Abstract: Techniques are described for adding knowledge to a knowledge base in which alternative information retrieval techniques are used to obtain missing information from an available corpus of documents (e.g., the World Wide Web). Existing relationships in a knowledge base are used to identify entities for which the relationships are not expressed in the knowledge base. The alternative information retrieval techniques are then used to find this information.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to an automated unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) self-identification system, devices, and techniques pertaining to the automated identification of individual UAVs operating within an airspace via a mesh communication network, individual UAVs and a central authority representing nodes of the mesh network. The system may detect nearby UAVs present within a UAV's airspace. Nearby UAVs may self-identify or be identified via correlation with one or more features detected by the UAV. The UAV may validate identifying information using a dynamic validation policy. Data collected by the UAV may be stored in a local mesh database and distributed to individual nodes of the mesh network and merged into a common central mesh database for distribution to individual nodes of the mesh network. UAVs on the mesh network utilize local and central mesh database information for self-identification and to maintain a dynamic flight plan.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for determining the maximum throughput of a service are disclosed. A first sequence of load tests is initiated for a service host. Individual ones of the load tests comprise determining a respective throughput at the service host for a respective number of concurrent connections to the service host. The number of concurrent connections increases nonlinearly in at least a portion of the first sequence of load tests. The first sequence of load tests is discontinued when the throughput is not increased by a threshold from one of the load tests to the next. An estimated maximum throughput for the service host is determined based at least in part on the first sequence of load tests. The estimated maximum throughput corresponds to a particular number of concurrent connections to the service host.

Abstract: A system and method for managing reconciled textual descriptions based on merchant quality rating are provided. Merchants providing items to an electronic marketplace submit merchant values corresponding to textual descriptions of attributes of the item. A merchant value analyzer component processes multiple merchant descriptions to select a set of textual descriptions based on a comparison of the textual descriptions and merchant quality ratings. Additionally, a merchant quality analyzer component calculates updated merchant quality ratings based on the submitted merchant values.

Abstract: A distributed execution environment provides resources such as computing resources, hardware resources, and software resources. Resource action rules (“rules”) may be defined and associated with resources in the distributed execution environment. The rules may be evaluated based upon resource state data defining the state of one or more resources. The results of the evaluation of the rules may be utilized to take various actions. For example, the results of the evaluation of rules may be utilized to generate a user interface (UI) object for providing information regarding the evaluation of the rule, to initiate a workflow, and/or perform another type of action. The results might also be utilized to prohibit certain types of operations from being performed with regard to a resource. The results might be propagated to other resources. A UI might also be provided for use in defining the rules.

Abstract: Techniques for providing a cloud mobile device-debugging server may be provided. For example, a request to initiate a communication channel with a mobile device may be received. The communication channel may be initiated based on the request and status information associated with the mobile device. Further, input may be received for interacting with the mobile device where the input corresponds to a particular input protocol. A proxy for translating and executing the received input may be selected based on the particular input protocol. A result of executing the input on the mobile device may be provided for display.

Abstract: Techniques for associating a user with a user characteristic may be described. In particular, a network-based document may be provided to a computing system of the user. The network-based document may include least an identifier of another network-based document and code. The code may be configured to, upon execution, determine whether the other network-based document was accessed prior to providing the network-based document. An indication of whether the other network-based document was accessed may be determined. For example, the indication may be received from the computing system based on an execution of the code at the computing system. The user may be associated with the user characteristic based on the indication.

Abstract: One or more resource slots are allocated to a customer according to a first set of pricing policies. The customer is allowed to identify at least one of the resource slots and identify other users allowed to access the identified resource slots according to a second pricing policy, the second pricing policy being designated by the customer.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may emit masking sounds during operation of the UAV to mask other sounds generated by the UAV during operation. The UAV may be used to deliver items to a residence or other location associated with a customer. The UAV may emit sounds that mask the conventional sounds generated by the propellers and/or motors to cause the UAV to emit sounds that are pleasing to bystanders or do not annoy the bystanders. The UAV may emit sounds using speakers or other sound generating devices, such as fins, reeds, whistles, or other devices which may cause sound to be emitted from the UAV. Noise canceling algorithms may be used to cancel at least some of the conventional noise generated by operation of the UAV using inverted sounds, while additional sound may be emitted by the UAV, which may not be subject to noise cancelation.

Abstract: In an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, a radio access network (RAN) is configured to detect and report congestion radio congestion to a core network. RAN congestion may be indicated by lost, discarded, or retransmitted data packets. In response to being notified of congestion at the RAN, the core network of the system modifies properties of data bearers and data flows between the core network and the RAN, such as by modifying QoS commitments where possible and remapping data flows.

Abstract: Approaches are described for securely sending, receiving, or otherwise processing communications between electronic devices. A communication can be received at a computing device (such as a mobile phone). The communication can include information captured about a person initiating the communication such as an image of the user, voice data of the user, typing pattern information of the user, or any other information that can be used to identify the user generating the communication. The information can be compared against profile data (e.g., contact information such as a phone number or name of the sender) associated with or otherwise stored for an indicated sender of the communication to generate a confidence value, where the confidence value can be used to indicate that the person initiating the communication is the indicated sender.

Abstract: A system has multiple audio-enabled devices that communicate with one another over an open microphone mode of communication. When a user says a trigger word, the nearest device validates the trigger word and opens a communication channel with another device. As the user talks, the device receives the speech and generates an audio signal representation that includes the user speech and may additionally include other background or interfering sound from the environment. The device transmits the audio signal to the other device as part of a conversation, while continually analyzing the audio signal to detect when the user stops talking. This analysis may include watching for a lack of speech in the audio signal for a period of time, or an abrupt change in context of the speech (indicating the speech is from another source), or canceling noise or other interfering sound to isolate whether the user is still speaking.

Abstract: An system having an aperture configured to change state while recording one or more images during an image capture process, and a method for processing one or more recorded images by detecting at least a bokeh artifact within the one or more images and processing the images based at least in part on information obtained by analyzing the size and orientation of the bokeh artifact.

Abstract: Ground effect acting on an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, may be simulated by discharging a gas around propeller blades of the aerial vehicle while the propeller blades are rotating. For example, a gas, such as air, may be discharged at or near the tip of the propeller blades with enough velocity to disrupt the airflow around the blade tips, thereby altering the sound generated by rotation of the propeller blade.

Abstract: An authorization check web service request is disclosed. The web service request can include a parameter controlling whether or not to perform the action associated with the web service request. The parameter can be included in the web service request itself, or it can be separated therefrom, such as being included in a customer account. Using this parameter, the requestor can perform an authorization check without actually performing the action. Thus, customers can determine the authorization result of a request without actually processing the request itself. Customers and other services can use this parameter to determine their effective permissions.

Abstract: Methods and systems for radiating electromagnetic energy with a patch antenna structure are described. A device may include a radio frequency (RF) feed and an antenna structure coupled to the RF feed. The antenna structure may include a ground plane, first and second conductors, and first and second impedance matching components. The first conductor may include an inner surface defining and at least partially surrounding a slot. The first and second impedance matching components may be coupled between the RF feed and the ground plane.

Abstract: An example method includes positioning a mass at a height opposite a modulator characterized by a particular strain rate and support by a carrier moveably disposed opposite the mass. The method also includes releasing the mass such that the mass impacts the modulator, and an additional component connected to the carrier causes failure of a sample of material. The method further includes determining a displacement of the carrier corresponding to failure of the sample, determining a force applied to the modulator by the mass and resulting in failure of the sample, and determining at least one of a dynamic strength of the sample and a dynamic modulus of the sample. In such a method, the dynamic strength is based on the force applied to the modulator and the strain rate. Additionally, the dynamic modulus is based on the displacement of the carrier and the strain rate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting customer-directed networking limits in distributed systems are disclosed. A client request is received via a programmatic interface, indicating a particular lower resource usage limit to be imposed on at least one category of network traffic at a particular instance of a network-accessible service. Resource usage metrics for one or more categories of network traffic at the particular instance are obtained. In response to a determination that resource usage at the particular instance has reached a threshold level, one or more responsive actions are initiated.

Abstract: Before delivery to a user device, a document such as a hypertext markup language (HTML) file which includes one or more scripting elements is pre-processed by a processing server. The processing server renders the document to generate a processed document. The processing includes execution of one or more scripts in the document, including loading and initializing. This execution generates HTML fragments which are inserted into a document object model (“DOM”) tree. The processed document is sent along to the user device, which may quickly render the processed document and paint to a display or otherwise present output.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing configuration of network devices are provided. In one embodiment, a network device management service can obtain relevant device-specific information, deployment information, and network topology data associated with a network device to be provisioned. The network device management service can enable generating, identifying or obtaining configuration metadata based on relevant network topology data as well as other applicable information. The network device management service can further generate configuration instructions to facilitate configuration of network devices based on configuration metadata.