Abstract: A method for contacting the soil about a building with one or more insect active agents. The method includes providing an insect active agent, providing a soil permeability modifying agent, contacting the soil with the soil permeability modifying agent to provide a modified soil, and contacting the modified soil with the insect active agent. The soil permeability modifying agent improves the soil permeability to facilitate penetration of the insect active agent into the soil.

Abstract: Technology is described for enabling passive enforcement of security at computing systems. A component of a computing system can passively authenticate or authorize a user based on observations of the user's interactions with the computing system. The technology may increase or decrease an authentication or authorization level based on the observations. The level can indicate what level of access the user should be granted. When the user or a component of the computing device initiates a request, an application or service can determine whether the level is sufficient to satisfy the request. If the level is insufficient, the application or service can prompt the user for credentials so that the user is actively authenticated. The technology may enable computing systems to “trust” authentication so that two proximate devices can share authentication levels.

Abstract: Technology is described for local ad targeting. An engine executing on a client computing device may select ads based on rules that can be modified without modifying the engine. The engine can select from advertisements stored locally based on data discovered at the client computing device, such as by observing the user's actions, stored documents, state of the client computing device and/or its peripherals, etc. The technology can employ plug-ins to extend functionality provided by the engine. The technology can include a plug-in manager that manages plug-ins. The technology can also download and manage rules. Each rule can specify what actions to take, such as when an event occurs. When a component of the operating system observes an event, the engine (or a rule executor component associated with the engine) executes each related rule. The technology can thus select ads based on arbitrary events of the operating system, applications, or other components.

Abstract: The method tracks keywords about a non-user of a computer and stores it in various contact profiles. The keywords in the contact profiles can be compared to stored content and content related to the keywords in the contact profile may be communicated to the user.

Abstract: An advertising framework registers context data sources and advertising display clients from a variety of resources on a local computer. The ad framework may then receive context data and display triggers from the registered context data sources. The context data and display triggers may be processed and an advertising request generated and sent to an external advertising source. Non-advertising content may also be supported. When a targeted advertisement is received in response, a display manager may send the ad to an appropriate display client. When the ad has been presented a the advertising framework will communicate to the advertising supplier who may apportion and credit advertising revenue to the participating parties.

Abstract: A termite detection and monitoring apparatus including a container (50) configured to hold a quantity of termite attractive food, the container (50) having at least one access opening (58) to enable termite access to the food; a termite interceptor (10) adapted to direct termites into the container (50), one end of the enterceptor (10) communicating with an access opening (58) of the container (50) and the other end of the interceptor (10) extending in a direction away from the container (50), and a termite activity indicator (60) associated with the container (50) adapted to indicate a predetermined level of termite activity in the container (50).