Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for delivering content based on physical object characteristics. When a physical object is detected within a specified proximity of a component of a computer system, the computer system submits an accessed object identifier for the physical object to a content portal. The content portal identifies content and corresponding layout information for the computer system by at least determining the commonality between object keywords for the physical object and target keywords for content providers and determining content placement priorities corresponding to content providers. The content portal sends the content and layout information to the computer system. The computer system filters a subset of content from the received and presents the filtered subset of content on a presentation surface in accordance with corresponding layout information.

Abstract: Embodiments related to organizing media content in a computing system are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a method of organizing media content comprising displaying a boundary of an organizational container via a touch-sensitive display, displaying the set of two or more content items associated with the organizational container as a grouped stack within the boundary of the organizational container via the touch-sensitive display, and displaying an organizational mode selector via the touch-sensitive display, the organizational mode selector providing a plurality of selectable organizational modes. Next, the method comprises receiving a touch input directed toward the organizational mode selector, the touch input indicating a selected organizational mode from the plurality of selectable organizational modes, and reordering the set of two or more content items within the grouped stack arrangement from an initial order to an updated order defined by the selected organizational mode.

Abstract: Embodiments related to the manipulation of content items on a touch sensitive display are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises a method for operating a graphical user interface on a computing device comprising a touch-sensitive display. The method comprises displaying a content container on the touch-sensitive display, the content container being configured to arrange one or more content items in the content container as a grouped set of content items and to allow a user to selectively move content items into and out of the content container. The method further comprises displaying an ungrouped set of content items on the touch-sensitive display outside of the content container, receiving a user input via a user interface associated with the content container, and in response to the user input, highlighting a content item in the ungrouped set of content items to form a highlighted ungrouped content item.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for location based messaging. A user at one computer system selects at least on other computer system that is to receive an electronic message. The at least one other computer system is selected based on the location of the at least one other computer system, without having to know an electronic identifier of any users at the at least one other computer system. The computer system refers to a mapping that maps computer systems locations to corresponding electronic addresses. Messages can then be sent to the electronic addresses. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention facilitate at least semi-anonymous electronic communication in a network computing environment and significantly mitigate the perceived need of an immediate response that is often associated with responding to (potentially in person) verbal communication.

Abstract: A computing system includes a display and a sensor to detect multi-touch input at the display. The computing system further includes a processing subsystem operatively connected to the display and the sensor and computer-readable media operatively connected to the processing subsystem and including instructions executable by the processing subsystem. Such instructions cause the display to present a virtual keyboard image, the virtual keyboard image including a primary key and a modifier key. Such instructions also translate touch input at only the primary key into a first keyboard message and translate temporally overlapping touch input at both the primary key and the modifier key into a second keyboard message, different than the first keyboard message.

Abstract: A computing system. The computing system includes a display presenting a user interface, and a gesture input configured to translate a user gesture into a command for controlling the computing system. The computing system also includes a gesture-predicting engine to predict a plurality of possible commands based on the beginning of the user gesture, and a rendering engine to indicate the plurality of possible commands via the user interface.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for location based messaging. A user at one computer system selects at least on other computer system that is to receive an electronic message. The at least one other computer system is selected based on the location of the at least one other computer system, without having to know an electronic identifier of any users at the at least one other computer system. The computer system refers to a mapping that maps computer systems locations to corresponding electronic addresses. Messages can then be sent to the electronic addresses. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention facilitate at least semi-anonymous electronic communication in a network computing environment and significantly mitigate the perceived need of an immediate response that is often associated with responding to (potentially in person) verbal communication.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for delivering content based on physical object characteristics. When a physical object is detected within a specified proximity of a component of a computer system, the computer system submits an accessed object identifier for the physical object to a content portal. The content portal identifies content and corresponding layout information for the computer system by at least determining the commonality between object keywords for the physical object and target keywords for content providers and determining content placement priorities corresponding to content providers. The content portal sends the content and layout information to the computer system. The computer system filters a subset of content from the received and presents the filtered subset of content on a presentation surface in accordance with corresponding layout information.

Abstract: One or more users may interact simultaneously with different applications on the same device through an input system such as a touch-sensitive display screen. Simultaneous user input may be detected by a multiple input system and subsequently transmitted to an application using a single transmission frame. An application corresponding to the user input is determined based on an input location of the user input and a location and size of a corresponding application. Simultaneous user inputs are rendered simultaneously by each corresponding application. Each application may further include a secondary event processing thread that runs in parallel to traditional operating system event threads. The secondary event processing thread bypasses sequential processing limits of an operating system event thread, providing substantially simultaneous processing of input.

Abstract: A graphical user interface system is described in which users can be located at any angle. Different application interfaces can be generated on the display to appear in different orientations, such that different users sitting at different positions around the periphery of a display surface may each have an interface that is readable and accessible. The location and orientation of a new interface may be specified by user request, or may be automatically determined based on a characteristic of the request, such as the location of a tap or the direction of a swipe gesture. Interfaces may be radial in nature, and may have a central origin on the display, or at corners of the display.