Abstract: In some examples, a computing device may receive an indication that a first user and a second user are located in a zone of an interior space or other surrounding environment. Settings of one or more controllable devices may be controlled based on user profiles including implicit or explicit user preferences, such as for controlling lighting, ambient temperature, entertainment, security, etc., in the zone. When there is conflict between the user preferences, the conflict may be resolved, such as by determining a hierarchy between the users, by averaging the preferred settings, or based on other techniques. Further, a portable computing device may be associated with a user and may provide sensor information. The sensor information may include biometric sensor information that is indicative of a bodily condition of the user and that can be used for determining a context of the user or the zone.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for identifying and displaying key excerpts of a digital work and related key excerpts of other digital works. Key excerpts are identified by evaluating (a) the number of interactions by human readers within each of the key excerpts and (b) the number of reviews that reference each of the key excerpts. Related excerpts from other books can be identified by comparing the key excerpts of the other books. Excerpts can be displayed by subject, and links are provided to move from one subject to another.

Abstract: A metadata item may be generated that includes metadata content corresponding to a selected portion of digital content stored on a first device, the metadata item may be associated with a first user profile, and the metadata item may be distributed to a second user device storing the digital content such that the metadata item can be accessed via a second user profile and rendered on the second user device in association with the digital content. In this manner, metadata content corresponding to digital content may be shared across user profiles that access the digital content. In addition, a collaborative content item may be generated that includes collaborative content associated with a word or phrase in digital content and that is editable by multiple user profiles.

Abstract: Certain embodiments herein relate to dynamically displaying related information based on a current location in content. Various types of content may include characters in a story, places, events, or other objects. Relationships associated with these objects may be determined, along with a location in the content at which the relationships exist. Such information may facilitate presentation of the relationships by a reader device based on a current location in the content displayed by the reader device.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for identifying and displaying key excerpts of a digital work and related key excerpts of other digital works. Key excerpts are identified by evaluating (a) the number of interactions by human readers within each of the key excerpts and (b) the number of reviews that reference each of the key excerpts. Related excerpts from other books can be identified by comparing the key excerpts of the other books. Excerpts can be displayed by subject, and links are provided to move from one subject to another.

Abstract: A metadata item may be generated that includes metadata content corresponding to a selected portion of digital content stored on a first device, the metadata item may be associated with a first user profile, and the metadata item may be distributed to a second user device storing the digital content such that the metadata item can be accessed via a second user profile and rendered on the second user device in association with the digital content. In this manner, metadata content corresponding to digital content may be shared across user profiles that access the digital content. In addition, a collaborative content item may be generated that includes collaborative content associated with a word or phrase in digital content and that is editable by multiple user profiles.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for identifying and displaying key excerpts of a digital work and related key excerpts of other digital works. Key excerpts are identified by evaluating (a) the number of interactions by human readers within each of the key excerpts and (b) the number of reviews that reference each of the key excerpts. Related excerpts from other books can be identified by comparing the key excerpts of the other books. Excerpts can be displayed by subject, and links are provided to move from one subject to another.

Abstract: Some examples include determining a proximity between a first user device and a plurality of other user devices based at least in part on comparing location information of the first user device with location information for the plurality of other user devices. Additionally, a commonality may be determined that is associated with at least some user profiles of the other users, but is unassociated with a user profile of the first user. For example, the commonality may have a frequency of occurrence among the user profiles of the other users that is greater than the frequency of occurrence among user profiles associated with a larger population. In other examples, a first portable computing device may receive profile information from a nearby second portable computing device for determining a compatibility between a first user profile and a second user profile.

Abstract: A user device receives a user input that causes an electronic publication to have a modified state. The user device generates data that, when used to render the electronic publication, causes the electronic publication to have the modified state. The user device transmits the data to a server.

Abstract: In some implementations, one or more words from a digital work are used to generate a game to be displayed on an electronic device. For example, the electronic device may include a library of one or more digital works. A word or knowledge game may be dynamically generated based on objects, such as characters, topics, places, organizations, things, etc., identified in at least one digital work in the library. As one example, a crossword puzzle may be created to include words and clues based at least in part on the objects identified in at least one digital work and supplemental information associated with the objects. The clues for the crossword puzzle may be generated automatically based, at least in part, on a desired level of difficulty. Further, in some cases, the game may be generated from words drawn from multiple digital works in the library.

Abstract: Effective color-aware search of a collection of content associated with one or more images is enabled. Content and/or its associated images may be automatically associated with representative palette colors in a suite of color palettes. Color palettes may be of a variety of types and have a hierarchical structure in which lower levels enable increasingly subtle distinctions between shades of color. Color palette hierarchies may be effectively presented, and appropriate portions emphasized based on associated search result sets. Search result sets may be refined and/or reordered in accordance with color palette selections and/or representative confidences of color palette selections for items at least referenced therein.

Abstract: Effective color-aware search of a collection of content associated with one or more images is enabled. Content and/or its associated images may be automatically associated with representative palette colors in a suite of color palettes. Color palettes may be of a variety of types and have a hierarchical structure in which lower levels enable increasingly subtle distinctions between shades of color. Color palette hierarchies may be effectively presented, and appropriate portions emphasized based on associated search result sets. Search result sets may be refined and/or reordered in accordance with color palette selections and/or representative confidences of color palette selections for items at least referenced therein.

Abstract: Effective color-aware search of a collection of content associated with one or more images is enabled. Content and/or its associated images may be automatically associated with representative palette colors in a suite of color palettes. Color palettes may be of a variety of types and have a hierarchical structure in which lower levels enable increasingly subtle distinctions between shades of color. Color palette hierarchies may be effectively presented, and appropriate portions emphasized based on associated search result sets. Search result sets may be refined and/or reordered in accordance with color palette selections and/or representative confidences of color palette selections for items at least referenced therein.

Abstract: Tools and techniques for converging terms within a collaborative tagging environment are described herein. Methods for converging divergent contributions to the collaborative tagging environment may include receiving respective contributions from users within the environment. The methods may identify at least some of the contributions as divergent, and enable the users to converge the divergent contributions.

Abstract: Tools and techniques are described herein for detecting synonyms and merging synonyms into search indexes. The tools provide methods that include receiving input documents for indexing into a search index file. The tools may compare parts of the input documents to parts of other documents already indexed into the search index file. The methods may also evaluate, based on these comparisons, whether the input document and the existing document are sufficiently similar to justify an inference that any dissimilar terms between the input document and the existing document are candidate synonyms. Other methods may include receiving requests to perforin searches that include one or more input keywords. The method then searches for links to synonyms of the input keyword, and returns search results responsive to the input keyword and to the synonyms.

Abstract: Collaborative structured tagging enables a community of users to define different types of tags for online content. The diverse tag types provide a non-flat or dimensional tagging data structure that supports navigation and search for content, as well as comparison of the content. In one implementation, the collaborative structured tagging is employed in an item encyclopedia that offers community-authored information on various items in one or more electronic catalogs. In this context, the collaborative structured tagging facilitates comprehensive cross-product comparison and dimensional product navigation.

Abstract: Tools and techniques for converging terms within a collaborative tagging environment are described herein. Methods for converging divergent contributions to the collaborative tagging environment may include receiving respective contributions from users within the environment. The methods may identify at least some of the contributions as divergent, and enable the users to converge the divergent contributions.