Abstract: Techniques are provided for reducing the number of maneuvers presented in narrative driving directions for a route from an origin location to a destination location. To do so, driving directions are not provided for maneuvers for areas with which a person is likely to be familiar, such as neighborhood streets near the person's house, office, or another familiar location. A route from a user-specified origin to a user-specified destination is determined. Driving directions are presented only for a portion of the route. The portion of the route for which driving directions are presented may be identified based on an arterial category of roads included in the route.

Abstract: An electronic dictionary may be created by receiving a data request action for a word appearing in an electronic document, accessing information regarding the context of the word derived from within the electronic document in which the word appears, storing the definition of the word along with the context information for the word, and enabling access by the user to the definition and the context information.

Abstract: A lead user may share an on-line media content experience with one or more followers by identifying content of interest being experienced on the lead user system, identifying one or more followers with whom to share the content of interest, inviting the followers to experience the content of interest, and enabling the followers to access the content of interest.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for notifying a potential customer of a vendor that is in geographic proximity to the potential customer. The vendor is associated with a vendor and may include available good and/or services. The potential customer may be notified of several vendors associated with different vendors. Each vendor may be assigned at least one primary service and at least one secondary service.

Abstract: In a single-signature duplicate document system, a secondary set of attributes is used in addition to a primary set of attributes so as to improve the precision of the system. When the projection of a document onto the primary set of attributes is below a threshold, then a secondary set of attributes is used to supplement the primary lexicon so that the projection is above the threshold.

Abstract: Systems and techniques alerting a client of a state change at a remote server by creating a user profile indicating a preference to receive at least one alert corresponding to a change in state at the remote server; connecting to a communications system including the remote server; generating an address for the remote server from the user profile; navigating to the address of the remote server; retrieving data corresponding to a particular type of alert from the remote server; and using the retrieved data in delivering an alert to the client.

Abstract: An instant message sender user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving an instant message sender and an instant message recipient is rendered, the user interface including a conversation window. User input is entered by the instant message sender through manipulation of the user interface, the user input including data for transmission as an instant message from the instant message sender. An instruction by the instant message sender to send the data to the instant message recipient based on manipulation by the instant message sender of the user interface is resolved. Display of advertising content on the user interface is triggered responsive to the instruction by the instant message sender to send the data to the instant message recipient. The advertising content is displayed in the conversation window during at least a portion of the time that the instant message sender awaits a reply from the instant message recipient.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for presenting a route using a route presentation that provides both a context map and one or more detail route maps. Narrative instructions for the route also may be presented. The presentation of the context map and the one or more detail route maps may be interactive. The route presentation also may be user controllable such that a user may control the portions of a route that are printed. The route presentation also may include a re-routing feature that allows a user to request that a new route be identified that avoids a particular maneuver or maneuvers in a route.

Abstract: Separations or images relating to film or other fields may be registered using a variety of features, such as, for example: (1) correcting one or more film distortions; (2) automatically determining a transformation to reduce a film distortion; (3) applying multiple criteria of merit to a set of features to determine a set of features to use in determining a transformation; (4) determining transformations for areas in an image or a separation in; a radial order; (5) comparing areas in images or separations by weighting feature pixels differently than non-feature pixels; (6) determining, distortion values for transformations by applying a partial distortion measure and/or using a spiral search configuration; (7) determining transformations by using different sets of features to determine corresponding transformation parameters in an iterative manner; and (8) applying a feathering technique to neighboring areas within an image or separation.

Abstract: Streaming to a terminal by using a duplicating switch to receive a stream of data units, using the duplicating switch to store content from the stream, using the duplicating switch to generate a second stream that incorporates the content that was stored and address information corresponding to more than one terminal whose addressing information was not part of the first stream, and using the duplicating switch to make the second stream of data units available to two or more terminals.

Abstract: A lead user may share an on-line media content experience with one or more followers by identifying content of interest being experienced on the lead user system, identifying one or more followers with whom to share the content of interest, inviting the followers to experience the content of interest, and enabling the followers to access the content of interest.

Abstract: A sending subscriber system may participate in a wireless network by generating a message to transmit in a wireless network, identifying a local wireless subscriber system with which communications may be established, and determining whether to use the wireless local subscriber system as a relay.

Abstract: A data stream may be processed using a computer system by receiving the data stream using a browser application, detecting a content type of data in the data stream, temporarily overriding a default rendering process otherwise associated with the content type detected for the data in the data stream by associating a particular rendering process with the data stream based on the type of data in the data stream, and routing the data stream to the particular rendering process. The default rendering process may be identified in a registry of the computer system. It may be temporarily overridden by discriminating among internal and external instances of the browser application used to receive the data stream, and temporarily overriding the default rendering process only if the browser application is an internal instance.

Abstract: A local proxy that is located between a client device and a host system may be used to identify, or provide information about, a client device or identity using a client device that accesses a host system. The local proxy may append parental control information (such as a parental control level) to communications sent by the client device. The host system may provide, or restrict, access to information or features based on the information appended to communications sent by the client device. The local proxy and the host system both may store an additional copy of parental control information associated with one or more identities or client devices. The mirror copy of parental information may be used to restrict communications based on an identity or device's parental control classification and/or may be used to verify that parental control information has not been improperly modified or accessed. Parental controls may be applied using access control lists stored on the local proxy.

Abstract: Instant messaging (IM) entities may be invited to an electronic calendar event using an instant message. Selecting the IM entities as invitees to the event may include dragging and dropping names of the IM entities from a buddy list of an IM application to an event from an electronic calendar application, or vice versa. A method of inviting an entity to a calendar event includes providing a calendar event from a calendar application and recognizing, by the calendar application, an IM entity as an invitee to the event.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for retrieving electronic data by establishing a connection to the communications system using a first account of the user; initiating a first communication session over the connection associated with the first account of the user; and automatically initiating over the same connection one or more additional communication sessions associated with one or more additional accounts of the user.

Abstract: Providing category-specific electronic content includes receiving a request for electronic content. The request has an attribute. The attribute of the received request is compared to an attribute related to a query included in a log of search queries. An indication of a category that represents a search query from a log of search queries that is related to an attribute that matches the attribute of the received request is accessed, and electronic content that is representative of the identified category is accessed and provided. Caching electronic content includes receiving electronic content for inclusion in a cache, the electronic content having an attribute and identifying a category to which the electronic content corresponds An indication of a category that represents a query from a log of search queries that is related to an attribute that matches the attribute of the electronic content is accessed.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for displaying a route symbol with narrative driving directions. A route symbol for a particular maneuver may be used to represent the road to which the maneuver relates. For example, one type of a route symbol that may be used to represent a road may be an interstate route symbol that has substantially the same appearance (e.g., substantially the same or similar shape, and/or substantially the same coloration) as an interstate route sign used to mark the interstate itself. Another example of a type of a route symbol that represents a road is an highway route symbol that looks substantially the same as a highway route sign used to mark a state highway. A route symbol used for the display of a maneuver also may include route symbols that are related to the type of maneuver, such as the type of a turn, described by the maneuver.

Abstract: An unwanted message may be identified by inspecting the payload portion of a message being communicated, comparing the characteristics of the payload portion with stored data indicating characteristics of other messages, and identifying a security condition based on a comparison of the message inspected. The characteristics inspected may include the payload portion of a message or the whole message when the characteristics are being compared against messages being exchanged on more than one local exchanging system. Furthermore, the characteristics of messages may be tracked for comparison against the characteristics of future messages. A threshold number of those characteristics may subsequently implicate a hostile security condition, even if a current comparison of these characteristics does not reach the threshold necessary to implicate a hostile security condition.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for presenting a route in a manner that emphasizes the route and provides context information. For example, a vivid color or vivid colors may be used to display the route, and pastel colors or other desaturated colors may be used for non-route context information. This may result in a map in which the vivid colors of the route stand out over the faded style of the non-route context information to emphasize the route. In this manner, the map may both emphasize the route and provide context information for the route.