Abstract: Distributed trick play resolution in a distributed video viewing group network includes determining trick play preferences for each device of a plurality of nodes in the distributed video viewing group network with respect to a video item. Conflicting trick play preferences between the nodes is determined based on one or more of a group consisting of: user rankings, user voting, trick play ranking, and owner resolution. The determined conflicting trick play preferences are resolved.

Abstract: A content management system for managing content stored by a number of networked Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) associated with a user community is provided. More specifically, the storage space of each of the personal video recorders is physically or logically partitioned into a personal space and a community space. The content management system manages the community spaces of the PVRs such that content relevant to the user community is stored in the collective community space of the PVRs and available to the user community.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for searching social networks. A device is encountered that sends a query. The query comprises a search packet. A content search is performed according to a query parameter described by the search packet. The content search is then repeatedly performed according to a duration parameter described by the search packet.

Abstract: A system and method for representing content available from a hosting user are provided. In general, content representations that are descriptive of content made accessible by the hosting user are presented in association with a content representation host representing the hosting user according to a layering scheme. The content representation host may be, for example, an avatar in a virtual environment, a custom webpage of the hosting user, an identifier of the hosting user in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, an identifier of the hosting user in a mobile network, or the like. Based on the content representations, other users are enabled to quickly and easily determine whether content of interest is accessible from the hosting user.

Abstract: An Internet radio station program discovery service is provided. A plurality of Internet radio station programs is obtained. For each Internet radio station program of the plurality of Internet radio station programs, the Internet radio station program is dynamically categorized by mapping a dynamically identified topic of the Internet radio station program to a content classifier. A User is enabled to discover an Internet radio station program of interest from the plurality of Internet radio station programs based on the dynamic categorizations for the plurality of Internet radio station programs.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for creating collaborative content tracks to be presented to a user concurrently with a media presentation such as a movie, an episode of a television series, a song, or the like. Each time a user selects and plays a media presentation, user events describing actions taken by the user while viewing or listening to the media presentation are collected and provided to a Collaborative Content Track (CCT) server. The user events may include user events occurring on a primary media playback system, user events occurring on associated secondary user devices, or a combination thereof. In this manner, the CCT server obtains user events for each of a number of media presentations. Based on the user events, the CCT server may generate CCTs for any one of the media presentations to be presented to a user concurrently with the media presentation.

Abstract: A system and method for coordinating advertisements on multiple playback devices during playback of heterogeneous content are provided. In general, a virtual group of playback devices or users of the playback devices is formed and managed by a virtual group (VG) control function. In operation, the VG control function operates to coordinate advertisement slots in heterogeneous content being played by the playback devices and provide targeted advertisements to the playback devices for insertion into the coordinated advertisement slots. The targeted advertisements may be, for example, targeted advertisements for each user or playback device, targeted advertisements for subsets of the users or playback devices in the virtual group, targeted advertisements for the virtual group, targeted complementary advertisements for subsets of users or playback devices in the virtual group, or targeted complementary advertisements for the virtual group.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing a relationship with and information about a contact. An example includes a client device that can be used to manage and keep track of information about a contact's family.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing a calendar and information about contacts. An example includes a client device that can be used to operate an improved calendar.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for enabling information sharing in a distributed virtual world. In general, a virtual world client associated with a user participating in a virtual world operates to obtain one or more annotations associated with virtual world constructs identified as being of interest to the user. The virtual world constructs of interest to the user may be identified by the user or identified automatically by the virtual world client. In one embodiment, the one or more annotations are defined by other users participating in the virtual world. Once the one or more annotations are obtained, the virtual world client may, for example, present the one or more annotations to the user, present a portion of the one or more annotations to the user, notify the user that the one or more annotations are available, or the like.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide for optimizing operation of a radio program operated by a host process. Aspects include analyzing the contextual information received from the plurality of client devices participating in the radio program and enabling enable the host process to manage the participation of the plurality of client devices based at least in part on the contextual information.

Abstract: A system and method for providing personal broadcast channels are provided. In one embodiment, one or more users interact with a local broadcast agent hosted by a local server to define profiles for a number of personal broadcast channels. The profiles include information identifying types of content to be broadcast on the personal broadcast channels and optionally formats for the personal broadcast channels. Based on the profiles for the personal broadcast channels, the local broadcast agent generates a request for content types desired for the personal broadcast channels and provides the request to a content distribution agent hosted by a master server. Based on content provided to the local server in response to the request and the profiles of the personal broadcast channels, the local broadcast agent generates the local broadcast channels.

Abstract: Distributed trick play resolution in a distributed video viewing group network includes determining trick play preferences for each device of a plurality of nodes in the distributed video viewing group network with respect to a video item. Conflicting trick play preferences between the nodes is determined based on one or more of a group consisting of: user rankings, user voting, trick play ranking, and owner resolution. The determined conflicting trick play preferences are resolved.

Abstract: A method and system for providing content in a virtual environment. A host computer hosting a region in a virtual environment provides an event stream including a plurality of event data segments identifying activity occurring in the virtual environment to a client computer participating in the virtual environment. The host computer receives a request to provide virtual environment content including imagery data associated with the virtual environment to the client computer, and provides a content stream including a plurality of content data segments containing virtual environment content at a content stream bandwidth based on an event stream bandwidth associated with the event stream to the client computer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing advance content alerts during playback of a media item. In one embodiment, upcoming content in the media item is analyzed based on a received advance content alert configuration. Content is detected that substantially satisfies the received advanced content alert configuration. An advance content alert is generated for the upcoming content based upon the detection of the upcoming content that substantially satisfies the received advanced content alert configuration. The advance content alert is provided prior to playback of the upcoming content. Providing the advance content alert can be providing the advance content alert prior to playback of the upcoming content to a mobile device providing the advanced content alert configuration. Providing the advance content alert can be inserting the advance content alert into the media item during playback such that the advance content alert is presented prior to playback of the upcoming content.

Abstract: A device receives key frame information for each of a plurality of key frames of a video content item and sends the key frame information from the device to a recipient while a corresponding segment of the video content item is being rendered by the device. The key frame information may include key frames of the video content item, references to the key frames of the video content item stored by one or more remote sources, or information identifying the key frames of the video content item to enable extraction of the key frames by a recipient device. Each key frame is representative of a segment of the video content item. The key frame information for the video content item is then sent to second users while the first user views the corresponding segment of the video content item. Advertisements may be sent with, or replace, the key frame information.

Abstract: A server and device for constructing and presenting a consumption profile for a media item are provided. In general, consumption of a media item by a number of first users is tracked. Thereafter, before and/or during playback of the media item by a second user, a consumption profile for the media item is constructed and presented to the second user.

Abstract: A dynamic query response scheme for a distributed network is provided. In one embodiment, the distributed network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network including a number of peer nodes. In general, peer nodes delay their query responses, address their query responses, or both delay and address their query responses dynamically to avoid feedback implosion. In one embodiment, the peer nodes delay their query responses, address their query responses, or both delay and address their query responses based on one or more quality metrics calculated for their query responses.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for dynamically adjusting advertisement (“ad”) time for a multicast channel. In one embodiment, a variable ad insertion function operates to receive one or more multicasts of media content from a core distribution network, insert ad timeslots into the media content, and optionally perform late-binding of ads to the ad timeslots. The media content including the inserted ad timeslots and late-binded ads, if any, is then multicast to associated client devices over a feeder network using corresponding multicast channels. For each multicast channel, insertion of ad timeslots into the associated media content is dynamically controlled based on the number of users currently consuming or predicted to consume the multicast channel, the number of client devices receiving or predicted to receive the multicast channel, or both.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for measuring trust. A device is encountered. A trust score for the device is calculated and compared to a threshold. The threshold may be a minimum trust score associated with the function. If the calculated trust score equals or exceeds the threshold, then the function is executed. If the calculated trust score is less than the threshold, then the function is denied.