Abstract: A method and system for protecting and repairing a current virtual asset from damage by potential security threats, according to one embodiment. The method and system include monitoring a current a current virtual asset for potential security threats, with a virtual asset agent, according to one embodiment. The method and system include determining a severity of the potential security threats that are identified by the virtual asset agent, according to one embodiment. The method and system include creating a new virtual asset with the virtual asset agent and decommissioning the current virtual asset, according to one embodiment. The system and method receiving, with the new virtual asset, secrets that are associated with the current virtual asset to enable the new virtual asset to continue operations of the current virtual asset, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for determining application experience of a user based on paralinguistic information determined for the user. One embodiment presented herein includes a computer-implemented method, which includes receiving, at a computing device, one or more audio streams. Each audio stream includes audio from a user interacting with at least one page of an application. The computer-implemented method also includes generating paralinguistic information from at least one of the audio streams. The paralinguistic information characterizes acoustic aspects of the audio stream that are distinct from verbal content of the audio stream.

Abstract: Messages sent on behalf of a user through an intermediary service message are assigned a unique sender address including unique message identification data unique to each message being sent. The unique sender address further includes message delivery system domain data identifying the actual domain of the intermediary service. The unique message identification data is also mapped to a user routing address. The unique sender address is then used to populate the “From” field of the message. Consequently, any message response sent to the “From” field of the message can be automatically analyzed to identify the user identification data in the unique sender address and automatically mapped to the user notification routing address. A notification of the response message can then be automatically relayed to the user using the user notification routing address.

Abstract: During a communication technique, a head-mounted electronic device receives a user command to capture sensory information, where the sensory information is associated with an object in an environment of the head-mounted electronic device, and where the object is associated with a second user of a second head-mounted electronic device. Then, a sensor in the head-mounted electronic device captures the sensory information associated with the object based on the received user command. Moreover, the head-mounted electronic device provides the captured sensory information to a pairing electronic device. Next, the head-mounted electronic device receives connection information from the pairing electronic device if the sensory information specifies the second user. Furthermore, the head-mounted electronic device establishes a secure connection with the second head-mounted electronic device based on the connection information.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for using a mobile device to remotely control a desktop application that was configured for use with a pointing device. During operation, the system receives at a mobile device, from a user, a connection request to connect to a desktop application executing on a remote device. In response to the connection request, the system establishes a remote control session between the mobile device and the remote device. Next, the system receives, at the mobile device, a video stream from a first camera coupled to the mobile device. The system then analyzes the video stream, at the mobile device, to identify a gesture made by the user. Next, the system identifies, at the mobile device, a pointing device command corresponding to the gesture. Finally, the system sends the pointing device command to the desktop application executing on the remote device.

Abstract: A technique for controlling release of data associated with an account is described. During this data-privacy management technique, a computer system provides at least a subset of data associated with an account to a third party based on a first consent (which may be received from a user of the account). This subset may have a first classification based on a predefined taxonomy. Subsequently, the third party may notify the computer system that additional data has been derived from the data. In response, the computer system may determine a second classification of the additional data based on a predefined taxonomy. If this second classification is other than a subset of the first classification, the computer system may request a second consent (for example, from the user).

Abstract: A method for tax preparation, including: obtaining a tax preparation ontology and a set of electronic tax documents; mining, by a computer processor, the set of electronic tax documents to identify relevant tax data based on the tax preparation ontology; constructing, by the computer processor, a semantic graph including the relevant tax data in a set of triples; receiving a semantic query language query; querying the semantic graph based on the semantic language query to obtain a result set; and returning the result set to a tax preparation application, where the tax preparation application displays at least a portion of the result set to a user in response to a help request.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing adaptive levels of authentication assurance according to sensitivity or criticality of information accessed or actions performed in a financial management system to enhance user experience and usability of the financial management system while providing adequate security to safeguard sensitive data. Various flow nodes are associated with one or more levels of assurance which are further associated with some authentication tokens of different authentication strengths. Users are usually first authenticated with a lower authentication strength token. Risk profiles may also be accessed to examine the users' requests for access for fraud detection or prevention purposes.

Abstract: A method for processing payment. The method includes receiving, by a payment service, a payment text message comprising a payment amount and an identifier of a payee mobile device, validating the payment text message based on a payer balance of a virtual payer account maintained by the payment service for the payer, creating, by the payment service and in response to the payment text message, a virtual payee account based on the identifier of the payee mobile device, transferring, in response to creating the virtual payee account, the payment amount from the virtual payer account to the virtual payee account, and sending, by the payment service to the payee mobile device, a notification text message to notify the payee regarding a payee balance of the virtual payee account, wherein the payee balance is determined based at least on the payment amount.

Abstract: Various aspects described herein are directed to a method and a system that implement end-to-end automation of software services. A set of test cases may be identified from existing test cases or determined anew for a software system. Virtual test results may be generated at least by executing the set of test cases in parallel on a virtual time or date. The virtual test results may then be used to validate or verify the behaviors of the software system. The virtual time or date is then advanced to the next virtual time or date by a temporal period until a stopping criterion is satisfied.

Abstract: A computing device acquires a video of a tax document utilizing a video camera such as a webcam. The video is analyzed to detect a first motion of the tax document, such as sufficient shaking or movement of the tax document, satisfying first pre-determined criteria that results in the computing device being prompted or requested by the user to take an image of the tax document. After the first pre-determined criteria has been satisfied, the user is instructed to hold the tax document steady. Subsequent video frames are analyzed to detect a second motion or the tax document being sufficiently still or steady, in response to which an image of the tax document is acquired and processed to extract data of the tax document from the acquired image and populate corresponding fields of the electronic tax return.

Abstract: A method and system groups user accounts in a financial management system based on the similarities of the financial transactions associated with the accounts. The financial management system receives financial transaction data related to a plurality of financial transactions of a plurality of users. Each of the financial transactions is associated with an account of a user. The financial management system generates account characteristics vector data including, for each account, an account characteristics vector based on the financial transactions associated with the account. The financial management system groups the accounts by performing grouping analysis on the account characteristics vectors.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates execution of an application on an electronic device. During operation, the system obtains a font file comprising a set of scalable representations of graphical assets used in the application. Next, the system obtains a layout of a user interface of the application. The system then obtains, from the layout, a mapping of a user-interface element in the user interface to a scalable representation of a graphical asset in the font file. Finally, the system uses the mapping and the scalable representation to render the graphical asset in the user interface based on an attribute of a screen in the electronic device.

Abstract: The described embodiments relate to techniques for facilitating text inputs with long-tail keywords from a user in a social question and answer (Q&A) application. During operation, the system receives an input from the user. The system then applies a predictive model to determine a predicted business outcome for the received input from the user. Next, the system renders a user interface (UI) for subsequent user interaction with the social Q&A application, based on the predicted business outcome. Finally, the system displays the rendered UI to the user.

Abstract: A method and system provides access control for sensitive data. An access control system defines a plurality of access policies for gaining access to the sensitive data. Each access policy includes a plurality of rules that indicate whether or not the client machine can gain access to an initial access secret under the policy. When the access control system receives access request data from a client machine requesting access to the access control system under one of the policies, the access control system compares characteristics of the client machine to the rules of the access policy. If the characteristics of the client machine satisfy the rules of the access policy in the access control system provides an initial access secret, such as an application key, to the client machine.

Abstract: Issuers of electronic payment instruments can bid or submit competing offers to consumers in real-time during a transaction to influence consumers selecting their electronic payment instruments to complete a pending electronic transaction. Requests for bids, issuer responses with offers or proposed terms (e.g., annual percentage rate, miles, points, cash back, etc.), analysis of competing issuer offers, and selection of an electronic payment instrument based on the offer analysis occur in real-time such as while the consumer is at an electronic payment device of a merchant. An electronic payment instrument may be selected for the consumer, e.g., the instrument associated with an offer that confers the greatest benefit to the consumer compared to other offers, or the offer data can be presented to the consumer such as in the form of a ranking or list so that the consumer can select the electronic payment to be utilized to complete the transaction.

Abstract: A method for tracking financial transactions, including: obtaining a group of financial transactions; identifying a first financial transaction of the group of financial transactions involving a payment from a financial account held by a financial institution; allocating an amount of the first financial transaction corresponding to the payment to a budget category, wherein the first financial transaction includes a name of a merchant; accessing a website of the merchant; matching, on the website of the merchant, a list of purchased items to the first financial transaction based on the amount; extracting, after matching, the list of purchased items from the website of the merchant; identifying, after extracting the list of purchased items, a new budget category based on a purchased item of the list of purchased items; and reallocating at least a portion of the amount corresponding to the purchased item to the new budget category.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for adjusting a ranking of information content of a software application based on feedback from a user. One embodiment presented herein includes a method comprising receiving, at a computing device, an audio stream comprising audio of the user, the audio being indicative of feedback related to information content. The method further comprises analyzing the audio stream for paralinguistic information to determine an attribute of the user. The method further comprises adjusting a ranking of the information content based on at least one of the feedback and additional feedback and the determined attribute of the user.

Abstract: A service provider computing environment includes a service provider computing device, which receives tenant secrets policies from tenants. The tenants are tenants of multi-tenant assets of a service provider. One or more data security zones in which the multi-tenant assets are located are identified. A service provider secrets policy includes data security jurisdiction zone secrets policy data for the one or more data security jurisdiction zones. The data security jurisdiction zone secrets policy data is analyzed to determine allowed secrets data with respect to each of the identified data security jurisdiction zones. The service provider computing environment determines of the tenant secrets policies satisfy the requirements of the service provider secrets policy. If the tenant secrets policies satisfy the requirements of the service provider secrets policy, the service provider computing environment allows the tenant secrets policies to be applied to tenant data or information in the multi-tenant assets.