What is claimed is:
1. A method of presenting a unified view of a first message sent to a first mailbox on a second client using a low cost communication channel and a high cost communication channel, the first mailbox coupled by a first communication channel to a first client, the first client having a second communication channel with a second mailbox and a low cost communication channel with the second client, the second client capable of being coupled in communication with the second mailbox using the high cost communication channel, the method comprising:
receiving the first message at the first client;
generating a distinguishing identifier for the first message;
sending at least a portion of the first message and the distinguishing identifier to the second mailbox using the second communication channel;
responsive to an action on the first message on the first client, creating a second message including the distinguishing identifier and a description of the action;
sending the second message to the second mailbox using the second communication channel;
selectably updating the unified view of the first message on the second client using either the high cost communication channel or the low cost communication channel.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectably updating the unified view further comprises:
using the low cost communication channel when the second client is coupled in communication with the first client;
updating the unified view of the first message on the second client using the at least a portion of the first message and the action;
removing the at least a portion of the first message and the second message from the second mailbox after updating the unified view.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectably updating the unified view further comprises:
using the high cost communication channel when the second client is coupled in communication with the second mailbox;
receiving the at least a portion of the first message on the second client from the second mailbox;
receiving the second message on the second client using the second message; and
updating the unified view of the first message on the second client using the second message.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the high cost communication channel comprises a wireless communication channel.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the low cost communication channel comprises a synchronization communication channel.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises at least one of reading the first message, replying to the first message, forwarding the first message, classifying the first message, and deleting the first message.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message includes an attachment, and wherein the at least a portion of the first message comprises a predetermined amount of the first message without the attachment.
8. An apparatus for presenting a unified view of a first message sent to a first mailbox on a second client using a low cost communication channel and a high cost communication channel, the first mailbox coupled by a first communication channel to a first client, the first client having a second communication channel with a second mailbox and a low cost communication channel with a second client, the second client capable of being coupled in communication with the second mailbox using the high cost communication channel, the method comprising:
means for receiving the message at the first client;
means for generating a distinguishing identifier for the first message;
means for sending at least a portion of the first message and the distinguishing identifier to the second mailbox using the second communication channel;
means for creating a second message including the distinguishing identifier and a description of the action responsive to an action on the first message on the first client;
means for sending the second message to the second mailbox using the second communication channel;
means for selectably updating the unified view of the first message on the second client using either the high cost communication channel or the low cost communication channel.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for generating a distinguishing identifier for the first message comprises:
means for generating a string with an address corresponding to the first mailbox;
means for generating an increasing number; and
means for adding a header to the first message, the header including the increasing number and the string.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for generating a distinguishing identifier for the first message comprises means for computing a secure hash of a portion of the first message.
11. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:
a computer program for a unifier, the computer program including
a first set of instructions for accessing a first message;
a second set of instructions for attaching a distinguishing identifier to the first message;
a third set of instructions for sending at least a portion of the first message and the distinguishing identifier to a second mailbox;
a fourth set of instructions for creating a second message including the distinguishing identifier and a description of the action responsive to an action on the first message;
a fifth set of instructions for sending the second message to the second mailbox;
a sixth set of instructions for selectably updating the unified view of the message on a second client using either a high cost communication channel or a low cost communication channel.
12. The computer data signal of claim 11, wherein the computer program further includes a seventh set of instructions for accepting signals to control use of the high cost communication channel and the low cost communication channel.
13. The computer data signal of claim 12, wherein the seventh set of instructions further comprises an eighth set of instructions for defining a filter, the filter for selecting whether the first message should be updated using the high cost communication channel.
14. The computer data signal of claim 12, wherein the seventh set of instructions further comprises an eighth set of instructions for translating an attachment included in the first message from a first format into a second format.
15. The computer data signal of claim 11, wherein the third set of instructions further comprises a seventh set of instructions for automatically summarizing messages larger than a predetermined size.
16. A computer program product comprising:
a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein including an interface to a mail agent on a client and a unifier, the interface permitting the unifier to access a message on the client and update the view of the message in the mail agent on the client.
17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the interface comprises a messaging application programming interface compliant interface.
18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the unifier can selectively update a unified view of a message on a second client using either a high cost communication channel or a low cost communication channel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An assembly comprising:
at least one electrical device; the at least one electrical device being operatively connected to a support;
at least one movable solar element for creating electric power from solar power;
at least one battery for storing electricity generated by the solar element;
at least one wind vane operatively associated with the support;
at least one energy converter for generating electric power from the at least one wind vane; and
at least one shaft operatively connected to the at least one energy converter and the support;
the at least one energy converter being operatively connected to the at least one battery for storing electric power therein;
wherein the at least one movable solar element is movably positioned so as to increase exposure to the sun.
2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrical device comprises an LED and further comprising a light detector; the light detector controlling the operation of the LED.
3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one energy converter comprises a generator.
4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one energy converter comprises at least one generator and wherein the support is operatively associated with a shaft for rotation thereon; and wherein the support has a plurality of wind vanes operatively associated therewith which cause the support to rotate and causes the shaft to rotate which causes the at least one generator to generate electric power.
5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one wind vane comprises a plurality of wind vanes operatively associated with the support to form a wind turbine; the support being operatively associated with the shaft; the shaft being operatively associated with the at least one energy converter, such that when the energy converter is in a first mode, the wind causes the wind turbine to turn and the energy coverter operates to generate electricity, and when the energy converter is in the second mode, the energy converter causes rotation of the support to rotate the at least one electrical device.
6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one energy converter comprises a motor which rotates the support.
7. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one strobe element which causes the at least one electrical device to turn on and off.
8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the strobe element is operatively associated with the shaft; whereby as the shaft rotates the strobe element makes contact intermittently causing intermittent operation of the at least one electrical device.
9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one solar element and the support are supported by the shaft; the shaft being pivotally mounted to a pivot which is driven by a second motor,
whereby through the operation of the second motor the solar element surface is positioned to absorb sunlight from the sun as the sun rises and sets.
10. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a cover operatively associated with the support and a wind direction detector operatively associated with the cover causing the cover to turn when the wind changes direction; and wherein the at least one vane comprises a plurality of wind vanes operatively associated with the support to cause rotation thereof; and wherein the wind causes the support to rotate, the cover covers the wind vanes for which the force of the wind is in a direction opposite to the rotation of the vanes.
11. The assembly of claim 9 further comprising a controller which is programmable which controls the operation of the first and second motors.
12. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a controller for controlling the energy converter for selectively changing the energy converter from a first mode as a generator to a second mode as a motor.
13. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor and wherein the energy converter operates in a first mode when the wind is causing the support to turn and operates in a second mode in response to the temperature sensor to generate air flow to cool the assembly.
14. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising an ambient light condition detector and wherein the at least one electrical device is activated by ambient light condition detector.
15. An assembly comprising:
at least one electrical device, the at least one electrical device being operatively associated with at least one support;
at least one solar element for creating electric power from solar power; the at least one solar element being movably mounted;
at least one energy storage device for storing electricity generated by the solar element;
at least one energy converter operatively associated with the at least one storage device; and
at least one shaft operatively connected to the at least one energy converter and the support; the at least one energy converter operating to generate electricity when the support rotates;
the at least one wind vane operatively associated with the at least one support; the at least one wind vane operative to turn in response to wind.
16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the electrical device rotates when the at least one solar element rotates.
17. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the at least one solar element is controlled by a timing device and moves to optimize exposure to sunlight.
18. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the energy converter comprises a generator.
19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the energy converter comprises a motor.