Abstract: A system and method for intercepting intra-network traffic for smart appliance behavior analysis. A network traffic hub is configured to intercept network traffic between a switch and a router. A smart appliance sends a message to the router, such as a DHCP request when the smart appliance joins the network. The router sends a response to the smart appliance. The network traffic hub intercepts and modifies the response to instruct the smart appliance to send all future intra-network traffic through the network traffic hub and the router. In some embodiments, the network traffic hub alters a network mask in the response message to instruct the smart appliance to send traffic through the network traffic hub. The network traffic hub then extracts data from the network traffic and uses that data for behavior analysis of smart appliances.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a lockdown apparatus for facilitating initiation of lockdown procedures at a facility that includes multiple doors and is configured for occupation by facility occupants. A lockdown actuator is disposed at the facility and configured to initiate transmission of a lockdown initiation signal upon being actuated, the lockdown actuator being configured to be recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm actuator. A lockdown communicator is configured to produce a lockdown initiation communication for communicating initiation of lockdown procedures to the facility occupants and individuals not disposed proximate the facility upon transmission of the lockdown initiation signal, the lockdown initiation communication being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication.

Abstract: Innovations in adaptive encoding and decoding for units of a video sequence can improve coding efficiency. For example, some of the innovations relate to encoding/decoding that includes adaptive switching of color spaces between units within a video sequence. Other innovations relate encoding/decoding that includes adaptive switching of color sampling rates between units within a video sequence. Still other innovations relate encoding/decoding that includes adaptive switching of bit depths between units within a video sequence.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a cotton variety, designated PX2B04W3FE, the plants and seeds of the cotton variety PX2B04W3FE, methods for producing a cotton plant, either varietal or hybrid, produced by crossing the cotton variety PX2B04W3FE with itself or with another cotton plant, hybrid cotton seeds and plants produced by crossing the variety PX2B04W3FE with another cotton variety or plan, methods for producing a cotton plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes, and the transgenic cotton plants produced by that method. This disclosure also relates to cotton varieties derived from cotton variety PX2B04W3FE, to methods for producing other cotton varieties derived from cotton variety PX2B04W3FE, and to the varieties derived by the use of those methods.

Abstract: A turbine wheel for a turbocharger of a vehicle propulsion system includes a central hub and a plurality of blades extending outwardly from the central hub. Each of the blades defining an inducer section and an exducer section, and each of the blades including a first surface portion and a second surface portion. The first surface portion including a thermal barrier coating and the second surface portion free from the thermal barrier coating.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle receives sensor data from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, and generates a request for remote control of the autonomous vehicle by a computer system remote from the autonomous vehicle. Generating the request includes determining a quality metric associated with a network connection between the autonomous vehicle and the computer system, and upon determining that the quality metric is greater than a threshold quality level, transmitting, from the autonomous vehicle to the computer system the request for remote control and a first data item representing the sensor data. The first data item meets one or more conditions associated with the threshold quality level.

Abstract: The presently disclosed technology teaches integrating disc drive electronics into a transducer head. Decreased electrical transit times and data processing times can be achieved by placing the electronics on or within the transducer head because electrical connections may be made physically shorter than in conventional systems. The electronics may include one or more of a control system circuit, a write driver, and/or a data buffer. The control system circuit generates a modified clock signal that has a fixed relation to phase and frequency of a bit-detected reference signal that corresponds to positions of patterned bits on the disc. The write driver writes outgoing data bits received from an external connection to off-head electronics directly to the writer synchronized with the modified clock signal. The data buffer stores and converts digital data bits sent from the off-head electronics to an analog signal that is synchronized with the modified clock signal.

Abstract: A vaping liquid dispensing and vending apparatus comprises filling module(s), user container holder(s), positioning mechanism(s) and controller module(s). The filling module(s) comprise: machine container(s) configured to hold vaping liquid(s), nozzle(s) configured to dispense vaping liquid(s) to user container(s), and measuring pump module(s) configured to pump a measured amount of vaping liquid(s) from machine container(s) to nozzle(s). The user container holder(s) are configured to hold user container(s). Positioning mechanism(s) align user container holder(s) with filing module(s). Controller module(s) execute production instructions causing vaping liquid formulations to be dispensed into user container(s).

Abstract: An assembly structured for concurrent irrigation and aspiration of a nasal cavity including a housing having a supply container disposed therein for the removable retention of irrigating fluid. A nasal applicator comprises first and second passages respectfully structured to deliver irrigating fluid to the nasal cavity and concurrently remove waste fluid therefrom. An activating assembly includes a plunger biased into a continuous pressure applying, dispensing relation to the irrigating fluid and a valve assembly is selectively disposable into an open position facilitating fluid communication between the supply container and the applicator for the delivery of the irrigating fluid therethrough into the nasal cavity. The activating assembly is further structured to create a negative pressure within the chamber which communicates with the second passage of the applicator to facilitate delivery of the waste fluid therefrom along a path of travel to an interior of the chamber.

Abstract: An example method involves (i) accessing a playlist defining a sequence of media content items including a first media content item and a second media content item; (ii) retrieving, from one or more server devices, first data representing the media content items of the received playlist, and using the retrieved first data to play out, via a client device, the media content items in accordance with the sequence defined by the playlist; (iii) accessing second data representing user activity related to the client device, and using the accessed second data as a basis to select a media content item from a plurality of media content items; and (iv) retrieving third data representing the selected media content item, and using the retrieved third data to play out, via the client device, the selected media content item in between playing out the first and second media content items.

Abstract: Data of a vector storage request pertaining to one or more disjoint, non-adjacent, and/or non-contiguous logical identifier ranges are stored contiguously within a log on a non-volatile storage medium. A request consolidation module modifies one or more sub-requests of the vector storage request in response to other, cached storage requests. Data of an atomic vector storage request may comprise persistent indicators, such as persistent metadata flags, to identify data pertaining to incomplete atomic storage requests. A restart recovery module identifies and excludes data of incomplete atomic operations.

Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for minimizing latency for users accessing services hosted on a cloud-computing system. A service of the cloud-computing system periodically queries edge sites of the cloud-computing system for information regarding containers stored on the edge sites. In response to the queries, the edge sites provide information identifying containers hosted on the edge sites, prefixes that the containers service, and connection locations where traffic from the prefixes enter the cloud-computing system. The service may determine whether the connection locations have changed. If a connection location for a prefix has changed, the service modifies a location of a container servicing the prefix. The service may migrate the container to a current connection location for the prefix. Modifying the location may reduce latency experienced by users behind the prefix.

Abstract: A method of making an aircraft acoustic structural panel (10) begins with preforming a core honeycomb laminate (12) having preformed foam (3) bonded inside cells (14) thereof by a distinct adhesive (2). The preformed honeycomb laminate (12) is then stacked between opposite top and bottom structural outer laminates (16,18). The stacked honeycomb laminate (12) and outer structural laminates (16,18) are then compressed together under heat and pressure into a unitary structural panel (10) having the core honeycomb laminate (12) integrally bonded between outer skins (20,22). The outer laminates (16,18) may include imperforate acoustic septums (4) bounding the core honeycomb laminate (12) followed by an outer honeycomb (5) and structural fiber layers (6,7,8) defining the outer skins (20,22).

Abstract: A system providing self-service access to locked merchandise comprising: (a) providing a fixture that restricts access to the locked merchandise, wherein the fixture can automatically lock or unlock, allowing or restricting access to the locked merchandise; (b) providing a means of uniquely identifying an individual attempting to access the merchandise; (c) measuring a set of behaviors of the individual during any time the fixture is an open mode; (d) assessing whether the set of behaviors of the individual are suspicious or not relative to a set of suspicious event thresholds; (e) storing the individual and their set of behaviors as accessible records in at least one database; and (f) providing an algorithm which determines future access privileges of the individual to the enclosure based on a set of variables.

Abstract: A support for a vehicle window includes a body first, second and third portions that define a channel between them adapted to receive the window therein. The first portion has a first surface that defines one side of the channel, the second portion has a second surface that defines an opposite side of the channel and the third portion has a third surface that defines a base of the channel. The first portion includes a breakable area that is located at a junction between the first surface and third surface, or the breakable area is located between the third surface and a free end of the first portion and is adapted to break under a lower force than are other portions of the body so that the second portion and third portion of the body are separated from the first portion.

Abstract: An axle assembly for a work vehicle includes: a frame housing; a differential housed in the frame housing; an axle carrier coupled to the frame housing; an axle partially disposed in the axle carrier and coupled to the differential; and a tire inflation pack including: a fixed portion coupled to the axle carrier and comprising a pack fluid inlet that is configured to fluidly couple to a pressurized gas source and a fixed opening holding the axle therein, the fixed portion being configured to allow rotation of the axle in the fixed opening without rotating; and a rotatable portion rotatably coupled to the fixed portion and comprising a pack fluid outlet that is fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and a rotatable opening holding the axle therein, the rotatable portion being fluidly sealed with the fixed portion and configured to rotate with the axle.

Abstract: Trusted execution of a workload payload is brokered among multiple trusted execution platforms. The workload payload is received from a source computing system and includes input data, trusted execution code, and one or more trusted execution policies. At least one of the multiple trusted execution platforms is selected based on the one or more trusted execution policies. A brokered payload is generated to include executable trusted execution code and the input data. The brokered payload is communicated to the selected at least one trusted execution platform. A brokered result generated from the brokered payload by the selected at least one trusted execution platform is received. A workload result based on the brokered result is returned to the source computing platform.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for data obfuscation frameworks for user applications are provided herein. An exemplary method includes providing user content to a classification service configured to process the user content to classify portions of the user content as comprising sensitive content, and receiving from the classification service indications of the user content that contains the sensitive content. The method includes presenting graphical indications in a user interface to the user application that annotate the user content as containing the sensitive content, and presenting obfuscation options in the user interface for masking the sensitive content within at least a selected portion among the user content. Responsive to a user selection of at least one of the obfuscation options, the method includes replacing associated user content with obfuscated content that maintains a data scheme of the associated user content.

Abstract: System and methods are described herein for providing wireless power to a target device, such as a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a vehicle, robot, or an unmanned aerial vehicle or system (UAV) or (UAS). A tunable multi-element transmitter may transmit electromagnetic radiation (EMR) to the target device using any of a wide variety of frequency bands. A location determination subsystem and/or range determination subsystem may determine a relative location, orientation, and/or rotation of the target device. For a target device within a distance range for which a smallest achievable waist of the Gaussian beam of the EMR at an operational frequency is smaller than the multi-element EMR receiver of the target device, a non-Gaussian beamform may be determined to increase efficiency, decrease overheating, reduce spillover, increase total power output of rectenna receivers on the target device, or achieve another target power delivery goal.

Abstract: An apparatus with integrated optical waveguides. The apparatus has: a plurality of layers, wherein a conductive pathway is patterned on a surface of at least one of the plurality of layers. The plurality of layers are laminated together. A plurality of nanocomposite-inks, each with a nanofiller dispersed in an organic matrix have optical dispersion different from the other plurality of nanocomposite-ink, form the optical waveguides. The optical waveguides are formed on the surface of, or within, at least one of the plurality of layers.