Abstract: A user device includes a display screen and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS) that runs user applications, including sending flows to the user applications, each flow including a series of inputs that are sent over time to a given user application and determines a lifecycle of the given user application, to preload-launch a user application, including preloading the user application in a background mode that is invisible on the display screen, and, upon user access to the preloaded user application, transferring the user application to a foreground mode that is visible on the display screen, and, in response to identifying that preload-launching of the user application includes a flow that is predefined as an uncommon flow, to replace the flow with one or more alternative flows that are not defined as uncommon flows.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor (44) of a user device (24), preloading one or more user applications (26) in a background mode, in which activities associated with preloaded user applications are hidden from a user of the user device. An activity, which is invoked in the processor and is associated with a given preloaded user application, is detected. An assessment is made by the processor, whether the activity is a preload-initiated activity that is invoked due to preloading of the given user application, or whether the activity is a user-initiated activity that is invoked due to an action by the user. If the activity is assessed to be a preload-initiated activity, the activity is handled using a first handling scheme. If the activity is assessed to be a user-initiated activity, the activity is handled using a second handling scheme, different from the first handling scheme.

Abstract: A method includes, in a user device (24) that is configured to communicate over a network (32), preloading an application (26) in a background mode in which content presented by the application is hidden from a user of tire user device. At least part of the content presented by the application is pre-rendered in an off-line pre-render mode in which fetching of content over the network to the user device is not permitted. In response to an action by the user that requests to access the application, a switch is made to presenting at least the pre-rendered content to the user in a foreground mode.

Abstract: A user device includes an interface and one or more processors. The interface is configured to communicate over a network. The one or more processors are configured to evaluate a pre-load scheduling condition with respect to a user application installed in the user device, and to schedule pre-loading of the user application depending on the pre-load scheduling condition.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor of a user device, deciding to preload a user application, which has one or more User Interface (UI) displays whose state is retained by the processor in a memory of the user device. At least part of the user application is preloaded, and a state of the preloaded user application is restored, in a background mode, to match the retained state of the one or more UI displays.

Abstract: A user device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is configured to store one or more user applications installed in the user device. The one or more processors are configured to run an Operating System (OS) of the user device, including maintaining a data structure that tracks activity of the user applications, and to pre-load a user application before the user application is accessed by a user, including preventing the data structure from tracking the pre-loaded user application.

Abstract: A user device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is configured to store one or more user applications installed in the user device. The one or more processors are configured to select one or more operations, which are to be performed in normal launching of a user application but not in background pre-loading of the user application, to pre-load the user application before the user application is accessed by a user, including skipping the one or more selected operations, and to complete the one or more skipped operations in response to the user accessing the user application.

Abstract: A user device includes a display screen and one or more processors. The display screen is configured to display content to a user. The one or more processors are configured to pre-load a user application by running at least part of a program code of the user application in a background, including enabling the program code of the user application to pre-render a visual display of the user application in the background, and, in response to the user accessing the user application, to transfer the pre-rendered visual display to a foreground, thereby displaying the visual display to the user on the display screen.

Abstract: A user device (24) includes a display (56), audio circuitry (58) and a processor (44). The processor is configured to run an application that includes visual content and audio content, by: (i) before a user of the user device invokes the application, running the application in a background mode in which the visual content is not visible on the display, and inhibiting the audio content from being played by the audio circuitry, and (ii) after the user invokes the application, switching to run the application in a foreground mode in which the visual content is visible on the display, and permitting the audio content to be played by the audio circuitry.

Abstract: An apparatus for content delivery (20) includes a network interface (64) and one or more processors (44, 68). The network interface is configured for communicating over a communication network (32). The one or more processors are configured to receive from a user of a user device (24) a request to access a User-Interface (UI) unit that includes one or more content items, to initially display, in response to the request, the UI unit to the user with versions of the content items that are available for immediate display in the user device, regardless of whether the initially displayed versions are up-to-date or not, and, for at least a content item whose initially displayed version is not up-to-date, to obtain an up-to-date version of the content item, and merge the up-to-date version of the content item transparently to the user into the UI unit being displayed, to replace the initially displayed version.

Abstract: A method for content delivery includes selecting one or more time intervals. During each time interval among the selected time intervals, given content is prefetched from a content source to a communication terminal using a guaranteed prefetching mode, by continuously tracking the given content on the content source, so as to detect changes to the given content as they occur during the selected time interval, and maintaining the communication terminal continuously synchronized with the content source with respect to the given content, throughout the selected time interval, notwithstanding the changes that occur during the selected time interval, by continuously prefetching at least part of the given content from the content source to the communication terminal. Outside of the one or more selected time intervals, the given content is prefetched using a best-effort prefetching mode, by tracking the given content less frequently than the guaranteed prefetching mode.

Abstract: A system (20) includes one or more interfaces and multiple processors. The one or more interfaces are configured to communicate over a communication network (40). At least a first processor from among the processors is included in a user device (24) and at least a second processor from among the processors is included in a server (52) external to the user device. The processors are configured to track content items that are provided by one or more content sources (36) and to deliver the content items to one or more applications (32) installed in the user device.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described, including a method for use with a first content delivery network (CDN) and a second CDN that are used by a content source. A processor is used to identify that a device is requesting an exchange of content with the content source, identify a property of the requested exchange of content, and based on the property, select one of the first CDN and the second CDN. Subsequently, content is exchanged between the device and the selected CDN. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A method includes caching content items in a cache memory of a communication terminal connected to a communication network. A content item, which is cached in the cache memory, is presented to a user of the communication terminal. An extent of freshness of the cached content item presented to the user is assessed. Presentation of the cached content item is conditionally modified depending on the assessed extent of freshness.

Abstract: An apparatus for content delivery includes a network interface and one or more processors. The network interface is configured for communicating over a communication network. The processors are configured to identify rendering characteristics of a plurality of content items that are to be displayed together as a User-Interface (UI) unit on a user device, to assign the content items to (i) a first subset including one or more content items that are to be prefetched, and (ii) a second subset including one or more content items that are not to be prefetched, to prefetch the content items of the first subset irrespective of any request from a user of the user device to access the UI unit, to fetch the content items of the second subset in response to a request from the user to access the UI unit, and to present the UI unit.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described, including a method for use with a first content delivery network (CDN) and a second CDN that are used by a content source. A processor is used to identify that a device is requesting an exchange of content with the content source, identify a property of the requested exchange of content, and based on the property, select one of the first CDN and the second CDN. Subsequently, content is exchanged between the device and the selected CDN. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A method for content delivery includes selecting one or more time intervals. During each time interval among the selected time intervals, given content is prefetched from a content source to a communication terminal using a guaranteed prefetching mode, by continuously tracking the given content on the content source, so as to detect changes to the given content as they occur during the selected time interval, and maintaining the communication terminal continuously synchronized with the content source with respect to the given content, throughout the selected time interval, notwithstanding the changes that occur during the selected time interval, by continuously prefetching at least part of the given content from the content source to the communication terminal. Outside of the one or more selected time intervals, the given content is prefetched using a best-effort prefetching mode, by tracking the given content less frequently than the guaranteed prefetching mode.

Abstract: A method includes sending to a user device prefetch notifications, which notify the user device of available prefetch updates. Requests are received from the user device for one or more first prefetch updates, selected by the user device in response to the prefetch notifications. Selected prefetch updates are delivered to the user device, including both (i) one or more of the requested first prefetch updates, and (ii) one or more second prefetch updates selected from among the available prefetch updates not in response to any request from the user device.

Abstract: A method for content delivery includes defining a guaranteed prefetching mode, in which content is continuously prefetched from a content source to a communication terminal of a user so as to maintain the communication terminal synchronized with the content source. One or more time-of-day intervals, during which the user is expected to access given content, are identified. During the identified time-of-day intervals, the given content is prefetched from the content source to the communication terminal using the guaranteed prefetching mode.

Abstract: A system includes a network interface and one or more processors. The processors are configured to track a first pattern with which a user terminal consumes one or more data services while served by a home network specified for the user terminal, to track a second pattern with which the user terminal consumes the one or more data services while served by one or more networks other than the home network, to estimate a reduction in usage of the one or more data services between the first and second patterns, and to selectively enable at least one data service to the user terminal by the networks other than the home network, based on the estimated reduction in usage.