Abstract: A packaging system protects and retains all the components of a lighting unit with a resilient binding unit. The packaging system is used for a lighting unit with a first component having a first elongate member and a second component having a second elongate member. It also includes a carrier base with a first and second aperture used to receive and hold the first and second elongate member at a first longitudinal location. The second aperture is located proximate to the first aperture. The packaging also includes a resilient binding element for holding the first and second components with a first and second ring to receive and hold the first and second elongate member at a second longitudinal location, where the second longitudinal location being spaced a distance from the first longitudinal location. The binding element is used to inhibit the first and second components from being longitudinally moved relative to each other.

Abstract: A method for operating a database and a cache of at least a portion of the database may include receiving a plurality of read requests to read a data entity from the database and counting respective quantities of the requests serviced from the database and from the cache. The method may further include receiving a write request to alter the data entity in the database and determining whether to update the cache to reflect the alteration to the data entity in the write request according to the quantity of the requests serviced from the database and the quantity of the requests serviced from the cache. In an embodiment, the method further includes causing the cache to be updated when a ratio of the quantity of the requests serviced from the database to the quantity of the requests serviced from the cache exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A promotion price adjustment system of the present application utilizes improved data definitions, caching, and a combination of online and offline processing to increase the efficiency and speed of applying promotional discounts in electronic retail systems. The system performs an offline batch process on a product catalog to generate a predetermined mapping between products in the catalog and candidate promotions. When checkout of a product in a virtual shopping cart is initiated, the product's candidate promotions are obtained from the predetermined mapping. Each of those candidate promotions is then evaluated against the properties of the virtual shopping cart to determine which of those candidate promotions are eligible for application. Any eligible promotions may serve as a basis for applying price discounts to the virtual shopping cart.

Abstract: A magnetic wand is used for adjusting window blinds. The blinds include slats and a slat angle adjustment mechanism. The wand includes an upper housing portion and a handle portion. The upper housing portion has a connecting mechanism disposed on one end and a docking area on a second end. The connecting mechanism is adapted to connect the upper housing portion to the window blinds. A first magnetically attractive element is disposed within the docking area. The handle portion has an end shaped to fit within the docking area. The end includes a second magnetically attractive element. The second magnetically attractive element is adapted to releasably couple with the first magnetically attractive element through magnetic coupling, forming a magnetic joint. That magnetic joint is configured to prevent the handle portion from longitudinally rotating independently relative to the upper housing portion.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying a user interface may include an examination and/or elimination of positional bias of interactive categories in order to drive user engagement. A method or system configured to execute the method on a user interface may include creating a first arrangement of categories. The arrangement can be shown on a user device to one or more users a selected number of times. The users' interactions with the categories in the interface may be recorded. The method may further include creating a second arrangement, which is different from the first arrangement, and this second arrangement may be shown to the users the selected number of times and the users' interactions with the second arrangement may be recorded. Based on the frequency of user interactions with the first and second arrangement, a ranked set of the categories may be created and displayed to users.

Abstract: A source product and a competitor product are automatically matched by computing similarity scores between the products. An attribute of a source product is extracted from information received from a user. The extracted attribute is then used to generate a search term. A search for competitor product information is performed using the search term and a similarity score between the source product and the competitor product is calculated. In one implementation, the similarity score is calculated by generating a first value pair for the source product and the competitor product, and for the first value pair, (1) assigning a value to a degree of similarity between the source product and the competitor product with respect to a common feature, and (2) finding the product of the assigned value and a weight value assigned to the common feature.

Abstract: A packaging system protects and retains all the components of a lighting unit with a resilient binding unit. The packaging system is used for a lighting unit with a first component having a first elongate member and a second component having a second elongate member. It also includes a carrier base with a first and second aperture used to receive and hold the first and second elongate member at a first longitudinal location. The second aperture is located proximate to the first aperture. The packaging also includes a resilient binding element for holding the first and second components with a first and second ring to receive and hold the first and second elongate member at a second longitudinal location, where the second longitudinal location being spaced a distance from the first longitudinal location. The binding element is used to inhibit the first and second components from being longitudinally moved relative to each other.