Abstract: Techniques are described for providing load balancing functionality among multiple computing nodes. In some situations, the provided load balancing functionality includes dynamically scaling a group of multiple computing nodes for which the load balancing is performed, such as to dynamically expand and/or shrink the quantity of computing nodes in the group based on predefined criteria. At least some of the computing nodes of a group may be part of one or more physical computer networks in one or more geographical locations under control of a user or other entity, and at least some of the dynamic scaling of the group may use one or more other computing nodes that are part of a remote computer network (e.g., a virtual computer network provided under the control of a network-accessible service). The defined criteria used for the dynamic scaling may be determined in various manners and based on various factors.

Abstract: Disclosed are various systems, methods, and other embodiments for the secure storage of files and the like. In one example, a determination is made in a server as to whether an entity indicated in a request received in the server is authorized to transfer a file from a client to a mass storage system over a network. A plurality of instructions are obtained in the server to send to the client, where the instructions are configured to control activity of the client in transferring the file from the client to the mass storage system over the network. The instructions are sent to the client in order to implement the transfer of the file from the client to the mass storage system.

Abstract: Identification and Surfacing of related pieces of content, such as user-provided content, enables users of a merchant website to more easily find related items. A server associated with the website may receive, from a user, an image that illustrates items offered for sale on the site. The site may then enable this and other users to annotate the image by, for example, associating the illustrated items with hyperlinks to respective item detail pages. When a user views this page, the site may surface the most related other user-uploaded images that also illustrate items. To determine the most related images, the website may analyze, for each of the other images, the similarity between the items illustrated in the image and the items illustrated in the currently-displayed image. The website may also analyze the tags applied to the items and the images themselves, as well as multiple other types of criteria.

Abstract: With the advent of virtualization technologies, networks and routing for those networks can now be simulated using commodity hardware rather than actual routers. For example, virtualization technologies such as those provided by VMWare, XEN, or User-Mode Linux can be adapted to allow a single physical computing machine to be shared among multiple virtual networks by providing each virtual network user with one or more virtual machines hosted by the single physical computing machine, with each such virtual machine being a software simulation acting as a distinct logical computing system that provides users with the illusion that they are the sole operators and administrators of a given hardware computing resource. In addition, routing can be accomplished through software, providing additional routing flexibility to the virtual network in comparison with traditional routing. As a result, in some implementations, supplemental information other than packet information can be used to determine network routing.

Abstract: A computing system for searching for and identifying data repository deficits includes an interactive database of items, a data repository that stores a first type of information related to items, a search engine configured to identify items that do not have an amount of the first type of information that meets a first threshold, a candidate selection interface that provides functionality for the user to select an item from recommended candidate items needing the first type of information, a user interface via which the user can provide the first type of information for an item selected by the user, a game system configured to calculate for a game scores and rankings based at least in part on data stored in the data repository.

Abstract: Crowd source editing of digital images to reduce errors in a digital images includes receiving a proposed modification to a content portion of a digital image. A determination is made as the whether the occurrence of the proposed modification to the content portions meets a modification threshold. Accordingly, the proposed modification to the content portion of the digital image is adopted when the occurrence of the specific modification meets the modification threshold.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and methods for recommending bundles of items to users. A bundle can include an item that is substitutable for an item selected by a user and one or more related items that complement the substitutable item. For example, if a user has selected a wireless device on a page of a network application, a bundle recommendation can be provided that includes a similar wireless device and related accessories, a compatible service plan, and the like. Recommending bundles of items can be beneficial for providing users with access to items that they might like to purchase together, without requiring users to separately find each item.

Abstract: The techniques disclosed herein allow a user to synchronize the playing and displaying of digital content on an electronic device. The device may render a first portion of digital content so it may be displayed. The device may also play a segment of the digital content as audio using text to speech software. The device may also render a second portion of digital content for display depending on whether the position of the last word read is greater than the last position in the first portion of digital content.

Abstract: A system and method for preventing fraud in an online transaction is shown. Requests for financial transactions between on-line account holders are detected as well as relationships between the accounts. A fraud value related to a likelihood that a fraud is occurring in the transactions is determined based on the relationship. An indication of a likelihood of fraud is provided if the fraud value exceeds a predetermined amount. Thus the transaction is terminated and the appropriate parties are automatically notified.

Abstract: A handheld electronic book device is configured with dual displays. The device includes a first display for presenting visible representations of textual or graphic content related to the electronic book. The device also includes a second display positioned alongside the first display. The second display includes a plurality of graphic elements that correspond to portions of the first display. Also, the second display is responsive to user input to one of the graphic elements to perform an action on the content that is shown in the portion of the first display that corresponds to the one element.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for locating product references in community content. Character sequences (n-grams) are extracted from a page of text content. Each n-gram is evaluated as a potential product reference using a product catalog search for the n-gram or a conditional probability for the n-gram. The conditional probability is obtained from behavior-based search data. When the search was used for the evaluation, each n-gram is found to be a potential product based on results from the product catalog search. When the behavior-based search data was used for the evaluation; each n-gram is found to be a potential product based on the conditional probability exceeding a threshold.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing mapping information for objects maintained in a distributed storage system are provided. The distributed storage system can include a keymap subsystem that manages the mapping information according to object keys. Requests for specific object mapping information are directed to specific keymap coordinators within the keymap subsystem. Each keymap coordinator can maintain a cache for caching mapping information maintained at various information sources. To manage the cache, the keymap system can utilize information placeholders that replace previously cached keymap information while a request to modify keymap information is being processed by the information sources. Each keymap coordinator can process subsequently received keymap information read requests in the event an information placeholder is cached as the current cached keymap information.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs that facilitate haggling in an electronic commerce system. An average spread of a user is calculated, which is the average difference between an initial list price and a final transaction price among transactions in a transaction history. A rounds score is also calculated, which is based on the number of counteroffers extended by a user in the transaction history. A volume score is calculated and based on the volume of transactions a user has consummated in the transaction history. An abandonment score is calculated and based on the percentage of transactions the user has abandoned. A haggling rating is calculated and based on a combination of the average spread, the rounds score, the volume score, and the abandonment score, and represents an effectiveness of the user in haggling and completing transactions with other users.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and methods for recommending bundles of items to users. A bundle can include an item that is substitutable for an item selected by a user and one or more related items that complement the substitutable item. For example, if a user has selected a wireless device on a page of a network application, a bundle recommendation can be provided that includes a similar wireless device and related accessories, a compatible service plan, and the like. Recommending bundles of items can be beneficial for providing users with access to items that they might like to purchase together, without requiring users to separately find each item.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring the performance associated with fulfilling resource requests and determining optimizations for improving such performance are provided. A processing device obtains and processes performance metric information associated with processing a request corresponding to a set of resources. The processing device uses the processed performance metric information to determine a resource configuration to be associated with the set of resources. In some embodiments, in making such a determination, the processing device assesses performance metric information collected and associated with subsequent requests corresponding to the content associated with the set of resources and using each of a variety of alternative resource configurations. The processing device may also consider a number of factors, including performance selection criteria obtained from an original content provider.

Abstract: High-speed processing of packets to, and from, a virtualization environment can be provided while utilizing hardware-based segmentation offload and other such functionality. A hardware vendor such as a network interface card (NIC) manufacturer can enable the hardware to support open and proprietary stateless tunneling in conjunction with a protocol such as single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) in order to implement a virtualized overlay network. The hardware can utilize various rules, for example, that can be used by the NIC to perform certain actions, such as to encapsulate egress packets and decapsulate packets.

Abstract: The deployment and scaling of a network of electronic devices can be improved by utilizing one or more network transpose boxes. Each transpose box can include a number of connectors and a meshing useful for implementing a specific network topology. When connecting devices of different tiers in the network, each device need only be connected to at least one of the connectors on the transpose box. One or more of the deployed electronic devices (e.g., switches, transpose boxes) in the network can transmit data based on a backplane Ethernet standard, such as 10GBASE-KR, 10GBASE-KX4, or 40GBASE-KR4.

Abstract: Efficient and highly-scalable network solutions are provided that utilize incremental scaling of switches, and devices connected to those switches, in an environment such as a data center. Embodiments may utilize multiple tiers of switches. Sets of switches in two different tiers may be initially connected to each other utilizing multiple connections. As network capacity needs within the computing environment increase, additional switches may be added to tiers. To connect the added switches to the switch network, the redundant connections may be utilized. Moving connections from one switch to another switch can free up ports to connect added switches in one of the tiers of switches to the switch network. The tiers of switches can be based on Clos networks, where the tiers of switches are fully connected, or other high radix or fat tree topologies that include oversubscription between tiers.

Abstract: High-speed processing of packets to, and from, a virtualization environment can be provided while utilizing hardware-based segmentation offload and other such functionality. A hardware vendor such as a network interface card (NIC) manufacturer can enable the hardware to support open and proprietary stateless tunneling in conjunction with a protocol such as single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) in order to implement a virtualized overlay network. The hardware can utilize various rules, for example, that can be used by the NIC to perform certain actions, such as to encapsulate egress packets and decapsulate packets.