Abstract: A display stand for displaying an article of merchandise includes a base defining an outer periphery and means for dispensing and collecting a helical cable attached to the article of merchandise. The means for dispensing and collecting supports and guides the helical cable along the outer periphery of the base between a retracted length and an extracted length. The dispensing and collecting means may include at least one wheel disposed on the outer periphery of the base. The dispensing and collecting means may include at least one roller disposed on the outer periphery of the base. The dispensing and collecting means may include a low-friction surface disposed on the outer periphery of the base. The dispensing and collecting means may include a scalloped surface disposed on the outer periphery of the base. The display stand may further include a collection tube for delivering the helical cable to the article.

Abstract: The invention is a hand held computer device having a housing including a top or upper surface, a lower surface and finger saddle ridge protruding downwardly from the lower surface. The finger saddle ridge has two finger receiving surfaces and is sized to accommodate a pair of human fingers such that a first finger contacts the front surface of the finger saddle and a second finger contacts the rear surface of the finger saddle. When an operator's fingers straddle the finger saddle ridge, the hand held computer device pivots about a pivot point defined between the fingers. The device can thus be readily maneuvered into a downward pivoting position, highly useful for decoding bar codes, and an upward pivoting position, highly useful for display viewing and applications involving display viewing such as web browsing and data input.

Abstract: A system and method is provided wherein a device can be reprogrammed utilizing one or more programming symbols. A device subject to reprogramming can be a portable device. In one embodiment a device subject to reprogramming can be a portable symbol reading device capable of reading programming symbols.

Abstract: A symbol generator can be configured to receive various user input data, and can encode one or more programming bar codes based on the input data. Such input data can include designators for files. The input data can also include commands to be executed by a device reading the one or more programming bar codes.

Abstract: A portable device is equipped with a broadcasting operating mode in which the broadcasting portable device executes a verbatim memory data image copying to another device or plurality of devices equipped with receiving modes of operation. Single-threaded OS free commands may be utilized to control both the broadcasting and receiving devices during a data copy session. In another aspect, a reprogramming system includes a symbol generator and a reconfigurable device. The symbol generator processes user input data to encode a reprogramming symbol, and the reconfigurable device reads the reprogramming symbol.

Abstract: A latching mechanism is provided. The latching mechanism includes a first member (2) having a first catch (4) and lateral catches (6), and a second member (1) having a notch (7) and lateral catches (8). In a first position, the first catch of the first member engages the notch of the second member. In a second position, the lateral catches of the first member engage the lateral catches of the second member. Further, when in the first position, the first catch and the notch are disengaged by squeezing one of the members at lateral points while sliding the members relative to one another until the lateral catches are engaged and the members are in the second position. Also provided is a battery pack (1, 2) having such a latching mechanism. Additionally, there is provided an electronic device that includes an operational unit (3), a tray (2) for holding battery cells, and a cover (1). The tray is removably coupled to the operational unit, and the cover is removably coupled to the tray.