Abstract: Providing integrated multi-session instant messaging in a single instant messaging window. A user interface has an instant messaging window for displaying a plurality of conversation panes representative of concurrent instant messaging sessions between a local user and a plurality of remote users. Each conversation pane represents one of the messaging sessions. A plurality of message components correspond to the conversations panes so that each message component corresponds to one conversation pane. Each message component is arranged in the corresponding conversation pane and displays text from an instant message. The conversation display area displays at least two of the conversation panes linearly along the height of the window so that the message components arranged in the at least two conversation panes are simultaneously viewable.

Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to secure and anonymous data storage and access. More particularly, encryption methods and mechanisms are provided in conjunction with one or more blobs, identities, and guards to implement one or more layers of indirect encryption. Generation of these components can be accomplished without including or pointing to any personally identifiable information about a user. Accordingly, a user can store sensitive data securely and anonymously on a server or like storage system. Such data can also be roamed, recovered, and synchronized securely from a plurality of computers at least because the data is centrally located.

Abstract: Session data is encoded in a tag-length-value format and encrypted using a modified encryption key. A session cookie, formed by concatenating the length of the length of the secret, the length of the secret, the secret itself, and the encoded and encrypted configuration data, is transmitted from a server to a client. Each time the client begins a new communications session with the server that generated the session cookie, the session cookie is transmitted from the client to the server. The server receives the session cookie from the client and extracts the secret stored in the session cookie. Periodically, the server may request the new session cookie from the client to determine if the communications session between the client and the server is still active. If no response or an invalid session cookie is received, the communications session between the client and server is terminated.

Abstract: Session data is encoded in a tag-length-value format and encrypted using a modified encryption key. A session cookie is then formed by concatenating the length of the length of the secret, the length of the secret, the secret itself, and the encoded and encrypted configuration data. The session cookie is transmitted from a server computer to a client computer, where it is stored.

Abstract: A permission level associated with a child's access to a Web server is identified. A relationship ticket is obtained from an authentication server and a request is generated to set the identified permission level. The request and the relationship ticket are sent to the Web server and a success code is received from the Web server if the requested permission level is established.

Abstract: A web-browser plug-in is described herein that detects the type of content a user selects on a web page and allows the user to retrieve additional information about selected web content or initiate a communication application. The plug-in analyzes the user's selection to determine what type of web content was selected. A smart menu is created and presented to the user with options relating to the type of web content selected. The user can then either download additional information about the web content or initiate a communication application without having to navigate to another web page or request information from a web service. Without having to navigate to a second web page, the user can select an option and either view the additional web information or initiate the communication application.

Abstract: System and method for managing a plurality of clients. A request to implement a change in configuration data is received from a user. The configuration data relates to an operation of a client. The received request is stored in a memory area. Computer-executable instructions request topology data from the memory area based on the configuration data to identify the client. The requested topology data is received from the memory area. Computer-executable instructions identify a notification service associated with the client and notify the identified notification service of the change in the configuration data.

Abstract: Presenting both hyperlinks and thumbnail versions of search engine results is described herein. More specifically, a graphical user interface (GUI) having multiple display areas is described. One display area is configured for displaying the hyperlinks returned from a search-engine query. Another display area is configured to display thumbnail versions of the one or more web pages related to the search-engine query. The thumbnail versions are retrieved after a search-engine query is submitted and after hyperlinks to relevant web pages are received. Each relevant web page is retrieved on one or more background threads. The retrieved web pages are then stored, and their thumbnail versions are presented along with the hyperlinks.

Abstract: System and method for managing a plurality of clients. A request to implement a change in configuration data is received from a user. The configuration data relates to an operation of a client. The received request is stored in a memory area. Computer-executable instructions request topology data from the memory area based on the configuration data to identify the client. The requested topology data is received from the memory area. Computer-executable instructions identify a notification service associated with the client and notify the identified notification service of the change in the configuration data.

Abstract: Securely roaming private data from one client computer to another in a network. A home client application generates a first key in response to a password, and encrypts designated private data as a function of the first key. A server receives and stores the encrypted private data. A roaming client application generates the first key in response to the password, and decrypts encrypted private data transferred from the server to obtain the private data. The invention further provides users the ability to retrieve encrypted private from the server even when the user cannot remember the password associated with the first key. Also, the server has no knowledge of the private data or the keys.

Abstract: A system receives a request from a client and verifies that the client is authenticated. If the client is not authenticated, the system maintains the request and directs the client to obtain authentication. After verifying that the client has obtained valid authentication, the authentication system processes the saved request.

Abstract: A system receives a file index associated with multiple localized strings of data and loads the file index into a memory device. The system then identifies pointers to frequently used localized strings and caches the identified pointers. Requests for Web content are then processed by the system.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically configuring a server computer is provided. A global configuration file is utilized to configure a server computer on a per request basis. When a request is received at a server computer embodying aspects of the present invention, the server computer dynamically configures itself utilizing the contents of a global configuration file. The global configuration file contains configuration settings that may or may not be utilized by the server computer in configuring itself. To determine if particular configuration settings should be utilized by the server computer in configuring itself, the server computer parses rules also contained in the global configuration file. If a rule is evaluated as true, configuration settings associated with the rule are used by the server computer when configuring itself. The server computer can then respond to the request utilizing its dynamic configuration.

Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to secure and anonymous data storage and access. More particularly, encryption methods and mechanisms are provided in conjunction with one or more blobs, identities, and guards to implement one or more layers of indirect encryption. Generation of these components can be accomplished without including or pointing to any personally identifiable information about a user. Accordingly, a user can store sensitive data securely and anonymously on a server or like storage system. Such data can also be roamed, recovered, and synchronized securely from a plurality of computers at least because the data is centrally located.

Abstract: A method to allocate memory, in response to application requests, for a compact data structure having location data and a trailer section is provided. The trailer section of the compact data structure is checked to determine an offset for listings and indices representing the location data. Upon determining the offset, the listings and indices are loaded into memory and responses to the application requests are generated by utilizing the listings and indices stored in the memory.

Abstract: The present invention includes a client computer, a first server computer, and a second server computer. The first server provides an authorization ticket containing a time stamp to the client computer when the client computer is authorized to access the first server. An elapsed time counter is started at the client computer when access is provided to the first server. When a request is received at the client computer to access the second server, the client computer determines the session length based upon the elapsed time counter. The client computer calculates a hash value for the authorization ticket, the session length, and a secret shared with the second server computer. The client computer transmits a login request to the second server including the authorization ticket, the session length, and the hash. The second server decrypts the authorization ticket and retrieves a copy of the shared secret.

Abstract: Session data is encoded in a tag-length-value format and encrypted using a modified encryption key. A session cookie, formed by concatenating the length of the length of the secret, the length of the secret, the secret itself, and the encoded and encrypted configuration data, is transmitted from a server to a client. Each time the client begins a new communications session with the server that generated the session cookie, the session cookie is transmitted from the client to the server. The server receives the session cookie from the client and extracts the secret stored in the session cookie. Periodically, the server may request the new session cookie from the client to determine if the communications session between the client and the server is still active. If no response or an invalid session cookie is received, the communications session between the client and server is terminated.

Abstract: Session data is encoded in a tag-length-value format and encrypted using a modified encryption key. A session cookie is then formed by concatenating the length of the length of the secret, the length of the secret, the secret itself, and the encoded and encrypted configuration data. The session cookie is transmitted from a server computer to a client computer, where it is stored. Each time the client computer begins a new communications session with the server computer that generated the session cookie, the session cookie is transmitted from the client computer to the server computer. The server computer receives the session cookie from the client computer and extracts the secret stored in the session cookie. The server computer then creates the modified encryption key by inserting the secret into the standard encryption key at the predefined location. The server computer then utilizes the modified encryption key to decrypt the encoded session data stored in the session cookie.

Abstract: Session data is encoded in a tag-length-value format and encrypted using a modified encryption key. A session cookie is then formed by concatenating the length of the length of the secret, the length of the secret, the secret itself, and the encoded and encrypted configuration data. The session cookie is transmitted from a server computer to a client computer, where it is stored.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically configuring a server computer is provided. A global configuration file is utilized to configure a server computer on a per request basis. When a request is received at a server computer embodying aspects of the present invention, the server computer dynamically configures itself utilizing the contents of a global configuration file. The global configuration file contains configuration settings that may or may not be utilized by the server computer in configuring itself. To determine if particular configuration settings should be utilized by the server computer in configuring itself, the server computer parses rules also contained in the global configuration file. If a rule is evaluated as true, configuration settings associated with the rule are used by the server computer when configuring itself. The server computer can then respond to the request utilizing its dynamic configuration.