Abstract: A virtual or digital multimedia album. The digital album may include a collection of related media to provide virtually, what a traditional band album provides, and more. The digital album may include a set of digital audio files that replicate or substantially resemble the set of tracks found on a traditional album. Additional media, such as videos, lyric text, other text, images, and user-imported content may all be included in the digital album. The content initially provided with the digital album may be exclusively oriented to a single artist or music group. In this way, the digital album can create a much greater immersion into the themed music than a mere collection of digital audio files can provide.

Abstract: A computerized method is provided that includes (a) receiving from the user a selection of one of a plurality of templates for the digital media album; (b) receiving from the user a subset of media album components; (c) in response to a user input, compiling an interim multimedia album using the selected template, the subset of media album components, and default data for each media album component not included in the subset of media album components, and thereafter displaying to the user the interim multimedia album; (d) receiving from the user additions to the subset of the media album components, and repeating step (c) with the subset including said additions; (e) receiving from the user further additions to the subset of the media album components until all of said media album components are received; and (f) compiling the created multimedia album using the selected template and said media album components.

Abstract: A computer implementing a plurality of applications within an application framework is provided. The computer including non-transitory computer readable media, having stored thereon, computer executable process steps operable to control the computer to implement the plurality of computer applications, the plurality of applications including at least a digital media player (or other) application, a download manager application, and a third computer application, the download manager application coordinating and optimizing downloading to the digital media player (or other) application and the third computer application.

Abstract: An application resource manager is provided to organize, prioritize, and optimize data transmissions from several connected applications. Through inter-process communication, the several connected applications may pass all transmission requests to the centralized manager, which will perform all transmissions according to priority. When the transmission includes a download (e.g., file, email, etc.), the manager will pass the complete file (or a pointer to the same) to the originally requesting application. The original application may perform post-processing and then use the downloaded data, including making the data available to the user. If however, the requesting application is offline, the manager may also perform, e.g., the essential post-processing, via a plug-in given to the manager by the application when the application initially connected to the manager. A full sized user interface and a smaller user interface may be provided for un-intrusive execution.

Abstract: A computerized method is provided that includes (a) receiving from the user a selection of one of a plurality of templates for the digital media album; (b) receiving from the user a subset of media album components; (c) in response to a user input, compiling an interim multimedia album using the selected template, the subset of media album components, and default data for each media album component not included in the subset of media album components, and thereafter displaying to the user the interim multimedia album; (d) receiving from the user additions to the subset of the media album components, and repeating step (c) with the subset including said additions; (e) receiving from the user further additions to the subset of the media album components until all of said media album components are received; and (f) compiling the created multimedia album using the selected template and said media album components.

Abstract: An application resource manager is provided to organize, prioritize, and optimize data transmissions from several connected applications. Through inter-process communication, the several connected applications may pass all transmission requests to the centralized manager, which will perform all transmissions according to priority. When the transmission includes a download (e.g., file, email, etc.), the manager will pass the complete file (or a pointer to the same) to the originally requesting application. The original application may perform post-processing and then use the downloaded data, including making the data available to the user. If however, the requesting application is offline, the manager may also perform, e.g., the essential post-processing, via a plug-in given to the manager by the application when the application initially connected to the manager. A full sized user interface and a smaller user interface may be provided for un-intrusive execution.

Abstract: A computerized method is provided that includes (a) receiving from the user a selection of one of a plurality of templates for the digital media album; (b) receiving from the user a subset of media album components; (c) in response to a user input, compiling an interim multimedia album using the selected template, the subset of media album components, and default data for each media album component not included in the subset of media album components, and thereafter displaying to the user the interim multimedia album; (d) receiving from the user additions to the subset of the media album components, and repeating step (c) with the subset including said additions; (e) receiving from the user further additions to the subset of the media album components until all of said media album components are received; and (f) compiling the created multimedia album using the selected template and said media album components.

Abstract: A virtual or digital multimedia album. The digital album may include a collection of related media to provide virtually, what a traditional band album provides, and more. The digital album may include a set of digital audio files that replicate or substantially resemble the set of tracks found on a traditional album. Additional media, such as videos, lyric text, other text, images, and user-imported content may all be included in the digital album. The content initially provided with the digital album may be exclusively oriented to a single artist or music group. In this way, the digital album can create a much greater immersion into the themed music than a mere collection of digital audio files can provide.

Abstract: A virtual or digital multimedia album. The digital album may include a collection of related media to provide virtually, what a traditional band album provides, and more. The digital album may include a set of digital audio files that replicate or substantially resemble the set of tracks found on a traditional album. Additional media, such as videos, lyric text, other text, images, and user-imported content may all be included in the digital album. The content initially provided with the digital album may be exclusively oriented to a single artist or music group. In this way, the digital album can create a much greater immersion into the themed music than a mere collection of digital audio files can provide.

Abstract: A virtual or digital multimedia album. The digital album may include a collection of related media to provide virtually, what a traditional band album provides, and more. The digital album may include a set of digital audio files that replicate or substantially resemble the set of tracks found on a traditional album. Additional media, such as videos, lyric text, other text, images, and user-imported content may all be included in the digital album. The content initially provided with the digital album may be exclusively oriented to a single artist or music group. In this way, the digital album can create a much greater immersion into the themed music than a mere collection of digital audio files can provide.

Abstract: An application resource manager is provided to organize, prioritize, and optimize data transmissions from several connected applications. Through inter-process communication, the several connected applications may pass all transmission requests to the centralized manager, which will perform all transmissions according to priority. When the transmission includes a download (e.g., file, email, etc.), the manager will pass the complete file (or a pointer to the same) to the originally requesting application. The original application may perform post-processing and then use the downloaded data, including making the data available to the user. If however, the requesting application is offline, the manager may also perform, e.g., the essential post-processing, via a plug-in given to the manager by the application when the application initially connected to the manager. A full sized user interface and a smaller user interface may be provided for un-intrusive execution.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for distributing video over a computer network. The video is generated as a set of components including a model for a virtual set in which action occurs, a video of the action compressed to eliminate some or all non-useful portions of the video, and positional data used to position the action within the virtual set and orient the viewpoint of the set. These components are transmitted as separate data items from a server to a client, with the virtual set being preferably transmitted in advance of a specific video. The client reproduces the entire video by rendering the compressed video within the virtual set using the positional data.

Abstract: A system and method for the secure delivery of rich media resources across a computer network having a plurality of servers connectable to one or more clients. Client devices are configured to request and receive rich media resources from a show server and decryption keys from a security server. The show server receives a request for rich media resources from a client device and delivers them to the requesting client, preferably in an encrypted form. The security server responds to the request for decryption keys and transmits keys that are operative to decrypt the rich media resources received by the client device. Upon receipt of the decryption keys, the rich media resources are decrypted and played back on the client device using media player software. During the playback of the received rich media resources, heartbeat packets are generated indicating that the client is playing back the received rich media resources.

Abstract: A method and software for managing the process for establishing a connection to a server over a network for the delivery of multimedia content. For a selected item of content, the software downloads a list of available servers which can provide the content, with the list including servers of different types which transmit data in different ways. Examples of different types of servers include servers which support multicasting, servers which support UDP transmissions, and servers which support TCP transmissions. The software traverses the guide and sequentially attempts to establish connections to the servers in the guide, until either a connection is established or all servers in the guide have been tried.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented that allow the efficient distribution of rich media to clients by maximizing the use of available bandwidth and client processing capabilities. A rich media presentation is divided into discrete components, and a producer of the presentation specifies how a presentation is to be assembled and where resources needed for the presentation are to be found. This information is packaged into a data structure and sent to clients. Clients use this data structure to retrieve the necessary resources for the presentation. Producers are able to prioritize the particular resources that form part of the ultimate presentation according to their importance in the presentation, and clients can retrieve the resources most suitable for their capabilities, including processing power, graphics production speed, and bandwidth.

Abstract: A system and method are described for receiving content in data packets transmitted in repeating loops of the packets arranged in a given sequence. A client subscribes to receive the content from a server. The header of each packet identifies the total number of packets in the sequence, the packet number for the current packet, and the size of the packet. The client begins receiving the packets at any point in the transmission sequence and then uses this header information to set up an index for tracking the receipt of the entire sequence. The index is used in particular to identify any packets that are missing and have not been received. The client determines whether it is better to wait for a missing packet to reappear in the sequence or to specifically request the missing packet from the server.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented that allow the efficient distribution of rich media to clients by maximizing the use of available bandwidth and client processing capabilities. A rich media presentation is divided into discrete components, and a producer of the presentation specifies how a presentation is to be assembled and where resources needed for the presentation are to be found. This information is packaged into a data structure and sent to clients. Clients use this data structure to retrieve the necessary resources for the presentation. Producers are able to prioritize the particular resources that form part of the ultimate presentation according to their importance in the presentation, and clients can retrieve the resources most suitable for their capabilities, including processing power, graphics production speed, and bandwidth.