Abstract: Personal data mining mechanisms and methods are employed to identify relevant information that otherwise would likely remain undiscovered. Users supply personal data that can be analyzed in conjunction with data associated with a plurality of other users to provide useful information that can improve business operations and/or quality of life. Personal data can be mined alone or in conjunction with third party data to identify correlations amongst the data and associated users. Applications or services can interact with such data and present it to users in a myriad of manners, for instance as notifications of opportunities.

Abstract: A system that enables a cloud-based data repository to function as a secure ‘drop-box’ for data that corresponds to a user is provided. The ‘drop box’ can be facilitated through the use of cryptographic keying technologies. For instance, data that is ‘dropped’ by or on behalf of a particular user can be encrypted using a public key that corresponds to a user-specific private key. Thus, although the data resides within the large pool of ‘cloud-based’ data, it is protected since it can only be decrypted by using the private key, which is kept secret. The innovation can further facilitate user-centric secure storage by partitioning the cloud-based repository into multiple partitions, each of which corresponds to specific indexing criteria.

Abstract: A user-centric or identity-centric resource licensing system that manages access to ‘cloud-based’ resources (e.g., applications and services) is provided. A ‘cloud’ refers to a collection of resources (e.g., hardware and/or software) provided and maintained by an off-site or off-premise party (e.g., third party), wherein the collection of resources can be accessed by an identified user via a network. In accordance with the user-centric licensing model, the resource license (and subscription) rights can migrate with a user without regard to physical location, device used, or other contextual factors (e.g., activity engaged). Effectively, the rights are mapped (and tracked) as a function of a user identity, which can be a core identity or an identity based upon activity engaged, role, capacity, etc.

Abstract: Systems and methods that analyze aggregated tagging behavior of users, and evaluate such tagging trends to identify criteria for taxonomy applications. Initially, existence of a possible trend of tagging data based on collective user behavior is determined. Subsequently, tagging trends can be examined to identify that a predetermined convergence criteria has in fact been met, and/or establish such criteria for taxonomy applications. Machine learning systems (implicitly as well as explicitly trained) can be supplied to facilitate determining the trends and the convergence criteria.

Abstract: An intelligent personalized agent monitors, regulates, and advises a user in decision-making processes for efficiency or safety concerns. The agent monitors an environment and present characteristics of a user and analyzes such information in view of stored preferences specific to one of multiple profiles of the user. Based on the analysis, the agent can suggest or automatically implement a solution to a given issue or problem. In addition, the agent can identify another potential issue that requires attention and suggests or implements action accordingly. Furthermore, the agent can communicate with other users or devices by providing and acquiring information to assist in future decisions. All aspects of environment observation, decision assistance, and external communication can be flexibly limited or allowed as desired by the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide for a virtual reality entertainment system that supplies immersive entertainment and creates a sensation for a user similar to having guests in a remote location to be physically present as virtual guests. Such virtual reality entertainment system can supply a graphic and/or audio; wherein interconnected computers, video and audio processing devices, supply a live interaction between a user and a guest(s). Although guests are only present virtually (e.g., electronically present with other objects/user within the environment) such virtual invitation enables a user and guests to concurrently experience the entertainment together (e.g., a live sporting event, spectator game). In a related aspect, the subject innovation can implement holographic avatars, and a plurality of communication interfaces, to imitate (and/or transform) a relationship between the user and the virtual guests/surrounding environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods that recognize items based on aggregated tagging behavior of users regarding the items. Individual users can establish relationships among tagged items and the system analyzes aggregate of such established relationships, to recognize the item and/or infer additional information regarding the items (e.g., wisdom of crowd such as metadata annotations, relevance ranking, and the like). Subsequently, search engine crawlers can be supplied with such additional information (e.g., extra metadata for reverse link search tables) to facilitate enterprise management and search.

Abstract: User persona content targeting is described. In an embodiment, a targeted content system includes a client account that corresponds to a user of computing-based client device(s), and the client account is associated with multiple personas that are each a different on-line representation of the user. A persona system initiates content being targeted to the user via a computing-based client device when the user is represented on-line as a first persona, and then initiates different content being targeted to the user via the computing-based client device when the user is represented on-line as a second persona.

Abstract: A customizable service provider user interface is described. In an implementation, a user is logged onto a suite a web services, to which, the user has not previously logged on. A user interface is output having a plurality of portions, one or more of which are customizable by the user through use of one or more overlays to customize interaction with the suite of web services.

Abstract: Data collection is described. A network-based data collection service enables users to define and manage data collections. Data items can be selected from any type of data source (e.g., a web page, a local document, an image file, an audio file, a video file, etc.) and added to a data collection. Data items may be any type of data (e.g., text, image, sound, video, etc.). A data collection may be shared by any number of users having various access permissions to the data collection. The data collection may also be viewed as a graphical presentation of each of the data items associated with the data collection such that each data item may be resized and/or repositioned within the graphical presentation.

Abstract: A novel application and user interface for facilitating group interactions over a network integrates messaging, file sharing, media playing, journaling, profiles, and gaming into a cohesive environment. The groups facilitated by the invention are persistent and mobile in that a user does not have to recollect and reconfigure the group each time he or she wants to interact with the group online and, while online, the group may be taken from one activity to another without having to disband and reconnect at the second activity. The application is modular so as to be extensible to include other activities and functionalities. In an embodiment, the group interaction application utilizes a peer-to-peer network environment to facilitate network communications between group members.

Abstract: Persistent public calendar searching is described. A library of public calendars is automatically searched to identify public calendars that may be of interest to a particular user. Public calendars that are identified as being of potential interest to the user are then recommended to the user. If the user selects a recommended public calendar, then the public calendar is integrated with the user's personal calendar so that both the user's personal calendar data and the public calendar data can be presented to the user through the user's personal calendar.

Abstract: A novel virtual calling card system and method aid in the formation of online relationships, serving as an introduction tool and as a contact mechanism. The calling card is an exchangeable entity that is automatically updated, ensuring that the recipient or viewer sees the most current version of the card. The card may display an aspect ratio that is the same as that of a traditional business card, and has a front side and a reverse side. Furthermore, the card provides a number of avenues for the card owner to express themselves, including an array of affiliation symbols, a most recent mood symbol, and a text field. The reverse side of the card can display a representation of the owner's social network, so that the recipients of the card may identify common friends and associates. Thus, the server-based card exchange appears to users as an exchange in the physical world.

Abstract: A novel application and user interface for facilitating group interactions over a network integrates messaging, file sharing, media playing, journaling, profiles, and gaming into a cohesive environment. The groups facilitated by the invention are persistent and mobile in that a user does not have to recollect and reconfigure the group each time he or she wants to interact with the group online and, while online, the group may be taken from one activity to another without having to disband and reconnect at the second activity. The application is modular so as to be extensible to include other activities and functionalities. In an embodiment, the group interaction application utilizes a peer-to-peer network environment to facilitate network communications between group members.

Abstract: A novel application and user interface for facilitating group interactions over a network integrates messaging, file sharing, media playing, journaling, profiles, and gaming into a cohesive environment. The groups facilitated by the invention are persistent and mobile in that a user does not have to recollect and reconfigure the group each time he or she wants to interact with the group online and, while online, the group may be taken from one activity to another without having to disband and reconnect at the second activity. The application is modular so as to be extensible to include other activities and functionalities. In an embodiment, the group interaction application utilizes a peer-to-peer network environment to facilitate network communications between group members.

Abstract: A novel application and user interface for facilitating group interactions over a network integrates messaging, file sharing, media playing, journaling, profiles, and gaming into a cohesive environment. The groups facilitated by the invention are persistent and mobile in that a user does not have to recollect and reconfigure the group each time he or she wants to interact with the group online and, while online, the group may be taken from one activity to another without having to disband and reconnect at the second activity. The application is modular so as to be extensible to include other activities and functionalities. In an embodiment, the group interaction application utilizes a peer-to-peer network environment to facilitate network communications between group members.

Abstract: Strategies are described for propagating and responding to announcements within an environment having pre-established social groups, such as pre-established instant messenger social groups. More specifically, a member within a group can create an announcement, whereupon the announcement becomes associated with the member's identity. The member can then propagate that announcement out as part of their identity to members within the member's immediate social order group. If the member so authorizes, the announcement can also be propagated out to other social groups linked to the member's immediate social group. A member within the immediate social group or one of the linked social groups can responds to the announcement. The use of pre-established social groups to transact announcement-related exchanges provides a level of trust not offered by conventional network-based messaging and merchandising services.

Abstract: While You Were Away (WYWA) functionality is described for alerting a user to events which have transpired between a time that the user ceases interaction with an electronic environment and a time that the user resumes interaction with the electronic environment. The detected events may include news stories, Email messages, offline instant messenger (IM) messages, and so forth. The WYWA functionality can order the events based on at least one ordering criterion, as well as group the events into multiple categories. The WYWA functionality displays the events in a user interface panel that is presented to the user upon the resumption of their use of the electronic environment.

Abstract: A novel virtual calling card system and method aid in the formation of online relationships, serving as an introduction tool and as a contact mechanism. The calling card is an exchangeable entity that is automatically updated, ensuring that the recipient or viewer sees the most current version of the card. The card may display an aspect ratio that is the same as that of a traditional business card, and has front side and a reverse side. Furthermore, the card provides a number of avenues for the card owner to express themselves, including an array of affiliation symbols, a most recent mood symbol, and a text field. The reverse side of the card can display a representation of the owner's social network, so that recipients of the card may identify common friends and associates. The exchange of the card, although server-based, appears to users to simply be a transfer of the card from the owner, or other party, to the recipient, much as a card changes hands in the physical world.

Abstract: Attachment browser is described. In an embodiment, an attachment browser displays a selection of communications received from multiple sources where each of the communications has an attachment. A representative image of each attachment is organized for display according to an attribute of the respective attachment, and a portion of each communication is displayed proximate an associated representative image to maintain the association of a communication and a respective attachment.