Abstract: A batting training aid includes a base, a vertically-extending brace or leg supported by the base, and a plane attached to an upper end of the brace via a joint. The brace allows for adjustment of the height of the plane, while the joint between the plane and the brace allows the plane to roll, pitch, and/or yaw to mimic optimal swing planes for different pitch locations/angles and batter heights. The training aid can incorporate a batting tee for tee work and/or a resistive medium to approximate contact during dry swings. A guide bar can be provided above the plane to prevent a hitter from swinging down on the ball. Sensors can be incorporated into the training aid to measure one or more swing metrics, such as bat speed; data collected by the sensors can be transmitted to external devices such as smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and the like.

Abstract: A batting training aid includes a base, a vertically-extending brace or leg supported by the base, and a plane attached to an upper end of the brace via a joint. The brace allows for adjustment of the height of the plane, while the joint between the plane and the brace allows the plane to roll, pitch, and/or yaw to mimic optimal swing planes for different pitch locations/angles and batter heights. The training aid can incorporate a batting tee for tee work and/or a resistive medium to approximate contact during dry swings. A guide bar can be provided above the plane to prevent a hitter from swinging down on the ball. Sensors can be incorporated into the training aid to measure one or more swing metrics, such as bat speed; data collected by the sensors can be transmitted to external devices such as smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and the like.

Abstract: A batting training aid includes a base, a vertically-extending brace or leg supported by the base, and a plane attached to an upper end of the brace via a joint. The brace allows for adjustment of the height of the plane, while the joint between the plane and the brace allows the plane to roll, pitch, and/or yaw to mimic optimal swing planes for different pitch locations/angles and batter heights. The training aid can incorporate a batting tee for tee work and/or a resistive medium to approximate contact during dry swings. A guide bar can be provided above the plane to prevent a hitter from swinging down on the ball. Sensors can be incorporated into the training aid to measure one or more swing metrics, such as bat speed; data collected by the sensors can be transmitted to external devices such as smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and the like.

Abstract: A method includes, for each of multiple billers, maintaining, at a payment system, a transaction record for each of one or more transactions for the biller, each transaction having been executed by or on behalf of a customer through a user interface of the payment system. The method includes updating, at the payment system, a confirmation status of a particular transaction record for a particular biller based on a confirmation received from the particular biller.

Abstract: A a method includes authenticating one or more customers of each of multiple billers based on information received from each customer and identifying one or more accounts of each customer. The identified accounts of each customer are provided by the biller for the customer. The method includes enabling each authenticated customer to interact with (i) a biller system associated with the biller for the customer, the biller system providing a first type of service for the identified accounts of the customer, and (ii) a payment system associated with the multiple billers, the payment system providing a second type of service for the identified accounts of the customer.

Abstract: A method includes maintaining match data indicative of a correspondence between a past payment and a past invoice of a biller, the correspondence having previously been inferred from data associated with the past payment and data associated with the past invoice; and inferring a correspondence between a received payment and another invoice of the biller based on (i) data associated with the received payment and data associated with the other invoice and (ii) the match data for the biller.

Abstract: A method and system for generating and presenting invoices or bills from a biller to a payer. The bills are generally sent to the payer on a branded virtual site to look like the biller's website. Single or multiple bills will be presented to the payer through email notifications. The payer would have the option of paying the entire bill or portions of the bill utilizing various methods of payments, such as e-checks, paper checks, credit or debit cards as well as automatic withdrawal from a checking or savings account. The payer would also have the option of electing a paperless billing system instead of receiving both email as well as paper notifications of a particular bill or bills.

Abstract: A system and method for secure data storage is provided. A host system sends data to a secure storage processor where it is encrypted, stored, and a globally unique identifier is transmitted to the host system. The globally unique identifier is associated with the stored encrypted data and can be used in future interactions with the secure storage processor, such as a transaction request. A host system will transmit a transaction request and a globally unique identifier to the secure storage processor. The secure storage processor will process the transaction utilizing the stored encrypted data associated with the globally unique identifier, and will transmit a response indicating the failure or success of the transaction. In addition, the system is configured to facilitate information retrieval, wherein the secure storage processor sends the stored encrypted data to a requesting host system.