Affordable methods and apparatus are disclosed for inputting position, attitude or other object characteristic data to computers for the purpose of Computer Aided Design, Painting, Medicine, Teaching, Gaming, Toys, Simulations, Aids to the disabled, and internet or other experiences. At least one cross member overlays each of the slats and presents a decorative cross surface with side cross flanges projecting rearwardly. The encoding includes determining a target segment size, determining a window size, identifying a fingerprint within a window of symbols at an offset in the input data, determining whether the offset is to be designated as a cut point and segmenting the input data as indicated by the set of cut points. Combining memory devices of different types allows utilizing the favorable properties of each type of the memory devices, while hiding their unfavorable properties from the memory controller. The emitters extend through the extrinsic base layer and the silicide layer to contact the intrinsic base layer. The inlet is located in the upper part of the container, which is adjoined by a tube essentially crossing through the container interior, and on the free end of the tube, a valve is disposed, which limits the level of the water supplied via the tube in such a way that the container bottom in the container interior is essentially covered with water.