Abstract: Set forth herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing media requests in a secure way. A server configured to practice the method receives, from a media player client, a request for media content. The server requests a playback token from a playback service associated with the media content and generates a tag containing the playback token. Then the server transmits to the media player client a response to the request for media content based on the tag, wherein the media player client retrieves the media content by presenting the playback token to the playback service. The media player client can be an embedded media player or other player in a web browser. The server and the playback service can operate based on a common, pre-shared feed token. Other playback client and playback service embodiments exist.

Abstract: Systems, computer-implemented methods, and media for providing a graph of assets by one or more computing devices include building an asset graph from a data set of assets, the asset graph including plural assets, at least one connection connecting each asset to one or more other asset in the graph, and metadata associated with each connection storing details relating to the connection; identifying an asset in the asset graph that corresponds to an asset in a third party social media platform's asset graph; requesting information relating to connections to the identified asset; receiving the requested information relating to connections to the identified asset; and building out the asset graph according to the received information.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for generating a tier rollup record perform the steps of: receiving a request for one of a product record and a plurality of product records having a determined attribute value; querying a first data set for product records corresponding to the request; receiving one or more unique record identifiers corresponding to the request; querying a second data set for a product record and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; receiving the product record and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; identifying a most representative product record from the product records and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; rolling up the most representative product record; and transmitting the rolled up most representative product record.

Abstract: Techniques to track users and user metrics for a website are described. For example, one embodiments may include identifying one or more users of a website, tracking one or more activities for each user, generating a database arranged to store the one or more activities for each user, and calculating one or more user metrics based on the stored activities, wherein the user metrics comprise one or more of a user value, content value, product value, service value or campaign value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques to automatically search selected content are described. In some embodiments, a method to automatically search selected content may include receiving a user selection of one or more objects in a document, automatically performing a search of local content on one or more servers associated with the document based on the one or more selected objects and displaying results from the search in a window within the document wherein the user selection comprises a highlighting of the one or more objects and the search is performed automatically in response to the highlighting. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

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: A system and method for rating of each of plural products comprising identifying plurality of attributes associated with a category of product, applying a scalar structure for each attribute to provide scalar value of each attribute for each of the plural products, determining an incremental competitive index for each attribute of each product based on the scalar value of each attribute and a number of products having the scalar value, and rating each product based on the determined competitive index.

Abstract: Video content delivery method is provided for operating in a network environment to display online content, including television content on a media device through a Web browser having an application program interface (API), at least in part to emulate a television viewing experience. Online content is received at a server from content source(s) and delivered to users in response to receiving a content request at the server. Requested online content is transmitted to the Web browser, instructions are provided to store the online content in the API of the Web browser. Online content is rendered from the API to the Web browser graphical user interface (GUI) and the online content is asynchronously updated between the server and the Web browser while rendering of the online content, at least in part to emulate a television viewing experience. Instructions are provided for storing the state information from the GUI to the API.

Abstract: Various embodiments for providing real time advice online are described. In one or more embodiments, an online host may register willing users as advisors for a topic of a page at a website. The online host may later detect when an advisor is online. When another user requests live advice from a web page, the online host may select an online advisor for the topic of the web page from which the request came. The online host may communicatively couple the requesting user and the online advisor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Streaming media at an adaptive bitrate streaming media player. Tracking a bitrate history of the player. Determining a startup bitrate from the bitrate history. Streaming at the determined bitrate. Tracking a bitrate history of the player can include storing tracked bitrates in a cookie accessible by the player; and determining a startup bitrate can include determining a startup bitrate from the cookie. Determining a startup bitrate can include determining an average tracked bitrate over the last N tracked bitrates. The average tracked bitrate can be weighted toward more recent tracked bitrates. Determining a startup bitrate can include determining a maximum startup bitrate. The bitrate history can include the maximum bitrate of the player over the last X sessions; and the maximum startup bitrate can be the lowest maximum bitrate over the last X sessions. The maximum startup bitrate can be the mode among maximum bitrates over the last X sessions.

Abstract: Technology for processing an ordered sequence of frames of a media program intended for play in an HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) player. Processing a first ordered subset of frames of the sequence. Processing a second ordered subset of frames of the sequence separate from the first subset. The second subset following on the first forms a third ordered subset of frames of the media program. Processing the second subset includes creating a manifest file of the subset. The playing time of processed frames of the first subset is at least equal to the processing time of the second subset. Processing the first subset can include creating a manifest file of the subset. The media program can include ads (at least a pre-roll ad) and content. The first ordered subset can be the pre-roll ad. The second ordered subset can be the content and remaining ads (e.g., mid-roll and post roll).

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. Multiple descriptions of data of interest in the same category can executed simultaneously using the same query. The descriptions of data of interest can be accessed by a client computer using a web browser to initiate a query.

Abstract: Systems, computer-implemented methods, and media for updating content of a page composed of markup language in response to a triggering event method include: receiving a request that indicates a triggering event; determining the type of triggering event based on the request; determining at least one page element from amongst plural page elements of the page to be updated based on the request; generating a response to the request, the response including metadata indicating the at least one page element and the content of the at least one page element, the content of the at least one page element being composed of the markup language; and transmitting the response.

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: 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 the selected product, selecting an alternative product, retrieving assertion models to describe the product and to recommend an alternative product in a natural manner, and generating a naturally reading narrative by combining the attribute and the selected alternative product with the retrieved assertion models such that the generated narrative includes a recommendation of the selected alternative product. A system is provided for implementing the described method.

Abstract: The method comprises processing plural product information records from the product information sources into one or more groups based on which product information records are likely to correspond to the same product, correlating a unique product ID corresponding to the product associated with each of said groups to identify the product, comparing each identified product to categories of a taxonomy to determine a category for the identified products in the taxonomy, and determining attributes for each categorized product based on the product information records corresponding to each group, creating product specifications based on the determined attributes and storing the product specification in the corresponding determined categories of the taxonomy.

Abstract: Techniques to magnify images are described. An apparatus may comprise a media application that when executed by a processor is operative to present video information including images on a display. The media application may comprise a zoom control component operative to receive a zoom control directive to magnify an image portion of an image, increase a video resolution level for the image portion of the image, and magnify the image portion to form an enhanced magnified image. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system (and method and computer readable storage medium) are disclosed for processing interactions with song lyrics. The system is configured to provide for display on a screen of a computing device the song lyrics. The system detects a selection of a segment of the song lyrics and provides for display a menu of options for interacting with the selected segment of the song lyrics. The system receives a selection of an option from the menu of options and updates, in a user interaction database, a data field corresponding to the selected segment with the selected option from the menu of options. The system executes the selected option from the menu of options.

Abstract: Various embodiments for providing content targeted from client activity are described. In one or more embodiments, a website may analyze client activity to determine user intent at the website. The website may assign page types to each page at the site, and may map each page type to a section of a sales funnel model. From the analyzed behavior, the website may estimate where the user may be in the sales funnel model and in what subject matter the user is interested. The website may further calculate a confidence in the estimate. The subject matter of interest, the estimated sales funnel section and the confidence measure may be included in an assertion. The content selection service may select content for display to the user based on the assertion. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Systems for organizing product information in accordance with a catalog taxonomy including: a database storing product information, and a processor configured to receive input of product information associated with a plurality of products, store at least one of the plurality of products in a catalog, associate at least one first tier attribute with a first tier category, the first tier attribute being common to products in the first tier category and being inherited by products in a second tier category, associate at least one second tier attribute with the second tier category, the second tier attribute being common to the products in the second tier category, retrieve second tier attributes of at least two second tier categories, determine at least one common attribute of the second tier categories, generate a first tier attribute group, and associate the at least one common attribute with the first tier attribute group.