Abstract: Starch-based extruded food products and methods for manufacturing starch-based extruded food products, such as snacks, are disclosed. For example, a starch-based dough may be extruded, cut, and cooked to form a starch-based extruded food product with a rigid extruded body. The cooking process may include baking and/or frying the cut extrusion. The rigid extruded body of the starch-based extruded food product is made up of bodies or segments coupled at joints. The rigid extruded bodies are configured such that bodies of the rigid extruded body may be broken off or separated at the joints to be consumed.

Abstract: A method of processing raw sugar cane juice, comprising: reducing the pH of the sugar cane juice to a pH at which microbiological activity is substantially eliminated; separating chlorophyll from the sugar cane juice; separating particles having a diameter greater than 0.5 microns from the sugar cane juice; denaturing polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in the sugar cane juice by pasteurisation; separating the denatured polyphenol oxidase from the sugar cane juice.

Abstract: A method of production of a homogeneous powdered product from a starting product in a liquid state, the starting product having sugars as at least 60% of its total solids, the method comprising: in the absence of air; pressurizing the starting product to a pressure greater than 1 bar; injecting a gas into the starting product to form a mixture in which the starting product is substantially saturated by the gas; and degassing the mixture into a continuous stream of transport gas such that, on contact with the transport gas, water from the mixture evaporates to leave the homogeneous powdered product.

Abstract: A method of production of a homogeneous powdered product from a starting product in a liquid state, the starting product having sugars as at least 60% of its total solids, the method comprising: in the absence of air: pressurizing the starting product to a pressure greater than 1 bar; injecting a gas into the starting product to form a mixture in which the starting product is substantially saturated by the gas; and degassing the mixture into a continuous stream of transport gas such that, on contact with the transport gas, water from the mixture evaporates to leave the homogeneous powdered product.

Abstract: A computing device and computer-implemented method for creating and storing notes. The computing device can receive a user input from a user to begin execution of a first application. In response to receiving the user input, the computing device can execute the first application in a foreground of the computing device and determine if the user has associated, in a note storage application, a stored note with the first application based on the first application and the user. When the user has associated the stored note with the first application in the note storage application, the computing device can further execute the note storage application in a background of the computing device and display a user interface element in the user interface of the first application, wherein the user interface element indicates a presence of the stored note associated with the first application.

Abstract: A power adapter to supply power at an output. The power adapter has a programmable gain compensation trim function. In some examples, the gain compensation trim function is a negative gain compensation trim function, and the output of plural power adapters are connected together to form a power supply.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for use with power supplies. A controller regulates power supply output by way of feedback signaling. Current pulses generated by an electrical load are detected in the feedback signaling and are processed to derive a sequence of digital bits. The digital bits are subjected to validity testing and decoded as digital data. Operations of the power supply are adjusted and requests for information are answered in accordance with the digital data.

Abstract: A power adapter to supply power at an output. The power adapter has a programmable gain compensation trim function. In some examples, the gain compensation trim function is a negative gain compensation trim function, and the output of plural power adapters are connected together to form a power supply.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for use with power supplies. A controller regulates power supply output by way of feedback signaling. Current pulses generated by an electrical load are detected in the feedback signaling and are processed to derive a sequence of digital bits. The digital, bits are subjected to validity testing and decoded as digital data. Operations of the power supply are adjusted and requests for information are answered in accordance with the digital data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of a powdered product from a product in the liquid state in the form of a solution-, suspension- or emulsion-type mixture in an aqueous medium. According to the invention, during the first step (E1) of the method, the product in the liquid state is transformed into a product in the viscous state. The invention is characterised in that it includes at least one overrun step (E2, E4) and at least one product-drying step (E3, E6) comprising at least a first step (E3) involving thermomechanical treatment with at last one thermomechanical treatment machine into which the viscous state product and a determined amount of powered product from the same family as the liquid state product are injected simultaneously. The treatment machine is configured to mix the viscous state product and the powdered product such as to produce solidified particles of the product upon contact with the ambient air.

Abstract: Methods of providing duplex free-space optical, communication comprising receiving a time-shift keying (TSK) encoded signal and selectively re-modulating—and optionally retro-reflecting —received TSK pulses so as to transmit an on-off keying (OOK) signal wherein modulation is achieved by operating a micro-opto-electronic mechanical system (MOEMS) device having a oscillation period, the difference in timing between logic 1 and logic 0 pulses of the TSK encoded signal being such that each pulse arrives at a time within a single MOEMS device oscillation period chosen to ensure high or low transmissivity through the MOEMS device independent of incident TSK encoded signal pulse value (0 or 1).

Abstract: The invention provides a mould (80) comprising first (82), second (84) and third (86) cuboid moulds elements, each having a pair of adjacent rectangular faces which are planar and polished flat and which intersect at 270° to a high tolerance. Each mould element has a length dimension substantially twice its width dimension so that the mould elements may be arranged to form two accurate internal corner-cubes having flat, planar surfaces suitable for moulding. The apexes of the two internal corner-cubes are co-located. Pairs of adjacent mould elements are clamped in contact with each other by means of bolts (88) and washers (89). The mould may be used to produce a component having a very accurate solid corner-cube, whilst the mould elements themselves are relatively simple to fabricate because each is required to have only a pair of adjacent rectangular surfaces which are flat and planar and which intersect at 270° to a high tolerance.

Abstract: Wavefront sensing apparatus comprises a beam splitter (106) for combining a wavefront to be characterised (105) with a frequency-shifted plane wavefront (111) and a bundle of optical fibres (112) arranged to detect the combined beam at a plurality of positions across the combined beam. Output from individual fibres of the bundle are detected to produce corresponding heterodyne signals, the phases of which are extracted by demodulation. By fitting the extracted phases to an assumed functional form for the phase of the wavefront to be characterised, the piston, tip, tilt and radius of curvature phase parameters of the wave-front to be characterised may be found at the position of the fibre bundle. In contrast, prior art methods of wavefront characterisation only allow the piston phase of the wavefront to be characterised to be obtained.

Abstract: An optical tag (200) comprises a chalcogenide glass corner-cube reflector (202) bonded to a silicon MEMS modulator (206) by means of a glass material (214) having a lower softening temperature than that of the reflector. The tag is provided with AR coatings (210, 212). The invention provides a robust, integrated and compact optical tag having a wide field of view and low manufacturing costs.

Abstract: A micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) electro optical modulator (2) having an electrically tuneable optical resonator comprising an asymmetric Fabry-Perot etalon incorporating a mirror (10) resiliency biased with respect to a substrate (13) and moveable in relation thereto in response to a voltage applied there-between. The optical modulator (2) is capable of modulating electromagnetic radiation having a plurality of wavelengths. The modulator is adapted to modulate the transmission of short wave infrared radiation (SWIR), medium wave infrared radiation (MWIR) and long wave infrared radiation (LWIR) and the reflection of visible radiation. A spatial optical modulator having a plurality of said MOEMS optical modulators (2). A method of addressing said spatial optical modulator.

Abstract: An apparatus in an example comprises an integrated circuit and one or more resistors. The integrated circuit comprises an internal current source and an external interface pin. The one or more resistors arc external to the integrated circuit and coupled with the external interface pin of the integrated circuit. Application of current from the internal current source of the integrated circuit to the one or more resistors through the external interface pin serves to generate a voltage that is employed to identify the integrated circuit.

Abstract: An optical modulator comprising a spacing-controllable etalon having at least one sprung micro-mirror suspended above a substrate. At least one electrically insulating stop is provided between the micro-mirror and the substrate to avoid short-circuit when the micro-mirror is drawn towards the substrate by an applied voltage. An optical detector detects the time of arrival of a first laser pulse. A control circuit predicts from this an arrival time of the next incident laser pulse and, responsive to a control signal, either retains the micro-mirror in its pulled-down state held against the insulating stops or releases the micro-mirror at a time predicted to maximise or minimise the light transmitted through the modulator. After a time interval calculated to permit a predetermined number of mechanical oscillations, the micro-mirror is pulled back down onto the stops.

Abstract: An apparatus in an example comprises an integrated circuit and one or more resistors. The integrated circuit comprises an internal current source and an external interface pin. The one or more resistors arc external to the integrated circuit and coupled with the external interface pin of the integrated circuit. Application of current from the internal current source of the integrated circuit to the one or more resistors through the external interface pin serves to generate a voltage that is employed to identify the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) electro optical modulator (2) having an electrically tuneable optical resonator comprising an asymmetric Fabry-Perot etalon incorporating a mirror (10) resiliency biased with respect to a substrate (13) and moveable in relation thereto in response to a voltage applied there-between. The optical modulator (2) is capable of modulating electromagnetic radiation having a plurality of wavelengths. The modulator is adapted to modulate the transmission of short wave infrared radiation (SWIR), medium wave infrared radiation (MWIR) and long wave infrared radiation (LWIR) and the reflection of visible radiation. A spatial optical modulator having a plurality of said MOEMS optical modulators (2). A method of addressing said spatial optical modulator.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting angle of incidence of an optical beam. The apparatus employs two optical detectors, the first of which has placed in front of it a coating or layer which exhibits an angle-dependent optical transmission characteristic distinct from that of the light path in front of the second detector. The difference in a characteristic of the light received at the respective detectors therefore provides an indication of the angle of incidence of the light beam. The angle detector may be used particularly, though not exclusively, in conjunction with free space optical communications systems.