Abstract: Particular embodiments display a first object in a series of objects in its entirety on a screen of an electronic device; and in response to a user interacting with the first object by moving the first object towards a first side of the screen for a distance less than a predetermined threshold distance, gradually move the first object towards the first side of the screen until a portion of the first object is displayed within a first portion of the screen on the first side of the screen; gradually move a second object onto the screen towards the first side of the screen until a portion of a second object is displayed within a second portion of the screen on a second side of the screen for the user to preview the second object; and display shading around the portion of the second object.

Abstract: In one embodiment, presenting a video in a user interface in a first presentation mode of a plurality of presentation modes, each presentation mode has a specific size for presenting a visual portion of the video and a specific volume for presenting an audio portion of the video; and in response to a user interaction with the video in the first presentation mode, transitioning the video to a second presentation mode, comprising: changing the visual portion of the video from a first size of the first presentation mode to a second size of the second presentation mode; and changing the audio portion of the video from a first volume of the first presentation mode to a second volume of the second presentation mode.

Abstract: In one embodiment, overlaying a first element on top of a second element in a user interface; and adjusting visual appearance of the first element based on a portion of the second element underneath the first element.

Abstract: Particular embodiments display a series of objects across a screen of an electronic device, the objects being arranged side by side; display a boundary of each object in the series, the boundary of an object near the center of the series slightly overlapping a portion of each of two objects next to the object nearer the center of the series; and display a shadow around the object near the center of the series, the shadow overlapping a portion of each of the two objects next to the object near the center of the series to simulate an visual effect that the object near the center of the series is above the other objects in the series.

Abstract: Techniques to allow optimized scrolling of information from a social networking system. In one embodiment, bi-directional display of references, such as content, is provided on a computer system, such as a mobile device. References are presented in a first orientation in a scrollable stream. In response to an interaction by a user, presentation of the scrollable stream is transformed from the first orientation to a second orientation. The first orientation may be substantially parallel with a length of an interface of the computer system. The first orientation and the second orientation may be orthogonal. Components of the references are omitted from presentation when the scrollable stream is presented in the first orientation. At least one of the omitted components of the references is included for presentation when the scrollable stream is presented in the second orientation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more components of a user interface are arranged in a hierarchy of layers. The user interface is presented according to the structure of the hierarchy, with a first component of the user interface presented at a first layer. One or more second component are presented at a second layer, the second components being one or more children of the first component and the second layer being one layer above the first layer.

Abstract: A multi-step animation sequence for smoothly transitioning from a map view to a panorama view of a specified location is disclosed. An orientation overlay can be displayed on the panorama, showing a direction and angular extent of the field of view of the panorama. An initial specified location and a current location of the panorama can also be displayed on the orientation overlay. A navigable placeholder panorama to be displayed in place of a panorama at the specified location when panorama data is not available is disclosed. A perspective view of a street name annotation can be laid on the surface of a street in the panorama.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method performed by one or more computing devices including defining a hierarchical structure for a user interface (UI) that includes defining one or more layers of the hierarchical structure, adding one or more objects at each layer, and specifying one or more relationships among particular objects. The method further including associating metadata with each object at each layer, the metadata describing how the corresponding object is presented in the user interface.

Abstract: In one embodiment, presenting a folded version of an image in a user interface (UI), the folded version of the image being included in a UI component of the user interface; and in response to a user pinching the folded version of the image with two fingers, simulating and presenting an effect of the folded version of the image being lifted off and floating above the UI component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more components of a user interface are arranged in a hierarchy of layers. The user interface is presented according to the structure of the hierarchy, with a first component of the user interface presented at a first layer. One or more second component are presented at a second layer, the second components being one or more children of the first component and the second layer being one layer above the first layer. Each child component of a parent component is locked to their respective parent component.

Abstract: Particular embodiments display a series of objects across a screen of an electronic device, the objects being arranged side by side; display a boundary of each object in the series, the boundary of an object near the center of the series slightly overlapping a portion of each of two objects next to the object nearer the center of the series; and display a shadow around the object near the center of the series, the shadow overlapping a portion of each of the two objects next to the object near the center of the series to simulate an visual effect that the object near the center of the series is above the other objects in the series.

Abstract: In one embodiment, overlaying a first element on top of a second element in a user interface; and adjusting visual appearance of the first element based on a portion of the second element underneath the first element.

Abstract: In one embodiment, download a hierarchy of objects from one or more first electronic devices to a second electronic device for presentation to a user of the second electronic device. The objects are presented to the user of the second electronic device according to a structure of the hierarchy. The objects are downloaded to the second electronic device in an order determined based on which specific objects in the hierarchy are currently presented to the user of the second electronic device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, presenting a video in a user interface in a first presentation mode of a plurality of presentation modes, each presentation mode has a specific size for presenting a visual portion of the video and a specific volume for presenting an audio portion of the video; and in response to a user interaction with the video in the first presentation mode, transitioning the video to a second presentation mode, comprising: changing the visual portion of the video from a first size of the first presentation mode to a second size of the second presentation mode; and changing the audio portion of the video from a first volume of the first presentation mode to a second volume of the second presentation mode.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more components of a user interface are arranged in a hierarchy of layers. The user interface is presented according to the structure of the hierarchy, with one or more first components from a first layer floating on top of a second component from a second layer beneath the first layer. The first components are children of the second components. A user may interact with components uniformly, meaning that each specific user interaction applied to each component results in similar response from each component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more components of a user interface are arranged in a hierarchy of layers and displayed to a user. The user interface is presented according to the structure of the hierarchy. In response to a first user interaction with a component that has a parent, the display transitions from a first layer at which the component is presented to a second layer at which the parent of the component is presented, with the second layer being beneath the first layer.

Abstract: Particular embodiments arrange a plurality of objects in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the objects; display a portion of a sequence of first objects on a screen of a user device, the sequence of first objects all belong to a first layer in the hierarchy, each first object having as its children one or more second objects belonging to a second layer immediately below the first layer in the hierarchy; in response to a user scrolling through the sequence of first objects, estimate which specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at a predetermined time in the future based on an acceleration of the user scrolling through the sequence of first objects; and preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object.

Abstract: In one embodiment, presenting an image in a user interface in a first presentation mode of a plurality of presentation modes, comprising displaying a cropped version of the image when a display area for the image in the first presentation mode is smaller than the image; and in response to a user interaction with the image in the first presentation mode, transitioning the image to a second presentation mode, comprising zooming out the image from the cropped version of the image to a full version of the image.

Abstract: Particular embodiments display a first object in a series of objects in its entirety on a screen of an electronic device; and in response to a user interacting with the first object by moving the first object towards a first side of the screen for a distance less than a predetermined threshold distance, gradually move the first object towards the first side of the screen until a portion of the first object is displayed within a first portion of the screen on the first side of the screen; gradually move a second object onto the screen towards the first side of the screen until a portion of a second object is displayed within a second portion of the screen on a second side of the screen for the user to preview the second object; and display shading around the portion of the second object.

Abstract: Particular embodiments display an object over a background on a screen of an electronic device; and display a shadow effect for the object on the screen of the electronic device, including simulating a three-dimensional (3D) environment encompassing the object; simulating a light source at a specific position within the simulated 3D environment; simulating a shadow cast by the object on the background as a result of the light source shining on the object in the simulated 3D environment; and rendering the shadow on the screen of the electronic device.