Abstract: The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, relates to a drilling rig with a self-elevating drill floor. The drilling rig may have one or more jacking systems that may operate to raise the drill floor. The one or more jacking systems may raise the drill floor to a height sufficient to accommodate a substructure such as a substructure box. A substructure box may be placed, and the one or more jacking systems may lower the drill floor onto the substructure box. Substructure boxes may be placed beneath the drill floor, using the one or more jacking systems, until a desired drill floor height is reached. In some embodiments, the one or more jacking systems may additionally operate to move the drilling rig, for example between adjacent wells on a pad drilling site. The jacking systems may operate to move the drilling rig using walking feet or another mechanism.

Abstract: A bicycle includes a front wheel; a rear wheel; a frame including a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, the articulating frame portion including an upper frame link pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion; and a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion at a second axis; and a shock absorber having a first end pivotally supported by the main frame portion, and a second end pivotally supported by one or both of an upper shock link and the lower shock link, wherein, when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in a relaxed configuration, the second axis is positioned forward of the first axis.

Abstract: A first story is displayed at a client device. The first story includes a second story and an indication of a previous user interaction with the second story that resulted in creation of the first story. First and second user-feedback interfaces corresponding to the first story and second story, respectively, are concurrently displayed. The first and second user-feedback interfaces include affordances for providing user feedback regarding their respective stories. User feedback is received for the first story through the first user-feedback interface or for the second story through the second user-feedback interface. When the user feedback is received through the first user-feedback interface, notification is sent to a server to associate the user feedback with the first story, and when the user feedback is received through the second user-feedback interface, notification is sent to the server to associate the user feedback with the second story.

Abstract: An air data probe includes a probe body and an air data sensing port disposed in the probe body. The probe body includes a barrel region, a tapered head region extending forward from the barrel region, and a tip at a forward-most end of the tapered head region. The air data sensing port is disposed in the probe body at a port location aft of the tip. The probe body has a turbulence-producing geometry originating at the tip that produces a turbulent boundary layer of airflow that extends from the tip to the port location.

Abstract: Systems and methods for authenticating access to multiple data stores substantially in real-time are disclosed. The system may include a server coupled to a network, a client device in communication with the server via the network and a plurality of data stores. The server may authenticate access to the data stores and forward information from those stores to the client device. An exemplary authentication method may include receipt of a request for access to data. Information concerning access to that data is stored and associated with an identifier assigned to a client device. If the identifier is found to correspond to the stored information during a future request for access to the store, access to that store is granted.

Abstract: A mode-converting optical coupler may include a secondary waveguide to guide light in one or more secondary optical modes, and a primary waveguide to guide light in one or more primary optical modes, each adiabatically coupled to a secondary optical mode of the secondary waveguide having a secondary mode index. Each primary optical mode of the primary waveguide may have a first primary mode index near a first end and a second primary mode index near a second end. The first primary mode index may be lower than the second primary mode index. The secondary mode index may be between the first primary mode index and the second primary mode index. The primary waveguide may include a plurality of silicon core structures including a central core structure arranged between a first neighboring core structure and a second neighboring core structure.

Abstract: A method is performed at an electronic device that includes a display, a touch-sensitive surface, one or more processors, and memory storing one or more programs. The device displays a user interface of a software application, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of user-interface elements. A first gesture is detected on the touch-sensitive surface while displaying the first user interface, and an initial direction of movement is determined for the first gesture. The device recognizes that the initial direction corresponds to one of a first predefined direction on the touch-sensitive surface or a second predefined direction on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first predefined direction is distinct from the second predefined direction. Display of one or more user-interface elements of the plurality of user-interface elements is manipulated in accordance with the corresponding one of the first or second predefined direction.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a superstructure including cylindrical vessel with a conical bottom section and an opening near the base of the cone; an air assisted puffer device near the base of the cone; an air blower attached near the base of the cone, wherein the air blower is configured to produce air velocities of at least about 40 ft/min; a gently sweeping elbow attached after the blower exit; and a hatch fitted to the top of the vessel that allows for a funnel to be connected to the tank thereby allowing bulk barite powder to be loaded into the top of the tank from bulk bags. A barite powder blend including: a blend of barite particles with a size of about 1 micron and barite particles with a size of at least about 325 mesh, wherein the D50 of the blend is not greater than about 325 mesh.

Abstract: A user requests a package delivery from a package delivery system. The package delivery system provides the user with a machine-readable code for display at the delivery location. An aerial delivery device receives, from the package delivery system computing device, information associated with the delivery location of the package. The information comprises information matching the information in the machine-readable code associated with the delivery location and a delivery address. The delivery device secures the package for transporting to the delivery location and transports the package to the delivery address. The delivery device locates the machine-readable code on a display at the delivery address and verifies that the information from the machine-readable code is associated with the package. The delivery device deposits the package on the display.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for presenting notifications on a user interface presentation of a recipient computing device. The technique is considered tiered because it distinguishes between first-type (people-centric) notifications and second-type notifications, and because it processes and presents first-type notifications in a privileged manner compared to the second-type notifications. For instance, the technique presents content associated with each first-type notification in an allocated window that appears in positional association with a person indicator, where that person indicator identifies the person who sent the first-type notification; the technique presents each second-type notification in a different manner. In some implementations, an application developer who designs a custom first-type notification is given authority to draw within the allocated window that is used to present the custom first-type notification in a manner specified by the application developer.

Abstract: A silicon photonics module may include a waveguide for receiving and transmitting an optical beam. The silicon photonics module may include a tap connected to the waveguide to allow measurement of an optical power of the optical beam. The silicon photonics module may include one or more splitters connected to the waveguide to tap a portion of the optical beam from the waveguide and to split the portion of the optical beam into a first part and a second part. The silicon photonics module may include a first Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) to filter the first part to allow measurement of an optical power of the filtered first part. The silicon photonics module may include a second MZI to filter the second part to allow measurement of an optical power of the filtered second part.

Abstract: An air data probe has a pitot tube with a tap at a forward end that defines an inner flow path. The inner flow path decreases in the cross-sectional area until reaching a throat. The inner flow path has cross-sections that are generally cylindrical and also has sections of removed material.

Abstract: In an electronic device, a cover page of a first content item is displayed and a first swipe gesture in a first direction is detected. In response to detecting the first swipe gesture, the electronic device transitions from displaying the cover page to displaying the first content item. During the transition, a portion of the cover page and a portion of the first content item are simultaneously displayed. After the transitioning, the first content item is displayed, and a second swipe gesture is detected in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction. In response to detecting the second swipe gesture, the electronic device transitions from displaying the first content item to displaying the cover page, during which the portion of the first content item and the portion of the cover page are simultaneously displayed.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are directed to binder jetting for forming three-dimensional parts having controlled, macroscopically inhomogeneous material composition. In general, a binder may be delivered to each layer of a plurality of layers of a powder of inorganic particles. An active component may be introduced, in a spatially controlled distribution, to at least one of the plurality of layers such that the binder, the powder of inorganic particles, and the active component, in combination, form an object. The object may be thermally processed into a three-dimensional part having a gradient of one or more physicochemical properties of a material at least partially formed from thermally processing the inorganic particles and the active component of the object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for authenticating access to multiple data stores substantially in real-time are disclosed. The system may include a server coupled to a network, a client device in communication with the server via the network and a plurality of data stores. The server may authenticate access to the data stores and forward information from those stores to the client device. An exemplary authentication method may include receipt of a request for access to data. Information concerning access to that data is stored and associated with an identifier assigned to a client device. If the identifier is found to correspond to the stored information during a future request for access to the store, access to that store is granted.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system, comprising: a damper assembly, the damper assembly comprising: a structural member; at least one door pivotably coupled to the structural member; a clip connected to the damper assembly and comprising plural spring end constraining segments; a spring comprising a first end and a second end, wherein at least the first end comprises a hook, the spring coupled at the first end to one of the plural spring end constraining segments and at the second end fixably coupled to the damper assembly, the clip configured to accept a hookable connection to the spring at any one of the plural spring end constraining segments, each of the plural spring end constraining segments constraining movement of the hook, when connected thereto, during opening and closing of the at least one door, wherein the spring is at a first tension when hooked to the one of the plural spring end constraining segments and at a second tension when hooked to another of the plural spring end constraining segments.

Abstract: A user requests a package delivery from a package delivery system. The package delivery system provides the user with a machine-readable code for display at the delivery location. An aerial delivery device receives, from the package delivery system computing device, information associated with the delivery location of the package. The information comprises information matching the information in the machine-readable code associated with the delivery location and a delivery address. The delivery device secures the package for transporting to the delivery location and transports the package to the delivery address. The delivery device locates the machine-readable code on a display at the delivery address and verifies that the information from the machine-readable code is associated with the package. The delivery device deposits the package on the display.

Abstract: A mode-converting optical coupler may include a secondary waveguide to guide light in one or more secondary optical modes, and a primary waveguide to guide light in one or more primary optical modes, each adiabatically coupled to a secondary optical mode of the secondary waveguide having a secondary mode index. Each primary optical mode of the primary waveguide may have a first primary mode index near a first end and a second primary mode index near a second end. The first primary mode index may be lower than the second primary mode index. The secondary mode index may be between the first primary mode index and the second primary mode index. The primary waveguide may include a plurality of silicon core structures including a central core structure arranged between a first neighboring core structure and a second neighboring core structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for authenticating access to multiple data stores substantially in real-time are disclosed. The system may include a server coupled to a network, a client device in communication with the server via the network and a plurality of data stores. The server may authenticate access to the data stores and forward information from those stores to the client device. An exemplary authentication method may include receipt of a request for access to data. Information concerning access to that data is stored and associated with an identifier assigned to a client device. If the identifier is found to correspond to the stored information during a future request for access to the store, access to that store is granted.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for presenting notifications on a user interface presentation of a recipient computing device. The technique is considered tiered because it distinguishes between first-type (people-centric) notifications and second-type notifications, and because it processes and presents first-type notifications in a privileged manner compared to the second-type notifications. For instance, the technique presents content associated with each first-type notification in an allocated window that appears in positional association with a person indicator, where that person indicator identifies the person who sent the first-type notification; the technique presents each second-type notification in a different manner. In some implementations, an application developer who designs a custom first-type notification is given authority to draw within the allocated window that is used to present the custom first-type notification in a manner specified by the application developer.