Abstract: An operating system is configured to receive a request to store an object that does not specify the location at which the object should be stored. The request might also include an optimization factor and one or more object location factors. The operating system might also generate object location factors or retrieve object location factors from one or more external locations. Object location factors might also be utilized that are based upon properties of the object to be stored. Utilizing the object location factors, and the optimization factor if provided, the operating system dynamically selects an appropriate storage tier for storing the object. The tiers might include a local storage tier, a local network storage tier, a remote network storage tier, and other types of storage tiers. The object is then stored on the selected storage tier. The object may be retrieved from the storage tier at a later time.

Abstract: A system and process are disclosed for providing users with page previews during page loading events, such that the delay experienced before the display of page content is reduced. The previews may include screenshots of the pages or of portions thereof, and may be generated periodically and cached by the system for delivery to user devices. The process of generating and delivering the previews via the Internet or some other network may be implemented partly or wholly within an intermediary system that sits logically between the user devices and content servers. The process may be used with existing browsers without the need for any browser modifications, or may be used with a “preview-aware” browser that includes special program code for providing page previews.

Abstract: A method of allocating resources in a rack system includes establishing a budgeted amount of a resource for a defined amount of rack space in a rack system. Electrical modules are deployed in a particular space in the rack system having the defined amount of rack space such that the amount of the resource used by the electrical modules in the particular rack space is maintained within the budgeted amount of the resource.

Abstract: Content can be shared between devices by transmitting an encoded signal that indicates, to each capable device within range, instructions for accessing the content. For example, a first device can emit an encoded audio signal that can be received by any capable device within audio range of the device. Any device receiving the signal can decode the information included in the signal and obtain a location to access the content from that information. Using such an approach, a first user can quickly and easily share content with several users at the same time without any of the receiving users having to determine or navigate to the content being shared. Further, using signals, such as audio signals, provides the ability for most existing devices to easily share content without significant hardware modification or additional expense.

Abstract: A system for transporting inventory items includes an inventory holder capable of storing inventory items and a mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is capable of moving to a first point with the inventory holder at least one of coupled to and supported by the mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is additionally capable of determining a location of the inventory holder and calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the first point. The mobile drive unit is then capable of determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance. In response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance, the mobile drive unit is also capable of moving to a second point based on the location of the inventory holder, docking with the inventory holder, and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the first point.

Abstract: A cooling system includes one or more air channeling sub-systems that provide cooling air to electronic equipment, at least one heat removal sub-system that removes heat from the cooling air in at least one of the air channeling sub-systems, at least one temperature sensor measures a wet bulb temperature of outside air, and at least one controller. At least one of the air channeling sub-systems includes an outside air damper operable allow outside air into the air channeling sub-system. The at least one controller at least partially opens the outside air damper if a wet bulb temperature measured at the at least one temperature sensor drops to or below a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A system and method for performing address translation for packets entering or leaving a network. In some embodiments, a private network that may be fully or partially virtualized can use a stateless tunneling mechanism to communicate with external networks, such as the Internet, without using an external IP address for every host on the private network. For example, a packet forwarding device using a stateless Port Address Translation (PAT) implementation can route the packets subject to PAT by using forwarding rules rather than by storing connection-tracking state. Connection state information can be maintained at the hosts rather than at the packet forwarding device.

Abstract: System and methods for categorizing electronic advertisements categorized based on the attributes associated with the creatives, such as product type, predominant color, size of the create, media type of the creative are provided. Categories to be associated with electronic advertisements may be predefined, and an electronic advertisement may have various attributes associated with each of these categories.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for making the value in an online-stored value account accessible through a prepaid debit card. A payment services provider may offer general-purpose reloadable (“GPR”) cards to customers that are co-managed by the payment services provider and a traditional prepaid program manager. An integration is implemented between the payment services provider system hosting the online stored-value account and the program manager system such that the balance of the funds maintained for the online stored-value account may be used for purchases made using the GPR card.

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: Systems and methods are disclosed which facilitate the management of host computing devices through the utilization of a host computing device control component. The host computing device control component includes a state monitoring component that monitors operating states of the control component and a group of associated host computing devices. Based on a determination of a power event, the state monitoring component causes the initiation of a reboot of the grouping of host computing devices based on exchange priority information and additional reboot parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for a librarian facilitates appraising the value of all or selected products in a collection of products. The collection of products may be part of a library that includes one or more photographic images of the library, and an inventory of the products revealed in those images. The librarian facilitates appraising the value of products in the collection with reference to the images. Appraisals may be automatically updated, and users notified in accordance with user notification preferences. An automated referral may be provided to the user to sell all or selected ones of the appraised inventory of products, individually or together. An extended appraisal may be provided to facilitate enhancing the value of a collection in the library.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining an electronic advertisement to be displayed to a highly targeted set of customers. Items are grouped into item groups of related and competing products and advertisers competitively bid against other advertisers having products in the same item group to determine whose advertisement will potentially be shown to customer associated with the item group.

Abstract: A deploy service is provided to determine a set of software artifacts that needs to be transmitted to a target machine upon receiving an application deployment request from a user of a client device. For instance, the deploy service may compare versions of software artifacts on the target machine with the software artifacts of the application that the user desires to deploy to determine the set of software artifacts that needs to be transmitted. Instead of having to transmit the entire application, some embodiments transmit only a small portion that is reflective of what has been changed between the old version of the application and the new version of the application. This enables the transfer of large files across the Internet to be more efficient.

Abstract: A system and method for creating and maintaining a virtual library is provided. A virtual library includes one or more photographic images of the user's physical library, and an inventory of the products revealed in those images. The virtual librarian facilitates uploading the images, generating an inventory from those images, and locating products in the physical library with reference to the images. The virtual librarian optionally provides the user with an appraisal of the value of their physical library, and advice regarding how to organize the library and whether to make certain acquisitions to complement the existing library.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for synchronizing data stores. A notification is received indicating that a write transaction was performed to a data store. The notification includes a path used by the write transaction. When a predetermined delay has passed after the receipt of the notification, a read is performed from the path included in the notification. In response to at least completion of the read, data returned by the read is written to a different data store.

Abstract: An electronic service provides a sample of a media item to a user, along with a prompt. The prompt gives the user the opportunity to receive an additional part of the item substantially without further interaction with the user. The streamlined acquisition of the additional part of the media item is enabled by the user's establishment, in advance, of user identification information, payment information, and so on.

Abstract: Activity monitoring and replay techniques monitor and replay user consumption of content. To perform one of the techniques, event data from users that reflects the consumption of content is collected. The collected event data is used to infer one or more features in the content that are consumed by the user. The consumption of the one or more features by the user is replayed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for interfaces to manage direct network peerings. A system may include a data center, endpoint routers and a connectivity coordinator. The coordinator implements a programmatic interface defining connectivity operations. The coordinator receives a request for dedicated connectivity to data center resources, formatted according to the interface. The coordinator selects a target endpoint router at which to establish a physical link to implement the dedicated connectivity, and transmits a response identifying the target endpoint router and including configuration instructions for setting up a physical link for the dedicated connectivity.

Abstract: Secure information is managed for each host or machine in an electronic environment using cryptographic keys. In some embodiments, a globally distributed system manage and rotate keys across various nodes within the system based on a predetermined schedule of each key's lifecycle. The predetermined schedule decides when keys are created, distributed, and used with respect to each key's pre-assigned time (e.g., an expiration time, a creation time). The schedule of the key's lifecycle may be predetermined and adjusted based on various system requirements. The keys may be automatically rotated throughout the various nodes in the system in a way such that the keys are not unnecessarily exposed for too long but are accessible to the ciphertext producers and the ciphertext consumers when needed. Further, the keys are created and rotated in a way to ensure robustness of the system in the event of a global WAN outage or network partition.