Abstract: Various embodiments for providing perceived quality metrics and analysis for products and content prior to sale are described. Embodiments may include surveying potential consumers about of what future products they are aware. For any product of which the survey responder is aware, the survey may poll the responder to rate their perception of the quality of those products. The ratings for any particular product may be aggregated, for example, by averaging to produce a quality metric. The survey may be administered on a periodic basis, for example, monthly or bi-weekly, and a change in the value of the quality metric over time for a product may provide valuable information to marketers and product developers. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques to automatically provide assistance for electronic games are described. An apparatus may comprise a game strategy application arranged to receive as input game telemetry information representing gameplay of an electronic video game on a client device. The game strategy application may process the game telemetry information to determine whether a player of the electronic video game potentially needs assistance, and if so, automatically retrieve appropriate game strategy information from a local or remote datastore. The game strategy application may then send the retrieved game strategy information to the same or different client device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method of assessing a computer program under actual working conditions according to one embodiment comprises executing the computer program multiple times under actual working conditions, in response to each unhandled exception encountered during execution of the computer program, creating a corresponding stack frame signature to characterize the state of the program, and comparing the stack frame signatures to determine which unhandled exceptions are likely to have resulted from similar features.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for a shared media experience. Multiple client devices are associated with a group for a shared media experience, such as watching a YouTube video together. The client devices subscribe to a publication/subscription (pub/sub) server that publishes updates for the shared media experience for the client devices. Thus, when a client device makes a change in the shared media experience, such as making a comment, pausing the video, skipping forward or backward, adjusting the volume, inserting an audio or video annotation, tagging the video, switching to a different piece of media, and so forth, the client device notifies a management server. The management server pushes that change to the pub/sub server, which publishes the change to the group. As the changes propagate to the clients, the client software modifies the client side experience accordingly.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically generating a self-updating naturally-reading narrative product summary including assertions about a selected product. In one embodiment, the system and method includes evaluating an existing narrative product summary, comparing an existing attribute name, attribute value, attribute unit, and assertion model, respectively, to a current attribute name, attribute value, attribute unit, and assertion model to determine if one of the comparisons shows a change. The system and method further determines a new attribute associated with the selected product, selects an alternative product, retrieves a new assertion model with assertions that describe the selected product and identify an alternative product in a natural manner.

Abstract: Systems and methods for easily navigating a collection of editorial content related to products are described. Embodiments of the invention provide seamless, continuous, structured access to relevant product reviews. Users of embodiments of the invention can advance from one product review to another by selecting navigational buttons representing the previous and next product reviews from within a product review currently being viewed. The previous product review represents the review the user was viewing prior to the currently viewed review. The next product review is determined based on a simple learning engine that presents the next relevant product, along with another relevant product that is, for example, either cheaper or more expensive than the review being currently viewed. This simplifies the user experience by eliminating the need to go back to a listing page to research products similar to the product whose review is being viewed.

Abstract: An invention is described herein that provides methods and apparatus for collecting, distributing and storing product data. A data structure suitable for use in collecting, distributing or storing product data for use in a catalog is disclosed. More particularly, the data structure is based on a data model having one or more classes, where each of the classes has one or more associated categories. The data structure includes at least one class definition, each class definition being arranged to identify one or more associated categories. In addition, the data structure includes a plurality of category definitions, each category definition being arranged to identify an associated attribute group.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically generating a naturally reading narrative product summary including assertions about a selected product. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining at least one attribute associated with said specific product; selecting an alternative product based on said at least one attribute; and generating a naturally reading narrative including assertions about the specific product and a recommendation of the alternative product.

Abstract: Methods for a computer implemented game are described that provide assistance to game participants in making various game related decisions easily and quickly. A computer-implemented system may comprise a multimedia content module to provide multimedia content—within a game, a game server application comprising a player ranking module that ranks players based on and a recommendation module to provide recommendations to participants based on the ranking module to assist users with game play. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A computer implemented method is described. A computer-implemented method provides determining if an extended absence flag has been triggered for a first participant. If the extended absence flag has been triggered, the computer-implemented method automatically performs one or more of a plurality of actions required to continue game play on behalf of the first participant as if the first participant was still actively involved in game play. By automatically conducting play of the first participant as if the first participant was still involved, the computer-implemented method maintains competitiveness as well as the game experience for other participants.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically generating a naturally reading narrative product summary including assertions about a selected product. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining at least one attribute associated with said specific product; selecting an alternative product based on said at least one attribute; and generating a naturally reading narrative including assertions about the specific product and a recommendation of the alternative product.

Abstract: A set of enrollment buckets are allocated to a business unit and are subdivided such that a portion of the enrollment buckets are allocated to at least one test. A user ID can be hashed using a first hash function to map the user to one of the enrollment buckets. A set of test buckets are also subdivided such that a portion of the buckets are allocated to one or more test groups and a portion of the test buckets are allocated to the control group. If the user was mapped to a bucket that is allocated to test in the set of enrollment buckets, the user ID will again be hashed using a second hash function to map the user to one of the test buckets.

Abstract: A set of enrollment hash slots are allocated to a business unit and are subdivided such that a portion of the enrollment hash slots are allocated to at least one test group. A user ID associated with a user can be hashed using a first hash function to map the user to one of the enrollment hash slots. A set of test hash slots are also subdivided such that a portion of the hash slots are allocated to a test version and a portion of the test hash slots are allocated to a control group. If the user was mapped to a hash slot that is allocated to test in the set of enrollment hash slots, the user ID will again be hashed using a second hash function to map the user to one of the test hash slots.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that comprises a processor and memory coupled to the processor. The memory is operable to store an augmented website editor. The augmented website editor may be operable to edit one or more objects of a web page copy of a web page and to link the one or more objects to respective data sources associated with the web page.

Abstract: A game navigation interface for electronic content is described. A computer-implement system may comprise a content delivery platform operative to manage multimedia content. The computer-implemented system may further comprise a game navigation application operative to manage a game for the content delivery platform. The game navigation application may comprise a monitoring component operative to monitor navigation commands for navigating multimedia content provided by the content delivery platform, and output a game trigger signal based on the navigation commands. The game navigation application may further comprise a game navigation component operative to receive the game trigger signal, and select a game arranged to assist a user in navigating the multimedia content in response to the game trigger signal. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system, method and computer program product which may include providing an online waiting room and gatekeeper for controlling access to users in a plurality of tiered classification standby lines, seeking access to an online event.

Abstract: At a computing device, an offer for an inventory item directing a user to at least one advertiser site is received. At least one attribute associated with the offer is determined. At least one tag is assigned to the offer based on the determined at least one attribute. At least one matching publisher site is selected based on at least one factor, wherein the at least one factor includes the at least one tag.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically generating a self-updating naturally-reading narrative product summary including assertions about a selected product. In one embodiment, the system and method includes evaluating an existing narrative product summary, comparing an existing attribute name, attribute value, attribute unit, and assertion model, respectively, to a current attribute name, attribute value, attribute unit, and assertion model to determine if one of the comparisons shows a change. The system and method further determines a new attribute associated with the selected product, selects an alternative product, retrieves a new assertion model with assertions that describe the selected product and identify an alternative product in a natural manner.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention include tools for extracting data of interest from the world wide web (WWW). The extraction is accomplished using descriptions of data of interest. The descriptions of data of interest can include computer programs comprising a sequence of instructions and extractor patterns. The extractor patterns can be developed interactively using a web browser integrated into the graphical development environment for creating the descriptions of data of interest. The instructions can be selected from a predetermined list of instructions designed for extracting information from the WWW. The descriptions of data of interest can be grouped into categories sharing common query elements.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems, methods, and computer-readable media for facilitating user navigation of a collection of editorial content associated with products include displaying a first user interface including a first editorial content related to a first product previously viewed by a user, a second editorial content relating to a product navigated to by the user from the first editorial content, and a first plurality of editorial content relating to a first plurality of products; receiving a selection from the user; and navigation to editorial content in accordance with the user's selection.