Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for following updated pre-authorized contact data. An exemplary computer-implemented method includes transmitting contact data to at least a computing device when a machine-readable code is accessed by the computing device, wherein the machine-readable code encodes a network address for accessing the contact data, and wherein the contact data is associated with an entity. The method can also include receiving a selection by at least a user of the computing device to enable updating for the contact data associated with the entity. Moreover, the method can detect that the entity has provided an update for the contact data. The method can further include transmitting information associated with the update for the contact data to at least the computing device, wherein the contact data is modified based at least in part on the information associated with the update.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing pre-authorized contact data. An exemplary computer-implemented method includes receiving contact data by a computing device based at least in part upon accessing a machine-readable code, wherein the machine-readable code encodes a network address for accessing the contact data. The method can also include automatically associating at least one of current location, current date, or current time information with the received contact data. Moreover, the method can optionally include associating one or more notes with the received contact data, wherein the one or more notes are capable of providing information relating to the received contact data. The method can further include generating an electronic contact entry based at least in part upon the received contact data, at least one of the associated current location, current date, or current time information, and optionally upon the one or more notes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for facilitating sharing and accessing social networking information between two users. A user can establish a profile for sharing with others, which contains pre-authorization to access and share certain social network information. The profile can be linked by a machine-readable code, such as a QR code, that encodes a network address, such as a URL, to the profile containing access to the pre-authorized social networking information. The user shares information quickly with another user by sharing the QR code. Another user scans the QR code with a smartphone or other camera enabled device, which navigates to the profile. After the other user logs into social networks on the device, the profile scans and/or compares both users' social networking profiles for commonalities, such as shared interests and connections. Then, the users can quickly determine common connections almost immediately.

Abstract: A user interface aids in creation of customized pre-defined queries that can be used for identifying particular search results relevant to a topic. Provision can be made to allow express inclusion or exclusion of certain results. Metrics relating to how much the pre-defined query focuses the search can be provided. A pre-defined query can be referenced by a URL, which can be distributed or referenced in content available in any number of locations. When results of the pre-defined search change, a contact associated with the search query can be notified. When a URL is activated, a redirect to the search engine with the customized query can occur, and the contact associated with the query can be notified of the usage of the pre-defined query. Metrics concerning sources of query usage can be produced, based on data gathered while serving the pre-defined query requests.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for quantifying visibility into a search engine and into search results for a specific query into a search engine. A system configured to practice the method obtains a first set of search results from a search engine, using a name of an entity and at least one additional search term relating to attributes of the entity, and obtains a second set of search results, from the search engine, using the name without the at least one additional search term. The system determines what search results in the first set of search results are in the second set of search results. Then the system can generate an indicator that relates information about how many results from the first set of search results were in the second set of search results to a total number of results in the first set of search results.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for scheduling calendar events. An exemplary method includes receiving, from a requesting device, an invite request referencing a network address associated with a calendar for a target user, wherein the network address is encoded in a machine-readable code from which the requesting device extracted the network address. The method then includes, sending a preauthorized availability for the calendar of the target/service user to the requesting device, wherein the availability is for a predetermined time length. The method then includes receiving a selection of a desired meeting time within the preauthorized availability from the requesting device and creating a calendar event according to the received selected desired meeting time.

Abstract: Aspects relate to categorizing requests for online resources as originating from spiders or not. Such resources are associated with respective contacts, and if a non-spider requests a resource, then a contact associated with that resource can be notified. One example method for determining whether to notify a user associated with a network resource includes identifying, via a processor, an entity making a request for a resource associated with a network address, wherein the entity has extracted the network address from a machine-readable code. The method then includes serving the resource to the entity in response to the request. The method then includes determining if request is not abusive, and only if the request is not abusive sending a notification to a user associated with the resource that the resource has been accessed.

Abstract: Aspects relate to categorizing requests for online resources as originating from spiders or not. Such resources are associated with respective contacts, and if a non-spider requests a resource, then a contact associated with that resource can be notified. One example method for determining whether to notify a user associated with a network resource includes identifying, via a processor, an entity making a request for a resource associated with a network address, wherein the entity has extracted the network address from a machine-readable code. The method then includes serving the resource to the entity in response to the request. The method then includes determining if request is not abusive, and only if the request is not abusive sending a notification to a user associated with the resource that the resource has been accessed.

Abstract: Aspects relate to categorizing requests for online resources as originating from spiders or not. Such resources are associated with respective contacts, and if a non-spider requests a resource, then a contact associated with that resource can be notified. The resources can each comprise a profile associated with a contact. For example, a profile can be a profile comprising information about a person, such as contact information, selected search results, and a pre-defined query that can be used with a given search engine. Personal whitelists or whitelists specific to a particular resource can be used to determine whether or not a given requesting entity should be treated as a spider or not when requesting that resource.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for quantifying visibility into a search engine and into search results for a specific query into a search engine. A system configured to practice the method obtains a first set of search results from a search engine, using a name of an entity and at least one additional search term relating to attributes of the entity, and obtains a second set of search results, from the search engine, using the name without the at least one additional search term. The system determines what search results in the first set of search results are in the second set of search results. Then the system can generate an indicator that relates information about how many results from the first set of search results were in the second set of search results to a total number of results in the first set of search results.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include establishing a verified set of search results, as a selection of search results returned by a search engine, responsive to a pre-defined query. The verified set of search results are stored and associated with a URL. The URL can be distributed by an entity that establishes the definition of the query and the selection of search results. When the URL is activated, the selection of search results can be returned, with a link to the search engine that allows a redirect to the search engine, with the pre-defined query, so that a current set of search results is returned by the search engine responsive to the pre-defined query. The entity can be notified when the URL is used, and information concerning the party activating the URL can be provided to the entity.

Abstract: Aspects relate to identifying Internet spiders with an approach involving a plurality of instances of one or more URLs, which reference resources available from a first domain. Instances of the URLs are distributed at other Internet domains. Spiders crawling those domains will activate those URL instances, resulting in requests for the resources referenced by the URLs. A generator of a number of requests for the same resource, from a potential multitude of URL instances, can cause the generator to be categorized as a spider. Similarly, a generator of a number of requests for resources identified by different URLs also can be categorized as spider behavior. In some cases, the first domain may not have a browseable site infrastructure with, such that a spider would not readily crawl it by following internal links. The URLs can refer to custom queries created by various users, who can provide the URLs on their pages, such as on social networking sites.

Abstract: A user interface aids in creation of customized pre-defined queries that can be used for identifying particular search results relevant to a topic. Provision can be made to allow express inclusion or exclusion of certain results. Metrics relating to how much the pre-defined query focuses the search can be provided. A pre-defined query can be referenced by a URL, which can be distributed or referenced in content available in any number of locations. When results of the pre-defined search change, a contact associated with the search query can be notified. When a URL is activated, a redirect to the search engine with the customized query can occur, and the contact associated with the query can be notified of the usage of the pre-defined query. Metrics concerning sources of query usage can be produced, based on data gathered while serving the pre-defined query requests.

Abstract: Aspects relate to identifying Internet spiders with an approach involving a plurality of instances of one or more URLs, which reference resources available from a first domain. Instances of the URLs are distributed at other Internet domains. Spiders crawling those domains will activate those URL instances, resulting in requests for the resources referenced by the URLs. A generator of a number of requests for the same resource, from a potential multitude of URL instances, can cause the generator to be categorized as a spider. Similarly, a generator of a number of requests for resources identified by different URLs also can be categorized as spider behavior. In some cases, the first domain may not have a browseable site infrastructure with, such that a spider would not readily crawl it by following internal links. The URLs can refer to custom queries created by various users, who can provide the URLs on their pages, such as on social networking sites.

Abstract: A user interface aids in creation of customized pre-defined queries that can be used for identifying particular search results relevant to a topic. Provision can be made to allow express inclusion or exclusion of certain results. Metrics relating to how much the pre-defined query focuses the search can be provided. A pre-defined query can be referenced by a URL, which can be distributed or referenced in content available in any number of locations. When results of the pre-defined search change, a contact associated with the search query can be notified. When a URL is activated, a redirect to the search engine with the customized query can occur, and the contact associated with the query can be notified of the usage of the pre-defined query. Metrics concerning sources of query usage can be produced, based on data gathered while serving the pre-defined query requests.