Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for providing a native authentication experience with failover. If a particular authentication approach is supported by a network service, an application authenticates with the network service according to the authentication approach using an authentication factor received via a platform-specific interface. If the particular authentication approach is not supported, code-based linking may be employed to authenticate via another application that is authenticated with the network service.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrowetting device including forming a cavity between first and second support plates which narrows towards a constriction. The cavity is at least partly filled with second fluid to provide a reservoir for dispensing second fluid between the first and second support plates.

Abstract: This disclosure describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) and system that may perform one or more techniques for protecting objects from damage resulting from an unintended or uncontrolled impact by a UAV. As described herein, various implementations utilize a damage avoidance system that detects a risk of damage to an object caused by an impact from a UAV that has lost control and takes steps to reduce or eliminate that risk. For example, the damage avoidance system may detect that the UAV has lost power and/or is falling at a rapid rate of descent such that, upon impact, there is a risk of damage to an object with which the UAV may collide. Upon detecting the risk of damage and prior to impact, the damage avoidance system activates a damage avoidance system having one or more protection elements that work in concert to reduce or prevent damage to the object upon impact by the UAV.

Abstract: Techniques are described for analyzing communication data packets captured at a computing device, and identifying subsets of packets that carry data for a connection or a communication involving the computing device. Incoming and outgoing packets may be captured using a packet capture process that executes separately from the services involved in the communications. A subset of the captured packets is determined that correspond to a transport layer connection carrying communications with a remote system. A sequence of packets associated with an application layer communication may be reconstructed by analyzing the subset of packets associated with the connection. The packets associated with the application layer communication or the transport layer connection may be stored in order, and accessed to diagnose communication issues.

Abstract: Users intending to launch instances or otherwise access virtual resources in a multi-tenant environment can specify a launch configuration. For each type of instance or each type of user, at least one launch configuration is created that includes parameters and values to be used in instantiating an instance of that type, the values being optimized for the current environment and type of instance. Launch configurations can be optimized for different types of users, such as to account for security credentials and access levels. Such an approach enables users to launch instances by contacting the resource provider directly without need for a proxy, which can function as a choke point under heavy load. The use of an appropriate launch configuration can be enforced for any type of user at any level, such as at the sub-net level, by modifying a request that does not specify an appropriate launch configuration.

Abstract: A system for removing heat from electrical systems includes a dehumidification device including a desiccant, an evaporative cooling device, air moving devices, and an air flow control devices. The air moving device moves air through the dehumidification device, the evaporative cooling device, and the electrical systems. The air flow control device controls a rate of flow through the dehumidification device.

Abstract: Read-only nodes of a distributed database system may implement index structure navigation using page versions. A read request may be received at a read only node of a distributed database for select data. Data pages linked together to form an index structure for data stored for the distributed database may be navigated according to versions maintained for the data pages in order to identify one or more locations to access for the select data. One or more prior versions of data pages may be selected as part navigating the index structure according to a consistent view of the distributed database associated with the read request. Change notifications may also be received at the read-only node modifying the data pages of the index structure. The index structure modifications may be applied without blocking the index structure navigation for servicing the read request.

Abstract: At a client-side component of a storage group, a read descriptor generated in response to a read request directed to a first data store is received. The read descriptor includes a state transition indicator corresponding to a write that has been applied at the first data store. A write descriptor indicative of a write that depends on a result of the read request is generated at the client-side component. The read descriptor and the write descriptor are included in a commit request for a candidate transaction at the client-side component, and transmitted to a transaction manager.

Abstract: A data center includes a plurality of racks on a floor and one or more fire suppression systems coupled to at least some of the racks. The fire suppression systems include reservoirs mounted on the racks, a fire suppression material in the reservoir, and one or more material dispensing devices coupled to the reservoir. The material dispensing devices may dispense fire suppression material onto or into the racks in response to a fire condition.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for placing user interface elements in a network page. A first network page is generated with client side code embedded therein that can track navigation input data associated with the user. The navigation input data can be interpreted to determine whether the user has a tendency to idle an input device in a particular area of the network page or exhibit any other behavior that allows a high value area to be identified.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a display for rendering content. The display may include a protective sheet that is located between an image-displaying component and a liquid optically clear adhesive (LOCA) that adheres another component layered atop the display, such as a front light, a touch sensor or a cover layer. In some cases, the protective sheet may be a polymer sheet coated with a layer of ceramic material that prevents migration of a reactive species, such as a photoinitiator, between the protective sheet and the LOCA. Alternatively, a plasma treatment, a UV-light-ozone treatment, or a thermal treatment may be applied to the protective sheet to remove material including the reactive species and/or form a barrier layer to prevent migration of the reactive species. Still alternatively, the protective sheet may be a thin flexible glass sheet that does not include constituents that interact with the LOCA.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for splitting a database partition into two partitions. In embodiments, where the partition is a hash partition, the partition is split at its logical midpoint, so that half of the partition's rows are placed in each split partition. Where the partition is a hash-range partition, a number of rows of the partition are sampled. Where enough samples fall on each side of the logical midpoint, the logical midpoint is again used as the split point. Where not enough samples fall on one side of the logical midpoint, then the median of the samples is used as the split point.

Abstract: Approaches are described for automatically generating new security credentials, such as security tokens, which can involve automatically re-authenticating a user (or client device) using a previous security token issued to that user (or device). The re-authentication can happen without any knowledge and/or action on the part of the user. The re-authentication mechanism can invalidate and/or keep track of the previous security token, such that when a subsequent request is received that includes the previous security token, the new security token can be invalidated, and the user caused to re-authenticate, as receiving more than one request with the previous security token can be indicative that the user's token might have been stolen.

Abstract: Inventory management systems and related methods employ a catching member to selectively catch items dropped by a robotic manipulator. A related method includes controlling a robotic manipulator to move an inventory item from a first location to a second location. A catching member is selectively positioned to catch the inventory item if dropped by the robotic manipulator prior to the item reaching the second location. The catching member is moved to a suitable location for subsequent processing of one or more items dropped by the first robotic manipulator into the catching member.

Abstract: A just-in-time data center cabling infrastructure is installed incrementally and concurrently with incremental changes in computing capacity in a data center. Based at least in part upon a determination to install one or more rack computer systems in a row of rack positions of the data center, a network switch device can be installed in the row, linked with a network zone via fiber optic cable connections, and linked to rack computer systems via patch cable connections. The fiber optic cables and patch cables are installed in the data center concurrently with installation of the rack computer system. A transverse bridge spans over an aisle space between opposite rows and includes console switch devices. The console switch devices, installed concurrently with one or more rack computer systems in the rows, enable remote access to console systems in the rack computer systems.

Abstract: A system, method and computer-readable medium for request routing. A DNS server at a content delivery network service provider obtains a DNS query corresponding to a resource requested from a client computing device and associated with a first resource identifier. The first resource identifier includes a first portion with DNS information and a second portion with path information. The DNS server selects a network computing component for processing the requested resource based on the DNS portion of the resource identifier and transmits information identifying the selected network computing component to the client computing device.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for propagating state information updates are disclosed. In the method and apparatus, a node establishes connections with one or more nodes of a plurality of nodes based at least in part on the number of connections retained by each node of the plurality of nodes. The node may then propagate state information updates to the one or more nodes.

Abstract: When a scene is generated, a content item may identify graphics object service requests associated with the scene. Each scene may have any number of associated graphics object service requests that may be sent to any number of different graphics object services. The graphics object services may be accessible over a network such as the Internet. By requesting object data from graphics object services, a content item may, for example, reduce at least part of the computational burden on a graphics processing unit of a client device.

Abstract: Techniques for providing an entity monitoring safety feature in an inventory management system may be described. For example, information that indicates respective locations for a plurality of mobile drive units within an inventory management system may be received. Tracking information may be received from a mobile location unit that is moving within a bounded area around a signal transmitter that is coupled to an entity. The tracking information may include an approximate location of the signal transmitter relative to the mobile location unit. Pathway information may be generated that indicates to the plurality of mobile drive units within the inventory management system to stay outside of a radius distance of the mobile location unit based on the received tracking information. The generated pathway information may be provided to the plurality of mobile drive units to enable safe passage for the entity within the inventory management system.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed which facilitate management of thin provisioned data storage. Specifically, portions of thinly provisioned data stores may be deallocated when they contain invalid data, such as data deleted by a user. A user may transmit notifications, which may include write requests corresponding to a defined bit pattern, to a provider of the data store (or to the data store itself) that data has been deleted. A management component may modify the data store, or metadata corresponding to the data store, to reflect the deletion. The management component may further monitor portions of the data store to determine whether individual portions contain entirely invalid data. If so, the portion may be deallocated from the thin provisioned data store, resulting in more efficient thin provisioning. Deallocation may be enabled even where deletion notifications from a user do not correspond directly to allocated storage portions.