Abstract: One embodiment is directed toward a process for a merchant inspection, where a guaranteed shopping server inspects online merchants to ensure they are reliable, financially stable, and committed to providing a great online shopping experience to the buyer/user. Next, this service monitors merchants on a regular basis, to ensure they deliver on their terms of sale, thus assuring purchasers of an overall safe online experience. Next, the guaranteed shopping service provides, a guarantee for added peace of mind for the purchaser. In accordance with one embodiment, a guarantee is provided to the buyer including ID theft protection, a purchase guarantee and a lowest price guarantee. As with other type of guarantees, certain restrictions and terms may apply. If a buyer does experience a problem with an online merchant, a benefit claim can be made and once the claim is validated, guaranteed shopping coverage can apply.

Abstract: A system, methods, and apparatus for performing automobile transactions are disclosed. In an example embodiment, automobile market data representative of current automobile market characteristics is stored. The automobile market data may include pricing, inventory, and consumer interest information received from manufacturers, dealers, and consumers. A consumer may provide a request for a manufacturer response indicating whether a specific automobile can be provided. Automobile market data may be provided to a manufacturer based on the request and a manufacturer response provides a verification, confirmation, or offer indicating that the specific automobile can be provided for the consumer. Bids to sell the specific automobile may be requested from dealers based on the manufacturer response. Dealer bids may be provided to the consumer with prices and a delivery options. The consumer may select a bid which specifies a pickup location at a first dealer.

Abstract: A virtual computing resource provider may implement reconfiguration of reserved compute instance marketplace offerings for requested reserved compute instance configurations. A request for listings of reserved compute instances available for resale according to a specified instance configuration may be received. Reserved compute instances may be identified that are reconfigurable to satisfy the specified configuration (e.g., a particular type, location, or reservation term length). Listing may be provided for reservation by a client that include modified listings that describe a configuration for the reconfigurable reserved compute instances that satisfies the specified configuration. In some embodiments, a reservation request for a modified listing may be received, and in response the reserved compute instance associated with the modified listing may be reconfigured (e.g., modified, upgraded, downgraded, or term adjusted) as described in the modified listing.

Abstract: A system, methods, and apparatus for performing automobile transactions are disclosed. In an example embodiment, automobile market data representative of current automobile market characteristics is stored. The automobile market data may include pricing, inventory, and consumer interest information received from dealers, manufacturers, and consumers. A consumer may provide a request for a response regarding a specific automobile using an image of a vehicle identification number or a graphical user interface. Automobile market data may be provided to a dealer based on the request. Bids to sell the specific automobile may be requested from dealers based on the request. Dealer bids may be provided to the consumer with prices and a delivery options. The consumer may select a bid which specifies a pickup location at a first dealer.

Abstract: Information is gathered from merchants such as car dealers by online forms or other means soliciting particular differentiating factors such as services and specialties (e.g., languages spoken, financing options, other information). When a consumer desires to perform a search, he or she is asked by the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation to input a geographical location. The illustrative exemplary non-limiting implementation may then access the merchant database and retrieve listings that comply with the geographical restraint the user requested. Those listings may be further filtered based on the user's specification of additional constraints related to specialties and/or servicesBy conveniently selecting such options (e.g., in one implementation, by simply checking a box on a web page), the users can be automatically presented with a new, filtered listing that lists only those merchants meeting the predetermined criteria the user has specified.

Abstract: A method for generating an electronic message having the appearance of an individual performing a song with a musical artist includes: receiving a selection of a video segment, receiving an image of an individual's face, receiving a recording of the individual signing the song, generating the electronic message from the video segment, receiving information about a recipient of the electronic message, and transmitting the electronic message to the recipient. The video segment includes: a song, a musical artist performing the song, and a character performing the song with the musical artist. Generating the electronic message includes: overlaying the image of the individual's face onto a facial area of the character, simulating movement of one or more facial features of the image, and synchronizing the recording of the individual signing the song with the simulated movement of the facial features.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a platform for automating the discovery of product bundles that are promising for sale to customers (i.e., they are relevant, valuable and/or timely). Techniques are disclosed for generating a set of potential product bundles according to criteria, thresholds and/or scores which indicate a propensity for items to be purchased together by customers. The generated set of potential product bundles may be ranked according to opportunity metrics and/or scores which indicate value to a merchant and/or customers. A subset of product bundles is selected from the set of potential product bundles based at least in part on the ranking, and each product bundle in the selected subset is matched to one or more entities, such as merchants. These product bundles may then be presented to the associated (i.e., matched) entity based on some criteria, such as offerings of the merchants.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for providing an application list. The method includes: a mobile terminal records and processes information on a user's usage of third party applications to obtain history data about the third party applications, matches the history data about the third party applications with application information in a database of an application store, forms a third party application selection list from the matched result, and pushes the content of the third party application selection list to a display interface of the application store on the mobile terminal. An apparatus for providing an application list is also provided.

Abstract: A system, methods, and apparatus for performing used automobile transactions are disclosed. In an example embodiment, automobile market data representative of current automobile market characteristics is stored. The automobile market data may include pricing and consumer interest information received from consumers, dealers, and manufacturers. A consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller may provide a request for a response regarding a specific used automobile with a specific a vehicle identification number. Automobile market data may be provided to a used automobile buyer based on the request. Bids to purchase the specific used automobile may be requested from used automobile buyers based on the request. Buyer bids may be provided to the consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller with prices and a delivery options. The consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller may select a bid to sell the specific used automobile based on the bid.

Abstract: A method and a system for displaying items for sale is described. For example, plural icon size scaling values associated with plural items posted for sale on an e-commerce website may be determined. The plural icons corresponding to the plural items may be displayed on a display of a client machine, a size of each of the icons being scaled based on the icon size scaling value associated with the corresponding item.

Abstract: A system for recommending a size of a wearable item implements a method that includes identifying a reference wearable item and a size for the reference wearable item. The system accesses a wearable item database and retrieves a three-dimensional model of the reference wearable item. The system also receives, via a user interface, a functional requirement. The system accesses the wearable item database and identifies set of candidate objects, each of which satisfies the functional requirement. Based on the size of the reference wearable item, the system will determine a size for each of the candidate objects. The system will select at least one of the plurality of candidate objects as a recommended object and presents each recommended object and the size of each recommended object to a user.

Abstract: A method for retrofitting a vending machine with a video communications device includes securing a video communications device with a mounting feature of the video communications device removably coupled with a mounting location on a vending machine. The video communications device includes a video communications module for real-time interactions with a ticket office. The video communications module includes a display, a camera, a speaker, and a microphone. The video communications device includes a video communication device communications interface. The method includes electronically coupling the video communications device with a power supply of the vending machine and communicatively coupling the video communications device with the vending machine such that functions of the vending machine are controllable using the video communications device. The method includes communicatively coupling the video communications device with the ticket office for real-time video communications with the ticket office.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting and shipping an art sample that will degrade after a pre-defined period of time are provided. A user can request an art sample while browsing for items associated with an electronic marketplace. The art sample, which can be a lower quality replica of an original art piece, may be printed utilizing a printing technique which results in the art sample degrading after a pre-defined period of time. The art sample may then be shipped to the user to aid in determining whether to purchase the original art piece by utilizing the art sample to visualize the potential purchase in the user's own viewing space.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing media content sharing. The concepts and technologies disclosed herein can be employed to share media content with a social network, even for content subject to access control mechanisms and/or copyright laws. According to various embodiments disclosed herein, media content can be shared with a social network, or the like. An application running at or in conjunction with a computer can obtain information relating to media content displayed at or accessible to the computer, format the data, and transmit the data to a social networking site or other location in a format appropriate for the site. Contents and technologies for viewing the shared content also are disclosed.

Abstract: A system, methods, and apparatus for performing automobile transactions are disclosed. In an example embodiment, automobile market data representative of current automobile market characteristics is stored. The automobile market data may include pricing, inventory, and consumer interest information received from dealers, manufacturers, and consumers. A consumer may provide a request for a response regarding a specific automobile using an image of a vehicle identification number or a graphical user interface. Automobile market data may be provided to a dealer based on the request. Bids to sell the specific automobile may be requested from dealers based on the request. Dealer bids may be provided to the consumer with prices and a delivery options. The consumer may select a bid which specifies a pickup location at a first dealer.

Abstract: A system, methods, and apparatus for performing automobile transactions are disclosed. In an example embodiment, automobile market data representative of current automobile market characteristics is stored. The automobile market data may include pricing, inventory, and consumer interest information received from manufacturers, dealers, and consumers. A consumer may provide a request for a manufacturer response indicating whether a specific automobile can be provided. Automobile market data may be provided to a manufacturer based on the request and a manufacturer response provides a verification, confirmation, or offer indicating that the specific automobile can be provided for the consumer. Bids to sell the specific automobile may be requested from dealers based on the manufacturer response. Dealer bids may be provided to the consumer with prices and a delivery options. The consumer may select a bid which specifies a pickup location at a first dealer.

Abstract: A system, methods, and apparatus for performing used automobile transactions are disclosed. In an example embodiment, automobile market data representative of current automobile market characteristics is stored. The automobile market data may include pricing and consumer interest information received from consumers, dealers, and manufacturers. A consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller may provide a request for a response regarding a specific used automobile with a specific a vehicle identification number. Automobile market data may be provided to a used automobile buyer based on the request. Bids to purchase the specific used automobile may be requested from used automobile buyers based on the request. Buyer bids may be provided to the consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller with prices and a delivery options. The consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller may select a bid to sell the specific used automobile based on the bid.

Abstract: A method comprises detecting presence information of one or more IDs stored on a mobile communication device, wherein the IDs are stored in a non-transitory memory on the mobile communication device, wherein a first ID of the one or more IDs is active on the mobile communication device; and wherein the IDs comprise an auto-installation routine and at least one of an application, a media file, and a widget. The method also comprises providing a content from a sponsor of the first ID to the mobile communication device, wherein the content is activated in association with a call on the mobile communication device.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for customized product display. A data structure schema is defined for describing product graphics, such as product images, and for defining how aspects of the product graphics should be displayed. Through the use of the schema, a product manufacturer can provide product graphics to an e-commerce merchant along with product display data formatted according to the schema that provides instructions to the merchant regarding how the manufacturer prefers the product graphics to be displayed. The merchant can then utilize the product graphics and the product display data to generate a product page for the product.

Abstract: A mobile automobile information system and methods are described. Data such as images may be captured from a vehicle dealer sticker with a mobile device and analyzed. The sticker may contain machine-readable information such as a barcode. The collected data may be analyzed to determine vehicle and vehicle related information. Dealer information and vehicle purchase related information may also be generated. The results of the analysis may be provided to the user's mobile device. Purchase assistance may be provided to the user through the mobile device, answering user inquiries and providing vehicle purchase information to the user during the purchase process.