Abstract: Techniques for reducing fraud are disclosed. A transaction request is received from a user to perform a transaction using an account. In one approach, a source icon is displayed prior to executing the request. The source icon includes a graphical representation of an owner of the account. In another approach, at least one of a photograph and a voice of the user is recorded prior to executing the request. In a third approach, the user is informed that at least one of a photograph, a voice print, and location data will be taken prior to executing the transaction request.

Abstract: The commodity selection assisting apparatus includes a camera, a size detection portion, a search portion, and a display control portion. The camera captures an object and outputs image data representing an image of the object. The size detection portion detects an object size which is a size of a specific part in the image of the object, from the image data. The search portion searches for, from among a plurality of commodity data each including commodity size data representing a size of a specific part of a commodity and commodity identification information, purchase candidate data including the commodity size data corresponding to the object size. The display control portion causes a display device to display the purchase candidate data.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward systems, methods, and computer readable media for training and utilizing an item-level importance sampling model to evaluate and execute digital content selection policies. For example, systems described herein include training and utilizing an item-level importance sampling model that accurately and efficiently predicts a performance value that indicates a probability that a target user will interact with ranked lists of digital content items provided in accordance with a target digital content selection policy. Specifically, systems described herein can perform an offline evaluation of a target policy in light of historical user interactions corresponding to a training digital content selection policy to determine item-level importance weights that account for differences in digital content item distributions between the training policy and the target policy.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for creating and updating vehicle listings using crowdsourced images. An exemplary embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations. The operations include communicating with a listing system to create a listing for a vehicle and receiving, from an identification application executing on a mobile device distinct from the listing system, an identifier for the vehicle and an image of the vehicle. The operations further include identifying the listing using the received identifier, determining one or more parameters associated with an image quality for the received image, and updating the listing for the vehicle to include the received image based on the determined one or more parameters for the received image.

Abstract: In an illustrative embodiment, systems for designing and producing customized food products include receiving a request to design a customized food product containing a printed edible medium. The systems may calculate, based on product inventory at a preferred bakery, a preparation lead time for the food product where the product inventory includes availability of printed edible media substrates. The systems may present customization user interface screens that provide customization options for the food product. The systems may convert customization option selections made at the customization user interface screens into decorating instructions for the food product and transmit the decorating instructions to the bakery. The systems may determine a position in a preparation queue for the food product based in part on attributes of pending food product orders in a preparation queue at the bakery.

Abstract: Disclosure includes selecting a merchant from a plurality of merchants, enabling a trial mode for the merchant, during the trial mode, receiving an indication of a first order for the merchant, forwarding the indication of the first order to the merchant, allocating a first payment for the first order to the merchant, requesting an acceptance of a membership status from the merchant, and receiving an indication of the payment for the first order.

Abstract: An integration platform provides a third party channel products from a merchant, so that the third party channel may cause an opportunity to be presented to a user to purchase one of the products. In response to an indication of a user purchase, the integration platform transmits a purchase request to the electronic commerce platform to create an order for the purchase. The integration platform may create a payment for the purchase with the merchant's payment processor and transmit the payment to the payment processor, update the order with the merchant's electronic commerce platform with the payment information, update the status of the order to shipped, and capture payment information by communicating with the payment provider. The merchant's electronic commerce platform may then update the order with the integration platform, which may notify the third party channel of the update so that update may be communicated to the user.

Abstract: A method begins with a server in a data communication system identifying an instance for a user computing device associated with an exchange item to utilize the exchange item for acquisition of a particular item, where the particular item has an acquisition value. For the instance, the method continues with the server determining whether a quantifiable value of the exchange item compares favorably to the acquisition value, where a set of exchange item rules includes rules established by an issuing server regarding use of the exchange item with respect to the particular item. When the quantifiable value of the exchange item does not compare favorably to the acquisition value, the method continues with the server determining an alternative exchange item utilization protocol to facilitate the acquisition of the particular item and when requested, executing the alternative exchange item utilization protocol to facilitate the acquisition of the particular item.

Abstract: A recommended word for each category is configured to be extracted from review information in a review database to manage the recommended word. The review database is configured to manage the review information on merchandise or a service in units of categories of the merchandise or the service. A control is configured to be executed such that a review post page on the specified merchandise or service is presented. A determination whether present time is assistance timing or not is configured to be executed based on an aspect of character input to the review post page. In response to an acquisition of a determination result that the present time is the assistance timing, a control is configured to be executed such that the recommended word corresponding to the category to which the specified merchandise or service belongs is presented.

Abstract: A method for determining a value of an item includes receiving an image of a first item captured as a result of focusing an augmented reality (AR) device on the first item. The image of the first item is compared with images of one or more second items from a database. An image of one of the second items is identified that closely corresponds to the image of the first item. Metadata is obtained for the one of the second items. Using the metadata, value information is obtained for the first item. The value information is permitted to be displayed on the AR device.

Abstract: A method of administrating inmate privileges in a correctional facility using a computer kiosk is provided. The method includes accepting data and information corresponding to inmate privileges for an inmate population, the data and information including restrictions on the inmate privileges. The method also includes accepting requests for privileges by an inmate, applying the restrictions to the accepted requests, and visually presenting information to the inmate regarding accepted requests.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to product promotions, and more particularly to method and system for providing customized product recommendations to consumers. In one embodiment, the method may include determining a location of a consumer and a target product segment of interest to the consumer, determining a plurality of field-installed products in the target product segment and in a geographic area of the location, gathering near real-time operational data from each of the plurality of field-installed products along with a plurality of associated parameters for the geographic region using application scripts pre-installed in each of the plurality of field-installed products, and dynamically analyzing the near real-time operational data and the plurality of associated parameters to determine and recommend a set of products in the target product segment.

Abstract: A method for selecting content of interest includes detecting the contact area of a user's finger or a marking element marking a region of a touch-sensitive display, and recording a cumulative area contacted by the user's finger or the marking element during one marking motion. The cumulative area can be the selected content of interest.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a network page are provided. In one embodiment, at least one server serves up a network page to a client to be rendered on the client in a networked environment. The network page is associated with a network site that facilitates ordering items. The network page includes a stack of overlapping identical graphical icons that is employed to represent the item having a quantity greater than one, and a plurality of destination regions, each of the destination regions being associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of shipping addresses. The network page is configured to facilitate an association of the stack of overlapping identical graphical icons with a respective one of the destination regions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and an apparatus link customer interactions with customer messaging platforms. An input indicating a request for interaction with an enterprise is received from a customer and in response to the received input, a user interface (UI) is displayed requesting the customer to authenticate a personal identity using login credentials corresponding to at least one third-party messaging platform. A customer interaction is facilitated with the enterprise subsequent to successful authentication of the personal identity. The customer interaction is facilitated on an enterprise interaction channel or a third-party messaging platform from among the at least one third-party messaging platform. The third-party messaging platform corresponds to the login credentials provided by the customer to authenticate the customer's personal identity.

Abstract: The disclosed method provides a way to manufacture a style of an article of footwear in bulk, while providing customization for heel stability for individual customers. Moreover, the disclosed method provides a way to customize articles of footwear for a customer on an ongoing basis, such that the heel stability of the articles of footwear is refined until a tailored fit is achieved for the same customer. Generally, the method may include providing a user/customer with an article of footwear, getting evaluation information about the stability of the article of footwear from a survey (e.g., asking the user to rate the stability of the article of footwear in a smartphone app), modifying the next article of footwear provided to the user/customer according to the evaluation information, and iterating through this process to give the user an article optimized for stability.

Abstract: This application is related to a system and related methods for providing a user with a hair product based on the user's hair type, location, water characteristics associated with a location or water used when applying the hair products, and/or other factors. The system develops various databases, including data indicating global environment conditions at the city, state, and/or regional level, and chemical ingredients that achieve specific hair effects. Upon receiving a request from a user specifying at a desired hair result, the system determines a hair product for the user based on water hardness, and recommends a hair product or sends the user a hair product in accordance with the user's desired hair effects.

Abstract: Systems and methods for e-commerce personalization and merchandising are provided herein. In some instances, methods may include determining triggers for a consumer, where the triggers being associated with objective consumer preferences and subjective consumer preferences for the consumer. Also, the method includes selecting a ranking cocktail for the consumer that includes a plurality of attributes that each includes a weight. The method also includes utilizing the ranking cocktail to select recommended products from an inventory of products in a database of a merchant, and providing the recommended products for display to the consumer.

Abstract: Social network initiated listings can be implemented by using keyword extraction of a social network post containing a sell code. The extracted keywords can be categorized using a machine based categorization system. The listing user account of the post creator can be identified using active session analysis. A listing is created using the listing user account. A new post that contains a URL to the listing is then programmatically published on the social network.

Abstract: Methods and systems for virtually managing product inventory from an application on a smart device through at least one of a bar code scanning feature, an integration of a virtual toolbox component and a shopping cart component, and a checkout selection option to request a purchase order associated with a user token authorization.