Abstract: In various embodiments, one or more real musical instruments may be used to interact with a program (e.g., a game or learning application) on a digital device such as a game console. A method may comprise receiving a music signal from a port of a real musical instrument, formatting the music signal for transmission to a digital device, wherein the formatted music signal comprises an instrument identifier, and wirelessly transmitting the formatted music signal.

Abstract: A snow and ice control composition and a process for employing said composition to improve traction on ice and snow covered surfaces. The composition comprising a particulate calcined montmorillonite clay, ammonium nitrate, and water does not promote corrosion of metals and is not harmful to vegetation.

Abstract: As a tall-oil-soap skimming aid, there is added to black liquor resulting from the pulping of coniferous trees a terpolymer of (a) an alpha-beta-unsaturated acid, (2) an alkylate of an alpha-beta-unsaturated acid, and (3) allyl alcohol. The acid contains 3 to 4 carbon atoms and comprises about 60 to about 88 percent by weight of the terpolymer. The alkylate comprises about 6 to 28 parts by weight of the terpolymer, being an ester of the abovementioned acids, the ester having an alkyl portion containing 1 to 18 carbon atoms. Allyl-alcohol units are present in the terpolymer to an extent of 4.5 to 20 weight percent. The terpolymer can be produced by free-radical polymerization in accordance with the customary procedures. With the use of such a copolymer, the proportion of tall oil recovered from black liquor is very substantially increased.