Abstract: A gifting service is described for issuing and consuming gifts via an electronic infrastructure, such as a system for distributing media resources. A giftor can interact with the electronic infrastructure to define the gift by identifying the recipient of the gift and the benefit conferred by the gift. The recipient (giftee) of the gift can be specified by identifying the telephone number of the recipient. The benefit conferred by the gift can be a monetary value that can be used like currency to purchase resources. The recipient can receive and consume the thus-defined gifts via the electronic infrastructure.

Abstract: A battery electrode is made by applying a wet active material paste to a porous, compressible, fibrous plaque, forcing the paste into the plaque pore volume, and sizing the loaded plaque according to the relationship:T=[M/(GS)]+[W/D],where T is sized thickness, M is the amount of active material solids loading applied to give a required capacity to the loaded plaque, G is the specific gravity of the active material, S is the fraction solids of the active material, W is the unit plaque weight, and D is the density of the plaque fibers.

Abstract: A battery plate is made by loading a supporting porous metallic plaque with an electrode paste comprising: (1) NiCO.sub.3, (2) cobalt additive, (3) sufficient water to form a paste, and optionally (4) a deflocculant.

Abstract: An iron active electrode and method of preparing same in which iron sulfate is calcined in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of from about 600.degree. C. to about 850.degree. C. for a time sufficient to produce an iron oxide with a trace amount of sulfate. The calcined material is loaded into an electrically conductive support and then heated in a reducing atmosphere at an elevated temperature to produce activated iron having a trace amount of sulfide which is formed into an electrode plate.