Abstract: External mobile device sensors may be provided that are configured to manage sensory information associated with motion of objects external to the mobile device. In some examples, the object motion may be detected independent of contact with the device. In some examples, a device may include a screen with a first sensor (e.g., a touch sensor). The device may also include at least a second sensor external to the screen. Instructions may be executed by a processor of the device to at least determine when an object is hovering over a first graphical user interface (GUI) element of the screen. Additionally, in some cases, a second GUI element may be provided on the screen such that the second GUI element is rendered on the screen adjacent to a location under the hovering object.

Abstract: A database system may maintain a plurality of log records at a distributed storage system. Each of the plurality of log records may be associated with a respective change to a data page. The plurality of log records may be transformed (e.g., cropped, prune, reduce, fused, deleted, merged, added, etc.).

Abstract: Various embodiments enable regions of text to be identified in an image captured by a camera of a computing device for preprocessing before being analyzed by a visual recognition engine. For example, each of the identified regions can be analyzed or tested to determine whether a respective region contains a quality associated with poor text recognition results, such as poor contrast, blur, noise, and the like, which can be measured by one or more algorithms. Upon identifying a region with such a quality, an image quality enhancement can be automatically applied to the respective region without user instruction or intervention. Accordingly, once each region has been cleared of the quality associated with poor recognition, the regions of text can be processed with a visual recognition algorithm or engine.

Abstract: Host machines and other devices performing synchronized operations can be dispersed across multiple racks in a data center to provide additional buffer capacity and to reduce the likelihood of congestion. The level of dispersion can depend on factors such as the level of oversubscription, as it can be undesirable in a highly connected network to push excessive host traffic into the aggregation fabric. As oversubscription levels increase, the amount of dispersion can be reduced and two or more host machines can be clustered on a given rack, or otherwise connected through the same edge switch. By clustering a portion of the machines, some of the host traffic can be redirected by the respective edge switch without entering the aggregation fabric. When provisioning hosts for a customer, application, or synchronized operation, for example, the levels of clustering and dispersion can be balanced to minimize the likelihood for congestion throughout the network.

Abstract: Secret information, such as seeds, codes, and keys, can be automatically renegotiated between at least one sender and at least one recipient. Various mechanisms, such as counters, events, or challenges, can be used to trigger automatic renegotiations through various requests or communications. These changes can cause the current secret information to diverge from older copies of the secret information that might have been obtained by unintended third parties. In some embodiments, a secret can be configured to “decay” over time, or have small changes periodically introduced that can be determined to be valid by an authorized party, but can reduce the effectiveness of prior versions of the secret information.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating the purchase of excess items. In one embodiment, customer information and inventory data are retrieved from a merchant client. A determination is made on whether excess items exist. A list of target purchasers is generated based on data associated with a user account, and offers are generated and sent by electronic communication to the list of target purchasers.

Abstract: Systems, methods and interfaces are provided for the modeling of network data capacity for a network corresponding to a set of nodes interconnected via point-to-point network paths. A network capacity processing system obtains demand estimates for the nodes and network paths of the network. The network capacity processing system then identifies a set of failure scenarios for the network nodes and network paths. The network capacity processing system then generates of a set of processing results corresponding to load estimates for the network paths of the network and based on applying the set of failure scenarios to the model of network data capacity. Utilizing data capacity models, failure scenarios and set of processing results, the network capacity processing system can provide for network capacity planning or contingency planning.

Abstract: A network resource, such as a page, may be loaded or rendered in different manners on a plurality of different browsers. Data and information regarding the loading and/or rendering of various network resources on a variety of browsers, including data or information regarding errors, latencies or customer ratings of the loading or rendering of such resources on such browsers, may be evaluated in order to identify the most appropriate browser for viewing a requested network resource. If that network resource is available to a user who requests the network resource, then a recommendation or an instruction to view the network resource in the most appropriate browser may be provided to the user.

Abstract: Techniques are described for managing communications for a managed virtual computer network overlaid on a distinct substrate computer network. The techniques may be used in situations in which a configurable network service provides managed virtual computer networks for clients and also provides one or more network-accessible services that are available to the managed virtual computer networks, with particular managed virtual computer networks being configured to provide local private access to at least one of the provided network-accessible services, despite those provided network-accessible services being located externally to the particular managed virtual computer networks.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and interfaces for the management of virtual machine networks and other programmatically controlled networks are provided. Hosted virtual networks are configured in a manner such that a virtual machine manager of the virtual network may monitor activity such as user requests, network traffic, and the status and execution of various virtual machine instances to determine possible security assessments. A security assessment may be performed before, after, or simultaneous to the execution of the activity associated with the security assessment event. The execution of an activity may further be synchronous with the results of the security assessment. The timing of the assessment may correspond to the type of assessment or type of activity that is requested or detected.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for managing requests for computing capacity from a provider of computing resources. The computing resources may include program execution capabilities, data storage or management capabilities, network bandwidth, etc. In some implementations, a user can request that computer resources be reserved for guaranteed availability by the user (or others authorized by the user) during a future usage time period. For example, the user can request a desired amount of program execution capacity. The usage period can be flexibly chosen to meet the user's needs. The request can specify, for example, that a particular program be executed during the usage period, that only certain users be authorized to have access to the guaranteed availability computer resources, and so forth. The provider may charge a fee for the request and/or fees for access or use of the guaranteed availability computer resources during the usage period.

Abstract: Techniques are described for managing access of executing programs to non-local block data storage. In some situations, a block data storage service uses multiple server storage systems to reliably store block data that may be accessed over one or more networks by programs executing on other physical computing systems. Users may create block data storage volumes that are each stored by at least two of the server block data storage systems, and may initiate use of such volumes by one or more executing programs, such as in a reliable manner by enabling an automatic switch to a second volume copy if a first volume copy becomes unavailable. A group of multiple server block data storage systems that store block data volumes may in some situations be co-located at a data center, and programs that use volumes stored there may execute on other physical computing systems at that data center.

Abstract: A computing device can be configured to recognize when a user hovers over or is within a determined distance of an element displayed on the computing device to perform certain tasks. Information associated with the element can be displayed when such a hover input is detected. This information may comprise a description of what tasks are performed by selection of the element. This information could also be an enlarged version of the element to help the user disambiguate selection of multiple elements. The information can be displayed in a manner such that at least substantive portions of the information would not be obscured or occluded by the user.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for compressing a text string that includes multiple parameter keys and multiple corresponding parameter values. In an example embodiment, the techniques include identifying the parameter keys and determining corresponding parameter key identifiers. In this embodiment, a first portion of a compressed URL is generated as a string of unique parameter key identifiers that corresponds to the plurality of parameter key identifiers. A second portion of the compressed URL is generated as a parameter value list that corresponds to the string of the plurality of unique parameter key identifiers and to corresponding ones of the plurality of parameter values. In addition to the foregoing, other techniques are described in the figures, description, and claims.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to knowledge representation systems which include a knowledge base in which knowledge is represented in a structured, machine-readable format that encodes meaning.

Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing service acquisition time of a user device are disclosed. A method includes receiving a request to turn off the user device, obtaining network information for a future destination of the user device, and powering off the user device. The method further includes utilizing the network information for the future destination of the user device to reduce service acquisition time when the user device is powered on.

Abstract: A method of providing fixed computer-displayable content in response to a consumer request for content is presented. Upon obtaining a digital image corresponding to the requested content, an advertisement is selected. The advertisement is to be included in an on-demand electronic content corresponding to the requested content. The advertisement is included with the digital image corresponding to the requested content. A fixed computer-displayable content corresponding to the requested content is generated. The fixed computer-displayable content is then provided to the consumer.

Abstract: Disclosed are various systems, methods, and other embodiments involving the brokering of real time services for users. To this end, location data is maintained in at least one server representing a current location of each one of a plurality of service providers. A subset of the service providers is identified in the at least one server that are located within a predefined response time relative to a location of a user in response to a request for a service from the user. A listing of the subset of the service providers is sent from the at least one server to a client contemporaneously with a receipt of the request for the service to facilitate a selection of one of the service providers to render the service.

Abstract: Devices and methods for constructing low-profile, minimal-thickness electronic devices using existing production techniques are disclosed in this application. An electronic component and interposer form a sub-assembly. The sub-assembly is placed in an aperture in a circuit board with the interposer providing interconnections between the electronic component and the circuit board. Such placement conceals the thickness of the integrated circuit within the thickness of the circuit board, reducing overall thickness.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for document encoding using block encoding of text are disclosed. A computing device is configured to detect, within a digitized image object, a plurality of element groups, where each group comprises one or more text image elements and is separated from other groups by at least one delimiter. The device generates a numerical representation of the groups, comprising a plurality of numerical values, where a particular value corresponding to a particular group is determined based at least in part on a combined size of text image elements of the particular group. The device stores at least a subset of the numerical representation as a fingerprint representing text contents of the digitized image object.