Abstract: A method for associating a networked device with an online service is provided. The networked device may be an appliance or other device that has limited input capabilities, making it difficult to to download information such as digital media files from an online service without having to input a significant amount of information using the device or appliance. The method begins by establishing communication with a service over a network. A claim token is received from the service over the network. The claim token is returned to the service over the network after the claim token has been bound to an authorized user of the service. In response to return of the claim token, a device identifier binds the networked device to an account with the service that is associated with the authorized user.

Abstract: An intelligent personalized agent monitors, regulates, and advises a user in decision-making processes for efficiency or safety concerns. The agent monitors an environment and present characteristics of a user and analyzes such information in view of stored preferences specific to one of multiple profiles of the user. Based on the analysis, the agent can suggest or automatically implement a solution to a given issue or problem. In addition, the agent can identify another potential issue that requires attention and suggests or implements action accordingly. Furthermore, the agent can communicate with other users or devices by providing and acquiring information to assist in future decisions. All aspects of environment observation, decision assistance, and external communication can be flexibly limited or allowed as desired by the user.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for a device to interdependently validate a digital content package having a piece of digital content in an encrypted form, and a corresponding digital license for rendering the digital content. A first key is derived from a source available to the device, and a first digital signature is obtained from the digital content package. The first key is applied to the first digital signature to validate the first digital signature and the digital content package. A second key is derived based on the first digital signature, and a second digital signature is obtained from the license. The second key is applied to the second digital signature to validate the second digital signature and the license.

Abstract: Systems and methods that recognize items based on aggregated tagging behavior of users regarding the items. Individual users can establish relationships among tagged items and the system analyzes aggregate of such established relationships, to recognize the item and/or infer additional information regarding the items (e.g., wisdom of crowd such as metadata annotations, relevance ranking, and the like). Subsequently, search engine crawlers can be supplied with such additional information (e.g., extra metadata for reverse link search tables) to facilitate enterprise management and search.

Abstract: Personal data mining mechanisms and methods are employed to identify relevant information that otherwise would likely remain undiscovered. Users supply personal data that can be analyzed in conjunction with data associated with a plurality of other users to provide useful information that can improve business operations and/or quality of life. Personal data can be mined alone or in conjunction with third party data to identify correlations amongst the data and associated users. Applications or services can interact with such data and present it to users in a myriad of manners, for instance as notifications of opportunities.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates re-locating a web application associated with a network service utilizing a portion of serialized data. The network service can be any collection of resources that are maintained by a party (e.g., third-party, off-site, etc.) and accessible by an identified user over a network (e.g., WAN, Internet, etc.). A receiver component can receive a request for initiating and execution of a process that is maintained by the network service. A servicing component can analyze representations of multiple processes within the network service and determines whether to enable initiation and execution of the process based at least in part upon the analysis.

Abstract: A system and method for independently determining the geographical location of a user accessing a networked system. The method may include gathering a plurality of inputs about the user's geographic location; weighting each input based on whether said input identifies a likelihood of true geographic location; determining whether each input verifies a geographic location specified by the user; and summing weights of the input factors verifying the specified geographic location. A system for independently determining the geographical location of a user includes a user login routine, a heuristic user geographic location determination engine, and at least one data store including a user profile record having a user specified geographic location.

Abstract: An electronic item list system and method, such as a wish or gift list, for an electronic shopping mall/online shopping portal, or an item list system provided as a software service. The system and method provides a user with the ability to create a list of items that the user would like others to purchase for the user as a gift or as a list of items that the user would like to retain for a later purchase. A user interface is provided that allows the user to select items electronically to add to a user specific gift list. The items are not limited to specific products, but can include general product categories and/or products from a specific merchant or manufacturer. The user interface communicates through an interface component that extracts data from a number of databases. For example, the databases can include a merchant database, an offers database, a manufacturers database and a products database.

Abstract: A dynamic address router may provide dynamically updated routing to a device with a dynamic network address as well as provide a security certificate for the device. The device may be routed using a subordinate domain name. The principal domain name and a security certificate may be held by a single service provider that may enable a simple setup and configuration mechanism, as well as to guarantee the authenticity of the security holder even though the holder may connect through a dynamic address connection.

Abstract: A Domain Name System (DNS) service provider may be engaged to host DNS service for a domain. Before providing service for a domain, the service provider may wish to verify that the entity that set up the service is the owner, or authorized controller, of the domain. The service provider gives the entity some information, such as a particular pair of name servers, and instructs the entity to have the domain registrar put the information into the name server (NS) record(s) for the domain. The service provider then queries NS for the domain and compares the NS record(s) returned with the information provided to the entity. If the NS records match the information given to the entity, then the service provider concludes that the entity has control over the domain, and uses the DNS records provided by the entity to provide service.

Abstract: Computerized methods and systems for controlling a peripheral device based, at least in part, upon remote user instructions are provided. Upon receiving a communication from the peripheral device (e.g., using a USB port), a computing device recognizes the peripheral device. Next, a command manifest is automatically generated that includes one or more commands that correspond to at least one controllable function of the peripheral device. In addition, the command manifest may be communicated to a remote-user device configured to present the commands to the remote user, typically, by displaying a representation of the commands at a user interface associated therewith. A transmission that includes content indicating one or more of the commands may be received from the remote-user device. Consequently, commands are determined from content and transferred to the peripheral device, which performs the corresponding controllable functions.

Abstract: Computer-readable media, systems, and methods for delegated pre-configuration are described. In embodiments, an identification of a user is received. Further, in various embodiments, one or more pre-configuration instructions is received from a delegate. In various embodiments, one or more online service settings is processed in accordance with the one or more pre-configuration instructions. In various other embodiments an online service is presented in accordance with the processed one or more online service settings.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for use in a computing environment for selecting and arranging media items as output. The media items may include photographs, videos, musical selections, or other types of media items. Selection components select multiple media items for output. A source selection component selects media items from at least one source. A query component searches media items from the selected source based on tagged metadata in accordance with a user selection. Weighting tools may be applied to cause a first set of selected media items to be selected with a first frequency and a second set of selected media items to be selected with a second frequency. A sorting component may organize the output in a user-selected order.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for sending messages such as emails where the sender and receiver in the exchange remain anonymous to each other. The method uses a service, which may for example be an Internet service provider, which acts as an intermediary between a first party and second party to a message. All exchanges between the first and second parties pass through the service, which masks all true identities while ensuring that the message is routed to the proper recipient(s).

Abstract: A user's ability to spend and/or receive funds for payment accounts maintained in an electronic wallet are limited. These limitations include restrictions on where the user is able to spend the funds in a payment account (e.g., at which merchants the funds can be spent, whether the funds can be withdrawn from an ATM, etc.). These limitations may also include restrictions on what other payment accounts the user can receive funds from and/or transfer funds to, thereby limiting person-to-person fund transfers.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sharing and synchronizing data using the addition of synchronization data to a feed that contains data items, and at least a node or endpoint that provides synchronization-related services to other endpoints, are disclosed. Such systems and methods, and client and service endpoints, may use the added synchronization data in multiple ways to share data, incorporate changes consistently, and resolve conflicts.

Abstract: Remote provisioning of an IT network and/or associated services is provided. Hardware, software, service and/or expertise can be moved from on-premise to a remote location (e.g., central, distributed . . . ). Accordingly, at least a large degree computation can be moved to the center to exploit economies of scale, among other things. In such an architecture, computational resources (e.g., data storage, computation power, cache . . . ) can be pooled, and entities can subscribe to a particular level of resources related to a private entity IT network.

Abstract: A digital content package includes encrypted digital content to be rendered in accordance with a corresponding digital license and is separate and apart from the license. The encrypted digital content is decrypt-able according to a decryption key (KD) obtained from the license. The package also includes a content/package ID that identifies one of the digital content and the package, and license acquisition information including a location of a license provider for providing the license.

Abstract: Innovative aspects provided herein pertain to digital rights management (DRM) and/or enforcement in conjunction with remote network clouds and services. Digital rights management licenses/rights/policies can be applied to personal files to facilitate worry free remote storage and/or file sharing. These rights can be identity-centric rather than machine centric, thereby facilitating access and usage from any network device anywhere. Various mechanisms are also disclosed to deter assorted uses of content and/or encourage rights acquisition as an alterative or in addition to technologically prohibitive means. Additionally, a system and method are provided that can afford a frictionless marketplace for file distribution, wherein content is protected and freely distributed and identity-centric rights can be purchased to access the content.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide for a virtual reality entertainment system that supplies immersive entertainment and creates a sensation for a user similar to having guests in a remote location to be physically present as virtual guests. Such virtual reality entertainment system can supply a graphic and/or audio; wherein interconnected computers, video and audio processing devices, supply a live interaction between a user and a guest(s). Although guests are only present virtually (e.g., electronically present with other objects/user within the environment) such virtual invitation enables a user and guests to concurrently experience the entertainment together (e.g., a live sporting event, spectator game). In a related aspect, the subject innovation can implement holographic avatars, and a plurality of communication interfaces, to imitate (and/or transform) a relationship between the user and the virtual guests/surrounding environment.