Abstract: A system and method is disclosed aggregating and organizing a user's cloud data in an encompassing system, and then exposing the sum-total of that cloud data to application programs via a common API. Such a system provides rich presence information allowing users to map and unify the totality of their experiences across all of their computing devices, as well as discovering other users and their experiences. In this way, users can enhance their knowledge of, and interaction with, their own environment, as well as open up new social experiences with others.

Abstract: A system and method of providing incentives for users to use computer applications. Application use by a user is tracked and participation credits are provided to the user based on the tracked use. Credits can be provided based on time of use and/or application based incentives, such as achievements in a game. A limit may be placed on the amount of credits a user may have at any time, inducing the user to redeem the tokens. Credit redemption is provided by redemption system which rewards users with prizes directly or based on a random generation of prize rewards under the guise of game play based on chance.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for periodically calibrating a user interface in a NUI system by performing periodic active calibration events. The system includes a capture device for capturing position data relating to objects in a field of view of the capture device, a display and a computing environment for receiving image data from the capture device and for running applications. The system further includes a user interface controlled by the computing environment and operating in part by mapping a position of a pointing object to a position of an object displayed on the display. The computing environment periodically recalibrates the mapping of the user interface while the computing environment is running an application.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling real-time replay for videogames, wherein the player can selectively rewind the videogame to previously played points in the game in order to replay portions of the game during real-time. Inline keyframes are periodically recorded, together with the controller information, so that upon selecting the replay option, the game can be rewound to the nearest keyframe. Once rewound, the game is restored based on the keyframe and is then played back from the keyframe using the stored controller information. At any point during playback, the player can take-over the action and use the actual game controller to begin actual play of the game from that point in the playback sequence. The player can also change cameras and speed for the playback in real-time at any time during the playback.