Abstract: An authentication system for authenticating products at point-of-release, the system including housing the products in respective containers having respective unique product identifiers, e.g., numbers or codes, storing in an authentication database data relating to the product identifiers, reading at a trusted location terminal the data from one of the product identifiers, communicating at least some of the data read from the product identifier to the authentication database and comparing data of the product identifier with data of the authentication database so as to authenticate the corresponding product.

Abstract: In an information retrieval and display system, an interface unit receives signals from a hand-held control unit and controls the information displayed on a display. The information available for display is arranged in a tree structure. The interface unit is arranged to scroll through the currently displayed information in a first direction at a speed related to the displacement of the control unit in a first direction, to scroll through the currently displayed information in a second direction at a speed related to the displacement of the control unit in a second direction, to display information from a lower level in the tree in response to movement of the control unit in a third direction, and to display information from a higher level in the tree in response to movement of the control unit in a fourth direction.