Abstract: A user can be identified and/or authenticated to an electronic device by analyzing aspects of a motion or gesture made by that user. At least one imaging element of the device can capture image information including the motion or gesture, and can determine time-dependent information about that motion or gesture in two or three dimensions of space. The time-dependent information can be used to identify varying speeds, motions, and other such aspects that are indicative of a particular user. The way in which a gesture or motion is made, in addition to the motion or gesture itself, can be used to authenticate an individual user. While other persons can learn the basic gesture or motion, the way in which each person makes that gesture or motion will generally be at least slightly different, which can be used to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information, protected functionality, or other such content.

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 copies of network-accessible block data storage volumes that may be used by programs executing on other physical computing systems, and snapshot copies of some volumes may also be stored (e.g., on remote archival storage systems). 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 computing systems at that data center, while the archival storage systems may be located outside the data center. The snapshot copies of volumes may be used in various ways, including to allow users to obtain their own copies of other users' volumes (e.g., for a fee).

Abstract: A handheld dedicated electronic book (“eBook”) reader device and last screen rendering techniques for enhancing user experience are described. The eBook reader device detects certain screen conversion events, such as a timeout period, a scheduled event, or an event derived from user behavior. Upon detection of such events, the eBook reader device renders, as the last screen image to remain visible after the user ceases using the device, an image that conveys to the user some meaningful association with a content item. In the context of eBooks, the eBook reader device renders a representation of the book cover as the last screen image. A progress indicator may further be included to represent user progress through the content item.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing data requests in a client-server computing environment, such as the Web, are disclosed. A client device initially transmits a data request to a randomly selected first server device. The first server device may reject the data request if its request queue threshold is exceeded. The client device retransmits the data request, including the request queue threshold, to a randomly selected second server device. The second server device may reject the data request if the request queue threshold of the first server device is smaller than a request queue threshold of the second server device. The client device transmits the data request back to the first server device, including the request queue threshold of the second server device. The first server device processes the data request and adjusts its request queue threshold based on the request queue thresholds of the first and second server devices.

Abstract: An electronic book can be paginated by reference to a print version of the same book. Pages of the print version are scanned to obtain text strings and page labels corresponding to each of the pages. The text strings are then compared to the electronic book to find the best matching positions within the electronic book. The matching positions within the electronic book are then associated with the page numbers of the pages from which the matching text strings were obtained. Autocorrelation can be used to determine matching positions.

Abstract: Digital items may be lent from one user to another. A lending system may facilitate matching users that have a digital item to lend with users that wish to borrow a digital item. Each user may have a reputation associated with his or her lending behavior that is represented as a lending metric. The lending metric may show whether a given user is primarily a lender or borrower of digital items. Heavy borrowers that do not engage in commensurate lending may be penalized. Multiple users that lend and borrow digital items from one another may be connected in a social network. The nature of a relationship in the social network may and the lending metrics of users are factors used to make lending decisions.

Abstract: Methods and systems of detecting objects in proximity to user devices and distinguishing between object types are described. One method includes measuring a magnitude of mutual coupling between two antennas of the user device using a transmitted signal by a first antenna and a received signal by a second antenna. The method distinguishes between the user device being proximate to free space, a first object type or a second object type using the magnitude of mutual coupling or magnitude of received signal strength. The first object type includes non-water-based objects that do not absorb electromagnetic radiation and the second object type includes objects that absorb electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: When a digital item is submitted for publication, an automated system may determine whether the digital item includes content from other digital items. In some implementations, when the digital item is an electronic book (eBook), the automated system may select sets of words from the eBook and compute hash codes, such that each hash code corresponds to a set of words. The automated system may compare the computed hash codes with retained hash codes associated with other electronic books to determine whether the digital item includes duplicate content.

Abstract: A sharing service receives a request to store a media item stored on an electronic book reader device for sharing with one or more other content rendering devices. In response, the sharing service associates a pass phrase with the request. The sharing service then provides the media item to those devices (e.g., eBook reader devices) that provide the pass phrase to the sharing service within a predetermined amount of time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for secure proxying using network intermediaries. A system may include one or more servers and a network intermediary. The network intermediary may generate security metadata associated with a client request, comprising an identification of a source of the client request, and transmit an encoded version of the security metadata and a backend request to a server. The server may determine whether the security metadata is valid. If the security metadata is validated, the server may perform one or more operations in accordance with the backend request and the security metadata.

Abstract: Within a mechanical control system, continuous adaptive digital to analog control may control an analog actuated device by comparing a current value for a process variable to a setpoint value to obtain an error value, wherein the process variable may represent a monitored condition controlled by an analog actuated device. Continuous adaptive digital to analog control may also include converting the error value into a digital pulse time value representing a correction to compensate for the error value. The error value may be converted using a gain factor derived from timing characteristics for the actuated device. An analog value may be output based on a previously output value and the digital pulse time value. Continuous adaptive digital to analog control may repeatedly adjust the actuated device according to the changing values for the process variable.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for an inspection system and method that automatically photographs or captures video footage of received items for trade-in as they are being inspected or graded.

Abstract: Topics of potential interest to a user, useful for purposes such as targeted advertising and product recommendations, can be extracted from voice content produced by a user. A computing device can capture voice content, such as when a user speaks into or near the device. One or more sniffer algorithms or processes can attempt to identify trigger words in the voice content, which can indicate a level of interest of the user. For each identified potential trigger word, the device can capture adjacent audio that can be analyzed, on the device or remotely, to attempt to determine one or more keywords associated with that trigger word. The identified keywords can be stored and/or transmitted to an appropriate location accessible to entities such as advertisers or content providers who can use the keywords to attempt to select or customize content that is likely relevant to the user.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system provides supplemental information to a user of media in which the supplemental information is relevant to selected content in the media. An embodiment of the method comprises obtaining an image of selected content, identifying a meaningful characteristic of the selected content in the image, obtaining supplemental information that is relevant to the selected content based on the meaningful characteristic, and providing the supplemental information to the user of the media. A meaningful characteristic may be a source or subject of the selected content. Identifying the source of selected content may include matching text from the content with content of known source or matching a digital signature obtained from the selected content with digital signatures obtained from known content. The method may further comprise ranking the supplemental information based on one or more criteria and providing the supplemental information to the user in accordance with the ranking.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for generating interactive maps for browsing items in a catalog. A first map of items that includes graphical representations of each one of a first set of items is generated. A selected item is determined according to a selection of one of the graphical representations of the first set of items. A second set of items is determined based at least in part on similarity of the second set of items to the selected item. A second map of items that includes graphical representations of each one of the second set of items is generated. The graphical representations of each one of the second set of items are arranged in the second map of items relative to the graphical representation of the selected item based at least in part on a corresponding degree of similarity of the respective item to the selected item.

Abstract: A system for caching data in a distributed data processing system allows for the caching of user-modifiable data (as well as other types of data) across one or multiple entities in a manner that prevents stale data from being improperly used.

Abstract: In this disclosure, techniques are described for more efficiently sharing resources across multiple virtual machine instances. For example, techniques are disclosed for allowing additional virtual machine instances to be supported by a single computing system by more efficiently allocating memory to virtual machine instances by providing page swapping in a virtualized environment and/or predictive page swapping. In one embodiment, a virtual memory manager swaps pages predicatively in and/or out of a paging pool based on information from a central processing unit (“CPU”) scheduler. In one embodiment, the CPU scheduler provides scheduling information for virtual machine instances to the virtual memory manager, where the scheduling information allows the virtual memory manager to determine when a virtual machine is scheduled to become active or inactive. The virtual memory manager can then swap-in or swap-out memory pages.

Abstract: A system and a method for the management of addressable network resources (e.g., Web pages, electronic documents accessed via a Uniform Resource Identifier, etc.) within a network are provided. Specifically, embodiments of addressable network resource selection systems and methods are disclosed for managing the analysis and identification of optimal links between addressable network resources. A resource selection component enables pruning of undesirable pages on the basis of various usage metrics, including user depart rate. The resource selection component may then identify optimal linking strategies by determining one or more linking scores for remaining pages based on any of a number of different page usage metrics. In other embodiments, addressable network resource selection systems and methods may weight linking scores to emphasize desired outcomes, such as encouraging exploration of a network-based site or encouraging high aggregate sales figures.

Abstract: A method for processing waste in a material handling system includes detecting an occurrence of a trigger event associated with a waste holder located at a first location and, in response to detecting the trigger event, moving a mobile drive unit to the first location. The method also includes loading waste material onto the mobile drive unit at the first location and transporting the waste material to a waste station using the mobile drive unit.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for allowing a user to suggest information about content that can be utilized in processing subsequent searches. The suggested information may be different from a fixed set of information about an item, such as keywords, attributes, or characteristics of an item, generally provided by a manufacturer or seller of the item. Users can submit to a service the information that they feel is relevant to the item, such as a brief explanation of relevance and a detailed explanation that would help other users to make a decision about the item. The submitted information may be associated with the item information and stored in a data store and utilized as additional attributes of the item for a search. In addition, when a user requests detail information about an item, the user-submitted information may be displayed to the user.