Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to a computer-implemented architecture that can provide a non-invasive comparative shopping tool, such as a browser plug-in. For example, the plug-in can determine whether a web user is currently visiting a purchase page, thus indicating that the web user is likely to be interested in purchasing items online. Upon making this determination, the plug-in can display a non-invasive listing (that can be quickly and conveniently dismissed) of comparable items at favorable prices (or with favorable features, etc.) that are available for purchase at other web sites. In addition, the plug-in can communicate with a data store, e.g., by way of the web, in order to help make various determination as well as to receive the listing of comparable items.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to hindering unauthorized use or distribution of a middleware program contained within an application. One example embodiment provides a method for hindering unauthorized use or distribution of a middleware program contained within an application. The method comprises acquiring factored middleware code, the factored middleware code having a missing function residing on a remote computing device, and building an application around the factored middleware code such that the application is configured to call to the remote computing device for execution of the missing function during use. The application may be configured to send a call to the remote computing device for execution of the missing function during use.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to a computer-implemented architecture that can provide a non-invasive comparative shopping tool, such as a browser plug-in. For example, the plug-in can determine whether a web user is currently visiting a purchase page, thus indicating that the web user is likely to be interested in purchasing items online. Upon making this determination, the plug-in can display a non-invasive listing (that can be quickly and conveniently dismissed) of comparable items at favorable prices (or with favorable features, etc.) that are available for purchase at other web sites. In addition, the plug-in can communicate with a data store, e.g., by way of the web, in order to help make various determination as well as to receive the listing of comparable items.

Abstract: A system is described for allowing a user, operating a trusted device, to remotely log into a server via a potentially untrustworthy client. The system operates by establishing a first secure connection between the client and the server. The system then establishes a second secure connection between the device and the server through the client. The user then remotely logs into the server over the second secure connection using the device. The second secure connection is tunneled within the first secure connection, preventing the untrustworthy client from discovering personal information associated with the user. According to one feature, prior to forming the second secure connection, the user can establish a pairing relationship with the client by reading an address of the client using any kind of reading mechanism. According to another feature, the device can receive marketing information in the course of a transaction.

Abstract: The subject innovation relates to systems and/or methodologies for using randomly positioned electromagnetic scatterers deposited into a predetermined region of an optical storage medium (e.g., Blue Ray DVD, HD DVD, CD, etc.) as a distinct three dimensional (3D) hard-to-copy digital rights management feature. A scatterers' topology is scanned using a matrix of antennas that sense the scatterers' electromagnetic response as the optical disc revolves at near-constant angular speed. The response, f, called an RF fingerprint, is then concatenated with an arbitrary text, t, that defines the digital rights management information imposed by the disk publisher.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies for efficient vaccine design are disclosed herein. A methodology for efficient vaccine design in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein may be operable to receive a graph having vertices corresponding to epitope sequences present in the pathogen population, weights for respective vertices corresponding to respective frequencies with which corresponding epitope sequences appear in the pathogen population, and directed edges that connect vertices that correspond to overlapping epitope sequences. Such a methodology may also be operable to determine a candidate vaccine sequence of overlapping epitope sequences by identifying a path though the graph corresponding to a series of connected vertices and directed edges that maximizes the total weight of the vertices in the path for a desired vaccine sequence length.

Abstract: A system is described for allowing a user, operating a trusted device, to remotely log into a server via a potentially untrustworthy client. The system operates by establishing a first secure connection between the client and the server. The system then establishes a second secure connection between the device and the server through the client. The user then remotely logs into the server over the second secure connection using the device. The second secure connection is tunneled within the first secure connection, preventing the untrustworthy client from discovering personal information associated with the user. According to one feature, prior to forming the second secure connection, the user can establish a pairing relationship with the client by reading an address of the client using any kind of reading mechanism. According to another feature, the device can receive marketing information in the course of a transaction.

Abstract: Seller's reputation quantification technique embodiments are presented that quantify in monetary terms a risk of dissatisfaction to a potential buyer of a product or service from a seller in an on-line consumer market. Generally, this involves computing the monetary sales limit for the seller. This monetary sales limit represents an amount, which if a sum of the current prices of all the products and services currently offered by the seller is equal to or less than the amount, there would not be a significant risk to the buyer of being dissatisfied with the product or service. Given this, a risk of a potential buyer's dissatisfaction with a product or service purchased from the seller in view of a price the buyer wants to pay is assessed. The assessed risk is then provided to the potential buyer in the form of one or more risk indicators.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides for systems and/or methods for a dynamic range wireless access point to initiate deliberate and/or selective communications with one or more wireless devices over a short range radio path. One embodiment of an access point system comprises a processor that transfers one or more wireless devices to a long range radio path once a transition condition has been met. In another embodiment, an access point system may affect transactions between user/customer's smart devices and a commercial place of business where the access point system and the smart devices initiate communications when the smart devices are deliberately placed within the proximity of the access point antenna and/or the smart devices are brought within the vicinity of the access point antenna such as by passing through the entrance or exit to the place of business.

Abstract: Embodiments are described that leverage variability of a chip. Different areas of a chip vary in terms of reliability under a same operating condition. The variability may be captured by measuring errors over different areas of the chip. A physical factor that affects or controls the likelihood of an error on the chip can be varied. For example, the voltage supplied to a chip may be provided at different levels. At each level of the physical factor, the chip is tested for errors within the regions. Some indication of the error statistics for the regions is stored and then used to adjust power used by the chip, to adjust reliability behavior of the chip, to allow applications to control how the chip is used, to compute a signature uniquely identifying the chip, etc.

Abstract: A PIFA (Planar Inverted-F Antenna) array antenna has multiple PIFAs. The PIFA array is used to provide different radiation patterns for communication. A signal being emitted by the PIFA array is manipulated. According to the manipulation, the PIFA array may emit the signal with an omni-directional radiation pattern or a directional radiation pattern; the same PIFA array (antenna) is used for both directional communication and omni-directional communication. The PIFA array may be used in mobile computing devices, smart phones, or the like, allowing such devices to transmit directionally and omni-directionally. The signal manipulation may involve splitting the signal into components that feed PIFAs, and before the components reach the PIFAs, changing properties of the components (e.g., phase) relative to each other.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter in accordance with an aspect provides systems and/or methods that generates, allocates, or utilizes strong symmetric cryptographic keys to secure storage devices. The system can include components that determine whether a storage device with an associated credential cache has been affiliated with the system. The system extracts authentication information included within the credential cache and establishes communications with a web service that utilizes the authentication information to generate and return a set strong symmetric cryptographic keys to the system. The system employs one of the set of strong symmetric cryptographic keys to encrypt or decrypt the storage device to make content persisted on the storage device available and thereafter removes the distributed set of strong symmetric cryptographic keys from the system.

Abstract: Human body motion is represented by a skeletal model derived from image data of a user. Skeletal model data may be used to perform motion recognition and/or similarity analysis of body motion. An example method of motion recognition includes receiving skeletal motion data representative of a user data motion feature from a capture device relating to a position of a user within a scene. A cross-correlation of the received skeletal motion data relative to a plurality of prototype motion features from a prototype motion feature database is determined. Likelihoods that the skeletal motion data corresponds to each of the plurality of prototype motion features are ranked. The likelihoods are determined using the cross-correlation. A classifying operation is performed on a subset of the plurality of prototype motion features. The subset of the plurality of prototype motion features is chosen because its members have the relatively highest likelihoods of corresponding to the skeletal motion data.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to hindering unauthorized use or distribution of a middleware program contained within an application. One example embodiment provides a method for hindering unauthorized use or distribution of a middleware program contained within an application. The method comprises acquiring factored middleware code, the factored middleware code having a missing function residing on a remote computing device, and building an application around the factored middleware code such that the application is configured to call to the remote computing device for execution of the missing function during use. The application may be configured to send a call to the remote computing device for execution of the missing function during use.

Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed that relate to decommissioning factored code of a program on a computing device. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of operating a computing device. The method includes executing a program on the computing device, and while executing the program, identifying a remote location of a factored function via a code map, sending a call to the factored function and receiving a return response. The method further comprises, upon occurrence of a decommissioning event, receiving a copy of the factored function; and updating the code map with a location of the copy of the factored function.

Abstract: A user working on a client computer is allowed to remotely login to a server over a computer network. A first secure connection is established between the client and the server. Communications with a trusted device which is in the user's control is established via a communication channel between the trusted device and the client, where this channel is not part of the network. A second secure connection is established between the trusted device and the server through the client, where this second secure connection is tunneled within the first secure connection. The user remotely logs into the server over the second secure connection using the trusted device.

Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed that relate to the automated identification of one or more computer program functions for potentially placing on a remote computing device in a split-computational computing environment. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides, on a computing device, a method of determining a factorable portion of code to locate remotely from other portions of the code of a program to hinder unauthorized use and/or distribution of the program. The method includes, on a computing device, receiving an input of a representation of the code of the program, performing analysis on the representation of the code, the analysis comprising one or more of static analysis and dynamic analysis, and based upon the analysis of the code, outputting a list of one or more functions determined from the analysis to be candidates for locating remotely.

Abstract: Human body motion is represented by a skeletal model derived from image data of a user. The model represents joints and bones and has a rigid body portion. The sets of body data are scaled to a predetermined number of sets for a number of periodic units. A body-based coordinate 3-D reference system having a frame of reference defined with respect to a position within the rigid body portion of the skeletal model is generated. The body-based coordinate 3-D reference system is independent of the camera's field of view. The scaled data and representation of relative motion within an orthogonal body-based 3-D reference system decreases the data and simplifies the calculations for determining motion thus enhancing real-time performance for multimedia applications controlled by a user's natural movements.

Abstract: Described herein is a meta-algorithm adaptable to different types of optimization problems and different computing platforms. A problem space is (i) browsed using a heuristic that computes objectives locally and (ii) while constructing a solution, key decisions are performed globally. A simple data structure—a probabilistic cache—is used to efficiently store intermediate sub-solutions. As an example, the meta-algorithm is applied to find an algorithm for solving the graph coloring problem.

Abstract: Human body motion is represented by a skeletal model derived from image data of a user. The model represents joints and bones and has a rigid body portion. The sets of body data are scaled to a predetermined number of sets for a number of periodic units. A body-based coordinate 3-D reference system having a frame of reference defined with respect to a position within the rigid body portion of the skeletal model is generated. The body-based coordinate 3-D reference system is independent of the camera's field of view. The scaled data and representation of relative motion within an orthogonal body-based 3-D reference system decreases the data and simplifies the calculations for determining motion thus enhancing real-time performance for multimedia applications controlled by a user's natural movements.