Abstract: A method includes running an application on a mobile computing device, the mobile computing device accepting biometric input, and the mobile computing device enabling one or more function of the application only in response to the biometric input indicating that more than one person is present in the same location. Examples of suitable biometric input include a fingerprint, heartbeat, iris scan, facial recognition, and voice recognition. The biometric input may be provided directly to the mobile computing device from the more than one person present, or the biometric input may be provided by a first person to a first mobile computing device and by a second person to a second mobile computing device.

Abstract: For optimizing expansion devices on a computer expansion bus based on real-time flow control data, a system, apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus includes a configuration module that initializes a plurality of expansion bus registers, each expansion bus register associated with one of the plurality of expansion bus slots, a packet module that monitors flow control packets on the expansion bus, a flow control module that calculates flow control data from the flow control packets, the flow control data relating to the plurality of expansion devices, and a register module that writes flow control data to the plurality of expansion bus registers. The apparatus may further includes an optimization module that calculates an arrangement of the plurality of expansion devices, based on the flow control data, to maximize expansion bus throughput.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a plurality of customers that have connected with a retail interface using a computing device, and identifying a coupon that is available to a group that is registered with the retail interface, wherein the retail interface can access data identifying the members of the registered group, and wherein the identified coupon is associated with a proposed transaction that is redeemable only in response to a minimum number of the members using their computing devices to have an active connection with the retail interface at the same point in time. The method further includes determining a number of the identified group members, and marking the identified coupon as being redeemable in response to the number of the identified group members being greater than the minimum number of members that the identified coupon associates with the proposed transaction.

Abstract: A method includes running an application on a mobile computing device, the mobile computing device accepting biometric input, and the mobile computing device enabling one or more function of the application only in response to the biometric input indicating that more than one person is present in the same location. Examples of suitable biometric input include a fingerprint, heartbeat, iris scan, facial recognition, and voice recognition. The biometric input may be provided directly to the mobile computing device from the more than one person present, or the biometric input may be provided by a first person to a first mobile computing device and by a second person to a second mobile computing device.

Abstract: For optimizing expansion devices on a computer expansion bus based on real-time flow control data, a system, apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus includes a configuration module that initializes a plurality of expansion bus registers, each expansion bus register associated with one of the plurality of expansion bus slots, a packet module that monitors flow control packets on the expansion bus, a flow control module that calculates flow control data from the flow control packets, the flow control data relating to the plurality of expansion devices, and a register module that writes flow control data to the plurality of expansion bus registers. The apparatus may further includes an optimization module that calculates an arrangement of the plurality of expansion devices, based on the flow control data, to maximize expansion bus throughput.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to memory fault tolerance, and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and apparatus for single channel memory mirroring. In one embodiment of the invention, a single channel memory mirroring system can be provided. The single channel memory mirroring system can include a memory controller, a single communications channel, and an operational data portion of memory, and a duplicate data portion of memory, both portions being communicatively coupled to the memory controller over the single communications channel. Finally, the system can include single channel memory mirror logic. The logic can include program code enabled to mirror data in the operational data portion of memory in the duplicate data portion of memory.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products of extending cache in a multi-processor computer are provided.

Abstract: A computer program product and system for managing allocation of storage in a switch utilizing flow control are provided. The switch includes a plurality of ports and an internal storage divided into a plurality of storage units. The computer program product and system provide for monitoring an average number of storage units used by each of the plurality of ports over a predetermined time period, setting a threshold for the average number of storage units used by each of the plurality of ports, and allocating one or more available storage units assigned to a first port to a second port in response to storage allocation management being enabled for the second port and the average number of storage units used by the second port exceeding the threshold for the second port.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products of extending cache in a multi-processor computer are provided.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for improving or optimizing the configuration of expansion cards and expansion card slots in a computer system. The slot width of each slot is serially set to two or more link widths supported by the expansion card that is connect in each slot and each of the plurality of expansion cards is retrained at each of the set slot widths. The current link speed and a current link width for each of the plurality of expansion cards may be identified at each of the set slot widths to enable a determination of a configuration of the plurality of expansion cards within the plurality of expansion card slots that will improve collective throughput of the expansion cards. Optionally, the throughput of one expansion card may be prioritized over the throughput of another expansion card, such as those expansion cards or functionalities specified by user preferences or identified by system monitoring of loads placed on the expansion cards.

Abstract: Operating system (‘OS’)-firmware interface update recovery including determining, for each of a plurality of available OS-firmware interface images for booting a computer, whether each available OS-firmware interface image is corrupted or uncorrupted; setting, for each corrupted OS-firmware interface image, a predictive failure analysis (‘PFA’) bit in nonvolatile memory available to the OS-firmware interface update recovery module; selecting an uncorrupted OS-firmware interface image; initiating a boot for the computer with the selected OS-firmware interface image; determining whether a previous update to one of the available OS-firmware interface images was interrupted; and notifying a user that the previous update was interrupted if the previous update to one of the available OS-firmware interface images interrupted.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, electronic device, and computer readable medium for determining an end-of-life stage of the flash memory. The method includes detecting at least one life cycle event associated with a flash memory residing on an electronic device. A counter that is associated with the life cycle event is then incremented. Based on the counter, a total number of occurrences for the one life cycle event is determined. The total number of occurrences for the at least one given threshold is also determined. A current life cycle stage of the flash memory is identified based at least in part on determining if the total number of occurrences exceeds at least one given threshold. The life cycle stage is associated with the at least one given threshold. A user is then notified of the life cycle state of the flash memory.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, electronic device, and computer readable medium for determining an end-of-life stage of the flash memory. The method includes detecting at least one life cycle event associated with a flash memory residing on an electronic device. A counter that is associated with the life cycle event is then incremented. Based on the counter, a total number of occurrences for the one life cycle event is determined. The total number of occurrences for the at least one given threshold is also determined. A current life cycle stage of the flash memory is identified based at least in part on determining if the total number of occurrences exceeds at least one given threshold. The life cycle stage is associated with the at least one given threshold. A user is then notified of the life cycle state of the flash memory.

Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design for dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors is disclosed that include identifying whether a PCI Express device is installed into each PCI Express connector, and assigning a portion of the lanes to each PCI Express connector having a PCI Express device installed into the PCI Express connector. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include identifying a device type for each PCI Express device installed into the plurality of PCI Express connectors, creating allocation rules that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors, and receiving user allocation preferences that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors.

Abstract: Operating system (‘OS’)-firmware interface update recovery including determining, for each of a plurality of available OS-firmware interface images for booting a computer, whether each available OS-firmware interface image is corrupted or uncorrupted; setting, for each corrupted OS-firmware interface image, a predictive failure analysis (‘PFA’) bit in nonvolatile memory available to the OS-firmware interface update recovery module; selecting an uncorrupted OS-firmware interface image; initiating a boot for the computer with the selected OS-firmware interface image; determining whether a previous update to one of the available OS-firmware interface images was interrupted; and notifying a user that the previous update was interrupted if the previous update to one of the available OS-firmware interface images interrupted.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for improving or optimizing the configuration of expansion cards and expansion card slots in a computer system. The slot width of each slot is serially set to two or more link widths supported by the expansion card that is connect in each slot and each of the plurality of expansion cards is retrained at each of the set slot widths. The current link speed and a current link width for each of the plurality of expansion cards may be identified at each of the set slot widths to enable a determination of a configuration of the plurality of expansion cards within the plurality of expansion card slots that will improve collective throughput of the expansion cards. Optionally, the throughput of one expansion card may be prioritized over the throughput of another expansion card, such as those expansion cards or functionalities specified by user preferences or identified by system monitoring of loads placed on the expansion cards.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed for throttling a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within a computing system that include: receiving, by a link configuration module, an external environmental parameter value representing a condition of an environment external to the computing system; determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within the computing system in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration.

Abstract: Method, apparatus, and computer program products for dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors are disclosed that include identifying whether a PCI Express device is installed into each PCI Express connector, and assigning a portion of the lanes to each PCI Express connector having a PCI Express device installed into the PCI Express connector. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include identifying a device type for each PCI Express device installed into the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include creating allocation rules that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include receiving user allocation preferences that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for representing multiple computing resources within a predefined region of a graphical user interface (‘GUI’) for displaying a single icon that include: identifying a plurality of computing resources for representation on the GUI in a predefined region for displaying a single icon, each computing resource associated with a portion of the predefined region; rendering a display icon in the predefined region; identifying a location of an input device pointer within the predefined region; and activating the computing resource associated with the portion of the predefined region in which the input device pointer is located when a user operates the display icon.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed for throttling a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within a computing system that include: receiving, by a link configuration module, an external environmental parameter value representing a condition of an environment external to the computing system; determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within the computing system in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration.