Abstract: A method and apparatus for location authentication of the user are disclosed. In the method and apparatus, the location of the user is authenticated if one or more conditions for geographic proximity associated with two or more devices of the user are satisfied. Upon the location of the user being authenticated, the user may be granted access to a service.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of sales security integration. At least one embodiment of a method includes the steps of receiving contact data regarding a sales contact for a network site, and performing at least one security check on the contact data to determine a likelihood that the sales contact is a security risk for nefarious activity. In response to determining that the sales contact is a security risk for nefarious activity, the step of implementing at least one security measure is performed.

Abstract: Techniques for using short-term credentials with access roles across regions are described herein. A request to assume a role associated with resources in a first region is received by a user in a second region. The request, which is digitally signed with credential associated with the user in the second region causes the generation of a short-term session credential that includes a session key and that can be used to assume the role. The user in the second region then assumes the role and, accordingly, can use the short-term session credentials to access the resources in the first region.

Abstract: Techniques for harmonizing wireless communications performed by a computing device which communicates using varying wireless communication standards are described herein. For instance, a computing device may include multiple chipsets with associated antennas that are configured to perform wireless communications using separate wireless standards which operate at overlapping frequencies. To avoid performance degradation experienced in simultaneous use cases with communications operating at overlapping frequencies, the multiple chipsets may be configured with logic to determine which communications are prioritized when multiple chipsets attempt to communicate simultaneously. The multiple chipsets may be communicatively coupled to coordinate their communications by prioritizing certain types of communications over other types of communications to avoid simultaneous communications in overlapping frequencies.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for collecting wireless identifier signals such as from RFID tags to accurately determine the location of items associated with the wireless identifier. Carefully coordinating when to begin and end collection of the signals and analysis of the signals and signal characteristics (e.g., received signal strength) allow a carried item to be identified and its location determined. Additional features are described to further validate the location of the item.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for modifying a statistical model to more accurately discriminate between classes of input data. A subspace of the total model parameter space can be learned such that individual points in the subspace, corresponding to the various classes, are discriminative with respect to the classes. The subspace can be learned using an iterative process whereby an initial subspace is used to generate data and maximize an objective function. The objective function can correspond to maximizing the posterior probability of the correct class for a given input. The initial subspace, data, and objective function can be used to generate a new subspace that better discriminates between classes. The process may be repeated as desired. A model modified using such a subspace can be used to classify input data.

Abstract: A processing device receives data associated with consumer interactions with an electronic work. The processing device determines, based on the received data, a plurality of aggregated consumption behaviors with regards to the electronic work. The processing device associates one or more of the plurality of aggregated consumption behaviors with portions of the electronic work in a data file. The processing device then provides the data file to a user device.

Abstract: Remote computing resource service providers allow customers to reduce overhead by using computing resources shared with other customers. Customers communicate with the computing resources over a network, such as the Internet, these networks enable the use of remote computing resources but do experience errors. To ensure access to resources by the customer, a network troubleshooting service allows the customer to determine connectivity between computing resources and provides operations to the customer that when performed establish connectivity between computing resources. Furthermore, monitoring of connectivity once a connection is established ensures that the resources maintain connectivity.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The system may leverage network-based computation resources to render and stream new video content from the models to clients with low latency. A user may pause a video, step into a scene, and interactively change viewing positions and angles in the model to move through or explore the scene. The user may resume playback of the recorded video when done exploring the scene. Thus, rather than just viewing a pre-rendered scene in a movie from a pre-determined perspective, a user may step into and explore the scene from different angles, and may wander around the scene at will within the scope of the model to discover parts of the scene that are not visible in the original video.

Abstract: A system that verifies the attributes included in the description of an item using artificial intelligence is provided. For example, the system may use a feature extractor to identify color, shape, and/or texture features of a provided image. The system may then use a linear classifier to process the extracted features to identify attributes of the item depicted in the image. The system may compare the identified attributes with the attributes listed in the item's description. If there are any discrepancies, the system may revise the item description to include the identified attributes or provide suggested revisions to a user based on the identified attributes.

Abstract: An application program interface may be used to collect and disseminate physical metrics of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A weight distribution associated with a UAV may be determined prior to dispatch of the UAV and/or after the UAV returns from operation (e.g., a flight). In some embodiments, one or more UAVs may be placed on or proximate to a physical metrics acquisition (PMA) device to determine a distribution of weight of the UAV at three or more points associated with the UAV. The distribution of weight may be used generate analytics, which may include a total weight of a vehicle, a center of mass of the vehicle (in two or more dimensions), power requirements of the UAV for a given flight task (e.g., how much battery power the UAV requires, etc.), and/or other analytics. In various embodiments, the PMA device may perform moment of inertia tests for the UAV.

Abstract: Short range transmissions are used to identify potential interactions between warehouse workers and warehouse robots in automated warehouses. The robot can be equipped with one or more short range transmission tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, while the warehouse worker can be equipped with a short range transmission reader, such as an RFID reader. The robot can detect a warehouse worker that is within range when the RFID tags on the robot are written to by the RFID reader. The warehouse robots and warehouse workers can also be equipped with one or more cameras to identify fiducials in the automated warehouse and to report their positions. A central control or interaction server can ensure that warehouse robots and warehouse workers are routed appropriately to avoid incidents.

Abstract: The following description is directed to topologically aware network device configuration. In one example, components to be configured within a network can be mapped to one or more redundancy groups within a network topology of the network. The components to be configured can be selectively configured within the network so that network traffic continues during the configuration. Selectively configuring the components can include choosing an order to configure the components based on configuration rules and the mapping of the components to the one or more redundancy groups.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system comprises a client interface configured to receive an application and a parameter associated with the application, a vendor interface configured to receive vendor-specific information from vendor-specific computing environments, and an environment analyzer configured to determine a first vendor-specific computing environment from the vendor-specific computing environments for hosting the application based on the application parameter. The client interface is further configured to communicate a request for approval to host the application in the first vendor-specific computing environment and receive an indication to not host the application using the first vendor-specific computing environment.

Abstract: The present disclosure involves selling virtual items for an application via electronic commerce systems. A catalog of virtual items is stored in a data store, where each of the virtual items relates to an interaction with an application. An electronic commerce system is provided that facilitates a purchase of one of the virtual items via a client device over a network, where the one of the virtual items is purchased in association with an application account associated with the application. The electronic commerce system also informs the application of the purchase of one of the virtual items to facilitate use of the purchased virtual item during interaction by a user with the application.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing a pre-processing and processing pipeline for a queue client are disclosed. A queue client receives, from a queue service, data indicative of an estimated time to process a first message in a queue. The queue client initiates processing of the first message. The queue client receives, from the queue service, data indicative of an estimated time to pre-process a second message in the queue. The queue client initiates pre-processing of the second message during the processing of the first message. The pre-processing of the second message is scheduled based on the estimated time to process the first message and the estimated time to pre-process the second message.

Abstract: Techniques for restricting the execution of algorithms contained in applications executing on virtual machines executing within a computer system are described herein. A first sampled set of computer executable instructions is gathered from a virtual machine by a controlling domain and compared against a reference set of computer executable instructions. If the first set is similar to the reference set, and if the execution of the algorithm corresponding to the reference set is restricted by one or more computer system polices, one or more operations limiting the execution of the restricted algorithm are performed, thus ensuring conformance with the computer system policies.

Abstract: Techniques are described for managing power in a computing system using power controller(s). Power consumption information may be received from power sensors that measure power consumption of computing devices in a rack computing system, or that measure the power received or distributed by power distribution components such as power distribution units (PDUs) in the racks. A determination may be made whether the amount of power being currently consumed within a computing system exceeds a predetermined threshold. If so, control signal(s) may be sent to instruct the power controller(s) to alter characteristic(s), such as frequency, voltage, current, and so forth, of the power being supplied to one or more computing devices or other component(s). The power alteration may occur at one or more points in the power distribution system of one or more racks, such as at one or more PDUs, distribution circuits, breakers, and so forth.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes a frame that provides both structural support for the UAV and protection for foreign objects that may come into contact with the UAV. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV may also include one or more pushing motor and propeller assemblies that are oriented at approximately ninety degrees to one or more of the lifting motors. When the UAV is moving horizontally, the pushing motor(s) may be engaged and the pushing propeller(s) will aid in the horizontal propulsion of the UAV.