Abstract: A method and apparatus for finding predictive cross-category search queries for behavioral targeting in a networked online display advertising system. The methods include aggregating a training model dataset, the training model dataset comprising a history of clicks corresponding to historical advertisements. The training model dataset also contains plurality of targeting categories related to the history of clicks. Various techniques are disclosed for selecting a plurality of features from the training model dataset and calculating a click probability for a subject advertisement to be clicked by a user from a page, the calculating operations using features of the page that is to be presented to the user. Embodiments include mapping a particular query to one of the targeting categories and then presenting the subject advertisement selected on the basis of the value of the click probability. Normalization scales down the value of the click probabilities to filter out false positive categories.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a personalized trends module includes steps of: for a given user, producing a social timeline by logging content posted on the given user's accounts on social media sites; analyzing the social timeline for recently posted content to derive an interim summary of first trending topics for the given user; receiving from a content personalization platform an in-stream feed of second trending topics based on the user's recent on-line activity including page views, queries, and clicks; augmenting the social timeline with the second trending topics from the in-stream feed to produce an interim list of third trending topics; ranking the third trending topics by source category using a frequency index; selecting the highest ranking third trending topics from each source category; and presenting a personalized trends module with positions allocated to the highest ranking third trending topics.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for use in connection with online advertising exchanges. Methods are provided in which information is obtained, including, for each of multiple publisher sites, a set of publisher site tags, and for each of multiple advertisements, a set of advertisement tags. Methods are provided that include, in selection of an advertisement to be served in connection with a serving opportunity, utilizing, as a factor in the selection, matching of publisher site tags, associated with a publisher site associated with the serving opportunity, with advertisement tags of the advertisement.

Abstract: Method, system, and programs for data processing. In one example, a record is received. The record is separated into multiple partitions. Each partition is submitted to an iterative pipeline, wherein the iterative pipeline comprises two or more processing stages that are run in parallel and one of the multiple partitions passes through one of the two or more processing stages in one iteration. The multiple partitions are passed through two or more processing stages. The partitions that have passed through each of the two or more processing stages are merged.

Abstract: Systems and methods for e-commerce customer support activities are provided via an analytics server, which provides real-time information concerning customer visits to an e-commerce Web site to a merchant that operates the Web site, for example via a dashboard or other user interface. The real-time information allows the merchant to monitor and optionally interact with customers visiting the Web site, for example by viewing requests for customer service and providing real-time customer service via interactive user interfaces. Real-time telemetry concerning the customer visits is provided to the analytics server, which then presents the information in meaningful fashions via the dashboard or user interfaces for review by the merchant. Merchant responses to the information is facilitated via analytics engines, customer support engines, rule engines, deal engines, recommendation engines, and other components, which may operate according to customized rule sets to implement specific customer support policies.

Abstract: A method and system for providing tokenless secure login by visual cryptography. The method includes generating a password sequence and converting the password sequence to a password image. The method also includes encrypting the password image into a first image cipher and a second image cipher. The method further includes transmitting the first image cipher to a first electronic device of a user. Further, the method includes displaying the second image cipher on a second electronic device of the user. Moreover, the method includes enabling decryption of the password image by matching the first image cipher and the second image cipher using an image capture device on the first electronic device. The system includes a plurality of electronic devices, communication interface, memory, and processor.

Abstract: Computer systems and methods allow users to annotate content items found in a corpus such as the World Wide Web Annotations, which can include any descriptive and/or evaluative metadata related to a document, are collected from a user and stored in association with that user. Users are able to annotate and view their annotations for any document they encounter while interacting with the corpus, including hits returned in a search of the corpus. Users are also able to search their annotations or to limit searches to documents they have annotated. Metadata from annotations can also be aggregated across users and aggregated metadata applied in generating search results.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically adding advertisements into a slide show data feed. The disclosure includes receiving a request for a slide show data feed and generating a modified slide show data feed from the original data feed. One or more advertisements are selected and inserted as slides into the modified slide show data feed. The modified slide show data feed is then transmitted to the requester. When rendered on the requestor's device, the modified slide show data feed displays the slides of the originally requested data feed along with the advertisements.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for selecting targeted advertisements based on a user's personal points of reference. The personal points of reference identify user specific locations of interest based at least on geographic locations. In order to determine which advertisements are relevant to a user's personal point of reference, the advertisements served by an advertising server contain metadata appended therein. The ad metadata is correlated with locations, and provides geographical sensitivity to specific locations. Thus, advertisements are matched to points of reference based on geo-location data. When the advertising server is presented with a user's personal point of reference, the ad server compiles the point of reference's geo-location data against the ad metadata, and determines if there is a match. Upon a match being identified, the advertisement associated with the ad metadata is served to the user.

Abstract: A system for converting formatting of display object, including a logic (e.g., a computing device) that can be operable to traverse and record a part of source code or binary data related to a first visible item displayed on a visual output device. The logic can then convert a first data type or data structure that includes the recorded part of source code or binary data to a second data type or data structure that still includes the recorded part of source code or binary data, where the second data type or data structure is related to a second visible item displayable on the visual output device.

Abstract: Techniques are provided that include obtaining a Document Object Model of an HTML document, such as a web page of a publisher. Elements of the Document Object Model may be identified that are associated with native advertisement placement candidate containers. Based at least in part on analysis associated with the Document Object Model, and utilizing at least some of the identified elements, one or more native advertisement placement candidate containers may be determined. Some techniques may utilize, in the analysis, construction and utilization of a suffix tree of a string of tags comprising all tags in the Document Object Model. Some techniques may utilize, in the analysis, a node flattening technique in connection with the Document Object Model.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ability to identify a supported language. A current language tag including one or more subtags, each subtag providing language identification information. In response to determining that a language referenced by the current language tag is not a supported language, accessing a stored set of mappings including one or more mappings, each mapping associating a first language tag with a second language tag, determining whether or not a mapping in the set of mappings includes the current language tag as one of the first and second language tags and a new language tag as the other of the first and second language tags, and using the new language tag as the current language tag to identify the supported language.

Abstract: Methods and systems of providing advertisements to a user are disclosed. A user indication of preference for an item is received. A first hyperlink that references a first webpage of an advertiser is associated with an advertisement of the item if the user indication of preference for the item is indicative of a first level of interest in the item. A second hyperlink that references a second webpage of an advertiser is associated with an advertisement of the item is the user indication of preference for the item is indicative of a second level of interest in the item. The advertisement is presented to the user on an advertisement provider webpage.

Abstract: Methods, systems and programming for providing query suggestions based on user's previous search query. In one example, an input including a prefix of a first query is received from a user in a user session. At least a second query that was previously received from the user in the user session is then obtained. A third query is obtained based on the second query and the prefix of the first query. One or more query suggestions are provided to the user as a response to the input. The one or more query suggestions include the third query.

Abstract: A system and method for deriving income from URL based context queries. A URL based user context query is received over a network from a user, wherein the user context comprises at least one user context criteria. A query is formulated based on the context criteria so as to search for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data, topical data and context query bid data that is available via the network and relates to the context so as to identify entries in a context query bid database that relate to user context criteria. A dynamic webpage is generated having content relating to the query and advertisements associated with the selected bid are inserted into the webpage. The dynamic webpage is transmitted to the user. The advertiser associated with the selected bid is charged a fee when a user interface event relating to the dynamic webpage occurs.

Abstract: Personalized content is generated from different media items using a content index. The content index is generated or updated by identifying segments of media items that are of particular interest to users. User interactions with the media items are analyzed and metadata of segments of media items that are determined to be of particular interest to the users is recorded. The parameters associated with a request for personalized content for a user are matched with the recorded metadata to identify relevant media items or segments of media items which are transmitted to the user as the personalized content.

Abstract: Software for an online social service receives a request for a newsfeed from a user. The newsfeed depends at least in part on a memory-cached list of social friends of the user and on a memory-cached list of events associated with each social friend. The software refreshes a memory-cached copy of the list of social friends from a corresponding list in a persistent data store, based upon a determination of a utility associated with the user. And the software refreshes a memory-cached copy of a list of events associated with a social friend from a corresponding list of events in a persistent data store, based upon a determination of a utility associated with the social friend. Then the software causes the newsfeed to be displayed to the user.

Abstract: A current behavioral targeting system is first tested using a suite of test data. The output of the test is one or more performance metrics. Next, newly proposed behavioral targeting system created. The newly proposed behavioral targeting system is then evaluated using both the existing source data and a new source data. The evaluation of the newly proposed behavioral targeting system produces one or more performance metrics of the same type earlier calculated. Finally, the two sets of performance metrics are compared. The performance metric difference represents the impact of the new source data.