Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical fixation device to mount on bone. This device does not utilize screws and achieves stability via applying force to the inner wall of the bore and is therefore faster, easier to use, and less user dependent. The device facilitates fast, easy anchoring system for use with other devices that require rigid fixation to bone. The device provides for intermittent mounting of tools, equipment, and/or accessories to a cylindrical bore in bone for use in surgical applications without compromising surrounding bine structure such as done by the use of bone screws. Rigid fixation to bone is a common requirement for surgical procedures for placement of tools, monitoring systems, positional systems, or used as fiducial markers. The present fixation device removably mounts on bone without the disadvantages associated with bone screws and other fixation devices.

Abstract: In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method including: aggregating data for use in an interoperable P2P application; transferring funds from a user's account associated with a first disparate P2P funding application to fund an account associated with the interoperable P2P application; transferring the funds from the account associated with the interoperable P2P application to an account associated with a second disparate P2P application; initiating a transfer of the funds from the user's account associated with a second disparate P2P application to a colleague's account associated with the second disparate P2P application; and recording transactions carried out by the interoperable P2P application in a ledger system associated with the interoperable P2P application.

Abstract: An instrument (2) for aligning a surgical tool, the instrument (2) comprising, a body portion (4) having a tool guide (90), first and second arms (6), (8) operatively connected to the body portion (4) and adapted to engage a bone, and urging means (10), acting between the body portion (4) and the first and second arms (6), (8), for urging the first and second arms (6), (8) into engagement with a predetermined portion of a bone, thereby clamping the arms (6), (8) onto the bone and aligning the tool guide (90) with the bone.

Abstract: A surgical device includes a first portion and a second portion. The first and second portions are releasably connected together by cooperating first and second formations. The first formation may be formed on the first portion. The second formation includes a resilient arm which is formed on the second portion and engages the first formation on the first portion. The resilient arm may be integrally formed with the second portion.

Abstract: An instrument (2) for aligning a surgical tool, the instrument (2) comprising, a body portion (4) having a tool guide (90), first and second arms (6), (8) operatively connected to the body portion (4) and adapted to engage a bone, and urging means (10), acting between the body portion (4) and the first and second arms (6), (8), for urging the first and second arms (6), (8) into engagement with a predetermined portion of a bone, thereby clamping the arms (6), (8) onto the bone and aligning the tool guide (90) with the bone.

Abstract: A Hard Disk Recorder (HDR) (3) is arranged to receive signals signals defining television programmes and television programme schedule data. The HDR receives updated programme schedule data substantially constantly in a dedicated programme schedule data channel. The HDR is arranged to output the programme schedule data for display on a television screen (2). The HDR comprises a hard disk (16) for recording received television programmes. A remote control (28) is provided to select television programmes to be recorded from the displayed programme schedule. Furthermore, the HDR is arranged to receive additional programme schedule information included in each of the received television channels which information is used to control the hard disk to record pre-programmed television programmes according to schedule. The hard disk is operable to record simultaneously two different television programmes received in different channels. Also, the HDR is operable to replay a currently broadcast programme offset in time.

Abstract: A traffic announcement system for a motor vehicle utilizes a vehicular navigation system covering a geographical area, a receiver that receives traffic announcement signals, an in-vehicle audio system for presenting to a driver of the vehicle the received traffic announcements, and a controller linked to the navigation system and to the receiver. Via the controller the driver of the vehicle can selectively suppress the presentation of at least some traffic announcements. The controller includes a user input by which the driver identifies particular routes or localities within the geographical area covered by the navigation system for which traffic announcements are to be selectively suppressed. The controller then automatically suppresses the traffic announcements when the vehicle is on the identified routes or within the identified localities. The driver can also input selected time ranges when traffic announcements are to be suppressed.

Abstract: A Hard Disk Recorder (HDR) receives signals defining television programmes and programme schedule data. The HDR receives updated programme schedule data substantially constantly in a dedicated programme schedule data channel and outputs this data for display on a television screen. The HDR comprises a hard disk for recording programmes. A remote control selects programmes for recording from the displayed schedule. The HDR also receives schedule information included in each of the received television channels which information is used to control the hard disk to record pre-programmed programmes. The hard disk can simultaneously record two different television programmes received in different channels and to replay a currently broadcast programme offset in time. The HDR also receives transition signals indicating transitions between parts of programmes, such as advertisements and the “actual” programmes, which can be used to skip between transitions in recorded programmes replayed from the hard disk.

Abstract: A surgical device includes a first portion and a second portion. The first and second portions are releasably connected together by cooperating first and second formations. The first formation may be formed on the first portion. The second formation includes a resilient arm which is formed on the second portion and engages the first formation on the first portion. The resilient arm may be integrally formed with the second portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical media system (40) for suppressing externally induced rattle of an optical media pickup. The system (40) comprises: an optical pickup (41) for reading from and/or writing to an optical storage medium (43), the optical pickup (41) having one or more sources of light (61), an objective lens (2), a focus and/or tracking actuator (1) for moving the lens (2) to focus and/or track the light on the optical medium (43) and mechanical limits to limit the focus and/or tracking movement of the lens (2); and an actuator controller (58) for controlling the actuator (1) and hence the focus and/or tracking position of the lens (2), characterised in that the actuator controller (58) actively controls the lens position when the optical pickup (41) is not being used with the optical medium (43).