Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for identifying a media file selected for playback by a user, determining whether an alternate media file is available that includes at least some of the same content as the first media file, and transitioning between playback of the first media file and the alternate media file.

Abstract: Ranges of data stored within archived data may be retrieved according to a predefined hash tree schema. A retrieval request for a range of one or more data chunks of an archived data object stored in archival data store may be retrieved. In response, the requested range of the archived data object may be determined to be tree-hash aligned. In response to determining that the requested range is tree-hash aligned, a retrieval job may be initiated to obtain the range of one or more data chunks and to stage the one or more data chunks for download. A download request may for one or more of the obtained and staged data chunks, and if determined to be tree-hash aligned, a tree hash root node may be sent to the requesting client in addition to the requested data.

Abstract: Systems and approaches are provided for tracking an object of interest using depth or disparity information, such as obtained by calculating stereo disparity between a pair of images. The depth or disparity information can be used as an additional signature for a template of the object of interest for tracking the object. A template that includes depth, distance, or disparity information for an object of interest may be invariant to the effects of lighting, such as shadows and changes in illumination conditions. Depth, distance, or disparity information can also provide information regarding shape and size that can be used to differentiate foreground objects. Depth, distance, or disparity information can also better handle occlusion. Depth, distance, or disparity information can also provide an additional disambiguating dimension for tracking an object.

Abstract: A system estimates text orientation in images captured using a handheld camera prior detecting text in the image. Text orientation is estimated based on edges detected within the image, and the image is rotated based on the estimated orientation. Text detection and processing is then performed on the rotated image. Non-text features along a periphery of the image may be sampled to assure that clutter will not undermine the estimation of orientation.

Abstract: An energy storage device included in a data center environment can supply energy to a set of solid state drives in the data center environment when power failure or another power event has occurred. In some embodiments, there can be a controller for each solid state drive. The controller can be configured to detect or determine the occurrence of the power failure or other power event and, in response, transmit a command to a respective solid state drive instructing the solid state drive to perform a graceful and atomic shutdown operation, so that data stored on the drive is made durable and the drive enters a quiescent state (e.g., sleep mode, hibernate mode, power-off mode, etc.). As such, the energy storage device can provide protection against power events to solid state drives that lack native (e.g., built-in, inherent, etc.) power protection mechanisms.

Abstract: Client impersonation is recognized by an access control service using servicer credentials to allow a servicer to impersonate a user's context while requesting actions be performed on a computing resource. A servicer may be requested to perform an action through impersonation, granting access to the context of a user related to the computing resource. The computing resource receives servicer credentials and impersonation information from the servicer. After verifying the servicer's authorization to perform actions under the context of the user, the servicer may attempt to perform the requested action. The action may be logged as performed by the servicer impersonating the user. The user may also be billed for any costs incurred.

Abstract: Approaches enable image content (e.g., still or video content) to be displayed in such a way that the image content will appear, to a viewer, to include portions with different locations in physical space, with the relative positioning of those portions being determined at least in part upon a current relative position and/or orientation of the viewer with respect to the device, as well as changes in that relative position and/or orientation. For example, image content can be grouped or otherwise contained or assigned to different planes, levels, or other such groupings of content. The planes of content can enable image content included within those planes to be displayed to provide a viewer with an appearance or view of the content that appears to be positioned and/or displayed in 3D space. As that viewing angle changes, the content can be re-rendered or otherwise updated to display the image content from a perspective that reflects the change in viewing angle.

Abstract: A user interface for a touch-screen display of an electronic book reader device is described. The user interface has a bookmark feature designed to facilitate navigation through bookmarked locations in digital content items, such as electronic books, in response to use input via the touch-screen display. Further, the user interface provides a split progress indicator with separate portions presented in different areas of the display. The portions of the indicator are configured to represent proportions of content that comes before and after the current location being displayed.

Abstract: Techniques are described for generating text in a structured language, such as source code in a programming language, based on audio input. Audible tokens may be associated with higher-level constructs, including design elements such as methods, classes, design patterns, and so forth. Additionally, audible tokens may be associated with lower-level syntactic constructs of a programming language, such as programming language keywords, tokens, and so forth. Techniques may receive and parse the audio input including the audible tokens, and generate source code output. Techniques may also provide audio information indicating a development context that may otherwise be indicated visually in a development environment.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for computing and using an aggregate activity level for a computing system. Activity level metrics are obtained from a corresponding plurality of components in a data center. A current aggregate activity level request is received. An aggregate activity level is computed from the activity level metrics. The aggregate activity level is compared to a baseline aggregate activity level. In response to the request, an indication is provided as to whether the aggregate activity level falls within a predefined range of the baseline aggregate activity level.

Abstract: Techniques are described for graph-based analysis of event data in a computing environment. Event data is collected from host devices, the event data describing events in which devices, processes, or services are accessed in the environment. The event data is arranged into a graph that includes vertices corresponding to devices, processes, or services, and edges that connect pairs of vertices. Each edge may identify an event by connecting two vertices corresponding to two devices, processes, or services included in the event. A rarity metric is determined for each edge, indicating a rarity of events of a particular type connecting two vertices. A risk metric may also be determined for each edge, indicating a security risk associated with the event type or the target of the event. The graph may be traversed according to the risk and rarity metrics, to identify patterns of anomalous activity in the event data.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for management of third-party accounts for users in an organization. It is determined whether a user in an organization is to be provided with managed access to a third-party network site. An account may be managed for the user with the third-party network site in response when the user is to be provided with managed access to the third-party network site. A security credential is stored for the managed account. A client computing device associated with the user is configured to authenticate with the third-party network site using the security credential. The user may be restricted from accessing the security credential.

Abstract: A custom host errors definition service is provided. The custom host errors definition service can create separate endpoints through which different customers can define custom host errors for one or more host computing systems, which might operate in a distributed execution environment. A custom host error definition can specify one or more host computing systems, one or more system components of the one or more host computing systems, one or more attributes, one or more error conditions for the one or more attributes, and one or more actions to perform as a result of the error conditions being satisfied. The error conditions can be, but are not limited to, threshold conditions, component failure conditions, missing hardware conditions, degraded hardware conditions, system firmware failures, incorrect firmware conditions, and the like.

Abstract: Authenticated requests can be sent without requiring the requests to include or potentially expose secret information used for the authentication process. A client device use a security credential such as a key to sign a request to be sent to a recipient. When the request is received, the recipient determines whether the request was signed using the correct key for the sender. In some embodiments a client token is included with the request that statelessly encodes the key, enabling a recipient capable of decoding the client token to determine the key and compare that key to the signature of the request. The sender can store the secret information in a secure location, such as a browser security module, such that the secret information is not exposed to the browser or script executing on the client device.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises an interface and one or more processors. The interface receives a request for a web page from a web browser. The one or more processors select a subset of web servers from a resource pool according to a load balancing determination. The one or more processors send the request to at least two of the web servers of the subset before receiving any response from the other web servers. Upon receiving one or more responses from distinct web servers, the one or more processors selects a response to communicate to the web browser.

Abstract: The use of resources on a computing device can be optimized for current conditions to reduce or minimize the amount of resources needed to provide a sufficient level of performance for various types of tasks. In some embodiments, one or more optimization algorithms can analyze information such as a type of task to be performed and the state of one or more environmental conditions to attempt to select a number and configuration of components, such as cameras and illumination elements, to use in performing the tasks. The performance of the tasks can be monitored, and the selection or states updated in order to maintain a sufficient level of performance without using more resources than are necessary.

Abstract: A computer-implemented data processing system and method writes a first plurality of copies of a data set at a first plurality of hosts and reads a second plurality of copies of the data set at a second plurality of hosts. The first and second pluralities of copies may be overlapping and the first and second pluralities of hosts may be overlapping. A hashing function may be used to select the first and second pluralities of hosts. Version histories for each of the first copies of the data set may also be written at the first plurality of hosts and read at the second plurality of hosts. The version histories for the second copies of the data set may be compared and causal between the second copies of the data set may be evaluated based on the version histories for the second copies of the data set.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for selecting advertising for presentation to customers in association with digital content items. Characteristics of a customer are determined based at least in part on historical data that associates the customer with one or more items. An advertisement is selected from an inventory of advertisements for presentation in association with a digital content item requested by the customer. The advertisement is selected based at least in part on a highest value placed on the characteristics of the customer by an advertiser for a presentation of the advertisement to the customer.

Abstract: Reconfiguring a power system for an electrical load includes establishing a secondary feed to an electrical load that is receiving power from a primary power source. A set of secondary feed lines is coupled between a donor power source and a power input to the electrical load such that the set of secondary feed lines is configured to supply power from the donor power source to the electrical load. An automatic transfer switch is coupled in parallel with the set of secondary feed lines. The electrical load is transferred by the automatic transfer switch from the donor power source to the primary power source for the reconfiguration.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for stress management in a searchable data service. The searchable data service may provide a searchable index to a backend data store, and an interface to build and query the searchable index, that enables client applications to search for and retrieve locators for stored entities in the backend data store. Embodiments of the searchable data service may implement a distributed stress management mechanism that may provide functionality including, but not limited to, the automated monitoring of critical resources, analysis of resource usage, and decisions on and performance of actions to keep resource usage within comfort zones. In one embodiment, in response to usage of a particular resource being detected as out of the comfort zone on a node, an action may be performed to transfer at least part of the resource usage for the local resource to another node that provides a similar resource.