Abstract: A method for annealing an absorber layer is disclosed, the method including contacting a surface of the absorber layer with an annealing material provided as a gel. The annealing material comprises cadmium chloride and a thickening agent. A viscosity of the gel of the annealing material is greater than or equal to 5 millipascal seconds.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a queue may be monitored to perform an automated adjustment related to a data item in the queue. In some embodiments, the data item may be associated with a product or service and include a code related to an access to the product or service. Based on the code, configuration information related to the product or service may be obtained. Based on a detected change related to the product or service, an indication of a set of self-support actions may be sent to a user device. One or more self-support actions (performed via the user device) may be determined, and an adjustment related to the access to the product or service may be performed based on the determined self-support actions. In some embodiments, the adjustment may include modifying a configuration of the access to the product or service based on the determined self-support actions.

Abstract: A data security apparatus has an analog component and control circuitry. The control circuitry receives an incoming digital message and converts it to or from encrypted form using the analog component. The control circuitry drives the analog component with drive signals and receives back a digital representation of what the analog component's sensor outputs. It uses this in making a digital keystream. In operation, the control circuitry makes the drive signals by encrypting a nonce-based value with a key. It can encrypt the digital representation of the sensor outputs that resulted from the drive signal, with the same key. The control circuitry also can also encrypt the nonce-based value with a different key, and then combine this with the encrypted sensor output to generate the digital keystream that is uses in the conversion.

Abstract: A data security apparatus includes an analog component. The analog component operates internally with a high degree of entropy. This high degree of entropy resides in the interactions between its internal components in response to an external driving signal. The interactions within the analog component have a level of entropy that is high enough to make digital simulation of the analog component impractical. Because the analog component is impractical to digitally simulate it is referred to as being digitally unclonable. The data security apparatus processes data by encrypting plaintext data into ciphertext and/or decrypting data from ciphertext into plaintext. Part of the conversion between plaintext and ciphertext uses the analog component.

Abstract: An optical numerical computation method obtains operands that have respective values, and modulates light sources to output light at amplitudes proportional to the operands. The light output for a given operand depends on whether the operand is positive or negative. The positive operands are output at wavelengths different from the negative operands. For operands that have multiple digits, the digits are separately treated so that the least significant digits are modulated with light sources at one frequency, and the most significant digits in two-digit numbers are modulated at another frequency, with positive and negative operands modulated at different frequencies. The light from the light sources enters a light collection cavity where it is sensed with sensors that generate resultant outputs at values indicative of the sensed light value.

Abstract: A light-based apparatus has an input device, accepting two or more numerical inputs and an output command. It has a logic unit that receives the two numerical inputs from the input device, and is adapted to combine various lights, in amplitudes based on the respective values of the numerical inputs, to produce an output light sum representing a sum of the two numerical inputs. The logic unit also has an output sensing circuit to sense the output light sum. The logic unit is responsive to the output command to output a value representing the output light sum. The device uses a computing method that includes comingling light from multiple sources, at the same time, in a light containment area to provide comingled light. The method includes using light amplitude sensing circuitry to sense an amplitude of the comingled light, outputting an arithmetic sum, based on the amplitude of the comingled light, without using a binary computer to compute the arithmetic sum.

Abstract: An optical numerical computation device relates light from a plurality of light sources to calculate an arithmetic solution. The optical numerical computation device includes input circuitry, pre-calculation circuitry, calculation circuitry, a light collection cavity, and a plurality of light computation components. The pre-calculation circuitry and calculation circuitry cause light sources to emit light representing the values of input operands, which is subsequently related within the light collection cavity. Sensors then generate resultant outputs at values indicative of the sensed light value. The respective wavelengths of light used may be associated with an operand arithmetic sign or an order of magnitude.

Abstract: A data security apparatus includes an analog component. The analog component operates internally with a high degree of entropy. This high degree of entropy resides in the interactions between its internal components in response to an external driving signal. The interactions within the analog component have a level of entropy that is high enough to make digital simulation of the analog component impractical. Because the analog component is impractical to digitally simulate it is referred to as being digitally unclonable. The data security apparatus processes data by encrypting plaintext data into ciphertext and/or decrypting data from ciphertext into plaintext. Part of the conversion between plaintext and ciphertext uses the analog component.

Abstract: A data security apparatus includes an analog component. The analog component operates internally with a high degree of entropy. This high degree of entropy resides in the interactions between its internal components in response to an external driving signal. The interactions within the analog component have a level of entropy that is high enough to make digital simulation of the analog component impractical. Because the analog component is impractical to digitally simulate it is referred to as being digitally unclonable. The data security apparatus processes data by encrypting plaintext data into ciphertext and/or decrypting data from ciphertext into plaintext. Part of the conversion between plaintext and ciphertext uses the analog component.

Abstract: A light source is realized in a wall portion and a base portion forming a flexible structure, the wall portion having a plurality of inward facing LEDs, a bottom edge of the wall portion being adjacent to an edge of the wide portion. The resulting well is subsequently filled with a material to form an optical cavity, the height of the resultant optical cavity being matching a top edge of the wall portion. The top surface of the optical cavity is spin coated with a thin layer of quantum dots which serve to shift a wavelength of light emitted from the LEDs. Finally, a protective layer is applied to fix and protect the thin layer of quantum dots. Thus, a light source is realized which can reliably provide light at a specific wavelength defined by the interaction between the LEDs and quantum dots.

Abstract: A computing apparatus has a logic unit configured to perform an arithmetic operation by relating light beams, each having a respective light amplitude, to obtain a light-based result of the operation, and to evaluate the light-based result to output a corresponding numeric result. The logic unit uses variables values, each corresponding to a respective distinct light amplitude, the variable values thereby corresponding to a plurality of distinct light amplitudes.

Abstract: An optical numerical computation device relates light from a plurality of light sources to calculate an arithmetic solution. The optical numerical computation device includes input circuitry, pre-calculation circuitry, calculation circuitry, a light collection cavity, and a plurality of light computation components. The pre-calculation circuitry and calculation circuitry cause light sources to emit light representing the values of input operands, which is subsequently related within the light collection cavity. Sensors then generate resultant outputs at values indicative of the sensed light value. The respective wavelength of light emitted from or sensed by each light computation component may be associated with an operand arithmetic sign.

Abstract: A light source is realized in a wall portion and a base portion forming a flexible structure, a the wall portion having a plurality of inward facing LEDs thereupon, a bottom edge of the wall portion being adjacent to an edge of the wide portion. The resulting well is subsequently filled with a material to form an optical cavity, the height of the resultant optical cavity being matching a top edge of the wall portion. The top surface of the optical cavity is spin coated with a thin layer of quantum dots which serve to shift a wavelength of light emitted from the LEDs. Finally, a protective layer is applied to fix and protect the thin layer of quantum dots. Thus, a light source is realized which can reliably provide light at a specific wavelength defined by the interaction between the LEDs and quantum dots.

Abstract: Techniques of managing heat within an electronic device involve routing a flexible cable or a set of flexible cables within the electronic device to deliver heat to desired locations within the electronic device. Advantageously, it is possible to distribute heat uniformly while using existing components, thus not adding significantly to cost. Furthermore, the flexible cables may be routed in any way that accomplishes it goals of distributing heat and/or electricity.

Abstract: A belt conveyor system including an elongate housing having at least one troughing idler assembly disposed therein. The troughing idler assembly includes a center medial roller and a plurality of side rollers. Each of the rollers includes a shaft having ends supported by at least one bearing having a first face and a second face. The bearings supporting the side rollers are mounted to an exterior of the elongate housing in such a manner that the first face and the second face of at least one of the bearings are visible.

Abstract: A symmetric data encryption system configured to receive a data stream to be encoded; to relate segments of the data stream with a predetermined distortion-inducing amplitude of light to encrypt the data stream; to transmit the data stream; to decrypt the data stream by compensating for the value induced by the distortion-inducing amplitude of light; wherein the distortion-inducing amplitude of light relates to different wavelengths of light emitted by one or more of a plurality of light sources in a non-uniform manner so the effect of the distortion-inducing amplitude of light is difficult to predict, thereby providing obfuscation and encryption of the data stream.

Abstract: An electronic device may comprise a chassis, a tongue, and a gasket. The chassis may enclose electronic components, and may define a receptacle. The tongue may extend through the receptacle, and may comprise at least one electrical contact. The gasket may surround the tongue and be located inside the receptacle. The gasket may be non-porous and compressible. A first side of the gasket may be in continuous contact with the tongue. A second side of the gasket may be in continuous contact with the chassis.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a printed circuit board (PCB) including at least one electronic component, and an electrically conductive enclosure surrounding the at least one electronic component to provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for the at least one component. The electrically conductive enclosure may include a frame, made of a resilient, electrically conductive material, on a mounting surface of the PCB, surrounding the at least one component, and an electrically conductive shielding cover extending across an open top area defined by the frame. The frame may be attached to the PCB and the cover by an electrically conductive material to provide for electrical continuity. The frame may be made of a resilient, electrically conductive material so that the frame may compress in response to an externally applied force, and may return to an original, non-compressed form upon removal of the externally applied force.

Abstract: A data security apparatus includes an analog component. The analog component operates internally with a high degree of entropy. This high degree of entropy resides in the interactions between its internal components in response to an external driving signal. The interactions within the analog component have a level of entropy that is high enough to make digital simulation of the analog component impractical. Because the analog component is impractical to digitally simulate it is referred to as being digitally unclonable. The data security apparatus processes data by encrypting plaintext data into ciphertext and/or decrypting data from ciphertext into plaintext. Part of the conversion between plaintext and ciphertext uses the analog component.

Abstract: Techniques of managing heat within an electronic device involve providing a vapor chamber in a ring shape within an electronic device. In some implementations, the vapor chamber forms an outer case wall of an enclosure of the electronic device. In further implementations, the vapor chamber has a fill port attached to the inner edge of the vapor chamber. Advantageously, by using a vapor chamber with a ring geometry in an electronic device according to the improved techniques, a form factor of the electronic device (e.g., a laptop, a tablet, etc.) is not affected by the introduction of the vapor chamber as an outer case wall.