Abstract: A gamercard associated with an integrated gamer profile to identify a gamer is provided to the gamer and other PC/console users who also participate in other online gaming community activities such as game-related web sites. The gamercard is also provided to the user in a modular fashion formatted in a way suitable for the user to display it directly within other applications of the user (such as their personal web sites and mobile device applications for display on their cell phone) without the user having to update the information within the other applications when the information changes in the central database.

Abstract: A system for integrating local speech recognition with cloud-based speech recognition in order to provide an efficient natural user interface is described. In some embodiments, a computing device determines a direction associated with a particular person within an environment and generates an audio recording associated with the direction. The computing device then performs local speech recognition on the audio recording in order to detect a first utterance spoken by the particular person and to detect one or more keywords within the first utterance. The first utterance may be detected by applying voice activity detection techniques to the audio recording. The first utterance and the one or more keywords are subsequently transferred to a server which may identify speech sounds within the first utterance associated with the one or more keywords and adapt one or more speech recognition techniques based on the identified speech sounds.

Abstract: A system for integrating local speech recognition with cloud-based speech recognition in order to provide an efficient natural user interface is described. In some embodiments, a computing device determines a direction associated with a particular person within an environment and generates an audio recording associated with the direction. The computing device then performs local speech recognition on the audio recording in order to detect a first utterance spoken by the particular person and to detect one or more keywords within the first utterance. The first utterance may be detected by applying voice activity detection techniques to the audio recording. The first utterance and the one or more keywords are subsequently transferred to a server which may identify speech sounds within the first utterance associated with the one or more keywords and adapt one or more speech recognition techniques based on the identified speech sounds.

Abstract: A predictive model is used to populate a cache in a videogame system. The predictive model takes as an input a sequence of file sections that have been requested for the associated videogame thus far. The predictive model then returns the names or indicators of one or more file sections that will likely be requested in the future along with a probability that those file sections will be requested. A cache driver executing in the background of the videogame system may then use the predictive model to reduced load times during the execution of a videogame by retrieving the predicted file sections from the optical disk and placing them in a cache during periods of low CPU activity.

Abstract: Background audio for a game being played in a video game system is provided via streaming from an outside source. The background audio played is based on details regarding the state of the video game system, including information regarding the game being played on said video game system. The user can select from among several possibilities for background music, and the selection is then streamed to the video game system from the music service. Enforcement of digital rights and purchasing of tracks streamed from the music service are provided for.

Abstract: A transaction protocol is described that allows a database transaction to begin as a local, lightweight transaction without involving a distributed transaction coordinator and then be promoted to a distributed transaction only when required, e.g. when more than one database connection is required. A promotable enlistment allows a first resource to begin processing a promotable transaction. If the resource is notified that the transaction is being promoted to a distributed transaction, the resource is configured to promote the enlistment to a distributed transaction coordinator which coordinates processing of the transaction between the first resource and at least a second resource.

Abstract: A predictive model is used to populate a cache in a videogame system. The predictive model takes as an input a sequence of file sections that have been requested for the associated videogame thus far. The predictive model then returns the names or indicators of one or more file sections that will likely be requested in the future along with a probability that those file sections will be requested. A cache driver executing in the background of the videogame system may then use the predictive model to reduced load times during the execution of a videogame by retrieving the predicted file sections from the optical disk and placing them in a cache during periods of low CPU activity.

Abstract: An application program interface (API) provides a set of functions for application developers who build Web applications on Microsoft Corporation's .NET™ platform.

Abstract: An application program interface (API) provides a set of functions for application developers who build Web applications on Microsoft Corporation's .NET™ platform.