Abstract: An architecture for an integrated shopping service that enables electronic shopping from within a software application. The software application includes web browsing functionality, with the capability to navigate to a limited set of web sites. The client machine on which the software runs maintains a local list of the limited set of web sites that can be accessed from within the software application. A directory server maintains a list of retail web sites that can be added to the client's local list of accessible web sites. Each client machine that runs the software application connects to the directory server in order to add web sites to the locally-maintained list of sites that can be accessed from within the integrated shopping service.

Abstract: New metadata may be created based on data associated with a digital image file. A digital image file may include a digital image as well as metadata, which may be descriptive of the digital image. An application executing on a processing device may define a policy specifying the new metadata to be created, methods for creating the new metadata, and data sources of information used to derive the new metadata, as well as other information. Harvesters may harvest data according to the defined policy. A harvest manager may load and invoke harvesters, as requested by the application. The harvest manager may further determine whether the loaded harvesters are to use input provided by other unloaded harvesters and may automatically load the other unloaded harvesters, accordingly. The newly created metadata may be stored in the digital image file, a data set associated with the digital image file, and/or another location.

Abstract: An architecture for an integrated shopping service that enables electronic shopping from within a software application. The software application includes web browsing functionality, with the capability to navigate to a limited set of web sites. The client machine on which the software runs maintains a local list of the limited set of web sites that can be accessed from within the software application. A directory server maintains a list of retail web sites that can be added to the client's local list of accessible web sites. Each client machine that runs the software application connects to the directory server in order to add web sites to the locally-maintained list of sites that can be accessed from within the integrated shopping service.