Abstract: In some aspects, a method of the present disclosure includes collecting user activity data from a client device. The method also includes defining an activity-productivity map that defines a rule for determining a unit of productivity based on the activity data. A productivity metric may be determined using the user activity data and the rule for determining the unit of productivity. Upon determining the productivity metric, a visual representation of the productivity metric may be provided.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes generating a bandwidth estimation for an adaptive bitrate (ABR) client; evaluating a current state of a buffer of the ABR client; and determining an encoding rate to be used for the ABR client based, at least, on the bandwidth estimation and the current state of the buffer. A fetch interval for the ABR client increases as the buffer becomes more full, while not reaching a level at which the ABR client is consuming data at a same rate at which it is downloading the data.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for providing a service through a sharing solution providing unit in a cloud computing environment. The apparatus may include a first service unit, a second service unit, and a solution managing unit. The first service unit may provide a first service requiring a first solution. The second service unit may provide a second service that is different from the first service and requires the first solution. The solution managing unit may provide the first solution to the first service unit and the second service unit by sharing at least one solution providing unit that generates the first solution.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus coupled to a plurality of terminal devices through a communication channel, the information processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with the plurality of terminal devices, an apparatus information obtaining unit configured to obtain apparatus information indicating a state of the information processing apparatus, and an information transmission controller which includes an information storage unit configured to store the apparatus information received from the apparatus information obtaining unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and computer program products for the placement of a virtual machine within a plurality of cache-coherent NUMA servers. According to an aspect, an example method includes determining a resource requirement of the virtual machine. The example method may also include determining a resource availability of one or more nodes of the plurality of servers. Further, the example method may include selecting placement of the virtual machine within one or more nodes of the plurality of cache-coherent NUMA servers based on the determined resource requirement and the determined resource availability.

Abstract: An improved technique for logging events in an electronic system for forensic analysis includes receiving event records by a recording unit from different forensic agents of the electronic system and applying timing information included within the event records to resequence the event records in the recording unit in a more accurate order. In some examples, the timing information includes a vector clock established among the agents of the electronic system for storing sequences of events. The vector clock provides sequence information about particular events occurring among the forensic agents, which is applied to correct the order of reported event records. In other examples, the timing information includes timestamps published to the agents from a common timestamp server. In yet other examples, the timing information includes timestamps of the devices on which the agents are running, or any combination of the foregoing examples of timing information.

Abstract: A multimedia collaboration system that facilitates more efficient, free-flowing collaboration sessions. The role of the presenter can be exchanged among participants in a collaboration session. The multimedia collaboration system is configured so that control of a collaboration session can be exchanged freely between participants in the collaboration session. The multimedia collaboration system enables participants in the collaboration session to determine the pace and course of the session.

Abstract: A system and method for updating and correcting the location of geospatial entities, the method comprising receiving at a server from a mobile device operated by a first user, a proposed location for a geospatial entity, the proposed location determined by a wireless location system, and based upon a current location of the mobile device; providing information about the proposed location for the geospatial entity to a first plurality of other users; receiving votes from the first plurality of users as to whether the proposed location is correct and responsive to the received votes, determining whether to update the location information for the geospatial entity.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product are provided in which signals are received on each of a plurality of resources and an energy of each of the signals of a set of the plurality of resources is determined. In addition, a resource is determined based on a probability for each of the resources in a subset of the set. The probability for selecting a resource with a lower determined energy is less than one and greater than the probability for selecting a resource with a higher determined energy. Furthermore, a signal is transmitted on the selected resource.

Abstract: A method for facilitating substantially simultaneous receipt of content included in at least one document by a plurality of intended recipients is disclosed. At least one portion of impactful content is delimited in the at least one document to define at least one impactful block (IBlock). A remaining portion of content is delimited to define at least one non-impactful block (NIBlock). The least one IBlock is transmitted to be received substantially simultaneously by the plurality of intended recipients.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving a request to set a first cookie from a first server. A first domain name associated with the first cookie is determined. The first domain name includes a first top-level domain and a first sub-domain. Based in part on the first top-level domain name, it is determined if a cookie is allowed to be set.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and an apparatus for automatic verification of a network access control construct for a network switch. In one method embodiment, the present invention accesses an actual network access control construct on a network switching device, the actual network access control construct for defining the device actually coupled with the network switching device. Additionally, a machine-readable map of the network is accessed, the map providing a pre-determined network access control construct defining the device which should be coupled with the network switching device. A validation is performed, wherein the validation verifies that the actual network access control construct on the network switching device correlates with the pre-determined network access control construct defined by the machine-readable map.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for synchronizing time across a plurality of devices connected to a network are provided. Embodiments include detecting, by a particular device, a synchronization initiation event; in response to detecting the synchronization initiation event, broadcasting, by the particular device to each device of the plurality of devices, a synchronization request; receiving, by the particular device, a plurality of time acknowledgments from the plurality of devices, each time acknowledgement indicating a current time of a device and a device initialization time indicating a time that the device last set the current time of the device; selecting, from the plurality of time acknowledgements the time acknowledgement with the shortest duration between an indicated device initialization time and an indicated current time of a device; and setting a current time of the particular device based on the current time indicated in the selected time acknowledgment.

Abstract: A workload associated with a task is assessed with respect to each of a plurality of computing paradigms offered by a cloud computing environment. Adaptive learning is employed by maintaining a table of Q-values corresponding to the computing paradigms and the workload is distributed according to a ratio of Q-values. The Q-values may be adjusted responsive to a performance metric and/or a value, reward, and/or decay function. The workload is then assigned to available computing paradigms to be performed with improved utilization of resources.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for monitoring the receipt of instant messages between two or more participants in a messaging environment are described herein. An embodiment of the invention operates by receiving a message from a sender. The message is displayed in a chat client of a recipient. Such message is displayed in an encrypted form to prevent human intelligible display of the message. An indication of selection of the message by the recipient is received. Thereafter, the message is displayed in the chat client in an unencrypted form, and an acknowledgement is sent to the sender. The sender updates a message status identifier by filling the message status identifier with a color or updating an icon or any other visual cue or identifier, uniquely identifying the message recipient, to thereby note the selection of the message by the recipient. In this way, the recipient of a message must select the message in order to view the message in its unencrypted form.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and system for optimizing web visitor conversion—the science of measuring, testing, and improving the rate at which website visitors respond to website content. The system helps website operators create content variations, and then scientifically test and measure the impact of those variations on conversion rates. The invention includes a method of using a reverse proxy server to introduce page variations on existing website content without needing to modify the existing target server. The invention makes it possible to test any number of variations—in any combination—on a target server's visitors. Website operators learn how content variations impact visitor behavior and conversion rates.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes retrieving a playlist for a video stream of video content for a client. The playlist is for portions of video content for the video stream. A traffic shaping service determines a set of rules for the playlist for a set of portions in the plurality of portions where each rule is associated with a network condition. For each rule, the method performs: dynamically allocating a port and setting a network condition to apply to the port according to the rule. During playback of the video content, the traffic shaping service receives a request for a portion from the client and determines a port associated with the request for the portion. The method then sends a traffic shaped portion through the determined port where the network condition is applied to the traffic shaped portion based on the network condition being set on the port.

Abstract: A communication device setting apparatus is arranged to register setup information in a communication device connected to the communication device setting apparatus via a communication network. In the communication device setting apparatus, a device setting unit recognizes an access from the communication device upon power up of the communication device, acquires setup information, which is specific to the communication device and contains a MAC address of the communication device, from list information pre-recorded in the communication device setting apparatus, and performs a setting process to set the acquired setup information in the communication device. A setting management unit detects an end of the setting process performed by the device setting unit, changes the list information based on the setup information having been set in the communication device after the end of the setting process, and manages the communication device according to the changed list information.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for detecting and reacting to a network discrepancy within a data center network environment. The method comprises monitoring network traffic between a first computer configured as a first hypervisor inter-networked within the data center network environment and a second computer inter-networked within the data center network environment in order to detect a presence of a predetermined condition representing a presence of the network discrepancy in the data center network environment between a recorded state of the data center network environment and an observed state of the data center network environment. The monitoring includes determining the observed state of the data center network environment using one of: polling, event-based or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a processor that can determine a standard inquiry message from an inquiry command captured at a first communication device of a first user. The standard inquiry message can have an importance rating based on an urgency of the inquiry command and based on behavior information associated with the first user. The processor can deliver the standard inquiry message and the importance rating to a communications management agent of a second communication device, where an inquiry indicator accompanies the delivery of the standard inquiry message at the second communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.