Abstract: Functionality is disclosed herein for charging for the use of software products based upon billable units defined by a software provider. The software product identifies the occurrences of the billable units as the software product is executing. The software product also sends billing data to a billing service identifying an occurrence of a billable unit, or billable units, such that an invoice may be created that charges for use of the software product based, at least in part, on the occurrence of the billable units.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for modeling user interaction with a detection system using a stochastic dynamical model in order to determine or adjust detection thresholds. The model may incorporate numerous features, such as the probability of false rejection and false acceptance of a user utterance and the cost associated with each potential action. The model may determine or adjust detection thresholds so as to minimize the occurrence of false acceptances and false rejections while preserving other desirable characteristics. The model may further incorporate background and speaker statistics. Adjustments to the model or other operation parameters can be implemented based on the model, user statistics, and/or additional data.

Abstract: Aspects of continuous feed fabric cutting are described. In one example, a system includes a textile cutter having a cutting table and a laser cutting assembly. The laser cutting assembly includes a set of laser cut modules arranged in a row to provide a combined laser cutting span across at least a portion of the cutting table. The laser cut modules provide respective laser cutting spans which, collectively, form the combined laser cutting span across the cutting table. As a textile sheet is fed across the cutting table of the textile cutter, one or more textile panels or pieces of fabric can be cut out from the textile sheet using laser beams along the region where the textile sheet intersects or crosses the combined laser cutting span. The laser cutting assembly can provide continuous cutting as a sheet is being fed across the cutting table.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for analyzing requests for network accessible content, including but not limited to web pages, to determine which topics and other characteristics are popular or are gaining in popularity (“trending”). Content items or sources may be profiled to determine characteristics that two or more content items or sources may have in common. Content requests from multiple client devices may be tracked and analyzed to determine the trending or popular characteristics. Data feeds or reports regarding the summarized content requests may be generated and distributed to content servers, advertisers, and other entities. The data feeds may be used to tailor content, such as by highlighting or featuring content associated with the most-requested content characteristics, or utilizing demographic data to tailor content for different users.

Abstract: A substrate for an electrowetting display device including a pixel electrode, a partition wall pattern and a water-repellent pattern. The pixel electrode is formed on a base substrate. The partition wall pattern is disposed along an edge of the pixel electrode to expose the pixel electrode. The water-repellent pattern is disposed at a space formed by the pixel electrode and the partition wall pattern to be extended along a lower portion of side surfaces of the partition wall pattern from an area on which the pixel electrode is formed. The water-repellent pattern exposes an upper portion of the side surfaces and an upper surface of the partition wall pattern. Thus, a manufacturing reliability of a substrate for an electrowetting display device is improved to prevent a display quality from being reduced.

Abstract: A database access system may protect a field by storing the field as one or more underlying fields within a database. The database engine may not have access to keys used to protect the underlying fields within the database, such as by encryption, while the database access system may have access to the keys. Underlying fields may be used to store protected data and aid in the querying of protected data. The database access system may modify queries to use the underlying fields, which may include encrypting query terms and/or modifying query terms to fit the use of the underlying fields. The database access system may modify query results to match the format of the original query, which may include decrypting protected results and/or removing underlying fields.

Abstract: Notifications received from an email server can be stored and provided to a webclient upon subsequent communications from the webclient received at an HTTP server. Notifications stored in a database or a storage are retrieved and transmitted to the webclient by backup or alternate HTTP servers when the webclient requests service. An attachment received from a webclient for a message in composition can be saved by an HTTP server in a storage system so that a backup HTTP server can locate the attachment and provide the attachment to a messaging server when the user is ready to send the message.

Abstract: The disclosure pertains to aligning an electronic display or light reflected from the electronic display relative to a position of a user (i.e., viewer), and thus enhancing an overall perceived brightness, contrast ratio, and viewing angle performance of an electronic display (e.g., a specular reflective display) irrespective of illumination conditions (e.g., sunlight, airplane lighting, and overhead lamps). In some embodiments, an electronic device may determine user position data for a position of a user with respect to the electronic display. For example, the electronic device may capture images of the user using one or more image sensors. The user position data may then be processed by the electronic device to generate signals which may modify display characteristics of the electronic display to align an electronic display or light reflected from the electronic display relative to the position of the user.

Abstract: A package delivery system can be implemented to forcefully propel a package from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), while the UAV is in motion. The UAV can apply a force onto the package that alters its descent trajectory from a parabolic path to a vertical descent path. The package delivery system can apply the force onto the package in a number of different ways. For example, pneumatic actuators, electromagnets, spring coils, and parachutes can generate the force that establishes the vertical descent path of the package. Further, the package delivery system can also monitor the package during its vertical descent. The package can be equipped with one or more control surfaces. Instructions can be transmitted from the UAV via an RF module that cause the one or more controls surfaces to alter the vertical descent path of the package to avoid obstructions or to regain a stable orientation.

Abstract: A plaintext and cryptographic key are used to generate an initialization vector to be used in a cryptographic algorithm, such as an encryption algorithm. In some examples, the plaintext and cryptographic key are input into an effectively one-way function, such as a cryptographic hash function, the output of which is usable as an initialization vector. Cryptographic keys may be rotated probabilistically based at least in part on probabilities of output collisions of the effectively one-way function to ensure a low probability of two different plaintexts resulting in calculation of the same initialization vector for use with the same cryptographic key.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for a network control application. Duplicate packets are simultaneously communicated across dedicated network communications paths. A receiving network access device detects a lagging network communications path. Packets received from the network communications path which is not lagging is communicated to a destination address while the duplicate is discarded.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing managed virtual computer networks that may have a configured logical network topology with one or more virtual networking devices, with corresponding networking functionality provided for communications between multiple computing nodes of the virtual computer network by emulating functionality that would be provided by the networking devices if they were physically present. In some situations, the emulating of networking device functionality includes receiving routing communications directed to the networking devices and using included routing information to update the configured network topology for the managed computer network.

Abstract: In some examples, a system for instructing an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided. The system may include a delivery management service for processing orders for items available in connection with an electronic marketplace. The delivery management service may also determine a landing location for delivery of an item to a customer of the electronic marketplace. The landing location may correspond the customer's address. Determination of the landing location may be based on a first digital elevation dataset, a second digital elevation dataset, and parcel data corresponding to a region in which the customer's address is located. The unmanned aerial vehicle may access the landing location as part of delivering the item to the customer.

Abstract: In an augmented reality environment, a speaker array is centrally located within an area to generate sound for the environment. The speaker array has a spherical or hemispherical body and speakers mounted about the body to emit sound in multiple directions. A controller is provided to select sets of speakers to form beams of sound in determined directions. The shaped beams are output to deliver a full audio experience in the environment from the fixed location speaker array.

Abstract: A user can navigate through a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a display of a computing device using a fingertip or other feature of a hand not holding the device. The interface can be scrolled, zoomed, or otherwise manipulated corresponding to the movement of the fingertip. The user can select a graphical object of the GUI using a thumb or other feature of the hand holding the device, enabling a precise navigation and selection process. Different detection techniques can be used, such as to capture and analyze images to determine the location of the navigation feature and to use capacitive touch sensing elements to detect the selection actions. In some embodiments, a user can perform an attachment action to cause a three-dimensional rendering of an element of the GUI to be adjusted based at least in part upon the position of a fingertip or other feature of the user.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for a wearable scanning device that can passively initiate scanning for wireless identifiers such as RFID tags. The wearable scanning device may include a force sensor, an accelerometer, or a motion activated switch that can initiate the scanning when detecting an action performed by an associate (e.g., lifting) without an express intent from the associate to scan.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to enable assessment of demand for points of presence (POPs) within a content delivery system, independent of the capacity of such POPs. The content delivery system can utilize load balancing technology to distribute user requests for content to various POPs, based at least partly on the capacity of the POPs. Because load balancing generally occurs prior to a user's connection to a POP, the monitored load of individual POPs may not accurately reflect user demand for the individual POPs services. Accordingly, systems and methods are disclosed to correlate pre-load-balancing requests, such as DNS requests, with post-load-balancing demand levels. Thereafter, the determined correlation can be utilized to assess user demand for individual POPs, independent of the observed load on that individual POP. In some instances, POPs or other network components can be clustered to determine capacity-independent demand for a collection of POPs.

Abstract: A device management service provide a centralized credential provisioning system which can instantiate a proxy device that facilitates remote connections between various computing devices and various client devices. The device management service can manage instances of proxy devices in a resource provider environment that are associated with various computing devices. When a client device requests to access a computing device, the device management service can identify an instance of a proxy device associated with the computing device. The instance of the proxy device and the computing device can be configured to securely connect using credentials exchanged through, and managed by, the device management service. The computing device can be instructed to connect to the instance of the proxy device, and the client device can be provided with access information for the instance of the proxy device.