Abstract: An electronic device with a touch-screen display displays, on the touch-screen display, a view of a first application that is updated as content of the application changes. While the view of the first application is displayed on the display, the device detects a drag input across the touch-screen display, and in response to detecting the drag input across the touch-screen display, brings a view of a second application onto the display, wherein the view of the second application was not displayed on the display prior to detecting the drag. In some embodiments, the view of the second application represents a current state of the second application. In some embodiments, in response to a gesture detected on the touch-screen display, the device concurrently displays views of a plurality of different applications.

Abstract: Unique interactive systems and methods that facilitate single-handed navigation and interaction with applications within a display space on any type of mobile computing device are provided. Embodiments include or employ scalable application tiles corresponding to applications, whereby the application tiles can provide or indicate the current state of the corresponding application. State information provided in each tile can vary as well depending on the current size of the tile. Tiles can be arranged into a plurality of zones such that a user can view one zone at a time and obtain context and information from the application tiles in that zone rather than working with all tiles and all zones simultaneously. The view of the display space can be of the world or all application tiles, zone, or application. Panning and zooming among the zones, application tiles and/or views can also be performed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface for a computer system that allows a user to combine and store a group of windows as a task. The image of each task can be positioned within a three-dimensional environment such that the user may utilize spatial memory in order remember where a particular task is located.

Abstract: A system and method for managing software application windows in a graphical user interface having a desktop and taskbar display area are provided. Each instantiated program is represented as one or more graphical windows in the desktop and as a control tile in the taskbar. Control tiles are grouped into control tile groups that facilitate organization and single access control. Project control tile groups allow the grouping of multiple software applications. Additionally, minimized control tile group layout and state may be preserved and previewed prior to being restored.

Abstract: A system and method for managing software application windows in a graphical user interface having a desktop and taskbar display area are provided. Each instantiated program is represented as one or more graphical windows in the desktop and as a control tile in the taskbar. Control tiles are grouped into control tile groups that facilitate organization and single access control. Project control tile groups allow the grouping of multiple software applications. Additionally, minimized control tile group layout and state may be preserved and previewed prior to being restored.

Abstract: Unique interactive systems and methods that facilitate single-handed navigation and interaction with applications within a display space on any type of mobile computing device are provided. Embodiments include or employ scalable application tiles corresponding to applications, whereby the application tiles can provide or indicate the current state of the corresponding application. State information provided in each tile can vary as well depending on the current size of the tile. Tiles can be arranged into a plurality of zones such that a user can view one zone at a time and obtain context and information from the application tiles in that zone rather than working with all tiles and all zones simultaneously. The view of the display space can be of the world or all application tiles, zone, or application. Panning and zooming among the zones, application tiles and/or views can also be performed.

Abstract: Unique interactive systems and methods that facilitate single-handed navigation and interaction with applications within a display space on any type of mobile computing device are provided. Embodiments include or employ scalable application tiles corresponding to applications, whereby the application tiles can provide or indicate the current state of the corresponding application. State information provided in each tile can vary as well depending on the current size of the tile. Tiles can be arranged into a plurality of zones such that a user can view one zone at a time and obtain context and information from the application tiles in that zone rather than working with all tiles and all zones simultaneously. The view of the display space can be of the world or all application tiles, zone, or application. Panning and zooming among the zones, application tiles and/or views can also be performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods that establish a secured compartment that manages sensitive user transactions/information on a user's machine. The secured compartment qualifies user interaction with the machine, and separates such qualified interaction from other user activity on the machine. A user is switched to such secured compartment upon occurrence of a predetermined event, such as in form of: an explicit request (e.g., a secure attention sequence); an implicit request (e.g., inference of user activities); and presence of a peripheral device that is bound to the secured compartment (e.g., a USB)—wherein such actions typically cannot be generated by an application running outside the secured compartment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates navigating smoothly and gracefully through any type of content viewable on portable devices such as cell-phones, PDAs, and/or any other hybrids thereof. In addition, such navigation can be performed while preserving perspective and context with respect to a larger amount of content. Pointing devices can also be used to navigate through content—the amount or detail of the content being dependant on the speed of the pointing device. Additionally, a semi-transparent overview of content can be overlaid a zoomed-in portion of content to provide perspective to the zoomed in portion. Content shown in the semi-transparent overview can depend on the location of the pointing device with respect to the content.

Abstract: The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface for a computer system that allows a user to combine and store a group of windows as a task. The image of each task can be positioned within a three-dimensional environment such that the user may utilize spatial memory in order remember where a particular task is located.

Abstract: The described implementations relate to unified application building. In one implementation unified application building tools can include a unifying component model configured to communicate with a set of components that are supported by different frameworks. The unified application building tools can also include a unification engine configured to bind events between individual components in a unified manner that is independent of an individual framework upon which individual components are supported.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates navigating smoothly and gracefully through any type of content viewable on portable devices such as cell-phones, PDAs, and/or any other hybrids thereof. In addition, such navigation can be performed while preserving perspective and context with respect to a larger amount of content. Pointing devices can also be used to navigate through content—the amount or detail of the content being dependant on the speed of the pointing device. Additionally, a semi-transparent overview of content can be overlaid a zoomed-in portion of content to provide perspective to the zoomed in portion. Content shown in the semi-transparent overview can depend on the location of the pointing device with respect to the content.

Abstract: The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface for a computer system that allows a user to combine and store a group of windows as a task. The image of each task can be positioned within a three-dimensional environment such that the user may utilize spatial memory in order remember where a particular task is located.

Abstract: The subject invention provides a unique interactive system and method that facilitate single-handed navigation and interaction with applications within a display space on any type of mobile computing device. The system and method include or employ scalable application tiles corresponding to applications, whereby the application tiles can provide or indicate the current state of the corresponding application. The state information provided in each tile can vary as well depending on the current size of the tile. The tiles can be arranged into a plurality of zones such that a user can view one particular zone at a time and obtain more context and information from the application tiles in that zone rather than working with all tiles and all zones at the same time. The view of the display space can be of the world or all application tiles, zone, or application. Panning and zooming among the zones, application tiles and/or views can be performed single-handedly using designated on or off screen controls.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and methodology to provide a glanceable, interactive user interface associated with one or more prioritized informational items or notifications. Such items can be received from external sources and/or from a notification system, wherein priorities can be assigned by the sources and/or automatically determined by a computer-based prioritization system. The notifications are then arranged and/or located in a graphical display according to the assigned priorities, thus enabling a user to quickly glance at the display and determine how many items are pending, where items have originated from, and what urgency level is associated with respective items. Various shapes, locations, colors, and sounds are utilized in a variety of ergonomic configurations, some controlled by the invocation of a variety of filters and informational lenses to enable users to easily manage a plurality of information sources.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for advertising with an influential participant in a virtual world. A facilitator rating is determined for each of a plurality of participants in the virtual world. The facilitator rating may indicate an influence of each of the plurality of participants on other participants in the virtual world. One or more participants are identified from the plurality of participants based on the facilitator rating. The one or more participants are utilized to provide an advertisement in the virtual world.

Abstract: A computer system and for displaying a static animation image in response to an action related to a displayed object that occurs on the computer system is presented. An initial state of the displayed object is determined with regard to the action. A final state of the displayed object with regard to the action is also determined. Transition aspects between the initial state and the final state are then determined. A static animation image is generated according to the initial state, the transition aspects, and the final state. The static animation image represents, in static form, an animation indicative of the action from the initial state to the final state of the displayed object. The static animation image is displayed on the graphical user interface in lieu of animation.

Abstract: The techniques described herein provide user interface(s) for managing display objects on a display surface. The techniques define a central focus area where the display objects are displayed and behave as usual, and a periphery outside the focus area where the display objects are reduced in size based on their location, getting smaller as they near an edge of the display surface so that many more objects can remain visible.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve data searching on mobile devices. A facet-based search application is provided that has a filter region, a results region, a facet navigation region, and a menu region. A user applies a facet-based filter to a set of data by selecting a number on a keypad or other area that correlates spatially to a filter option in the facet navigation region. A set of data in the results region is updated based on the applied facet-based filter. The user can also apply a freeform text filter to the data by selecting one or more characters for which to search. The data displayed in the results region is updated based on the applied freeform text filter. When input is received from the user to save the applied filter, an attribute label is displayed as a query term in the filter region.

Abstract: The system described herein facilitates multi-tasking in a computing environment. A focus area component defines a focus area within a display space—the focus area occupying a subset area of the display space area. A scaling component scales display objects as a function of proximity to the focus area, and a behavior modification component modifies respective behavior of the display objects as a function their location of the display space. Thus, and more particularly the subject invention provides for interaction technique(s) and user interface(s) in connection with managing display objects on a display surface.