Abstract: A system for facilitating access to audiovisual content in which a content obtaining unit is configured to obtain a content source (e.g., a computer-readable file containing audiovisual content of a conference, lecture, or entertainment program); a descriptor obtaining unit is configured to obtain one or more descriptors (e.g., topic and speaker taxonomies and attributes associated with the content); a conversion unit configured to convert content of the content source from a format less efficient for categorization (e.g., video with audio) to a format more efficient for categorization (e.g., a textual transcription of the audio and/or a textual description of the video); a categorization unit configured to categorize the converted content into at least two categories based on the one or more descriptors (e.g., into one or more topics, and/or one or more speakers); and a presentation unit configured to present a category selection interface (e.g.

Abstract: A system and method for providing news relating to a specified subject to a subscriber, wherein a plurality of Web sites relating to a category to which the specified subject relates is selected, the relevancy of at least one Web page in each selected Web site is determined by scanning for words relating to the specified subject, the content type of at least one Web page in each selected Web site is determined by scanning for words indicating content type, a list of relevant Web pages is compiled based on the determinations of relevancy and content type, and the compiled list is provided to the subscriber.

Abstract: A web-based multi-user system and method for identifying, retrieving, and delivering information corresponding to items contained in a user search list from two or more information sources on the World Wide Web (WWW) is provided. The system includes a central server that periodically searches the information sources on the WWW for information corresponding to the items contained in the user search list. The central server retrieves the information onto a storage database where a determination is made as to whether the information is current. The central server electronically delivers only the current information to the user. The system and method therefore provides to the user automatic and periodic electronic reports containing only current or updated information corresponding to items contained in the user search list that the user desires to track.