Abstract: A hood (16) of an upper body garment (10) is selectively retained and deployed. A first retention element (18) is provided on a main garment portion (14), a second retention element (20) is provided on the hood (16) and optionally, a third retention element (28) is provided on a helmet (16). The garment (10) can be worn like a conventional garment, with the hood (16) up or down, but when the hood (16) is down, it is retained place behind the wearer's back, by magnetic attachment of the first and second retention elements (18,20). The hood (16) can also be worn over the helmet (26) and can be held in place by magnetic attachment of the third retention element (28) on the helmet (26), to the second retention element (20) on the hood (16).

Abstract: A hood (16) of an upper body garment (10) is selectively retained and deployed. A first retention element (18) is provided on a main garment portion (14), a second retention element (20) is provided on the hood (16) and optionally, a third retention element (28) is provided on a helmet (16). The garment (10) can be worn like a conventional garment, with the hood (16) up or down, but when the hood (16) is down, it is retained place behind the wearer's back, by magnetic attachment of the first and second retention elements (18,20). The hood (16) can also be worn over the helmet (26) and can be held in place by magnetic attachment of the third retention element (28) on the helmet (26), to the second retention element (20) on the hood (16).

Abstract: Protective wear such as a glove comprises a textile fabric substrate with elements of a synthetic plastics material that hardens on being subjected to impact, injection molded onto the fabric. The glove has a row of elements along each digit and some of the elements have recesses in them to provide space for the knuckles and finger joints of the hand.

Abstract: A wrench stabilizing system, wherein the wrench has an insertion opening machined on an exterior surface of the wrench head which extends throughout a length of the wrench head. A stabilizing portion is inserted through the insertion opening on the wrench head, and effectively stabilizes and supports a wrench in a use position and prevents rotation of the pipe being worked on, while at the same time, enabling a worker to operate another wrench in the process.

Abstract: A wrench stabilizing system, wherein the wrench has an insertion opening machined on an exterior surface of the wrench head which extends throughout a length of the wrench head. A stabilizing portion is inserted through the insertion opening on the wrench head, and effectively stabilizes and supports a wrench in a use position and prevents rotation of the pipe being worked on, while at the same time, enabling a worker to operate another wrench in the process.

Abstract: A door opener with a miniature handle sized for operating solely with a pinky minimizes the transfer of germs by reducing the area of the hand in contact with the door opener and limiting contact to a part of the hand less likely to transfer germs to the nose, eyes and mouth. A method for making current door openers more sanitary involves adding a handle sized for operating solely with a pinky. A stackable hand protector shaped like a pilgrim's or witch's hat with a broad rim prevents all contact with the miniature handle.

Abstract: Holders for tablet computers which enable their attachment to vertical and horizontal surfaces, doors, bed frames, kitchen cabinets, the bottom of cabinets and tables, and refrigerators for storage, charging or so that the tablet computer is held in a position for reading while freeing both hands. One holder describes utilizes a modified tablet computer case as the mechanism for securing the tablet computer in the holder.

Abstract: Aids for improving the use of computing devices incorporating touch sensitive screens and other computing devices, including a method for correcting words incorrectly entered into a computing device which has the steps of: selecting as the word to be corrected one of the one or more words displayed on a computing device display screen during use of text entry software; entering text correction mode and leaving the text entry program; displaying the characters comprising the word to be corrected in such a way that each character can be selected individually by the user; selecting a character to be corrected or deleted, or a character adjacent where a missing character(s) will be inserted; correcting the character selected in the previous step (which can include deleting the character selected) or inserting a character(s); optionally repeating the last two steps to correct additional characters until the word selected to be corrected is changed to a corrected word to which no more changes or corrections need to

Abstract: Rules of operation for a first keyboard having a small number of keys based which exploit user familiarity with the physical layout and operation of a second keyboard having a much greater number of keys. The second keyboard is a familiar keyboard such as a QWERTY keyboard or a phone keypad, and the rules of operation for the first keyboard reflect the location of the keys of the second keyboard that are used to enter specific text characters and how those keys are operated to enter them. This method can apply to keyboards operating under predictive text algorithms, and enables modification of existing predictive text algorithms by enabling correction of incorrect guesses starting at different points in a guessed word, including from the first letter in the word. The rules of operation enable construction of keyboards with very few keys that are easy to master and efficient to operate.

Abstract: Ergonomic keyboards incorporating cursor control or scrolling devices where they can be operated with minimal movement of the hands from the home row. The keyboards are peripheral keyboards or are part of a notebook computer or kiosk. Cursor control and scrolling devices are incorporated among the letter and number keys of the keyboard or in the front side of the keyboard housing. Included are keyboards where a graphical pointing device and the mouse buttons associated with it are in different planes, one on the top side of a keyboard housing, the other in the housing's front side. Some ergonomic keyboards incorporate multiple cursor control and scrolling devices. Improved cursor control devices increase the ergonomics of the keyboards. These improvements include improved arrangements and forms of mouse buttons and stick-type cursor control devices that operate as four-way navigation devices.

Abstract: The present invention is a keyboard in which the aspect ratio of the keyboard, front to back relative to the side to side dimension is significantly less than that of current keyboards which is achieved by staggering the heights of the rows of keys from front to back to give a users fingers additional clearance. Other methods of enhancing typability on small and miniature keyboards is also disclosed.