Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) expandable landing marker system may include a an expandable volume. The landing marker may be expanded prior to arrival of a UAV delivering an item to be received by the landing marker. The landing marker may be expanded by regulating an amount of fluid in the volume. An anchor may be coupled to the landing marker to restrain movement of the expanded landing marker. An optional retraction mechanism may retract the landing marker. The landing marker can be retracted with the deposited item, moving the item to a location for later retrieval.

Abstract: A system is configured to receive a network resource request from a user device configured with a browsing application, wherein the request includes identification data associated with the user device. The system transmits, to a network resource provider, a request for the network resource, wherein the request transmitted to the network resource provider excludes identification data included in the request received from the user device. The system receives from the network resource provider a response, including a document comprising a field configured to receive payment information for an item purchase. The system receives from the browsing application an indication that an anonymous payment instrument, associated with a first entity different than the user, is to be used to purchase a first item at a first price. The system causes information regarding the anonymous payment instrument to be provided to the network resource provider.

Abstract: A system may implement a flexible architecture to allow designers and testers to use a single flexible system for testing during a transition from a computer simulated model to a physical working prototype via a bus (or protocol). As hardware components become available, the system may be updated to enable replacing a simulated component with a physical hardware component while continuing to leverage at least some existing parts of the system (e.g., software and/or hardware components including simulation). The system may use customizable application program interfaces (APIs) to interface with the different components, simulated or physical. The APIs may enable components to be “plugged in” to the system to create a different configuration. In some embodiments, API's and/or other simulation data may be stored in a library to enable reuse or modifications at different times.

Abstract: Techniques and solutions for measuring web page value are described. For example, web page content information for a web page can be obtained. The web page can be decomposed into web page content components based on the web page content information. Content types can be determined for the web page content components. The web page content components can be weighted based on the content types and/or based on other criteria. Web page resources can be obtained in advance for web pages and/or content components based on the weights.

Abstract: Techniques are described for scheduling data access jobs based on a job dependency analysis. Preliminary data access jobs subsequently accessed by a primary data access job are identified. Execution durations of the primary data access job and the preliminary data access jobs are determined based on historical data. A total execution duration of subsets of serially dependent preliminary data access jobs and predicted execution duration of primary data access job are determined. A time-sensitive subset is identified and start times for the data access job are scheduled. The results of the preliminary data access jobs are provided to the primary data access job prior to the start time of the primary data access job so the primary data access job completes by a target completion duration.

Abstract: A system is configured to receive a network resource request from a user device configured with a browsing application, wherein the request includes identification data associated with the user device. The system transmits, to a network resource provider, a request for the network resource, wherein the request transmitted to the network resource provider excludes identification data included in the request received from the user device. The system receives from the network resource provider a response, including a document comprising a field configured to receive payment information for an item purchase. The system receives from the browsing application an indication that an anonymous payment instrument, associated with a first entity different than the user, is to be used to purchase a first item at a first price. The system causes information regarding the anonymous payment instrument to be provided to the network resource provider.

Abstract: Content inspection and analysis are described. A server stores a definition of sets of browser policies. A definition of one or more sets of users is stored. The server stores an association with a respective set of browser policies for the one or more sets of users. A request is received from a client browser associated with a user, wherein the client browser is configured to communicate with the server. The server determines which set of users the user is associated with. The server identifies a first set of browser policies that is associated with the determined set of users and applies the identified first set of browser policies to the request.

Abstract: A system is configured to receive a network resource request from a user device configured with a browsing application, wherein the request includes identification data associated with the user device. The system transmits, to a network resource provider, a request for the network resource, wherein the request transmitted to the network resource provider excludes identification data included in the request received from the user device. The system receives from the network resource provider a response, including a document comprising a field configured to receive payment information for an item purchase. The system receives from the browsing application an indication that an anonymous payment instrument, associated with a first entity different than the user, is to be used to purchase a first item at a first price. The system causes information regarding the anonymous payment instrument to be provided to the network resource provider.

Abstract: The execution of a distributed program including one or more program components may be optimized in an automated manner. A runtime optimization policy and/or a meta-description of the distributed program may be received. The runtime optimization policy may define metrics, constraints and/or preferences for use in optimizing the deployment and execution of the components of the distributed program. The meta-description may include data defining one or more consumable interfaces exposed by the program components and one or more dependency adapters utilized by the program components of the distributed program. The runtime optimization policy and/or the meta-description may be utilized to optimize the distributed program at build time, runtime and/or execution time of the components of the distributed program. Dynamic optimization might also be performed during runtime of the distributed program.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for facilitating remote management of browser add-ons on multiple user computing devices from a centralized add-on management system. A browser application on the user computing devices may include an integrated application programming interface that can be remotely accessed by the add-on management system. In some embodiments, a management add-on or some other object that is separate from or otherwise not integrated with the browsing application may be used to facilitate the remote management of add-ons. Management of add-ons may include permitting and/or blocking installation and/or execution of particular add-ons on a case-by-case basis. The determination may be based on user permissions, add-on characteristics, observed execution of add-ons, and the like.

Abstract: Techniques and solutions for measuring web page value are described. For example, web page content information for a web page can be obtained. The web page can be decomposed into web page content components based on the web page content information. Content types can be determined for the web page content components. The web page content components can be weighted based on the content types and/or based on other criteria. Web page resources can be obtained in advance for web pages and/or content components based on the weights.

Abstract: Distributed split browser content inspection and analysis are described. A server, comprising a browser engine, stores a definition of sets of browser policies. A definition of one or more sets of users is stored. The server stores an association with a respective set of browser policies for the one or more sets of users. A request is received from a client browser associated with a user, wherein the client browser is configured to communicate with the server browser engine. The server determines which set of users the user is associated with. The server identifies a first set of browser policies that is associated with the determined set of users and applies the identified first set of browser policies to the request. A determination is made, for one or more browser processes, which browser processes are to be executed by the server browser engine and which browser processes are to be executed by the client browser.

Abstract: Distributed split browser content inspection and analysis are described. A server, comprising a browser engine, stores a definition of sets of browser policies. A definition of one or more sets of users is stored. The server stores an association with a respective set of browser policies for the one or more sets of users. A request is received from a client browser associated with a user, wherein the client browser is configured to communicate with the server browser engine. The server determines which set of users the user is associated with. The server identifies a first set of browser policies that is associated with the determined set of users and applies the identified first set of browser policies to the request. A determination is made, for one or more browser processes, which browser processes are to be executed by the server browser engine and which browser processes are to be executed by the client browser.

Abstract: Communication between program components executing in different virtual machines on the same physical computer may be optimized utilizing various mechanisms. A virtual machine manager may be configured to route network communications between virtual machines on the same physical host through a memory buffer. The virtual machine manager might also be configured to provide a shared memory and/or a shared data structure for enabling data communication between program components executing in different virtual machines on the same physical computing device. Mechanisms might also be implemented in order to prevent inconsistent read and/or write operations from being performed on the shared memory and/or the shared data structure. Mechanisms might also be implemented to minimize copying of a memory buffer, shared memory, and/or shared data structure.

Abstract: Techniques are described for scheduling data access jobs based on a job dependency analysis. A requested primary data access job is analyzed to determine one or more preliminary data access jobs on which it depends, and an execution duration of each data access job is predicted based on historical data or other factors. A time-sensitive subset of the preliminary data access jobs is determined as the subset of those serially dependent preliminary data access jobs for which there is a minimum time difference between the total predicted execution duration and a requested target completion time. Data access jobs are scheduled with priority given to those preliminary data access jobs in the time-sensitive subset, to enable the primary data access jobs to be completed by the requested target completion times.

Abstract: Techniques for utilizing a pool of human workers along with an automated classification feedback loop for identifying documents that meet certain criteria. As described herein, a requestor that desires to locate documents that meet certain specified criteria may first program a classifier with the specified criteria. The requestor may also determine the desired classes into which the classifier will categorize documents that are run against the classifier. The requestor may then locate one or more documents that represent each of the determined classes and then train the classifier using the documents. Thereafter, the requestor may publish a request to a pool of human workers soliciting documents meeting the criteria. Each of the documents may be run against the trained classifier and passed onto the requestor for further analysis if the classifier categorizes the respective document as acceptable.

Abstract: Administrative aspects of a data environment, such as the creation, deletion, and management of databases, are managed using a set of self-service Web services of a separate control environment. A user can submit a Web services call into an externally-facing interface of the control environment. The control environment can receive the call, extract information from the call, and determine appropriate actions to be performed in the data environment. A workflow can be instantiated that includes tasks used to perform the action in the data environment. Such an approach allows administrative aspects of the data environment to be managed through Web service calls to the control environment. Native access to databases in the data environment is provided using at least one externally-facing interface of the data environment, without accessing the control environment.

Abstract: Aspects of a target environment, such as the creation, deletion, and management of various resources, are managed using a set of self-service Web services of a separate control environment. A user can submit a Web services call into an externally-facing application programming interface (API) or other such externally-facing interface of the control environment. The API receiving the call, as well as information extracted from the call, can be used to determine appropriate actions to be performed in the target environment. A workflow can be instantiated that includes tasks used to perform the action in the target environment. Such an approach allows aspects of an environment to be managed through Web service calls to the control environment. Native access to resources in the target environment is provided using at least one externally-facing interface of the target environment, without accessing the control plane.