Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes an assembly of metal oxide comprising valve metal oxide nanotubes.

Abstract: Described is a system and method including a user interface to manage sets of digital data (e.g., files) such as digital photographs or email messages. The system and method comprise a rapid sort mechanism and an underlying support mechanism that associates metadata with each set of digital data, including annotation metadata obtained from the sort mechanism. As the user scrolls through images that represent the sets of digital data and categorizes them, metadata as to its particular categorization or lack of categorization is implicitly obtained and associated with each set of digital data. Grouping of sets of digital data into clusters is also provided, with a visual indication as to which cluster a set of digital data belongs. With respect to digital photography, the system and method makes annotating and classifying digital photographs significantly easier and faster than contemporary photograph management mechanisms.

Abstract: An input to a computer system is made by manipulating a physical object disposed adjacent to an interactive display surface. An application having at least one changeable attribute is executed on the computer system. When the physical object is disposed adjacent to the interactive display surface, it is identified and its location is determined based upon a shape, a size, an infrared reflectance, or some other optical quality. The initial location and orientation of the physical object on the interactive display surface relative to the interactive display surface is identified. The attribute of the application is correlated with the physical object and is changed in response to movement of the physical object. The physical object can thus be used, for example, to select menu options and parameters within the application being executed.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed to facilitates programming of a recording device. A client system is operatively coupled with the recording device, which, for example, is programmed and/or configured to record selected audio and/or visual broadcast programming. The client system receives a message, such as in the form of electronic mail (email) or another suitable form, from a remotely located computer. One or more tokens are associated with the message for providing program criteria indicative of selected audio and/or visual programming, which may be employed to program the recording device for recording broadcast programming based on the token.

Abstract: A system and method facilitating media browsing is provided. The invention includes a browsing component and a media display system that provides a focus media and related media. The focus media and the related media are associated based, at least in part, upon metadata. The invention further provides for an association identifier that identifies related media based, at least in part, upon metadata associated with the focus media and the related media. The association identifier can further cluster the related media based upon metadata associated with the related media.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed which enable a user to locate target data from a temporal broadcast of data. The system includes a transportable identifier that represents the target data. The identifier further includes metadata that provides sufficient information about the broadcast of the target data such that the target data can be acquired when broadcast. The transportable identifier further may be sent to one or more other users to enable such users to locate the broadcast of the target data. As a result, one or more users may employ identifiers to locate the broadcast of the target data and, in turn, monitor and/or store the target data from the temporal broadcast.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique method and user interface that facilitates accessing and browsing objects in which a user begins with a center object (e.g., one or a few focal objects) displayed on a screen and related objects are populated on the screen as well. The related objects can be further organized into clusters whereby each cluster or grouping of objects expands on a particular attribute of the center object. The attributes correspond to metadata. Thus, the objects are populated based upon the metadata of the center object. According to one aspect, the user can access one or more specific objects having a plurality of attributes and then relax at least one of the attributes to see what other objects share at least one attribute with the center object. According to another aspect, the object having the closest match to a search request can be centrally displayed with other close matches arranged by their respective metadata.

Abstract: Systems and methods directed at providing flow computing. An application configured with flow computing capabilities can determine possible results that are intended by a user based on one or more user-initiated actions. The application identifies idling computing resources in the computing device that are available and automatically performs other actions to produce the possible results using the idling computing resources. The application caches the results and provides at least one of the cached results in an interactive data stream. The user directs the data stream by selecting pre-generated choices to achieve the desired outcome.

Abstract: The presently described subject matter allows the user to interactively browse a collection of electronic files, such as a digital photo collection, remotely using voice activated mobile device. Files from the collection of electronic files can be displayed on the mobile device or they can be directed from the mobile device to be sent to a remote display device, where the file can be displayed. Also, a user can record voice and text annotations and keywords from the mobile device to preserve with an electronic file, and which is transported along with the file when it is displayed.

Abstract: The present subject matter describes a browser for efficiently presenting and browsing a large digital photograph collection. The browser includes a graphical interface—referred to as a time quilt—that combines a wrappable timeline with a space filling layout. Thumbnails representing individual images or clusters of images are laid out chronologically in columns, from top to bottom. When the bottom of a column is reached, a new column is started to the right of the existing column(s). Semantic zooming is used wherein zooming in on a thumbnail image that represents a cluster renders thumbnails of images in the cluster when the thumbnails of the images can be rendered in a legible size. Tiered zooming is also described, which is semantic zooming on multiple levels—representative thumbnails give way to clusters of representative thumbnails that each represent an image or a cluster of images.

Abstract: The present subject matter describes a graphical web browser toolbar the stores visual representations of user-selected web pages. A saved page is included in the toolbar as a tile that shows a thumbnail image of at least a portion of the page. A user may customize the thumbnail image by zooming onto an area of the page. The user selects a tile from the toolbar to show an enlarged version of the thumbnail image with data from the web page, such as a link to the web page. A comments section allows a user to enter comments related to the web page into the tile. Tiles may be arranged according to groups as configured by the user. The toolbar may be stored and transmitted to a remote location. Using the described techniques, a web shopper can save images in a graphical toolbar and send items saved therein to an acquaintance.

Abstract: A metallic nanowire having an aspect ratio of at least 100 and a diameter less than 200 nanometers composed of at least one of bismuth, indium, tin, lead, zinc, antimony and alloys of the same and a method of making the same from a thin film composite.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique system and method for facilitating browsing, sorting, clustering, and filtering any number of media objects grouped together in a quick and easy manner. In particular, the invention involves annotating the media objects, which have been clustered, sorted, and/or filtered en masse rather than individually, with metadata. The media objects may be selected by a user and annotated with a plurality of metadata as desired by a user in order to optimize utilization of the media objects. The media objects may also be combined and/or mixed in any number of ways to create new media objects. Media objects may include an audio component, a visual component, a portion thereof, and/or any combination thereof.

Abstract: The presently described subject matter allows the user to interactively browse a collection of electronic files, such as a digital photo collection, remotely using a mobile telephone. Files from the collection of electronic files can be directed from the mobile telephone to be sent to a remote display device, where the file can be displayed. Also, a user can record voice and text annotations from the mobile phone to preserve with an electronic file, and which is transported along with the file when it is displayed on a remote display device.

Abstract: A spectator experience corresponding to an occurrence of one or more games or events is generated based on each associated occurrence. The occurrence of a game or event varies in response to contributions and/or interactions of one or more participants of the game or event. The spectator experience enables users thereof to observe an augmented version of the game or event, such as by implementing enhanced viewpoint controls and/or other spectator related effects. In a particular aspect, the spectator experience can provide an indication of the spectator' presence, which is made available to the spectators and/or to the participants of the game.

Abstract: Methods and systems for enhancing water management capabilities of a fuel cell are disclosed. The methods include changing the surface energy of a fuel cell element by depositing, via physical vapor deposition, a thin film on the surface of the fuel cell element. Sputtering and evaporation can be employed as the physical vapor deposition technique.

Abstract: An input to a computer system is made by manipulating a physical object disposed adjacent to an interactive display surface. An application having at least one changeable attribute is executed on the computer system. When the physical object is disposed adjacent to the interactive display surface, it is identified and its location is determined based upon a shape, a size, an infrared reflectance, or some other optical quality. The initial location and orientation of the physical object on the interactive display surface relative to the interactive display surface is identified. The attribute of the application is correlated with the physical object and is changed in response to movement of the physical object. The physical object can thus be used, for example, to select menu options and parameters within the application being executed.

Abstract: An object placed on a display surface conveys an image appearing on the display surface to a surface of the object. The object can include one or more optical elements such as a lens, or may include a plurality of fused fiber optics or collimated light tubes to convey the image appearing under the object to a different surface. The image can thus be made to appear on a side of the object, or on an intermediate surface within the object, or on a top surface of the object. In addition, on an interactive display device, the user is enabled to interact with the image and the object, for example, by using a gesture to move the image about on the display surface so that it is moved toward and under the object and thereafter appears on the surface of the object.

Abstract: Data elements stored in a computing system and associated with a physical object are reassociated with the same or another physical object. An identifying characteristic presented by the physical object, such as a reflective pattern applied to the object, is detected when the object is positioned adjacent to the interactive display surface. Images or other files associated with the identifying characteristic are accessed and displayed on the interactive display surface. A gesture by a user adjacent to the interactive display surface is detected to reassociate a selected representation. For example, the user can change where the selected element fits in a sequence of data elements, or reassociate the selected element with a second object placed on the interactive display surface. In a networked environment, the reassociated element can be stored on a server and subsequently accessed from a different interactive surface via the network using the second physical object.

Abstract: Data elements stored in a computing system and associated with a physical object are reassociated with the same or another physical object. An identifying characteristic presented by the physical object, such as a reflective pattern applied to the object, is detected when the object is positioned adjacent to the interactive display surface. Images or other files associated with the identifying characteristic are accessed and displayed on the interactive display surface. A gesture by a user adjacent to the interactive display surface is detected to reassociate a selected representation. For example, the user can change where the selected element fits in a sequence of data elements, or reassociate the selected element with a second object placed on the interactive display surface. In a networked environment, the reassociated element can be stored on a server and subsequently accessed from a different interactive surface via the network using the second physical object.