Abstract: Described herein are techniques for automatically forming groups of application windows. The techniques may be performed with a computing device executing a windowing system, the windowing system having a user interface element that can be interacted with by a user to manage applications executing on the computing device. Each application may correspond to a separate process and application window. It may be determined that an operation has occurred that will evict the application windows of target applications from the display, and in response an application group may be automatically formed. The application group may have indicia of the evicted target applications. The application group may be provided to the user interface element, and when the user interface element is interacted with by the user the user interface element displays user-selectable graphic application indicators for both the application group and applications other than the target applications.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to maintaining a tiled arrangement of application windows as a user inserts application windows into a managed display region. A tiled arrangement is an arrangement where windows do not overlap each other and substantially maximize window occupation of the display region. Generally, when a user inserts an application window the tiled arrangement is maintained by resizing any previously present application windows. Where to insert a window, which displayed windows to resize and to what extent can be determined based on factors such as user input, any prior manual adjustment of the tiled arrangement, and/or minimum window sizes. Whether tile arranging is performed in a managed or curated fashion (e.g., by sharing space equally among windows) or in a semi-curated fashion may be determined by taking into account any of the aforementioned factors.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for automatically forming groups of application windows. The techniques may be performed with a computing device executing a windowing system, the windowing system having a user interface element that can be interacted with by a user to manage applications executing on the computing device. Each application may correspond to a separate process and application window. It may be determined that an operation has occurred that will evict the application windows of target applications from the display, and in response an application group may be automatically formed. The application group may have indicia of the evicted target applications. The application group may be provided to the user interface element, and when the user interface element is interacted with by the user the user interface element displays user-selectable graphic application indicators for both the application group and applications other than the target applications.

Abstract: A user can select content on an interface screen and provide an associated directional placement instruction to launch a new application window that displays the selected content or information associated with the selected content. The directional placement instruction may indicate an area of the screen where the user prefers to display the new application window. Responsive to the initiation of the directional placement instruction, a conversion module converts the selected content into a placeable representation of the new application. Responsive to receipt of the directional placement instruction, a window management system presents the new application window in the user interface in a location based on the directional placement instruction.

Abstract: A window management system manages the placement of a window of a target application within a user interface. A source application launches the target application. The window management system arbitrates placement of a window of a target application within the user interface based on a target application placement preference parameter and a source application placement preference parameter. The window management system displays the window of the target application within the user interface according to the arbitrated placement. The window management system can also display a window of the source application within the user interface according to the arbitrated placement.

Abstract: A deferred placement prompt is provided in a user interface when an application window is launched. Responsive to the presentation of the deferred placement prompt, the user can provide a directional placement instruction (e.g., a “drag” of the prompt, a selection of a screen region, a keyboard input) to indicate the user's preference for placement of the launched window. The user interface can give cooperative feedback to the user during the deferred placement prompt operation, such as highlighting an application window to be replaced, responsive to a directional placement instruction, animating the deferred placement prompt, etc.

Abstract: An application window divider control is shared by a first application window and a second application window in a user interface. Based on a received directional instruction that moves the application window divider control along an axis of the user interface, placement of the first application window and the second application window may be positioned across a range of consistently spaced points along an axis of the user interface. Placement adjustment can also impact other application windows in the user interface. The application window divider control may also snap to provide “magnetic” points along the axis when certain conditions are satisfied.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing actions for users of a computer device from a lock screen interface are provided. A computing device may comprise a touch-sensitive display screen that may allow a user to scroll through a set of user int rfaces that may comprise a set of lock screen interfaces—one of which may be associated with the user, if authorized for using the computing device. The computing device may allow the user to scroll to one of the following: a set of locked screen interfaces, a set of sign-in interfaces, a set of applications allowed for use (e.g., a camera) by the computer device (even if the user is not signed-in) and a new mode of functionality for computing device (e.g., a children's entertainment application). The computer system may allow swiping from multiple discernible directions to allow the scrolling through user interfaces in a natural manner.

Abstract: The working area of an immersive environment is presented on a display without relying on any system chrome. Two regions are defined within the immersive environment, one of which is a larger primary region and the second of which is a smaller non-primary region. The two regions are presented so that they not overlap with one another. The content of one executing user-interactive application is presented in the primary region and, simultaneously, content of one or more other executing user-interactive applications are presented in the non-primary region. In some implementations the non-primary is docked to one side of the display.

Abstract: A method is presented for resolving conflicts between interrelated data on a client computer and a server computer. Information for one or more tasks stored on a client computer is published to a server computer. When one or more of the tasks are edited, at least one bit is set in a data structure for each task in which a task attribute is changed. When a sync operation is performed, tasks on the client computer are compared with a task list from the server computer. If any of the bits in the data structure for the task are set, and the date and time that the task was last modified on the server computer is later than the date and time that the client computer last initiated a sync operation, the user is alerted to a conflict in the task and is permitted to manually resolve the conflict.

Abstract: A method is presented for resolving conflicts between interrelated data on a client computer and a server computer. Information for one or more tasks stored on a client computer is published to a server computer. When one or more of the tasks are edited, at least one bit is set in a data structure for each task in which a task attribute is changed. When a sync operation is performed, tasks on the client computer are compared with a task list from the server computer. If any of the bits in the data structure for the task are set, and the date and time that the task was last modified on the server computer is later than the date and time that the client computer last initiated a sync operation, the user is alerted to a conflict in the task and is permitted to manually resolve the conflict.

Abstract: Architecture that introduces a new default leveling algorithm related to a leveling order that uses one or more of task identifier, start dates, and existing priority field, such that users do not need to define an explicit priority value for each task before using leveling. The architecture allows the user to reschedule only a specific task based on availability, without changing other tasks in the schedule. Users can select a single over-allocated task and the architecture looks at all other tasks in the overall schedule to find the next open timeslot when the assigned resources have capacity. The architecture further allows a user to selectively level a subset of tasks in a project. The user can choose to level only tasks that are relevant and the application only resolves over-allocation within the selection and excludes all other unselected tasks in the project.

Abstract: A modular user interface (UI) with consistent sensory interactions across a plurality of selectable UI features that involve user interactions with a computing device. A controlling program invokes one or more functional UI modules each of which performs a data function of the corresponding UI feature. The data functions do not involve any sensory interaction with the user. Instead, a UI plug-in implements sensory interactions with the user, such as displays, sounds, animation, data entry, etc. The sensory interactions are based on the data functions and a skin file of visual, audio, layout, and other sensory data. The skin file, the UI plug-in, and the functional UI modules can be independently modified or replaced at any time to change sensory and/or functional aspects of the UI features. A UI engine manages computing resources and acts as a common communication gateway between the controlling program, functional UI modules, and UI plug-in.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to silently sign-in a user of an offline game title onto an online service. The user is afforded access to select online services to facilitate future online gaming. In a described implementation, a method is disclosed. The method silently signs in a user of an offline game title onto an online gaming service. As a result, the signed-in user may receive one or more online services such as an in-game notification, a friend request (e.g., inviting a user to become a friend), a cross-title game invitation, and/or data corresponding to a friends list.