Abstract: The technology comprises a server configured to distribute content items for display. The server is configured to receive a content item to be displayed in conjunction with one or more electronic documents on user computing devices, the content item being associated with one or more keywords, and a request to serve a content item in connection with an electronic document, the request comprising one or more keyword search terms associated with a search query. The server determines that the one or more keyword search terms comprises a specific keyword associated with the content item based on a comparison of the one or more keyword search terms to one or more keywords associated with the content item. Based on the determination that the keyword search terms comprise the specific keyword, the server provides the content item to the user computing device to display in conjunction with the electronic document.

Abstract: The technology comprises a server configured to create content items based on received template data. The server is configured to receive a request from a content provider to create a content item associated with a product to be displayed in conjunction with electronic documents on user computing devices. The server receives a request to serve a content item comprising one or more keyword search terms associated with a search query. The server receives a content item template and data related to the product. The server selects at least one item of data to include in the content item based on conditions of the request and creates the content item based on the selected at least one item of data. The server provides the content item to the user computing device to display in conjunction with the electronic document.

Abstract: Identifying an advertisement template including a placeholder; identifying rules for creating or identifying content for the placeholder; using the rules and the advertisement template, determining content for the placeholder; and, using the content, creating an advertisement.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing entities using observations. In one aspect, a method includes receiving data identifying an entity; generating a user interface document that, when rendered by a user device, presents a plurality of attribute values to a user and allows the user to modify one or more of the plurality of attribute values; and storing an observation in a data store, the observation including a user-modified value of one of the plurality of attribute values and a context including one or more of the presented attribute values.

Abstract: Provided are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing query rewrites and autocompletions based on environmental contexts, such as the current time, the current weather, social networking recommendations, the presence at a location of a contact associated with the user, current events, or other contexts. A query is received from a user and environmental context data is retrieved. Next query suggestions, such as query rewrites and autocompletions, are retrieved from a query suggestion repository, and scores for each query suggestion are retrieved. Next, the scores are recalculated based on a relationship between environmental context data and the query suggestions. The query suggestions are ranked based on the recalculated scores and provided to the user for selection.

Abstract: A system and method determines ambiguous or missing information about map features, generates questions to address the ambiguity or the missing information and determines users from whom to request feedback to clarify the ambiguity or supply the missing information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing entities using observations. In one aspect, a method includes receiving data identifying an entity; generating a user interface document that, when rendered by a user device, presents a plurality of attribute values to a user and allows the user to modify one or more of the plurality of attribute values; and storing an observation in a data store, the observation including a user-modified value of one of the plurality of attribute values and a context including one or more of the presented attribute values.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is presented. The technique can include selectively initiating, at a mobile computing device including one or more processors, communication between the mobile computing device and a public computing device. The technique can include transmitting, from the mobile computing device, authentication information to the public computing device. The authentication information can indicate access privileges to a private account associated with a user of the mobile computing device. The technique can include receiving, at the mobile computing device, an access inquiry from the public computing device. The access inquiry can indicate an inquiry as to whether the user wishes to login to the private account at the public computing device. The technique can also include transmitting, from the mobile computing device, an access response to the public computing device. The access response can cause the public computing device to provide the user with access to the private account.

Abstract: A mobile communication device is provided that enables appropriate use of a network connection between the mobile communication device and a telecommunications network by a tethered computing device. The mobile communication device includes a first network interface configured for connection to a telecommunications network to establish a network connection and a second network interface configured for connection to a tethered computing device to establish a tethered connection and permit the tethered device to use the network connection. The device further includes a processor configured to obtain a first set of information regarding the network connection and either control use of the network connection by the tethered device responsive to the first set of information or provide, responsive to the first set of information, a second set of information directly to the tethered computing device prior to use of the network connection by the tethered computing device.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented review method, a machine-readable representation that encodes an identification code associated with a ratable entity is decoded to obtain the identification code. The identification code is submitted to a central computer system, and a ratings form that can be used for providing a review of the ratable entity is received from the central computer system. A review of the ratable entity is provided to the central computer system using the review form.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing entities using observations. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an observation, the observation including an updated piece of information about an entity and a context, wherein the context includes at least one value of an attribute describing the entity to which the updated piece of information relates; matching the received observation with a first cluster of observations representing the entity using the context; and associating the received observation with the first cluster of observations.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing entities using observations. In one aspect, a method includes receiving data identifying an entity; generating a user interface document that, when rendered by a user device, presents a plurality of attribute values to a user and allows the user to modify one or more of the plurality of attribute values; and storing an observation in a data store, the observation including a user-modified value of one of the plurality of attribute values and a context including one or more of the presented attribute values.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for reducing power consumption of a power source used by a mobile device. The mobile device monitors aspects of its environment to determine if some or all of the device's computing functionality can be handled seamlessly by another nearby device. For example, phone calls can be directed to a landline phone nearby the mobile device. A device usage policy defines how certain functions are to be handled by the mobile device, for example, at a given location or amongst two devices. The mobile device can then disable functionality that is being handled by nearby devices, thereby reducing power consumption by the mobile device.

Abstract: A system and method determines ambiguous or missing information about map features, generates questions to address the ambiguity or the missing information and determines users from whom to request feedback to clarify the ambiguity or supply the missing information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method technique is presented. The technique can include selectively initiating, at a mobile computing device including one or more processors, communication between the mobile computing device and a public computing device. The technique can include transmitting, from the mobile computing device, authentication information to the public computing device. The authentication information can indicate access privileges to a private account associated with a user of the mobile computing device. The technique can include receiving, at the mobile computing device, an access inquiry from the public computing device. The access inquiry can indicate an inquiry as to whether the user wishes to login to the private account at the public computing device. The technique can also include transmitting, from the mobile computing device, an access response to the public computing device. The access response can cause the public computing device to provide the user with access to the private account.

Abstract: A computer-implemented location identification method involves obtaining a digital image of a machine-readable representation encoded with a geographic location identifier that is associated with a geographic location, decoding the image of the machine-readable representation to produce the geographic location identifier, and presenting content related to the geographic location and identified using the decoded geographic location identifier.

Abstract: A computer-implemented location identification method involves obtaining a digital image of a machine-readable representation encoded with a geographic location identifier that is associated with a geographic location, decoding the image of the machine-readable representation to produce the geographic location identifier, and presenting content related to the geographic location and identified using the decoded geographic location identifier.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented review method, a machine-readable representation that encodes an identification code associated with a ratable entity is decoded to obtain the identification code. The identification code is submitted to a central computer system, and a ratings form that can be used for providing a review of the ratable entity is received from the central computer system. A review of the ratable entity is provided to the central computer system using the review form.

Abstract: The present invention demonstrates the development and application of the chase/backchase (“C&B”) technique to systematically optimize generating alternative query plans, aimed at multiple disparate targets. It further provides a first optimization prototype that uses path-conjunctive query graphs internally. The methods, systems, apparatus and techniques of the present invention capture and extend many aspects of semantic optimizations, physical data independence, use of materialized views and cached queries, as well as generalized tableau-like minimization. Moreover, using a uniform representation with constraints, the techniques make these disparate optimization principles highly cooperative. This present invention provides a new class of optimization opportunities, such as the non-trivial use of indexes and materialized views enabled only by the presence of certain integrity constraints.