Abstract: Some examples include backing up and restoring a game application state across multiple devices. A distributed system may run an instance of a game application at a first electronic device, determine a backup event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the backup event suggests a backup of application state data and the application state data represent an application state of the game application at the backup event, and transmit the application state data of the game application to a remote storage service in response to the backup event. A second electronic device may retrieve the application state data from the remote storage service and restore the game application state.

Abstract: Technology for a method for backing up and restoring game application state across multiple devices is disclosed herein. The method includes running an instance of a game application, by a distributed system, at a first electronic device, determining a backup event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the backup event suggests a backup of application state data and the application state data represent an application state of the game application at the backup event, and transmitting the application state data of the game application to a remote storage service, in response to the backup event. A second electronic device can retrieve the application state data from the remote storage service and restore the game application state.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of pre-permissioning a computer application is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request from a user to install a software application, identifying one or more computing services required for operation of the software application, presenting the one or more computing services to the user for review, determining whether the user approves installation of the computer application, and installing the application on a computing device assigned to the user if the user approves installation of the computer application.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for providing configurable synchronization mechanisms for automatic synchronization of application states across multiple devices using cloud storage. In accordance with the techniques introduced here, a method includes steps of receiving a request for supplemental application synchronization information associated with a first application on a first remote computing device. In response the request for the supplemental application synchronization information, application-specific configuration information is determined for synchronizing a state of the first application to a cloud-based storage service. The supplemental application synchronization information including the application-specific configuration information is then provided to the first remote computing device for facilitating synchronization of the state of the first application to the cloud-based storage service.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for migrating at least portions of computer applications to a server. According to at least one embodiment, a computing device identifies a service component of a computer application executed at the computing device. The service component does not directly interact with a user of the computing device. The computing device transfers an instance of the service component to a server so that the service component can be executed at the server. The computing device then receives from the server a result message generated by the instance of the service component executed at the server. The computing device feeds the result message to a user interface component of the computer application via a procedure call such that the user interface component retrieves the result message as if it were generated by an instance of the service component executed at the computing device.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for context sensitive synchronization of a distributed cloud-based file system across multiple devices and for providing seamless merging of conflicting data objects. In some embodiments, data objects of a user are stored across multiple computing devices associated with a user, e.g., mobile computing devices such as a tablet, a laptop, or a smartphone, and/or at server systems, e.g., cloud-based storage servers, in a distributed cloud-based storage system. The described technology intelligently synchronizes the data objects based on context and manages potential conflicts.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for migrating at least portions of computer applications to a server. According to at least one embodiment, a computing device identifies a service component of a computer application executed at the computing device. The service component does not directly interact with a user of the computing device. The computing device transfers an instance of the service component to a server so that the service component can be executed at the server. The computing device then receives from the server a result message generated by the instance of the service component executed at the server. The computing device feeds the result message to a user interface component of the computer application via a procedure call such that the user interface component retrieves the result message as if it were generated by an instance of the service component executed at the computing device.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for sharing an authentication profile of a user between a group of user devices for accessing an access restricted computing environment (“the technology”). The access restricted computing environment can require the user to input authentication information, such as a username, password, or answers to challenge questions, to authenticate the user. For example, to access a wireless network on a first user device, a user may have to input a password for the wireless network. To access the same wireless network on a second user device, the user may have to input the password again on the second user device. The technology facilitates the user to obtain the authentication information required to access the wireless network from another user device, e.g., a device from which the user has accessed the wireless network previously. This can eliminate the need for the user to manually input the authentication information repeatedly.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of pre-permissioning a computer application is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request from a user to install a software application, identifying one or more computing services required for operation of the software application, presenting the one or more computing services to the user for review, determining whether the user approves installation of the computer application, and installing the application on a computing device assigned to the user if the user approves installation of the computer application.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method of resource balancing execution of an application involving multiple devices. The method can include: identifying an application executing on an operating system of a first computing device; identifying a resource type to facilitate the executing of the application; identifying multiple computing devices each having at least an available resource instance of the identified resource type, wherein the multiple computing devices are reachable by a communication protocol of the first computing device; and selecting a target computing device to offer up a target resource instance of the resource type to the application based at least partly on a comparable limitation of each available resource instance of the multiple computing devices.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for signing computer applications is disclosed. The method includes generating a compiled version of a first software application, signing the first software application with a digital certificate locally to a developer of the first software application without assistance from a central certification authority, and submitting the signed first software application to an on-line application store.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for determining a serialization scheme used in serializing a software object by an application (“the technology”). A source application can serialize the object using multiple serialization schemes. In order for another application to deserialize the object serialized by the source application, the application may have to know the serialization scheme used in serializing the object. The technology can analyze an intermediate code, e.g., bytecode, of the source application to determine the serialization scheme used by the source application. The technology compares a portion of the code of the source application that serializes the objects with multiple serialization scheme templates having code for known serialization schemes and determines the serialization scheme used by the source application based on a matching serialization scheme template.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method of resource balancing execution of a location-based application involving multiple devices. The method can include: identifying an application executing on an operating system of a first computing device; identifying a resource type to facilitate the executing of the location-based application; identifying computing devices each having at least an available resource instance of the identified resource type, wherein the computing devices are reachable by a communication protocol of the first computing device; and selecting a target computing device to offer up a target resource instance of the resource type to the location-based application based at least partly on a comparable limitation of each available resource instance of the computing devices.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method of sharing application states across different user profiles. The method can include: receiving a request from a first computing device associated with a first user profile to load an application state of a game application, wherein the application state is owned by a second user profile; verifying permission for the first user profile to load the application state owned by the second user profile; configuring a sharing instance of the application state of the game application by accessing gameplay state data of the application state associated with the second user profile in a storage service; and sending the sharing instance to be loaded onto the first computing device.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method of resource balancing execution of an application involving multiple devices. The method can include: identifying an application executing on an operating system of a first computing device; identifying a resource type to facilitate the executing of the application; identifying multiple computing devices each having at least an available resource instance of the identified resource type, wherein the multiple computing devices are reachable by a communication protocol of the first computing device; and selecting a target computing device to offer up a target resource instance of the resource type to the application based at least partly on a comparable limitation of each available resource instance of the multiple computing devices.

Abstract: A technique and apparatus for backing up and restoring game application state across multiple devices are disclosed herein. The method includes running an instance of a game application at a first device. Based on any of various criteria, such as the proximity between the first device and a second device or a priority of synchronization, a computer makes a determination to synchronize the application state between the two devices. The computer causes the application state data, which represents an application state of the game application running on the first device, to be saved and made available to the second device, such as by saving the application state data to cloud storage. The second device receives the application state data and restores the game application state.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for downloading image files associated with a user to a computing device of the user from a distributed backup system. Each of the image files is associated with a popularity score that is determined as a function of a user-related access pattern and a group-related access pattern of the image files. While the user-related access pattern is determined based on an access of the image files by the user, the group-related access pattern is determined based on an access by a group of users. The image files are categorized into priority files and non-priority files based on the popularity score of the image files. The priority files are downloaded in an original format and the non-priority files are downloaded in one or more image qualities that minimize the consumption of computing resources in downloading the image files.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for migrating at least portions of a video streaming application to a cloud server. The migration is based on an optimization factor of a video streaming application. The optimization factor can be computed based on consumption of computing resources of the computing device. The video streaming application is a multi-threaded application in which a background thread performs tasks that may not require user interaction and a foreground thread performs tasks that may require user interaction. A service component of the video streaming application that obtains video streaming data from video servers is one example of the background thread. A user interface component that displays the video streaming data to a user via a user interface is an example of the foreground thread. If the optimization factor of the service component is below a predefined threshold, the service component is transferred to the cloud server for further processing.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for synchronizing audio files from a computing device of a user to an in-vehicle computing device, such as an audio system, installed in an automobile. In one example, when the user plays an audio file on the in-vehicle computing device from the computing device, the audio file is copied at the in-vehicle computing device. After copying the currently playing audio file, the in-vehicle computing device can also copy at least some of the audio files from the computing device. The in-vehicle computing device computes a popularity score of each of the audio files based on an access pattern of the audio files, and categorizes them into priority files and low-priority files based on their popularity score. While the in-vehicle computing device copies the priority files, it copies metafiles of the low-priority files. The metafiles can include information such as a title, artist, etc. of the audio files.

Abstract: A technique and apparatus for backing up and restoring game application state across multiple devices are disclosed herein. The method includes running an instance of a game application at a first device. Based on any of various criteria, such as the proximity between the first device and a second device, a computer makes a determination to synchronize the application state between the two devices. The computer causes the application state data, which represents an application state of the game application running on the first device, to be saved and made available to the second device, such as by saving the application state data to cloud storage. The second device receives the application state data and restores the game application state.