Abstract: A “multicast code constructor” facilitates network based coding in a multicast environment by determining efficient codes for optimizing network flows, thereby increasing reliable network throughput. The network code constructor processes incoming data at each node on a byte-by-byte level to produce outgoing packets to each node in the network. Network coding is provided in which arithmetic operations can occur in any finite field with more than N-1 elements, where N represents the number of receivers in the network. Further, the complexity of arithmetic employed by the coder is independent of the network capacity, and dependent only on the number of receivers in the network. In addition, in one embodiment, multicast codes are restricted to the portion of the network obtained by a union of unicast flows from a sender node to each receiver node to produce codes which do not flood the network excessively, thereby producing a lower code design complexity.

Abstract: A concept for providing processes and apparatus for router resource management is described. One process for managing router congestion in a distributed communications system includes monitoring messaging traffic originating from a plurality of clients and determining when one or more of the plurality of clients deviates from an accepted congestion management protocol. The process also includes rank ordering those clients of the plurality according to the egregiousness of their deviation from the protocol to determine a worst offender and dropping packets from the worst offender of the plurality.

Abstract: An overlay network and scheme for building and using the overlay network are described. As the overlay network is built, new nodes joining the network are connected randomly with other nodes which results in a random graph as the network topology. The network is fully scalable, with each new node providing the same number of network connections for output to other nodes as it consumes when it joins the network. In addition, network coding is implemented at each node to mix packets of data entering each node using random linear functions. The network coding at each node generates new packets that are independent combinations of original data packets entering the node. The new coded packets make the distribution of data to other nodes more efficient and robust.

Abstract: Contextual advertisements embedded within content having tooltip type display functionality are provided where content can be evaluated for possible points for insertion of the advertisements. The content can be evaluated against a list of trigger points indicating advertisement should be inserted along with instructions to embed the advertisements. Using this information, the content can be modified to embed appropriate advertising. Upon returning the content, a viewer thereof can view the content normally, but certain events with respect to the trigger points can cause tooltip type display of the advertisement (such as hovering a cursor over the trigger point). In this regard, trigger points, such as keywords, having associated pop-up advertisements can be underlined or otherwise identified.

Abstract: Wish list creation and population is provided where users can associate one or more images as items in a wish list. To this end, an image can be provided, such as a photograph taken by the user, and analyzed to locate matching items and information related thereto. In this regard, the user can observe and desire to purchase an item without knowledge of specifics about the item. The user can then take a picture of the item and tag the picture for upload to their wish list. Matching can be provided to identify one or more items in the picture to facilitate retrieval of information related to the items. Also, items can be selected based on discerned characteristics of the picture in a design/fashion consultant context.

Abstract: Disclosed is a general model and method for computing performance bounds in multi-hop wireless networks. Rather than focusing on computing asymptotic performance bounds under assumptions of homogeneity or randomness in the network topology and/or workload, the present invention accommodates any given network, technology, interference model, routing paradigm, and workload. Using a conflict graph to formally characterize the impact of wireless interference on the performance of multi-hop wireless networks, methods for computing upper and lower bounds on the capacity of a given wireless network are detailed. Besides computing network capacity, the model and method disclosed can also enable or benefit other applications including maximizing fairness and minimizing maximum link utilization.

Abstract: Providing for scheduling tasks in a distributed system based on an inefficiency of each task on a particular machine as compared with available networked machines is described herein. By way of example, a distribution component can receive a plurality of tasks at a machine assigned by at least one independent agent. In addition, an ordering component can schedule each task on a machine as a function of non-decreasing inefficiency. Such a policy can be implemented locally at the machine, minimizing inter-device communication, while only marginally increasing completion time for the set of tasks. In such a manner, the subject disclosure provides for load balancing of distributed systems in a manner that utilizes fewer resources than conventional approaches.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter pertains to systems and/or methods that facilitate associating user activity, such as offline user activity, with an online advertisement. An ad link component can receive information associated with online activity and offline activity of a user, online advertisements, and other information, and can analyze such information. The online activity can include viewing, clicking on, pledging interest in, or obtaining a token related to, an online advertisement. The ad link component can employ ad link criteria to determine whether offline user activity, such as a purchase or other desired activity, can be associated with the online advertisement. If the ad link component determines the offline user activity is associated with the online advertisement, an incentive, which can be based on incentive criteria, can be awarded to the user. A distribution component can distribute the incentive to the account of the user.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods are presented that facilitate creating clusters of users that can be linked to each other based on common interactions of such users with an object associated with an advertisement for a product or service. A central service component can track activity and receive data associated with objects, including data related to interactions with such objects by users in a community network. An evaluation component can analyze received data, and can create links between users and/or clusters of users based on common interactions of users with a particular object. The evaluation component can also link clusters that have a particular user in common. The evaluation component can assign a rank or weight level to descriptive content associated with an object, and an associated product or service, based on common object interactions between users.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods are presented that can employ an ad object comprising a data packet(s) to facilitate providing an advertising platform that is ecosystem independent and can support various advertising models, such as affiliate, viral, and/or word-of-mouth (WOM) advertising. The data packet can be associated with an advertisement for a product(s) and/or service(s) and can include a mechanism(s) that facilitates enabling users to reproduce the data packet and associated advertisement in different sites, such as user sites. As the data packet propagates through a community network, the data packet can receive and accumulate data, such as data relating to purchases, comments, or ratings, storing such data in the data packet and displaying a portion of such data with the advertisement to facilitate WOM advertising. The data packet facilitates providing incentives to users who perform desired actions (e.g., purchases, syndication) related to the advertisement.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods are presented that facilitate determining the contextual influence of a user in referrals of products or services, and determining an amount of compensation for successful referrals based on the contextual influence of the user. A central service component can track activity and receive data associated with referrals, including data related to the number and type of referrals, and the number of successful referrals. An evaluation component can analyze referral data associated with the user and can determine a conversion ratio as the number of successful referrals compared to the total number of referrals. The evaluation component can utilize the conversion ratio to facilitate determining an amount of compensation that can be awarded and distributed to the user based on the influence of the user within the context of the product or service referred by the user.

Abstract: Disclosed is a general model and method for computing performance bounds in multi-hop wireless networks. Rather than focusing on computing asymptotic performance bounds under assumptions of homogeneity or randomness in the network topology and/or workload, the present invention accommodates any given network, technology, interference model, routing paradigm, and workload. Using a conflict graph to formally characterize the impact of wireless interference on the performance of multi-hop wireless networks, methods for computing upper and lower bounds on the capacity of a given wireless network are detailed. Besides computing network capacity, the model and method disclosed can also enable or benefit other applications including maximizing fairness and minimizing maximum link utilization.

Abstract: A distributed reverse auction allows an auction to end when a dealer is first in time to accept a bid. A purchaser creates an account that relates to a specified purchase. The purchaser places bids at different dealers using the created account. The first dealer to accept the bid draws the agreed upon amount of money from the account. The other bids are cancelled and thus the dealer to act first in time engages in the sale.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates employing an online auction in which a coupon is fairly administered. An online auction environment that can employ an auction to identify a fair market value of at least one of a good or a portion of a service, wherein the auction can receive at least one bid from a bidder with a coupon and a bidder without a coupon. A randomizer component that can select one of a collection of bidders having coupons or a collection of bidders not having coupons based on a randomizing technique, wherein the online auction environment can identify an auction winner as a highest bidder within the selected collection, the highest bidder provides a highest bid from both the collection of bidders having coupons and the collection of bidders not having coupons.

Abstract: Systems and methods to detect unauthorized changes to a printed document are described. In one aspect, a digital signature of original content associated with electronic document is embedded into the original content to create a content signed document. The systems and methods use the embedded digital signature to automatically determine whether text-based content associated with a printout of the content signed document was changed from the original content associated with the electronic document.

Abstract: Systems and methods for security against corruption for networked storage are described. In one aspect, a destination device receives a linear combination of packets. The linear combination of packets represents digitally signed blocks of content and public information used to digitally sign segmented blocks of content. The destination device recombines the linear combination of packets to compute new valid signatures as linear combinations of received homomorphic digital signatures. The new valid signatures are for verifying by a requesting computing device recovering data associated with at least a subset of the linear combination of packets, integrity of the at least a subset. This provides the requesting node with security against corruption of data in networked storage.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a unified platform system and/or a method that facilitates optimizing an online transaction. The unified platform system can include a secured transaction component that can secure a portion of transactional data related to an online transaction between at least one buyer and at least one merchant utilizing a secure transaction technique. The unified platform system can include a reputation assessment component that can receive a portion of reputation data related to at least one of the buyer or the merchant based at least in part upon verifying completion of the online transaction between such buyer and merchant. The unified platform system can publish the portion of reputation data coupled with a portion of non-private transactional data to provide context for the reputation data.

Abstract: Systems and methods that enrich interaction of users in a written communication environment by providing a contextual language component that points to a designated data source (e.g., an object) and pulls data from such designated source, to perform predetermined function(s) thereupon. Users who communicate in the written environment can type an intuitive or customized operator, to engage in a predetermined functionality (e.g., playing a video). Accordingly, the operator can readily be interpreted by applications associated with the written communication environment.

Abstract: A system and method that can receive, buffer, and asynchronously combine data from various incoming data packets is disclosed. The system and method can do so by, first, receiving incoming packets of one or multiple generations that have incoming data and incoming metadata, with the incoming data of each of the incoming packets that are of a first generation being a combination of a first, original set of data vectors, and the incoming metadata of each of the first generation of incoming packets including an indicator for the first generation. Second, once these incoming packets are received, the system and method can buffer them based on the indicator and, asynchronously from the receiving and buffering, combine the incoming data in the buffered, first generation incoming packets into outgoing data in an outgoing packet.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate promotion of an online service. The architecture can provide for a games platform that can host a variety of games. The hosted games can be designed such that a user's experiences can be enhanced by game cards that can be discovered and retrieved while using the online service being promoted. Accordingly, the user's experiences can be enhanced as a function of the usage of the online service being promoted.