Abstract: A system and method for aggregating user response data in a communication system such as an instant messaging (IM system). Aggregation is performed according to a hierarchical group addressing structure into which users are arranged. Data may be input, output and distributed in a structured data format. Aggregating information comprises collating, in each group in the hierarchical group addressing structure, information contained in responses from individual users in that group. Aggregating said information may further comprise collating, for each group in the hierarchical group addressing structure, information contained in responses from all child groups subordinate to that group. Because the grouping structure for addressing or routing is pre-existing, no additional grouping or categorising of individuals or responses is required.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for creating images with depth of field effects from plural image frames each having different tilt and/or focus properties. Exemplary methods comprise capturing plural image frames and adjusting the tilt axis of the camera and/or focus of the camera in between each shot. The plural image frames can then be combined to create desired depth of field effects, such as bokeh effects. One exemplary method comprises capturing a first image frame of a scene with a primary subject in focus, capturing at least a second image frame of the scene at a different tilt axis and with suitable alternative focus, and combining pixels from at least the first and second image frames based on a predetermined heuristic or algorithm to generate a resultant composite image with the desired depth of field effect (such as with a primary subject in focus and the background out of focus).

Abstract: Users of communication applications may be enabled to select from a user-friendly and efficiently provided list of files that may be of interest to them to attach to a correspondence and send to one or more recipients. For example, the communication application may retrieve information from one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) associated with applications of the user to determine the list of files. The files may be local files or cloud-based files, and a variety of criteria may be used to determine, group, and present the files to the user for selection. Once selected by the user, the files or links to cloud destinations of the files may be attached to the correspondence, where the files or links may be displayed in an attachment well or a body of the correspondence. Permissions associated with the attachments may be set by default, by user configuration, and/or modified by user.

Abstract: A digital conversational bot can be joined in a natural language group conversation between profiles over a computer conversation platform. A recommendation option set of multiple options can be generated from an initial option set. The identifying can include analyzing the initial option set using individual data of the profiles pertaining to the task. Also, a natural language script can be generated and transmitted to the profiles via the digital conversational bot as part of the group conversation, with the natural language script describing the options of the recommendation option set. A group consensus of the profiles in selecting a group selected option from the recommendation option set can be facilitated via the digital conversational bot. Additionally, assistance in completion of the task using the group selected option for task completion can be provided via the digital conversational bot.

Abstract: Variety of approaches to provide a meeting time picker with automated suggestions are described. A calendar application initiates operations to provide a meeting time picker upon detecting an intent of a meeting organizer to organize a meeting. The intent lists a meeting invitee. Availability information associated with the meeting invitee is retrieved from a calendar provider. A first layer, a second layer, and third layer of timeslots are generated for a presentation. The first layer includes a meeting organizer schedule. The second layer includes an aggregate schedule of the meeting invitee. The third layer includes a suggested schedule of a meeting time. The first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are presented in a scheduling grid to the meeting organizer.

Abstract: Described herein are electronic liquid crystal lenses for use in electronic devices, and associated devices, systems, and methods. The disclosed lenses can be positioned external to an electronic display component or image receiving component of an electronic device to manipulate the light passing through the lens in a desirable manner. The disclosed lenses include liquid crystal material that is adjustably controllable using individually controlled linear electrodes to produce a variable refractive index across the liquid crystal material and achieve a desired lensing effect on light passing through the lens.

Abstract: Symbolic link based placeholders are used for cloud stored data synchronization. To synchronize cloud stored data, placeholders may be implemented as bidirectional symbolic links to a location that has a custom virtual file system (VFS) mounted. When a symbolic link is opened, the operating system may be directed to the custom VFS. The custom VFS may hydrate the file through a synchronization engine, and place the hydrated file at the location of the original symbolic link. The custom VFS may then redirect back to the primary file system of the operating system to allow the operation on the file to complete. Complexity and resource consumption may be reduced by passing placeholder requests instead of all requests through the custom VFS.

Abstract: The description relates to devices that include hinged portions and controlling rotation of the portions. One example can include a display coupled to a first end of an arm. The example can also include a base rotatably secured to a hollow shaft that is fixed to the arm. The hollow shaft defines an axis of rotation of the arm relative to the base. The base can also include first and second opposing axial cam elements positioned on the hollow shaft and a spring positioned on the hollow shaft. The first and second opposing axial cam elements can be oriented relative to one another such that rotation of the arm toward the base causes the first and second axial cam elements to move away from one another along the hollow shaft thereby compressing the spring.

Abstract: A user input is received for accessing a page in an application. Page display element metadata is retrieved that defines how the display elements are related to other objects in the application. It is determined whether the user has license rights and user permissions to access the information represented by the related objects. If not, the display elements are removed, hidden or disabled and a remainder of the page is rendered.

Abstract: A universal model-based approach for item disambiguation and selection is provided. An utterance may be received by a computing device in response to a list of items for selection. In aspects, the list of items may be displayed on a display screen. The universal disambiguation model may then be applied to the utterance. The universal disambiguation model may be utilized to determine whether the utterance is directed to at least one of the list of items and identify an item from the list corresponding to the utterance, based on identified language and/or domain independent referential features. The computing device may then perform an action which may include selecting the identified item associated with utterance.

Abstract: Techniques for enforcing software reviews are described. For example, a machine receives a commit request to commit code to a repository. The machine, in response to the receiving of the commit request, determines a directory that is a destination of the code. The machine identifies, based on the directory, an ownership file that includes an identifier of an owner who controls committing of code to the directory. The machine determines, based on the ownership file, that the owner did not provide an indication of approval of the code requested to be committed to the repository. The machine facilitates, based on the determination that the owner did not provide the indication of approval, a review of the code by the owner.

Abstract: The techniques and/or systems described herein are configured to determine a set of update operations to transition a network from an observed network state to a target network state and to generate an update dependency graph used to dynamically schedule the set of update operations based on constraint(s) defined to ensure reliability of the network during the transition. The techniques and/or systems dynamically schedule the set of update operations based on feedback. For example, the feedback may include an indication that a previously scheduled update operation has been delayed, has failed, or has been successfully completed.

Abstract: A multidimensional object, such as a language-integrated query (LINQ) object, can be generated based upon a grouping set operator and zero or more key selectors. The object can be utilized to query over a non-relational data source. The object can include a sequence of functions corresponding to each grouping related to the grouping set operator in order to provide multidimensional grouping representation. Furthermore, the object includes nested structures for optimized execution of the grouping set operator.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for determining a global hierarchy of an entity by computing subjective coherence strength between nodes of first members of a social network service, computing objective entanglement strength between nodes of second members of the social network service, using subjective coherence strength and objective entanglement strength, compute the pairwise latent relationship probabilities between different ones of the nodes of the social network service, and using the pairwise relationship probabilities, compute the global hierarchy relationship.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for selecting content on a displayed page. A selection mode may be initiated with regard to a displayed document that includes content. The initiation of the selection mode may be detected. Multiple entities in the displayed document are determined, with each entity including a portion of the content of the document. The displayed document is annotated to indicate the determined entities. Content selected by a user in the displayed document may be detected. At least one entity is determined to be associated with the selected content. The determined associated entity/entities are indicated in the displayed document as active entities. The user is enabled to refine the set of active entities. An action is enabled to be performed on the active entities.

Abstract: A smart NIC (Network Interface Card) is provided with features to enable the smart NIC to operate as an in-line NIC between a host's NIC and a network. The smart NIC provides pass-through transmission of network flows for the host. Packets sent to and from the host pass through the smart NIC. As a pass-through point, the smart NIC is able to accelerate the performance of the pass-through network flows by analyzing packets, inserting packets, dropping packets, inserting or recognizing congestion information, and so forth. In addition, the smart NIC provides a lightweight transport protocol (LTP) module that enables it to establish connections with other smart NICs. The LTP connections allow the smart NICs to exchange data without passing network traffic through their respective hosts.

Abstract: Web page optimization systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one implementation, a number of master pages and page layouts used to generate the web pages are defined. A number of channels are then defined to be associated with certain ones of the master pages and the page layouts. User device generating the request, a browser used to generate the request, or other suitable components of a user agent string in a web page request is then identified. A web page is dynamically rendered in response to the identified components of the user agent string using the master page and the page layout associated with a channel identified by such components of the web page request.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a first plurality of images stored on a computing device is identified, each image having an indication that it depicts a first member of a social networking service. The first plurality of images is used as training data to a first machine learning algorithm to train a first machine learning algorithm model corresponding to the first member, the first machine learning algorithm model corresponding to the first member designed to calculate a member likelihood score for a candidate image. Then a second plurality of images stored on the computing device is obtained. Each image of the second plurality of images is fed to the first machine learning algorithm model corresponding to the first member, obtaining a member likelihood score for each of the second plurality of images. Then, based on the member likelihood scores for the second plurality of images, one or more member images are selected.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for compressing, encoding, and otherwise reducing the size of resource files. In at least one implementation, similarity compression is employed to reduce the size of a resource file. In another implementation, map-less encoding is employed to reduce the number of bytes used to represent a resource string. Bit-level compression is employed in another implementation to reduce the quantity of bits used to encode each character in a string. In addition, implementations are disclosed related to technology for naming strings and accelerated string location and retrieval.

Abstract: A data center system is described which includes multiple data centers powered by multiple power sources, including any combination of renewable power sources and on-grid utility power sources. The data center system also includes a management system for managing execution of computational tasks by moving data components associated with the computational tasks within the data center system, in lieu of, or in addition to, moving power itself. The movement of data components can involve performing pre-computation or delayed computation on data components within any data center, as well as moving data components between data centers. The management system also includes a price determination module for determining prices for performing the computational tasks based on different pricing models. The data center system also includes a “stripped down” architecture to complement its use in the above-summarized data-centric environment.