Abstract: Apparatus (10) for laser processing a material (11), which apparatus comprises a laser (1) and a beam delivery cable (2), wherein: the laser (1) is connected to the beam delivery cable (2); the beam delivery cable (2) is configured to transmit laser radiation (13) emitted from the laser (1), and the laser radiation (13) is defined by a beam parameter product (4); and the apparatus (10) is characterized in that: the apparatus (10) includes at least one squeezing mechanism (5) comprising a periodic surface (6) defined by a pitch (7); a length (8) of optical fibre (9) that forms part of the laser (1) and/or the beam delivery cable (2) is located adjacent to the periodic surface (6); and the squeezing mechanism (5) is configured to squeeze the periodic surface (6) and the length (8) of the optical fibre (9) together with a squeezing force (12); whereby the beam parameter product (4) is able to be varied by adjusting the squeezing force (12).

Abstract: A method of processing web requests directed to a website, the method including: (i) receiving a plurality of web requests directed to the website; (ii) for each of the plurality of web requests, identifying a source from which the web request has originated; (iii) for at least one web request identified as having originated from a given source: determining whether the source is a bot or a non-bot based on the at least one web request; if the source is determined to be a bot, using a machine learning engine to assign one of a plurality of predetermined bot categories to the source based on the at least one web request.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a thermally protective structure that is a case or enclosure for a media communication device (e.g., a set-top box). The thermally protective structure has a plurality of structural feature formations with facets constructed in or on its outer surface to increase the surface area through which heat is dissipated.

Abstract: An accessory connector includes a disk having an upper end and a lower end, a front side and a back side. A hook is positioned at the upper end of the back side of the disk, and a foot is positioned at the lower end of the back side of the disk, and extending laterally away from the disk. An accessory is positioned on the front side of the disk, so that the accessory can be attached to a cart by attaching the accessory connector to the cart.

Abstract: A method of processing a new visitor session to a web-based system, the method including: for each of a plurality of web requests made to the web-based system in the new visitor session, determining a request vector corresponding to the web request, wherein each request vector is derived from the learned parameters of a trained artificial neural network configured to determine a plurality of probabilities from an input web request or an input sequence of web requests, wherein each of the plurality of probabilities represents a likelihood that, within a session containing the input web request of sequence of web requests, a respective one of a plurality of possible web requests will be requested at one or more predetermined locations before or after the input web request or sequence of web requests; and combining the request vectors to obtain a session vector which characterizes the new visitor session.

Abstract: A freezer bag block maker includes two container portions that are removably attachable to form a container. The two container portions are attached along an interface which divides the container into two equal portions along a short side of the container. One or more fasteners such as elastomeric bands join the container portions together such as by surrounding the container portions. A plastic bag is insertable into an interior space defined by the container to retain a food item within the bag in a desired shape as the food item freezes. The bag and frozen items may then be removed from the bag, having the desired frozen shape.

Abstract: An intraoral scanning system is described herein. The intraoral scanning system includes a scanning device and a processing device. The scanning device is configured to illuminate an object of interest with a burst light pattern at one or more intervals and receive a set of reflected images reflected off the object of interest. The processing device is configured to receive the set of reflected images from the scanning device and convert the set of reflected images into a three-dimensional model of the object of interest. The burst light pattern comprises a first image and a second image in succession. One of the first image and the second image is a structured light image and the other of the first image and the second image is an unstructured light image.