Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying personal signals of a target person are presented. More particularly, content is captured and or monitored on a local computing device of the target person. Personal signals of the target person are identified and a comparison to personal signals in a personal profile record of the target person is made to identify a delta of personal signals representing those signals that are not included in the personal profile record. The delta of personal signals is uploaded to a remotely located personal assistance service where they may be added to the personal profile record of the target person and the updated personal profile record of the target person is returned to the local computing device.

Abstract: Resources used by a foreground process associated with an application as well as one or more background tasks associated with the application that are running as separate processes on the computing device are tracked. Historical data relating to resource usage by the application is utilized to predict a resource usage amount for the application which is then stored. A subsequent launch of the application can be conditioned upon whether the predicted resource usage amount is available. If the predicted resource usage amount is available, it can be allocated to the application and the application can be launched. If the application then exceeds the predicted resource usage amount, other processes executing concurrently therewith may be terminated to free up the resource. Regardless of how the application performs, new resource usage data is obtained for the application, which is then used to adjust the predicted resource usage amount.

Abstract: Resources used by a foreground process associated with an application as well as one or more background tasks associated with the application that are running as separate processes on the computing device are tracked. Historical data relating to resource usage by the application is utilized to predict a resource usage amount for the application which is then stored. A subsequent launch of the application can be conditioned upon whether the predicted resource usage amount is available. If the predicted resource usage amount is available, it can be allocated to the application and the application can be launched. If the application then exceeds the predicted resource usage amount, other processes executing concurrently therewith may be terminated to free up the resource. Regardless of how the application performs, new resource usage data is obtained for the application, which is then used to adjust the predicted resource usage amount.

Abstract: Resources used by a foreground process associated with an application as well as one or more background tasks associated with the application that are running as separate processes on the computing device are tracked. Historical data relating to resource usage by the application is utilized to predict a resource usage amount for the application which is then stored. A subsequent launch of the application can be conditioned upon whether the predicted resource usage amount is available. If the predicted resource usage amount is available, it can be allocated to the application and the application can be launched. If the application then exceeds the predicted resource usage amount, other processes executing concurrently therewith may be terminated to free up the resource. Regardless of how the application performs, new resource usage data is obtained for the application, which is then used to adjust the predicted resource usage amount.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided that enable a first application (i.e., a caller application) to call a second application (i.e., a callee application) to perform a function in a manner such that the first application may be dehydrated during the call. Dehydrating includes terminating execution of an instance of the first application, and freeing memory space in a memory of a mobile device that stored the instance of the first application. In such case, the second application may be active while the first application is no longer present in memory. The second application is enabled to respond to the call, causing the first application to be rehydrated. The first application continues execution at a location where the first application was dehydrated, and receives the response to the call.

Abstract: Described is a technology in which one application running in a browser can host another application (e.g., an advertisement) in an isolated manner that prevents the hosted application from accessing browser data, or data of any other hosted application (including the host). The host and/or hosted application may be a browser plug-in (e.g., Microsoft® Silverlight™) application. The host application privately instantiates a hidden plug-in, with that hidden plug-in's access to browser data disabled, and loads the hosted application in the hidden plug-in. A XAML tag element may be used to identify the hosted application, along with a rendering area for the hosted application. Content from the hosted application is composited with content from the host application when rendering. The host application may provide keywords to the hosted application, such as for selecting relevant advertisements, and/or may allow the hosted application to open a browser window to display associated website content.

Abstract: Techniques are described that enable an application executing on a computing device to dynamically control how an allocated portion of a resource of the computing device is to be divided among multiple processes associated with the application. For example, an application executing on the computing device may interact with an operating system of the computing device to dynamically control how an allocated portion of a resource of the computing device is to be divided among a foreground process associated with the application and one or more background processes associated with the application.

Abstract: Described is a technology in which one application running in a browser can host another application (e.g., an advertisement) in an isolated manner that prevents the hosted application from accessing browser data, or data of any other hosted application (including the host). The host and/or hosted application may be a browser plug-in (e.g., Microsoft® Silverlight™) application. The host application privately instantiates a hidden plug-in, with that hidden plug-in's access to browser data disabled, and loads the hosted application in the hidden plug-in. A XAML tag element may be used to identify the hosted application, along with a rendering area for the hosted application. Content from the hosted application is composited with content from the host application when rendering. The host application may provide keywords to the hosted application, such as for selecting relevant advertisements, and/or may allow the hosted application to open a browser window to display associated website content.

Abstract: A runtime management system is described herein that allows a hosting layer to dynamically control an underlying runtime to selectively turn on and off various subsystems of the runtime to save power and extend battery life of devices on which the system operates. The hosting layer has information about usage of the runtime that is not available within the runtime, and can do a more effective job of disabling parts of the runtime that will not be needed without negatively affecting application performance or device responsiveness. The runtime management system includes a protocol of communication between arbitrary hosts and underlying platforms to expose a set of options to allow the host to selectively turn parts of a runtime on and off depending on varying environmental pressures. Thus, the runtime management system provides more effective use of potentially scarce power resources available on mobile platforms.

Abstract: A facility for providing enhanced time-sensitive notifications on an electronic device is described. In some such notifications, the facility replaces an icon or name of an application presenting the notification with another image or other text, respectively. In some such notifications, the facility renders certain aspects of the notification on an optional basis, such as based on the capabilities of the electronic device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system is provided that facilitates implementation of a voice over IP (VOIP) application. The system includes a host system and a user interface (UI) host process residing on the host system. The system also includes an agent host process residing on the host system which is being configured to process a VOIP call received by one or more VOIP applications executable on the host system. The agent host process running as a foreground or background process for the duration of the VOIP call to (i) communicate with a VOIP server associated with the VOIP application, (ii) capture content from at least one input device associated with the host system and (iii) render content on an output device associated with the host system when an instance of the UI host process operates in the foreground.

Abstract: A unified search leverages exposed search functions of one or more applications to supplement search results of a global search function. When a user initiates a global search, a local data store is searched to generate a first set of search results. The global search function calls exposed search functions associated with one or more applications, which provide additional search results.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system is provided that facilitates implementation of a voice-over-IP (VOIP) application. The system includes a host system and a user interface (UI) host process residing on the host system. The system also includes an agent host process residing on the host system which is being configured to process a VOIP call received by one or more VOIP applications executable on the host system. A moniker protocol is utilized for redirection of input and output between a media element which is utilized to render media on a display on the system. The redirection enables media processing to be allocated between the UI host process in the foreground and the agent host process in the background to thereby reduce latency perceived by a user during a VOIP experience.

Abstract: Control exposure techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a determination is made by a computing device as to which of a plurality of controls correspond to one or more inputs detected using one or more magnetometers, cameras, or microphones. A result of the determination is exposed by the computing device to one or more applications that are executed by the computing device.

Abstract: Innovations for resource management are described herein. For example, resource management organizes resources as pools that are associated with different types of workloads. The resource management can be implemented as part of an application layer framework and/or operating system of a computing device. A budget is established at design time for the resources of the computing device. Each type of workload primarily draws from resources dedicated to that type of workload in the associated pool under the budget, as enforced by the operating system. This can help provide acceptable performance for those workloads that are permitted to run, while preventing resources of the mobile computing device from becoming spread too thin among workloads. It can also help maintain a good overall balance among different types of workloads.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system is provided that facilitates implementation of a voice-over-IP (VOIP) application. The system includes a host system and a user interface (UI) host process residing on the host system. The system also includes an agent host process residing on the host system which is being configured to process a VOIP call received by one or more VOIP applications executable on the host system. A moniker protocol is utilized for redirection of input and output between a media element which is utilized to render media on a display on the system. The redirection enables media processing to be allocated between the UI host process in the foreground and the agent host process in the background to thereby reduce latency perceived by a user during a VOIP experience.

Abstract: Techniques are described that enable an application executing on a computing device to dynamically control how an allocated portion of a resource of the computing device is to be divided among multiple processes associated with the application. For example, an application executing on the computing device may interact with an operating system of the computing device to dynamically control how an allocated portion of a resource of the computing device is to be divided among a foreground process associated with the application and one or more background processes associated with the application.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided that enable a first application (i.e., a caller application) to call a second application (i.e., a callee application) to perform a function in a manner such that the first application may be dehydrated during the call. In such case, the second application may be active while the first application is no longer present. The second application is enabled to respond to the call, causing the first application to be rehydrated. The first application continues execution at a location where the first application was dehydrated, and receives the response to the response to the call.

Abstract: Resources used by a foreground process associated with an application as well as one or more background tasks associated with the application that are running as separate processes on the computing device are tracked. Historical data relating to resource usage by the application is utilized to predict a resource usage amount for the application which is then stored. A subsequent launch of the application can be conditioned upon whether the predicted resource usage amount is available. If the predicted resource usage amount is available, it can be allocated to the application and the application can be launched. If the application then exceeds the predicted resource usage amount, other processes executing concurrently therewith may be terminated to free up the resource. Regardless of how the application performs, new resource usage data is obtained for the application, which is then used to adjust the predicted resource usage amount.

Abstract: Various techniques and solutions are described for rule-based access to removable storage devices. For example, a request can be received to perform a file system operation using a removable storage device that is formatted with a file system that does not support access controls. A rules-based check of the received request can be performed by a service by checking the request against a plurality of rules. Based on results of the rules-based check, the request can be allowed or denied.