Abstract: A system and method for negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers. Users can obtain Internet bandwidth, for example, through a server or website or by direct communications with an Internet access point such as, for example, a WIFI access point.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers. Users can buy or bid for Internet bandwidth, for example, through a server or website or by direct communications with an Internet access point such as, for example, a WIFI access point.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring at least one of the level and the velocity of a media in a channel, the apparatus including a remote measuring device which comprises: a sensing unit having at least one sensing assembly arranged to measure at least one of the level and the velocity of the media, a two-wire interface arranged to receive power from an external power source and permit data transfer between the sensing assembly and an external control unit over the two-wire interface, an energy store for storing energy transmitted to the measurement device over the two-wire interface, a controller, and characterised in that the remote measuring device further comprises: an indicator means for providing in-situ feedback to a user on the status of the measuring device, and a switching means which is operable in response to signals from the controller to selectively connect each of the sensing unit and the indicator means to the energy store.

Abstract: A system for the detection of a rate of flow or a level of a fluid or the presence of an object, such as a PIG, in pipelines, comprising at least one detection device that includes: a sensor assembly arranged to detect the rate of flow or level of a fluid withing a section of a pipeline or the presence of a pig located along the section of pipeline where the device is located, a power store, a position determining module, a radio frequency receiver, and a radio frequency transmitter, in which the detection device has a sleep mode in which the sensor assembly is inactive and has a first power consumption and an active mode in which the sensor assembly is active and the detection device has a second, higher, power consumption when the sensor assembly of the device is actively detecting, the device in the active mode also being arranged to transmit signals from the transmitter that are indicative of the detected property of the fluid or presence of an apparatus along the section of the pipeline; and in which the

Abstract: Techniques are provided for creating, organizing, and maintaining a sharded database. A sharded database can be created using user-defined sharding, system-managed sharding, or composite sharding. The sharded database is implemented with relational database techniques. The techniques described provide improvements to load distribution, organization, query processing, and schema propagation in a sharded database.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers. Users can buy or bid for Internet bandwidth, for example, through a server or website or by direct communications with an Internet access point such as, for example, a WIFI access point.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers. Users can buy or bid for Internet bandwidth, for example, through a server or website or by direct communications with an Internet access point such as, for example, a WIFI access point.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for creating, organizing, and maintaining a sharded database. A sharded database can be created using user-defined sharding, system-managed sharding, or composite sharding. The sharded database is implemented with relational database techniques. The techniques described can be used for load distribution, organization, query processing, and schema propagation in a sharded database.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for creating, organizing, and maintaining a sharded database. A sharded database can be created using user-defined sharding, system-managed sharding, or composite sharding. The sharded database is implemented with relational database techniques. The techniques described provide improvements to load distribution, organization, query processing, and schema propagation in a sharded database.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for creating, organizing, and maintaining a sharded database. A sharded database can be created using user-defined sharding, system-managed sharding, or composite sharding. The sharded database is implemented with relational database techniques. The techniques described provide improvements to load distribution, organization, query processing, and schema propagation in a sharded database.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for creating, organizing, and maintaining a sharded database. A sharded database can be created using user-defined sharding, system-managed sharding, or composite sharding. The sharded database is implemented with relational database techniques. The techniques described provide improvements to load distribution, organization, query processing, and schema propagation in a sharded database.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for creating, organizing, and maintaining a sharded database. A sharded database can be created using user-defined sharding, system-managed sharding, or composite sharding. The sharded database is implemented with relational database techniques. The techniques described can be used for load distribution, organization, query processing, and schema propagation in a sharded database.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying content controlled by a user includes a server generating a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface receiving user input for controlling the server. A projector receives the graphical user interface from the server over a network and projects a projection of the graphical user interface on a surface, the projector adapted to move the projection vertically and horizontally on the surface based on the user input. A controller automatically adjusts the projection to compensate for an angle of display of the projection so the projection is shown on the surface in a predetermined shape. A pointer is operated by the user and provides the user input, the user able to use the pointer to move the projection along the surface with a click when the pointer is at a position on the projection.

Abstract: System and method for displaying and managing content includes a database of content that a user may access, select and pay for. The content is distributed to a projection device and the user is able to control the projection with the use of a pointing device.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers. Users can buy or bid for Internet bandwidth, for example, through a server or website or by direct communications with an Internet access point such as, for example, a WIFI access point.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers.

Abstract: System and method for displaying and managing content includes a database of content that a user may access, select and pay for. The content is distributed to a projection device and the user is able to control the projection with the use of a pointing device.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for backing up data to a database are provided. A specified data set to be backed up is broken down into a plurality of data blocks, each data block is associated with a data block digest, and the data blocks and associated data block digests are stored in the database. When one or more data blocks are subsequently changed, an update to the backup may be performed by adding to the backup data only the data blocks that have changed since the initial backup. Methods and apparatuses for restoring backup data from a database are also provided. Timestamp information associated with the data blocks in the database is used to select the data blocks to be restored.

Abstract: A personal drying apparatus comprises a casing, an air heater in the casing, two fans, one to each side of the casing, for blowing two parallel streams of air heated by the air heater onto the person to be dried from two heated air outlets located in the front of the casing, an air intake located in the casing between the heated air outlets and an infra-red source for directing the infra-red rays onto the person being dried to supplement the drying achieved by the heated air flow.