Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for providing and reading status. In general, a user may select from a wide variety of status indicators so as to define his/her current status. The status indicators may correspond to any combination of the user's mood or location, as well as location at a specific time. A status indicator may also promote an item, business, or concept for the user. A status indicator may also be automatically selected based on a particular action of the user. Mechanisms for posting one or more portions of a particular status-providing user's current status indicator to another user's device may also be provided. The status-providing user may also select permission settings for one or more other users to receive specific portions of the status-providing user's status indicator so that a requesting user only receives the portions of the status-providing user's status indicator to which he/she is authorized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a computerized method and systems for managing feeds so that a user's playlists may be automatically updated in accordance with a user's desired media preferences.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically identifying talent from quality and popularity data available on a computing network. The computing network is monitored and new content items and their associated publishers are identified. In addition, quality and popularity data associated with each content item are retrieved from one or more locations on the network. The quality and popularity data are then analyzed to identify popular content items within a particular scope and create a popularity measure of each content item. The popularity measure of each content item is then used to create a popularity measure of each publisher.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a messenger system adapted to support the creation and publication of podcast episodes (either audio or video) from communications made via the messenger system. The messenger system may be entirely server-based, may require the use of limited client side software or may be entirely client based. The messenger system allows a user to select that a call be recorded for later use causing the messenger software to store the various audio and any video streams provided from each party to the call. A user interface is then provided that allows the user, after the call, to edit, combine, modify, or add to the different audio and video streams as desired to create a single media file containing audio or audiovisual data. This media file may then be published as an episode to a podcast.

Abstract: Systems and methods have been developed for modifying pricing structures of rights in files on a network. Systems and methods have also been developed for modifying delivery channels of rights in files on a network. The systems and methods may provide multiple sales models, delivery channels and/or pricing structures for rights in files and may select among them based on popularity data associated with files on a network.

Abstract: Systems and methods have been developed for suggesting prices for rights in files on a network. The systems and methods may provide suggested prices for a right in a content file which has not been sold before. The systems and methods may provide the ability for a user to purchase a right in a file about which the user may know little or nothing. The systems and methods may provide a publisher of a file to review the uses and users of the file on a network and the ability for a publisher to negotiate and sell rights in the file. The systems and methods may provide the ability to a user to research who owns a file and whether rights in the file are for sale.