Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for providing a computer-generated virtual environment that is at least partially supported by user contributed computing devices. In an embodiment, an indication is received, from each of a plurality of user contributed computing devices, that the computing device is available to contribute at least a portion of its computational resources to support the virtual environment. At least some of the computing devices, from which the indications are received, are assigned computational tasks that are used to support the virtual environment. Credits are provide to users associated with the computing devices that are assigned and perform the assigned computational tasks. A record of the credits provided to users is maintained. Users that interact with the virtual environment can use their credits to pay for computational tasks performed to support the users' interactions with the virtual environment and/or to pay for virtual goods and/or virtual services.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and method for providing an immersive audio experience in a computer-generated virtual environment. An audio-mixer is placed at a location in a domain of the virtual environment and receives a separate audio feed from each of the audio source nodes directly connected to the audio-mixer. The audio-mixer mixes the received audio feeds in dependence on corresponding location, position and intrinsic loudness information to generate a separate spatialized mixed audio feed for each of the directly connected audio listener nodes. The audio-mixer sends, to each of the audio listener nodes directly connected to the audio-mixer, the separate spatialized mixed audio feed generated for the audio listener. An audio-mixer also receives and sends non-spatialized mixed audio feeds to/from other audio-mixers. The location of the audio-mixer is preferably moved to account for audio source nodes moving and/or changes to which audio source nodes are directly connected to the audio-mixer.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for providing a computer-generated virtual environment that is at least partially supported by user contributed computing devices. In an embodiment, an indication is received, from each of a plurality of user contributed computing devices, that the computing device is available to contribute at least a portion of its computational resources to support the virtual environment. At least some of the computing devices, from which the indications are received, are assigned computational tasks that are used to support the virtual environment. Credits are provide to users associated with the computing devices that are assigned and perform the assigned computational tasks. A record of the credits provided to users is maintained. Users that interact with the virtual environment can use their credits to pay for computational tasks performed to support the users' interactions with the virtual environment and/or to pay for virtual goods and/or virtual services.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and method for providing an immersive audio experience in a computer-generated virtual environment. An audio-mixer is placed at a location in a domain of the virtual environment and receives a separate audio feed from each of the audio source nodes directly connected to the audio-mixer. The audio-mixer mixes the received audio feeds in dependence on corresponding location, position and intrinsic loudness information to generate a separate spatialized mixed audio feed for each of the directly connected audio listener nodes. The audio-mixer sends, to each of the audio listener nodes directly connected to the audio-mixer, the separate spatialized mixed audio feed generated for the audio listener. An audio-mixer also receives and sends non-spatialized mixed audio feeds to/from other audio-mixers. The location of the audio-mixer is preferably moved to account for audio source nodes moving and/or changes to which audio source nodes are directly connected to the audio-mixer.

Abstract: A facility for evaluating an advertising strategy with respect to a subject website is described. The facility receives a specification of the advertising strategy. The specification indicates how to apply the advertising strategy to select one of a plurality of advertising campaigns in response to each page request against the subject website. The facility applies the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to a sequence of page requests earlier received against the subject website. The facility then assesses the results of applying the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to the earlier-received page requests.