step from the external security device that engages the electronic device to the actual electronic device. This system comprises a portable electronic device having a opening therein for the purpose of engaging a securing device that will security the electronic device to some stationary object such as a desk. The securing device is typically a cable. This cable has one end that engages the electronic device through the opening the electronic device. Once engaged, a shutter activated by the electronic device reconfigures the opening in the electronic device to prevent the disengagement of the cable from the electronic device.

Abstract: A system and method for presenting related items to a user. A universal data store is provided which contains a plurality of items. A portion of the items contain relational information that allows relationships between two or more of the plurality of items to be determined. A shell presents a selected item to a user and is configured to utilize the relational information to present one or more items in the data store which are related to the selected item.

Abstract: A method and system are provided in which static lists facilitate arbitrary grouping of items of data independent of their locations and in ways that are meaningful to the user. A static list is a set of items defined by a root item, a direction, and the entry relationships with that root item in that direction. The static list also defines the properties that each entry relationship in the list is required to have. Verbs are provided to manage a static list. A verb is an action that may be performed on the items in the static list, and includes, among others, move, copy, add, remove, and delete. A view is provided to specify characteristics for displaying data from a static list, including visibility, order, and formatting, among other characteristics.

Abstract: A system and method for presenting a plurality of items of multiple types to a user. A universal data store is provided which contains a plurality of items. A portion of the items contain metadata stored in accordance with an item decoration schema. A shell presents items with corresponding metadata with an item decoration view and items without the metadata with a default display view. A shell display view is utilized to display a set of heterogeneous items and an explorer display view is provided to display items.

Abstract: A system and method for presenting a plurality of items to a user with a contextual display. A computer system is provided which includes a data store. At least a portion of the items in the data store include one or more field entries. An explorer interacts with the data store, selects items having one or more desired field entries, and displays the selected items according to an explorer display schema. An application may select the items from the data store and may interact with a shell browser to present the selected items. A method for establishing an explorer for presenting items in a data store to a user.

Abstract: A differential assembly includes a case, a gearset having a pair of pinion gears and a pair of side gears, and an electrically operable coupling including a magnetically responsive fluid. The coupling is operable to selectively interconnect one of the side gears to the case. In one instance, the present invention includes a rotor having a plurality of outwardly extending blades positioned in communication with a magneto-rheological fluid. An electromagnet is selectively actuated to change the viscosity of the magneto-rheological fluid. In this manner, the differential may function as an “open” differential, a “locked” differential or a differential accommodating a limited-slip condition.

Abstract: A system, method, and product are disclosed for verifying a condition of a storage drive's media. A command is received within the storage drive to verify the condition of the storage drive's media. In response to a receipt of the command, the storage drive attempts to read each one of the logical block addresses included in the storage drive. The condition of the media is verified by the storage drive by determining ones of the logical block addresses that are not in a readable condition.

Abstract: A system and method for managing parallel SCSI device functionality is presented. A user sends a request to a vendor whereby the request corresponds to the user changing the functionality of one of the user's SCSI devices. The vendor generates and sends a key that includes a password and a functionality value to the user. The user extracts the password, extracts the functionality value, and includes them in a command descriptor block. The user includes the command descriptor block in a SCSI command, and sends the SCSI command to the user's SCSI device whereupon the SCSI device validates the password and reconfigures itself based upon the functionality value. The SCSI device returns a message to the user indicating whether the reconfiguring process was successful. In turn, the user forwards the message to the vendor so the vendor may bill the user accordingly.

Abstract: A computer system and method are presented that provide a user with information about a needed application to open or access a particular type of file. In the method, when the user of the computer attempts to access a particular file, the method determines whether the computing device has available an application program that is needed to access a file of the particular file type. If the computing device does not have an application program available that can be used to access the file, a browser program is launched on the computing device. The browser program is utilized to locate a link to at least one application program that can access the selected file. The application program resides on a second computing device in the networked computing environment.