Abstract: Systems and methods of determining genre information are provided. A particular method includes receiving a first data set including a plurality of genre descriptors and associated strength values related to particular content. Each strength value indicates a degree to which the associated genre descriptor describes the particular content. The method also includes storing a data record associating the first data set with the particular content.

Abstract: Transfer of data blocks between a host and a multi-media card (“MMC”) are performed in a pre-defined mode. In pre-defined mode, the host sets a pre-determined number of blocks, a “multiblock,” to be transferred. Use of pre-defined mode results in faster transfers than those performed using an open-ended mode incorporating a stop command. Furthermore, corruption errors resulting from delays in providing the stop command which may occur in an open-ended mode are avoided. Pre-defined multiblock transfers are supported by existing operating systems through trapping open-ended mode transfers in the MMC stack, leaving existing device drivers unaffected.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for metering network services, for example Web services. In embodiments, a network services metering system may collect network service usage information via an add usage interface and store the usage information in a database. In one embodiment, the usage information may be partitioned into two or more partitions. Once the usage information has been aggregated and stored, the metering system may be queried to obtain usage statistics such as aggregate usage over specific time intervals. In one embodiment, a pipeline mechanism that generates and processes batches of usage information may be implemented for adding usage information to the database. The pipeline mechanism may help to reduce or eliminate redundancy and loss of usage information, and may make the metering system linearly scalable in multiple dimensions.

Abstract: Computer-automated processes are disclosed for establishing verified communications channels with authors and other creators of works via communications with a trusted verifier entity. The verified communications channels may be used for various purposes, such as to seek authorization to make a book or other printed publication searchable on a public network.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing users with access to computer networks, such as to enable users to interact with a remote configurable network service to create and configure computer networks that are provided by the configurable network service for use by the users. Secure private access between a computer network provided for a user by the configurable network service and one or more other remote computing systems of the user (e.g., a remote private network) may be enabled in various ways. For example, a user may programmatically invoke an API provided by the configurable network service to obtain assistance in establishing remote access from a remote location to a provided computer network of the configurable network service, such as to establish a VPN connection from the remote location to the provided computer network using hardware and/or software supplied to the remote location in response to the API invocation.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described that enable a domain name owner (i.e., a “lessor”) to grant a third party (i.e., a “lessee”) a lease to any domain name the lessor owns. More specifically, a lessor may use a domain name service to allow a third party (i.e., a “lessee”) to lease a domain name for use or to purchase the domain name outright. More specifically, the lessor may lease a domain name to a lessee so that any user who accesses the leased domain name is directed to a network resource identified by the lessee. The lessee may also be provided the option to purchase the domain name outright from the lessor, rather than lease it. In addition, a valuation of the domain name may be generated.

Abstract: Widgets or other code modules for applications written in structured languages such as HTML can be tested advantageously by separating the extraction and validation logic. To test the functionality of a widget in response to an action, widget features of interest are identified. Context and feature nodes for these features are extracted from a page tree structure to generate a property vector that is representative of the state of the widget. After performing the action, context nodes for the features are attached to the new page tree for the newly loaded page, and an observed property vector is generated that represents the state of the widget after the action. The previous property vector is used with updated state information to generate an expected property vector. The observed property vector is compared with the expected property vector, and if the vectors match the validation is claimed to be successful.

Abstract: Techniques are described for managing communications between multiple computing nodes, such as computing nodes that are part of a virtual computer network. In some situations, various types of modifications may be made to one or more computing nodes of an existing virtual computer network, and the described techniques include managing ongoing communications for those computing nodes so as to accommodate the modifications. Such modifications may include, for example, migrating or otherwise moving a particular computing node that is part of a virtual network to a new physical network location, or modifying other aspects of how the computing node participates in the virtual network (e.g., changing one or more virtual network addresses used by the computing node). In some situations, the computing nodes may include virtual machine nodes hosted on one or more physical computing machines or systems, such as by or on behalf of one or more users.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a self healing andon system. One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a system comprising at least one server. The system further includes logic executed on the at least one server that retrieves a defect history associated with a vendor and at least one product from an inbound shipment from a memory. The at least one product is stocked in a materials handling facility, and the defect history is associated with a specified time period. The at least one server extracts at least one inventory defect from the defect history in a computer system and calculates an inventory defect rate. The at least one server imposes remedial measures if the inventory defect rate exceeds a specified threshold of the inventory defect rate.

Abstract: Methods and systems for analyzing camera lenses and presenting information regarding camera lenses performance are described. An interactive user interface is provided over a network for display on a user terminal by a computer system. A user request is received at the computer system from the user terminal for lens data from a first lens. Lens data, including test data obtained via a first digital image captured using the first lens at the first focal length setting and the first aperture setting is accessed from memory and transmitted to interactive user interface. The interactive user interface is configured to display an identification of the first camera body, an identification of the first lens, the first focal length setting used to capture the image, and the first aperture setting used to capture the image. Using the lens test data, the interactive user interface generates and displays sharpness graph data.

Abstract: A token-based file may be compressed by applying a medial-axis transformation to the tokens in the file. This generates a topological skeleton of the token that is a thin version of the token, equal distant to its boundaries, i.e., a thinned token. Thinned tokens resulting from the medial-axis transformation are compared with each other and thinned tokens having substantial similar shapes are grouped together. Once the thinned tokens are classified into their respective groups, a representative token of each group is selected for storage along with an assigned token number and the position that each of the corresponding thinned tokens appeared in the work of content. The thinned token-based file may then be transferred to another computing device using less bandwidth than the original token-based file. A page image of the original work can then be reconstructed by the receiving computing device from the thinned token-based file.

Abstract: Techniques are described for assessing users who provide content, such as based on the provided content and/or on aspects of how/when the content is provided. In at least some situations, the users being assessed are author users who create some or all of the content that they provide, while in other situations users may provide other types of content (e.g., content that is identified and/or selected by the users, but not created by the users). Assessment of the content-providing users may be performed in various manners, such as to generate one or more user contribution scores or other user contribution ratings for some or all such users, such as to reflect a combination of multiple factors (e.g., a quantity of pieces of content provided by a user, a recency of providing some or all of the content pieces, an assessed quality of the provided content pieces, etc.).

Abstract: An electronic commerce system provides various features for assisting customers in locating items and generating orders from a merchant's electronic catalog, and for assisting customers and merchants in communicating about such orders. A user-definable categories feature allows customers and/or merchants to define search queries for searching the electronic catalog, and to store these search queries under user-defined category names for subsequent use. An “active quote” feature allows the customer to view and modify quantities of items selected for prospective purchase throughout various catalog browsing or viewing modes. A message audit trail feature allows a customer and a merchant to send messages to one another that are linked to a particular order, and to view an order-specific log of such messages.

Abstract: A system for maintaining gift lists for other persons is presented. The system includes a data store and a computing device. The data store stores at least information related to items available for purchase. The computing device is in communication with and has access to the data store. Moreover, the computing device is configured to create a gift list. The gift list includes references to items that are available for purchase by a user, and that are selected by a user as potential gifts for another. Additionally, access to the gift list is controlled by the user that created the gift list. The computing device is further configured in such a way as to add a reference to an item to the gift list while the user browses the items available for purchase.

Abstract: Disclosed is a clip is for routing and grounding a coaxial cable on a printed circuit board. The clip may be mechanically and electrically engaged to the printed circuit board and may be comprised of a resilient and conductive material. The clip engages and retains the coaxial cable and establishes an electrical connection between the coaxial cable and the printed circuit board. A sheath may be placed around a portion of the coaxial cable to engage the clip.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing a storage service that stores information about large numbers of transactions in a persistent manner, such as with a high degree of reliability, availability and scalability based at least in part on use of a distributed computing and storage system. In some situations, the transaction information storage service stores various information about transactions that each include at least one monetary payment (e.g., a micro-payment) between financial accounts of two or more of numerous users having accounts with one or more entities. The transaction information storage service may be provided by or otherwise affiliated with a merchant, and customers of the merchant may purchase usage of the storage service for programs executed by or otherwise affiliated with the customers, with the storage service available to remote executing programs via a defined API of the storage service, such as a Web services-based API.

Abstract: A data replication system is implemented to replicate data among a plurality of replication nodes. Each node may be configured with durable storage (e.g., disk sub-system). The data replication system may receive write requests from one or more clients and send a replicate data write to the durable storage of each node. Once the data has been written to durable storage on a set of nodes, (regardless of whether the replicate data write has been completed to durable storage in each of the nodes not included in the set) the data replication system may send a write completion acknowledgement to the respective client for each write request. In some instances, the nodes within the set are configured to write data synchronously and the nodes not in the set are configured to write asynchronously. Performing both synchronous writes and asynchronous writes results in high performance and data durability.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs that facilitate verification of activity in an environment of predefined activity orchestration. Activity is captured on image capture devices in the environment of predefined activity orchestration. The activity is verified to be consistent with the predefined activity orchestration. An event is generated based upon whether the activity is consistent with the predefined activity orchestration.

Abstract: Techniques are described for managing the execution of programs on multiple computing systems, such as computing systems organized into multiple groups. A program execution service manages the program execution on behalf of multiple customers or other users, and selects appropriate computing systems to execute one or more instances of program, such as based in part on locations of one or more previously stored copies of the program from which copies of the program to execute may be acquired. For example, in some situations the selection of an appropriate computing system to execute an instance of a program is based in part on physical or logical proximity to other resources, such as stored copies of the program, executing copies of the program, and/or available computing systems.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for sending and receiving gifts including specified, electronically-deliverable electronically transferrable items are disclosed. A system includes a data store that stores electronically transferrable items available to be purchased as gifts. The system also includes a computing device in communication with the data store. The computing device is operative to receive a selection by a giver of a specified electronically transferrable item to be presented to a recipient as a gift. The computing device is further operative to charge a payment mechanism associated with the giver after the recipient has accepted the gift.