Abstract: A transactional memory system, method and apparatus are disclosed. An embodiment of the method includes attempting to acquire a write lock provided by an implementation of a software transactional memory (STM) system for each of a set of memory locations of the STM; if a write lock is acquired for each of the set of memory locations, comparing the value in each of the set of memory locations to a corresponding expected value; and if the comparing yields the same, predetermined result for each of the set of memory locations, storing in each memory location a corresponding new value. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for installing and executing shared applications in shared folders. A program is installed by a base computer, having a local storage, to a shared folder accessible to multiple client computers over a network. Installing the program adds files for the program to the shared folder and modifies the local device used by the base computer and enables the base computer to run the program by accessing the program files in the shared folder. An image is created of the local device of the base computer including the installed program. The image is provided to the client computers to apply to local devices of the client computers. Applying the image to the local devices of the client computers enables the client computers to access the program files in the shared folder to run the program.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided for responding a networking request. An initiating communication device, representing an initiating party, sends a networking request to a receiving communication device, representing a user, to request to establish a connection between the initiating party and the user. When the receiving communication device receives the networking request, it identifies the identity of the initiating party. The receiving communication device responds the networking request according to a dynamic social network model with respect to the identity of the initiating party. The response either grants or denies the networking request.

Abstract: A method for evaluating an end-user's subjective assessment of streaming media quality includes obtaining reference data characterizing the media stream, and obtaining altered data characterizing the media stream after the media stream has traversed a channel that includes a network. An objective measure of the QOS of the media stream is then determined by comparing the reference data and the altered data.

Abstract: Devices in a processing system may be managed by performing a first scan of a bus of the processing system from a first partition. In one embodiment, the first scan may discover location information for devices on the bus. A communications hub of the processing system may be programmed to hide at least one of the devices on the bus. After the communications hub is so programmed, the first partition may scan the bus again. A second partition of the processing system may receive location information for one or more of the devices detected in the first scan but not detected in the second scan. In one embodiment, the second partition may boot, and then the communications hub may again be programmed to hide at least one of the devices on the bus. An operating system may then boot on the first partition. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A system for proactive forced renewal of content protection implementations in devices includes a key generation facility to generate and allocate keys for the devices, and to generate revocation data corresponding to revoked keys in response to at least one of a security compromise and on a periodic basis independent of a security compromise; and a device manufacturer to receive the keys from the key generation facility, to embed the keys in content protection implementations for the devices, to distribute the devices, and to renew the content protection implementations in devices after the devices are distributed, in response to at least one of a security compromise and on a periodic basis independent of a security compromise.

Abstract: A processing system has a processor that can operate in a normal ring 0 operating mode and one or more higher ring operating modes above the normal ring 0 operating mode. In addition, the processor can operate in an isolated execution mode. A memory in the processing system may include an ordinary memory area that can be accessed from the normal ring 0 operating mode, as well as an isolated memory area that can be accessed from the isolated execution mode but not from the normal ring 0 operating mode. The processing system may also include an operating system (OS) nub, as well as a key generator. The key generator may generate an OS nub key (OSNK) based at least in part on an identification of the OS nub and a master binding key (BK0) of the platform. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided for coalescing information from a plurality of agents according to priority rules. Each of the agents is associated with a device group that has at least one device and sends information about the at least one device to a priority rules-based coalescing mechanism. Upon receiving information from an agent, the priority rules-based coalescing mechanism retrieves relevant priority rules and coalesces the information according to those retrieved priority rules.

Abstract: Detecting loss of stream cipher synchronization between a transmitter and a receiver in a video processing system may be achieved by receiving, by the receiver, an encrypted video frame from the transmitter, obtaining an encrypted value for a selected pixel in the encrypted video frame, decrypting the encrypted pixel value using a first portion of the receiver's current key stream, re-encrypting the pixel value using a second portion of the receiver's current key stream, sending the re-encrypted pixel value from the receiver to the transmitter, obtaining, by the transmitter, a plaintext value for the selected pixel from a corresponding original video frame and encrypting the plaintext pixel value using a second portion of the transmitter's current key stream, and comparing the re-encrypted pixel value received from the receiver with the encrypted pixel value generated by the transmitter and detecting a loss of cipher synchronization when the values do not match.

Abstract: A method and related apparatuses involve extensible framework interface (EFI) byte code images packaged within extensible markup language (XML) documents. In one embodiment, a processing system obtains an XML document, extracts an EFI byte code (EBC) image from the XML document, and then executes the EBC image. For instance, such a process may be used to obtain configuration code such as an EFI driver from a remote system. Processes are disclosed for retrieving and loading configuration code in pre-boot and runtime environments. Additional embodiments relate to XML files containing EBC images, processing systems that use EBC images from XML documents as configuration code, and processing system that provide XML documents with EBC images to other processing systems. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method involves operations for executing source code instructions expressed in a programming language. The operations comprise receiving a series of source code instructions expressed in a programming language, wherein at least one of the source code instructions includes a command and one or more arguments. In response to receiving the source code instruction, at least part of a stack-based execution stream is built. The stack-based execution stream is also executed. The operation of building at least part of a stack-based execution stream involves storing the instruction's argument on a stack, determining an address for an object code routine corresponding to the instruction's command, and storing the address for said object code routine on the stack. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Network bundles may be processed in a distributed network having a decentralized serving structure. The message bundles may be modified to include a client address. Additionally, each message bundle comprises a plurality of sub-messages, and each sub-message may contain either a link to the output of another sub-message, or a network address. A network device may be implemented to gather responses to the sub-messages from various servers and to organize the responses into a final response to send to the client.

Abstract: A disclosed method involves initializing a performance profiler of a processing system. The performance profiler may include performance profile parameters for a power management policy for the processing system. The method also involves retrieving performance metrics for the processing system from a performance monitoring unit (PMU) of the processing system, in response to a determination that performance details should be collected. A current performance state of the processing system may be determined, based at least in part on the performance profile parameters and the performance metrics from the PMU. The current performance state may then be communicated to a policy manager of the processing system. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Network devices on mobile networks may be configured to improve and optimize packet processing and routing. Specifically, a home agent device may be decomposed into its major functionality, namely processing and routing. Various processors on the device are assigned to specific tasks and each processor may be optimized for its specific tasks, thus improving packet processing and routing. The home agent device may comprise one or more physical components.

Abstract: A processing system may include an operating system (OS) and one or more specialized error handling modules to be registered with the OS after the processing system is powered on. The OS may also include a master policy module. The specialized error handling module may collect error data from a component of the processing system, and may generate abstracted error data, based at least in part on the collected error data. The master policy module may determine a recovery action to be taken, based at least in part on the abstracted error data. The OS may also include an error collection routine that calls one or more specialized error handling modules in response to detecting a hardware error. The error collection routine may also retrieve information from firmware in response to detecting the hardware error. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Protected content distribution is accomplished by a first entity generating a set of asymmetric key pairs, creating a plurality of sets of private keys by selecting a combination of private keys from the set of asymmetric key pairs for each created set, and distributing the sets of private keys to playback devices. A second entity produces protected content including encrypted content and a public key media key block, encrypts a symmetric content key with each public key in the set of asymmetric key pairs to form the public key media key block and encrypts a content title with the symmetric content key to form the encrypted content. A playback device stores one set of private keys, receives the protected content, and decrypts and plays the content title stored in the protected content when a selected one of the set of private keys stored by the playback device successfully decrypts the encrypted symmetric content key stored in the public key media key block of the received protected content.

Abstract: Detection of watermarks in digital content by a system having a recording device and a playback device may be accomplished in such as a way as to improve the interoperability of the recording and playback devices. In one embodiment, a recording device having a first watermark detection component of a first sensitivity for detecting the watermark in digital content, interoperates with a playback device having a second watermark detection component of a second sensitivity for detecting the watermark in a digital content recording made by the recording device; such that the first sensitivity is more sensitive than the second sensitivity.

Abstract: A method of delivering input from a device's remote control to a Java™ application uses asynchronous method invocation in a processing device. The input from the remote control is captured in system-specific (native) code and delivered to a Java™ application asynchronously. This is achieved by calling an event method in the Java™ application in response to the received input signals. The event method is then executed to transfer the input signals from the remote control.

Abstract: A digital signature collection and authentication system includes an ink pen having an ultrasonic transmitter that transmits ultrasonic energy to a plurality of ultrasonic receivers. A computer triangulates the location of the pen versus time to generate the signature shape, and to generate velocity and acceleration data. The pen also includes a pressure sensitive tip to record pressure applied to the pen tip. The pen also includes a higher frequency burst transmitter useful to generate a time reference, and to transmit the pressure information. The computer packetizes the shape, velocity, acceleration, and pressure data with a time stamp and an IP address or phone number, encrypts the packet and sends it to a host computer for authentication.

Abstract: Authenticating a user of an un-trusted computing system, the user having at least one portable computing device coupled to a peripheral device, may be accomplished by randomly generating a temporary password by the portable computing device, sending the temporary password to the peripheral device, rendering the temporary password by the peripheral device for perception by the user, inputting a password, by the user, into the un-trusted computing system, receiving, by the portable computing device, the password input by the user from the un-trusted computing system, and allowing access to the portable computing device using the un-trusted computing system when the temporary password matches the user-inputted password. In one embodiment, the peripheral device may be a small form factor device worn by the user. In one embodiment, the user may carry or have immediate access to multiple portable computing devices.