Abstract: User activity including both athletic activity (e.g., running, walking, etc.) and non-athletic activity (shopping, reading articles, etc.) may be monitored and tracked by an athletic monitoring and tracking device and service. The user activity may be used to award a user with an amount of virtual currency to encourage the user to continue various activities. In one example, users may use the virtual currency to purchase or otherwise acquire various products, services, discounts and the like. A user may track an amount currency earned and/or needed relative to an amount required to acquire a desired product or service. Additionally or alternatively, a visual appearance of a user device (e.g., a watch or athletic activity band) may change based on the user's activity level, an amount of virtual currency earned and the like.

Abstract: Systems, devices, media, and methods are presented for determining performance metrics of client devices on a network using benchmark applications. Benchmark applications are distributed to client devices to produce performance metrics for the client devices. Performance metrics of the client devices received from the client devices are grouped to obtain performance metrics for different types of client devices.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are examples of systems and methods for tailoring the posting of notifications based on device activity status. A client device can collect activity data associated with the client device. The client device can provide the activity data to a management service. The client device can receive from the management service a command to disable a capability of an application installed on the client device to post notifications. The client device can cause the capability of the application to post notifications to be disabled.

Abstract: An application displaying primary content, such as a webpage, may include unused space. The unused space may exist within the application displaying the primary content (e.g., within the browser window) or on other portions of the display (e.g., outside of the browser window). The unused space is identified and leveraged to display secondary content on the client display along with the primary content. The secondary content may be adaptable to conform to different sizes and/or configurations of the unused space. The secondary content may be updated as the user interacts with elements on the client display.

Abstract: A social networking system that allows a user to host a page for a pre-launch product that transitions to a post launch page. In some cases, the pre-launch page may be accessible to the users of the social networking system to provide information and data associated with the pre-launch product. In some cases, the pre-launch page may be configurable such that when the product launches, the page converts to a post launch page at which the product may be purchased.

Abstract: A system and method for streaming customized audio is disclosed. The system and method allow for the selection of advertisements based on at least one feature of a listener and insertion of the selected advertisements into a customized digital audio stream subsequently transmitted to a particular listener. In a particular embodiment, the advertisement is provided as a text string which is converted into audio for insertion into customized digital audio stream.

Abstract: Methods and devices are presented for managing communications in an ephemeral communication system. In some embodiments, messages in the system are associated with a default trigger for deleting each message following an initial viewing of the message. A non-ephemeral analysis module analyses elements of the message to identify any content elements indicating that a message status should be changed from a default ephemeral status to a non-ephemeral status. Following identification of such elements in the message, the message status is changed from ephemeral to non-ephemeral. Based on the non-ephemeral message status, a copy of the message may be automatically stored in a non-ephemeral format, or a default trigger for deletion of the message may be changed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and an ad decision sever for determining personalized messages during a provisioning of digital content. The method comprises to provide a set of personalized messages candidates by executing a relevance algorithm, which matches message metadata and content metadata. The method continues with receiving calculated network costs for the set of personalized message candidates in order to determine a set of personalized messages, which are optimized with respect to the received network costs by applying a multivariate optimization algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to summarizing cross-network user behavioral data. The summarizing cross-network user behavioral data may particularly include publishing the data to one or more data structures that become accessible to a server hosting an authorized domain when a user accesses the authorized domain.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for interacting with advertisements on a virtual keyboard. An advertisement appears in a position that is proximate to a virtual key of the virtual keyboard. A user can manipulate the advertisement based on performing one or more types of gestures or key presses on or near the virtual keys. One type of gesture triggers an interaction with the advertisement and another type of gesture or key press performs a standard keyboard function.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include a system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program and a method for managing access permissions associated with data resources. Example embodiments involve evaluating user access permissions with respect to shared data resources of a group of network applications. The method includes receiving a request to access a data resource. The method further includes accessing a policy object linked to the data resource that includes an effective policy for the data resource. The method further includes evaluating a user's access permissions with respect to the data resource based on the policy object and communicating a response to the network application that includes the access permission of the user.

Abstract: A data distribution system includes: an edge stream-pushing server configured to receive streaming media data packets sent by a stream pusher, serialize the streaming media data packets, and forward the serialized streaming media data packets to a plurality of central servers; a central server configured to cache the serialized streaming media data packets, if a serialized back-to-source request from the edge stream-pulling server is received, determine, a start position of to-be-transmitted streaming media data packets according to the serialized back-to-source request, and send the cached streaming media data packets to the edge stream-pulling server according to the start position; and an edge stream-pulling server configured to deserialize received streaming media data packets to restore the received streaming media data packets, and send the restored streaming media data packets to a user terminal.

Abstract: A campaign server is disclosed which includes a multi-level queue architecture that isolates campaign processing from the delays and inconsistencies of target population information retrieval and a data streaming service system with latency and error remediation measures are disclosed, where the campaign server and the data consumption system can be part of a consolidated system. The data consumption system may include various components to process one or more offers to one or more customers and component configured to detect an error associated the preparation of the errors and/or ii) initiate a retry attempt to process the one or more offers, and/or storing an instruction in a storage component of the streaming data system to permanently prohibit an attempt to generate the one or more offers at a subsequent time if the retry attempt expires without processing the one or more offers.

Abstract: Methods and systems for increasing potential advertising revenue by incorporating shopping cart links into social media posts. The method may include receiving an input indicating a user request to add a shopping cart link to a social networking post associated with a user making the user request, the social networking post to be posted to one or more social networks, determining a cost for placing the shopping cart link in the social networking post, providing the determined cost to the user, receiving confirmation from the user to add the shopping cart link to the social networking post, and adding the shopping cart link to the social networking post. Any costs paid by the user to post the shopping cart link may be recovered from commissions or other similar payments received for each user that browses or purchases an item in the shopping cart link.

Abstract: Dynamic header bidding configuration is disclosed. For example, ad slot entries associated with ad slots in a web content, further associated with ad identifiers and ad sizes are received. Header bidding partners associated with an ad slot entry are received, each partner associated with a parameter. The partners, parameters, ad slot entries, ad identifiers, and ad sizes are recorded as a configuration associated with the web content. A script associated with the configuration, further associated with a page of the web content including an ad slot associated with the ad slot entry is generated. The configuration is sent to a client device that invokes the script by loading the first page, and an ad from a partner is displayed in an ad impression of the ad slot on the client device based on a response to a notice sent to at least two partners.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for detecting advertisements with advertising cues are provided. In some embodiments, a method for detecting advertisements is provided, the method comprising: receiving an advertisement request from a web browser loading a web page; selecting an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements to be placed on the web page in response to receiving the advertisement request; loading an event listener associated with the advertisement that receives advertisement information associated with other advertisements on the web page; and transmitting advertisement information associated with the advertisement to frames on the web page, wherein the event listener receives responses to the advertisement information that includes the advertisement information associated with the other advertisements on the web page.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling resource usage in a computing environment are provided. In one technique, a target resource usage for a particular point in time is determined for a content delivery campaign. Determining, for the content delivery campaign, a current resource usage for the particular point in time. Also, a bandwidth associated with the target resource usage at the particular point in time is determined. Based on a difference between the current resource usage and one or more boundaries of the bandwidth, a throttling factor is calculated. Based on the throttling factor, a probability of the content delivery campaign participating in a content item selection event is determined.

Abstract: A near real time content streaming system can use a playlist file, in one embodiment, that includes an indicator of the type of content represented by the playlist file. The type can be indicated by a parameter, such as Video on Demand (VOD) or live, or event, that specifies the type of playlist file, and a client device can process the playlist file based upon the type of playlist file indicated by the parameter. For example, the client device, after determining the type of playlist from a playlist file can make efficiency optimizations when processing the playlist file. For example, the client, knowing the playlist file is a VOD playlist, can save the previously used variant playlist when switching to a new variant playlist rather than discarding the previously used variant playlist.

Abstract: The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A DIGITAL CONVERSATION MANAGEMENT PLATFORM (“DCM-Platform”) transforms digital dialogue from consumers, client demands and, Internet search inputs via DCM-Platform components into tradable digital assets, and client needs based artificial intelligence campaign plan outputs. In one implementation, The DCM-Platform may capture and examine conversations between individuals and artificial intelligence conversation agents. These agents may be viewed as assets. One can measure the value and performance of these agents by assessing their performance and ability to generate revenue from prolonging conversations and/or ability to effect sales through conversations with individuals.

Abstract: The present technology generally relates to metadata based generation and management of event presentations. The technology may include selecting a plurality of target audiences, programmatically generating a plurality of presentations and a presentation plan, programmatically executing the presentation plan, and programmatically adjusting the presentation plan based on monitored efficiency. The adjusting of the presentation plan may be based, for example, on performance of constituent elements of particular presentations relative to other constituent elements, e.g., from other presentations.

Abstract: An online system obtains a composite prediction associated with a content item indicating a likelihood that a viewing user of the online system will perform a type of conversion associated with the content item via one or more paths of events leading to the type of conversion. The online system obtains the composite prediction based on a tree data structure describing the path(s) of events. Upon identifying an opportunity to present content to the viewing user, the online system identifies the tree data structure corresponding to the type of conversion from multiple tree data structures maintained in the online system and obtains a composite prediction associated with the content item by evaluating and performing operations associated with nodes of the tree data structure while traversing the nodes. The online system then determines whether to present the content item to the viewing user based on the composite prediction.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a transaction management computing subsystem of an advertising platform, a call for an advertisement creative to be served to an impression consumer; generating, using the transaction management computing subsystem, a set of bid requests, at least two bid requests of the set including respective subsets of user data store information associated with the impression consumer; and sending, by the transaction management computing subsystem, the set of bid requests to a set of bidding computing subsystems, each bidding computing subsystems being operable to generate a bid response based on the information included in its bid request.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to wireless connection management for an accessory device. A companion device and the accessory device may establish a wireless link. The companion device may associate with a Wi-Fi access point. The companion device may determine whether the Wi-Fi access point supports access by the accessory device to a wide area network. The companion device may determine whether to provide association information for the Wi-Fi access point to the accessory device based at least in part on whether the Wi-Fi access point supports access by the accessory device to the wide area network. The companion device may monitor whether the Wi-Fi access point continues to support access by the accessory device to the wide area network, and may indicate to the accessory device to disassociate with the Wi-Fi access point if the Wi-Fi access point no longer supports access by the accessory device to the wide area network.

Abstract: A content scheduling method is provided. The content scheduling method, which is performed by a content scheduling apparatus, comprises acquiring a total play count of target content, determining a plurality of weight values of the target content with respect to a plurality of time slots, each weight value of the plurality of weight values indicating a first preference for the target content with respect to each time slot of the plurality of time slots, generating a linear programming model using the acquired total play count and the plurality of weight values and determining, via a processor, a play count of the target content in the each time slot of the plurality of time slots based on the linear programming model.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein to allow a service provider supporting applications running on a client device to remotely disable the applications, features of the applications, or sessions of the applications running on the client device. The service providers may initiate the disable action automatically upon the detection of certain events on or through the client device without requiring user input. The disable action is specific for the client device. In one embodiment, the service provider collects information associated with the application and with the remote client device that runs the application to conduct one or more transactions with the service provider. The service provider determines from the collected information a feature set of the application to disable on the client device. The service provider disabling remotely the feature set of the application on the client device without affecting any other client devices that run the application.

Abstract: An item sharing machine is configured to receive share requests in the example form of allocation requests submitted by requesters for an allocable region of a graphical user interface. The allocation requests specify numerical values accorded to the allocable region by the requesters. The item sharing machine determines a distribution of the numerical values and, based on the distribution, generates an allocation plan defined by configuration parameters for the allocable region. The item sharing machine is configured to repeatedly update the allocable region based on the allocation plan by cyclically and selectively linking the allocable region to different computers of different requesters based on the allocation plan. The allocable region accordingly becomes linked to computers of different requesters at different times, and the item sharing machine is configured to cause one or more user devices to present the allocable region linked to such computers at different times.

Abstract: A method for automatic selection of video sequences to fill a break in a broadcasted program, including determining an estimated duration of the break (bi) and selecting from a collection of videos, such as advertisements, a sequence of videos to be played out. The sequence has a second duration which is shorter than the estimated duration and the selection depends on broadcast priority criteria associated with at least some of said videos. The method also includes broadcasting the sequence of videos and broadcasting a fill-in video signal until the end of the break.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving bidder data identifying bidders for an instance of an advertising space and price data corresponding to prices offered by the bidders for the advertising space instance, identifying, based on the bidder data, line items matching the bidders, wherein the line items include dynamically alterable parameters, determining, based on the price data, values of the dynamically alterable parameters, selecting a line item from a plurality of line items, wherein the plurality of line items includes the identified line items, and wherein the selection of the line item is based on the values of the dynamically alterable parameters of the identified line items, obtaining creative data corresponding to the selected line item, and transmitting the creative data, wherein the creative data represent a creative compatible with the instance of the advertising space.

Abstract: A method includes recording client intakes, the client intakes including information about potential customers; recording a time and date when each intake was initiated by one of the potential customers; recording data about an advertising campaign including a start date and end date of the campaign, cost of the campaign, durations of advertisements in the campaign, name of a broadcast program into which the advertisements are inserted, and times when the program is broadcast; converting the data about advertising campaigns into ad time slot data including a time range in which a broadcast program runs and average number of times the advertisements run during the time range; and selectively generating an output visually indicating cost of advertisements versus time of day, number of intakes versus time of day, and cost of the advertisements versus time of day. Other systems and methods are provided.

Abstract: A type of a request that is currently being processed at a system is determined. A distribution is selected from a set of processing time distributions, the distribution forming a model that is applicable to the type. A threshold point is computed for the model. A processing time that exceeds a threshold point processing time is regarded as exhibiting tail latency. Tail latency includes a delay in processing of the request due to a reason other than a utilization of a resource of the system exceeding a threshold utilization and a size of a queue in the system exceeding a threshold size. An evaluation is made that the request will experience tail latency during processing at the system and the processing of the request at the system is aborted. The request is offloaded for processing at a peer system in a load-balanced group of systems.

Abstract: An online system selects content items for a user to increase probabilities of the user remembering the content items after presentation. The online system generates one or more models based on information describing amounts of time users have viewed previously presented content items. Hence, a model associated with a user predicts an amount of time the user will view a content item. When selecting content items for the user, the online system selects one or more content items that the user is predicted to view for an amount of time within a specific range, which may be based on amounts of times other users have viewed the content item or content items similar to the content item. For example, the online system increases a probability of selecting a content item the user is predicted to view for an amount of time within the specific range.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for implementing forwarding in playback of video content, in which the video content is associated with commercials, the method comprising: determining a set of commercials that are skipped in forwarding the video content; and applying a function to determine the playback of the set of commercials when the forwarded video content is played, wherein the function is programmable.

Abstract: Techniques for performing near real-time analytics are provided. In one technique, different client devices generate different sets of events pertaining to the same or different media item. Events generated by one client device are assigned to one process (or machine) while events generated by another client device are assigned to a different process (or machine). Each process aggregates events assigned to it based on a time window to generate an aggregated event. The aggregated events are stored in persistent storage. In response to a request for a report that is associated with a media item, one or more of the aggregated events are retrieved from persistent storage and report data is generated based on the aggregated events. The report data is sent to the requestor for visual presentation.

Abstract: A system for tracking telephone calls made in response to advertising campaigns in electronic or other media is provided. The system permits an advertiser to associate specific and distinct telephone numbers with associated advertising campaigns. The system further modifies advertiser-provided information in response to the advertising campaign to which a potential customer responds, and includes the associated telephone number in the modified advertiser information. The system processes telephone calls made to the selected telephone numbers, and provides reports to advertisers of call data associated with the respective advertising campaigns.

Abstract: The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A DIGITAL CONVERSATION MANAGEMENT PLATFORM (“DCM-Platform”) transforms digital dialogue from consumers, client demands and, Internet search inputs via DCM-Platform components into tradable digital assets, and client needs based artificial intelligence campaign plan outputs. In one implementation, The DCM-Platform may capture and examine conversations between individuals and artificial intelligence conversation agents. These agents may be viewed as assets. One can measure the value and performance of these agents by assessing their performance and ability to generate revenue from prolonging conversations and/or ability to effect sales through conversations with individuals.

Abstract: Social networking system users may create events where a group of other users invited to the event meet at a specified time and location. The social networking system suggests users to invite to an event based on a prediction that the users would attend the event if invited. Various factors may be used to make the prediction, such as an affinity between the inviting user and the other users, the availability of the other users at the time of the event and/or the proximity of the other users to the location of the event. An inviting user receives the suggested users and selects suggested users to invite to the event or invitations may be automatically sent to the suggested users by the social networking system.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of blending multimedia with a multimedia composition system may include generating a swap list by identifying potential match points of objects, scenes, or assets, in a multimedia template that are capable of being replaced with personal multimedia assets (PMA) in a user's collection, generating a composition list by designating particular PMA from the PMA in the user's collection to replace at least a portion of the objects, scenes, or assets in the multimedia template identified in the swap list by matching metadata of the particular PMA with metadata of the objects, scenes, or assets in the multimedia template, and composing blended multimedia using the composition list by swapping the objects, scenes, or assets in the multimedia template with the particular PMA matched based on the respective metadata.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are described that enable generation of an electronic content schedule. In a method embodiment, one or more data files including TV viewing data and descriptive data of a plurality of individuals are received. Target audience criteria, target TV content, and criteria for key performance indicators (KPIs) are received. KPIs for a target segment are tracked. Spot watching probabilities for each individual in the target segment are calculated. A plurality of spot packages is generated based on the target TV content. For each spot package, a probabilistic segment is generated based on the spot watching probabilities and a plurality of KPIs are calculated. Scores corresponding to the spot packages are generated based on the plurality of KPIs and based on tracked KPIs of the target segment. The content schedule is generated by selecting a spot package selected from the plurality of spot packages based on the scores.

Abstract: A media item cache manager system which implements techniques for efficiently using cache memory to respond to requests. The cache memory may include information on items along with a status indicator for each of the items, indicating different status information. Some examples of possible status indicators include valid, invalid, or in-progress indicators.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for presenting requested content on public display devices are provided.

Abstract: A collection management system presents, as part of a content discovery session, a first content item from a content discovery collection that includes a plurality of content items that are ordered sequentially for presentation. In response to receiving an advancement input, the collection management system determines whether a number of content items presented as part of the content discovery session meets or exceeds a threshold number of content items, and whether an amount of elapsed time of the content discovery session meets or exceeds a threshold amount of time. The collection management system presents a first alternate content item as part of the content discover session. The first alternate content item is not included in the content discovery collection. After presenting the first alternate content item, the collection management system presents a second content item from the content discover collection that is ordered after the first content item.

Abstract: A method and a system are provided for interaction with a digital signage board. An electronic device receives, via a transceiver, a first metadata associated with a first grid displayed on the digital signage board that is configured to display a plurality of multimedia content items in a plurality of first cells of the grid. The electronic device receives, via the transceiver, a second metadata associated with the plurality of multimedia content items. The one or more processors in the electronic device display a second grid comprising a plurality of second cells that are based on the first metadata and the second metadata. The one or more processors in the electronic device further update a property associated with at least one of the plurality of second cells based on a user profile stored in the electronic device and the second metadata.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system that provides for obtaining network parameter data from an eNodeB and a content delivery network server of a wireless network, determining a predicted network condition for a group of end user devices to receive an over-the-top video service in a coverage area of the eNodeB according to the network parameter data, and providing access to prediction information representative of the predicted network condition. The providing the access to the prediction information representative of the predicted network condition enables a video client of an end user device in the coverage area to provide a request for a video chunk to a video server according to buffer information and the predicted network condition. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A streaming media file processing method and a live streaming system are provided. The method includes slicing a streaming media file into slices according to a preset time unit; creating a playing sequence number for each slice based on time data, where the playing sequence number is used to determine an order of playing back the slices; and storing the slices and the playing sequence numbers of the slices separately and establishing a mapping relationship between the slices and the corresponding playing sequence numbers. The present disclosure slices the streaming media file based on the preset time unit, and creates the playing sequence number for each slice based on time data, and selects and processes the slice file corresponding to the playing sequence number based on the time information, which facilities the subsequent operation to the slice file. In addition, the present disclosure also provides a live streaming system.

Abstract: An online system provides a local reach advertisement create flow that determines an estimated radius of a target area for serving an ad to optimize local awareness of the ad based on the advertiser's ad campaign goals. The ad create flow receives location information about an ad target location identified by or associated with the advertiser, and information describing the ad campaign associated with the advertiser. Using the advertising information and population density information associated with the ad target location, the online system selects a target area for serving the ad to reach an estimated number of online system users based on the ad budget and provides an indication of the selected region and the estimated ad reach to the advertiser.

Abstract: Provided are an advertisement providing system and method. The advertisement providing method acquires information on a user interaction, acquires a second advertisement schedule which is generated by rescheduling a first advertisement schedule on the basis of the information on the user interaction, and provides an advertisement according to the second advertisement schedule.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inventory management integrating subscriber and targeting data are provided. The method includes tracking historical inventory during a first time period for each of a plurality of advertising spots, the number of impressions for each spot. Each impression is categorized by segment. The method further includes predicting a future inventory available for a second time period based on the tracked inventory, and subtracting, on a segment-by-segment basis, inventory that is sold from the future inventory.

Abstract: A system and method for placing ads on a client-side video replay system. The described embodiments of the present invention allow a client to make a determination of ad placement priority separately from the function of serving ads to a requesting application. A described dynamic ad placement engine reorders ads when the context of the system is changed to yield a next ad to be placed. Thus, at a later time, when an application sends an ad request, the dynamic ad placement engine can quickly respond with the ad to be placed. The ads also are preferably reordered after an ad is placed. Placement of ads is controlled in the described embodiment by interpreted rules for each ad.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include a system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program and a method for managing access permissions associated with data resources. The method includes providing a user interface for registering a policy to a client device, and receiving a policy registration associated with a data resource stored in a first network database. The method further includes registering a policy associated with the data resource based on the policy registration. The registering of the policy includes creating a policy object that is linked to the data resource and storing the policy object in a second network database.

Abstract: An automatic control system for regulating the information exchange between information producer and information consumer. One control mechanism can dynamically refine the decision to include or exclude information items from the consumer information stream to improve success metrics like participation. One or more system interface request control mechanisms can dynamically provide incentive and limits for the input of audience targets, priorities, preferences, and other data. An administrator may set parameters and select success metrics to balance the goals of the information exchange participants and stakeholders. The system can also serve to resolve conflicts between the selection criteria of a consumer and the audience targets of a producer.