Abstract: A graphical user interface on a display device of a computer enables communications using a computer service. The graphical user interface includes a list of potential message recipients selected by a user as significant to the user. The graphical user interface also includes a mobile device identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients and a user account identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients. At least one of the listed potential recipients includes a mobile device identifier as the only available conduit for data delivery to the potential message recipient using the computer service.

Abstract: An intelligent synchronization tool ensures access to desired content in a manner that automatically keeps the content current on the portable media device. A variation threshold or user-specified degree of content variation may be introduced among content downloaded to a user's mobile device to prevent the user from becoming bored. Furthermore, intelligent synchronization may automatically populate the portable media device with popular content to save a user time and/or use passive monitoring techniques to ascertain a user's preferences for subsequent population.

Abstract: An enhanced metadata structure and associated process is provided which captures and stores metadata gathered about the source and usage of a media asset or file. The source and usage metadata is integrated, such as by encoding within the enhanced media file, as the media asset is transferred and used. The integrated metadata accumulates, as a trail of source information and usage information in the enhanced media asset, and can be extracted upon arrival at a target computer system.

Abstract: Techniques are described for user-controlled annotation and sharing of one or more digital items. Examples of digital items that may be shared with other users include digital representations of graphic images, photographs, audio segments, songs, video segments, movies, and text (such as lists of favorites (e.g., a list of favorite books, a list of favorite movies, and a list of favorite places to visit)). A user may make a digital item available to other users of a computer network, such as an instant messaging system, a chat environment, or a subscription-based computer network. User-entered annotations, such as textual comments, may be associated with a digital item, and a user can select which other users can view and/or change all, or some, of the annotations.

Abstract: Regulating a user of a computer-based service includes receiving input about a first user from at least one other user of the computer-based service, determining a degree to which the at least one other user can influence a parameter associated with the first user, and modifying the first user's parameter based on the received input and the determined degree of influence. The first user's parameter, for example, can relate to the first user's ability to use the computer-based service.

Abstract: An online service provider (OSP) operates online data centers to store members' data objects relating to various online member services of the OSP. An aggregated catalog lists members' data objects residing in the online data centers and also those residing in member computers' local storage. An aggregator monitors contents of the online storage facilities to detect new storage of prescribed types of data objects owned by the members, and also communicates with member computers to identify prescribed types of data objects newly stored in the respective local storage. The aggregator updates the aggregated catalog to list the newly stored data objects. Responsive to a request by a member, a finder searches the aggregated catalog and utilizes results of the search to provide, for display at the requesting member's computer, a consolidated listing of online data objects and locally stored data objects owned by the requesting member.

Abstract: A search query is submitted to one or more information sources associated with a category of the query. The category of the query is indicated by a query ontology that relates queries to query categories. The information sources represent information sources from which a high percentage of search results for queries associated with the category are retrieved. For instance, the category of the query is identified by identifying categories corresponding to variations of the query, where each variation represents a combination of the terms within the query, and where the categories of the variations are assumed to be the categories of the query. Information sources associated with the query categories are identified, and the query is submitted to the identified information sources. Submitting the query to the identified information sources may cause search results retrieved for the query to more closely reflect search results desired by a user that specified the query.

Abstract: Movie video trailers for a particular movie quote may be created and provided to a user. The Internet may be searched to identify documents that likely include references to a movie. A reference to the movie within an identified document may be detected and determined to be a movie quote. The movie quote and related information may be extracted from the identified document. A location of the movie quote within the movie may be determined. A movie video trailer that includes the movie quote may be created based on the location of the movie quote. A request for a movie video trailer that includes a movie quote or a partial movie quote, specified by the user, may be received from the user. A movie video trailer that includes the movie quote or the partial movie quote may be identified and provided to the user.

Abstract: A method of funneling user responses in a voice portal system to determine a desired item or service includes (a) establishing an attribute value associated with a particular attribute of a desired item or service and (b) determining if the attribute value satisfies an end state. If the end state is not satisfied, steps (a) and (b) are performed with a new particular attribute.

Abstract: Alerting an intended recipient of a phone call includes identifying an account based on a phone call received from a caller and accessing configuration data related to the account. The configuration data is used to identify an identity associated with the account. One or more external online service provider systems are queried across a network to determine whether the identity is available to receive an electronic communication associated with the phone call. The electronic communication associated with the phone call is sent across the network to the one or more external online service provider systems conditioned on whether the identity is determined to be available to receive the electronic communication. The one or more external online service provider systems send the electronic communication to the identity.

Abstract: Generally, a terminal can access a resource selection device to access a content source, the content source being structured and arranged to respond directly to the terminal. For example, a PC (“personal computer”) may be pointed at a load-balancing switch. The load balancing switch translates the PC's traffic and directs the PC traffic to a server (or switch) providing streaming services. The server responds directly to the terminal, but uses the IP address/identity of the load-balancing switch with which the terminal is communicating.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for intelligently enabling menu choices includes rendering, on a client system, an address book user interface comprising information related to one or more contacts, selecting a contact from the address book user interface, determining an online presence state for the selected contact, enabling one or more menu options based upon the determined online presence state, with the menu options enabled for a first online presence state differing from the menu options enabled for a second online presence state, and presenting the enabled menu options to a user in a user interface.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a system, method, and apparatus for analyzing advertisement-related data are presented, which may include receiving data related to an aspect of an advertisement and modeling the aspect of the advertisement with a mathematical model. The mathematical model may include a control-signal-related component, a control-signal-independent component, and an error component. Each component may be updated based on at least one of a control signal, the received data, and a previous state of at least one of the components. An updated model may be created based on the updated components. The system, method, and apparatus may also include predicting the aspect of the advertisement using the updated model. Exemplary aspects of and data related to the advertisement may include one or more of the following: a number of impressions, “clicks,” or “conversions” and/or the impression-to-conversion, impression-to-click, or click-to-conversion ratios.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communication system by delivering an e-mail message from a sender to at least one recipient and indicating the online state of at least one of the sender and any other recipient of the e-mail message upon opening of the e-mail message by the recipient.