A sequence of cards is stored that graphically represents available options within an information system. In addition, supplemental information related to at least one card may be obtained. In response to a single user action, the sequence of cards is successively displayed within a focus area of the user interface. When a card having supplemental information is displayed, the supplemental information is also displayed, either on or near the card. In response to a subsequent user action, the successive display is discontinued to display a particular card representing a selected option.

 A motion-recognition portable terminal and a motion recognition method therefor are provided. In the portable terminal, a motion key starts to create a motion entry, upon activation. A motion detector measures an acceleration along each axis of the portable terminal, upon activation of the motion key. A controller determines whether the motion entry has been completed based on the variation of the each-axis acceleration.

 Methods and apparatus to provide a handheld pointer-based user interface are described herein. An example apparatus includes a wireless pointer component and one or more base components. The wireless pointer component is configured to transmit one or more human-computer interaction (HCI) signals associated with an HCI event via a first communication link. One or more base components are operatively coupled to a screen of a display to receive the one or more HCI signals from the wireless pointer component via the first communication link. Further, the one or more base components are configured to generate at least one of operating information and position information of the wireless pointer component based on the one or more HCI signals, and to transmit the at least one of operating information and position information to a processor configured to generate screen information on the screen of the display via a second communication link.

 Methods and systems are provided for providing an improved three-dimensional graphical user interface. In one embodiment, the method generally comprises: receiving an input from an end user, and capturing computing output from at least one computer source in response to the received end-user input. The computing output can be presented as two or more objects within a three-dimensional virtual space displayed to the end user. In one embodiment, the method further comprises generating a timeline that includes an icon for each object presented within the virtual space. In another embodiment, the method further comprises providing a database for storing and categorizing data regarding each object presented within the virtual space.

 A disclosed Web system includes an image forming apparatus; a communication control device connected to the image forming apparatus and including a print server function; and an information processing apparatus connected via a network and the communication control device to the image forming apparatus and configured to obtain information on the image forming apparatus in the form of Web information from the communication control device. The information processing apparatus includes a Web information request unit configured to send an information request to the communication control device to obtain the Web information, the information request including a language identifier. The communication control device includes a Web information storing unit configured to store the Web information, and a Web information returning unit configured to retrieve the Web information corresponding to the language identifier from the Web information storing unit and to send the retrieved Web information to the information processing apparatus.

 Secure computation environments are protected from bogus or rogue load modules, executables and other data elements through use of digital signatures, seals and certificates issued by a verifying authority. A verifying authority???which may be a trusted independent third party???tests the load modules or other executables to verify that their corresponding specifications are accurate and complete, and then digitally signs the load module or other executable based on tamper resistance work factor classification. Secure computation environments with different tamper resistance work factors use different verification digital signature authentication techniques (e.g., different signature algorithms and/or signature verification keys)???allowing one tamper resistance work factor environment to protect itself against load modules from another, different tamper resistance work factor environment. Several dissimilar digital signature algorithms may be used to reduce vulnerability from algorithm compromise, and subsets of multiple digital signatures may be used to reduce the scope of any specific compromise.

 An integrated medical database system for the emergency medical transportation business. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes a dispatch and demographic module, a clinical module, an administration module and a billing module. Each module may communicate data with one or more of the other modules to form a system incorporating data sharing, thus achieving an end-to-end automation of emergency medical care accounting. Internal consistency checks using specific libraries of modifiable data rules are performed by the system to ensure that proper treatments are performed according to a chosen diagnosis. The system includes a compliance audit module operating on data from the dispatch module and clinical module. The compliance audit module checks to ensure that data is consistent with high risk compliance areas. The results of the compliance audit module are forwarded to the billing module.

 A display configuration associated with displaying information from at least one source is determined using a cost metric. The cost metric is associated with a cost of displaying information from the source.

 A technique for consistently simulating at two different complexities of simulation is described. This technique is particularly relevant to simulation of a creature-like autonomous agent (biological or artificial or hybrid). The model, in the particular case a model of the creature, comprises at least two portions. The first portion contains functions used in both of the different complexities of simulation. The second portion comprises two alternative versions, a first version for use in one complexity of simulation, and a second version for use in the other complexity of simulation.