Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes a system accessing an image, which may comprise covered and uncovered portions, and an overlay image comprising opaque pixels. The covered portion may be configured to be covered by the opaque pixels of the overlay image. The system may generate a data structure comprising data elements associated with pixels of the image. Each of the data elements associated with a covered pixel in the covered portion of the image may be configured to identify an uncovered pixel in the uncovered portion of the image that is closest to the covered pixel. Each covered pixel in the covered portion of the image may be modified by accessing the data element associated with the covered pixel, determining a distance between the covered pixel and an associated closest uncovered pixel using the accessed data element, and modifying a color of the covered pixel based on the distance.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application, determining a current user of the computing device, and determining a reset state of the application. The method may also include generating, based on the current user of the computing device, the reset state, and an application identifier for the application, a unique identifier that does not include personally identifiable information for the current user, sending, to an application service provider, the unique identifier and one or more requests for information, and, responsive to sending the one or more request for information, receiving, from the application service provider, state information associated with the current user and for the application.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving an indication that a first activity has occurred. The first activity is associated with a uniform resource identifier (URI) that specifies at least one web page. The method also includes identifying an application that is associated with the URI using a registry that associates particular URIs with particular applications, retrieving, using the identified application, content associated with the URI, displaying the content or information derived from the content in a first format that is not controlled by a second format specified by a markup language of the at least one web page.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes, receiving, by a supervisor component, a request to execute particular functionality of an application and, responsive to receiving the request, identifying, by an application container for maintaining installable sub-packages of the application, a minimum version of a library specified in an application definition of the application. The method may also include, responsive to determining that the application container does not include the minimum version of the library: retrieving an instance of the library with a version that is greater than or equal to the minimum version; installing the instance of the library in the container runtime of the application container; and executing the application using the instance of the library in the container.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application, determining a current user of the computing device, and determining a reset state of the application. The method may also include generating, based on the current user of the computing device, the reset state, and an application identifier for the application, a unique identifier that does not include personally identifiable information for the current user, sending, to an application service provider, the unique identifier and one or more requests for information, and, responsive to sending the one or more request for information, receiving, from the application service provider, state information associated with the current user and for the application.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application; responsive to determining that an application container for maintaining installable sub-packages of the application is allocated in memory of the computing device, determining, by a container runtime of the application container, one or more dependencies of the application; retrieving, by the container runtime, the one or more dependencies; and responsive to retrieving the one or more dependencies, executing, by the application container, the application.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes, receiving, by a supervisor component, a request to execute particular functionality of an application; responsive to determining that an application container for maintaining installable sub-packages of the application is not allocated, retrieving an application definition from a first remote computing system; responsive to allocating the application container, initiating, based at least in part on a user-specified identifier of the request, the particular functionality of the application; responsive to determining, by the application container, based at least in part on the application definition and the user-specified identifier, that an installable sub-package for the particular functionality is not stored at the computing device, retrieving, by the application container, the installable sub-package that includes a plurality of executable components; and executing, by the application container and using the plurality of executable components, the particular functionalit

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application, determining a current user of the computing device, and determining a reset state of the application. The method may also include generating, based on the current user of the computing device, the reset state, and an application identifier for the application, a unique identifier that does not include personally identifiable information for the current user, sending, to an application service provider, the unique identifier and one or more requests for information, and, responsive to sending the one or more request for information, receiving, from the application service provider, state information associated with the current user and for the application.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application, and determining, by the supervisor component, whether any application container is currently allocated for the application. The method may also include, responsive to determining that an application container is currently allocated for the application: activating, by the supervisory, the application container currently allocated for the application, and executing, by the application container for the application, the application, and, responsive to terminating execution of the application, deactivating, by the supervisor component, the application container for the application.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application; responsive to determining that an application container for maintaining installable sub-packages of the application is allocated in memory of the computing device, determining, by a container runtime of the application container, one or more dependencies of the application; retrieving, by the container runtime, the one or more dependencies; and responsive to retrieving the one or more dependencies, executing, by the application container, the application.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application; responsive to determining that an application container for maintaining installable sub-packages of the application is allocated in memory of the computing device, determining, by a container runtime of the application container, one or more dependencies of the application; retrieving, by the container runtime, the one or more dependencies; and responsive to retrieving the one or more dependencies, executing, by the application container, the application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for distributing content items to a handheld device using a personal computer. A user can browse and select content using a personal computer or other computer that may be more readily available or more convenient to use than the handheld device. The personal computer can communicate with a web server which receives the user's request for content to be distributed to the handheld device. The web server can retrieve configuration information pertaining to the handheld device and communicate with a content server to determine whether the user's request for content distribution is valid based on information identifying the handheld device and at least some of the configuration information pertaining to the handheld device. The content server can transmit the requested content item to the handheld device if the user's request is valid and if the handheld device is able to receive the content item.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methodologies for server-controlled throttling of client to server requests in order to improve client-server communication performance. Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods that provide routines for real-time monitoring of requests originating from client devices, for analyzing the characteristics of the requests, for developing protocols for managing requests within a client-server infrastructure, and for facilitating client adherence to the developed protocols. The systems and methods contemplated by the present invention involve means for monitoring the requests received by servers from client devices, means for analyzing the characteristics of the requests, means for developing client-server communication protocols intended to improve client-server communication performance, and means for delivering the protocols to a plurality of client devices.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving an indication that a first activity has occurred. The first activity is associated with a uniform resource identifier (URI) that specifies at least one web page. The method also includes identifying an application that is associated with the URI using a registry that associates particular URIs with particular applications, retrieving, using the identified application, content associated with the URI, displaying the content or information derived from the content in a first format that is not controlled by a second format specified by a markup language of the at least one web page.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes a system accessing an image, which may comprise covered and uncovered portions, and an overlay image comprising opaque pixels. The covered portion may be configured to be covered by the opaque pixels of the overlay image. The system may generate a data structure comprising data elements associated with pixels of the image. Each of the data elements associated with a covered pixel in the covered portion of the image may be configured to identify an uncovered pixel in the uncovered portion of the image that is closest to the covered pixel. Each covered pixel in the covered portion of the image may be modified by accessing the data element associated with the covered pixel, determining a distance between the covered pixel and an associated closest uncovered pixel using the accessed data element, and modifying a color of the covered pixel based on the distance.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes, receiving, by a supervisor component, a request to execute particular functionality of an application; responsive to determining that an application container for maintaining installable sub-packages of the application is not allocated, retrieving an application definition from a first remote computing system; responsive to allocating the application container, initiating, based at least in part on a user-specified identifier of the request, the particular functionality of the application; responsive to determining, by the application container, based at least in part on the application definition and the user-specified identifier, that an installable sub-package for the particular functionality is not stored at the computing device, retrieving, by the application container, the installable sub-package that includes a plurality of executable components; and executing, by the application container and using the plurality of executable components, the particular functionalit

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes, receiving, by a supervisor component, a request to execute particular functionality of an application; responsive to determining that an application container for maintaining installable sub-packages of the application is not allocated, retrieving an application definition from a first remote computing system; responsive to allocating the application container, initiating, based at least in part on a user-specified identifier of the request, the particular functionality of the application; responsive to determining, by the application container, based at least in part on the application definition and the user-specified identifier, that an installable sub-package for the particular functionality is not stored at the computing device, retrieving, by the application container, the installable sub-package that includes a plurality of executable components; and executing, by the application container and using the plurality of executable components, the particular functionalit

Abstract: A client (e.g., an eReader) receives and displays a sample version of content to a user retrieved from a store server. The sample version is a subset of the full version of the content. The client determines a location in the sample content in which to insert a buy page that allows the user to purchase the full version. The buy page may be inserted at a location that minimizes the time the user spends waiting for the full version to be installed on the client. The client uses one or more locating factors to determine the location. The user may interact with the buy page inserted at the determined location to purchase the full version of the content. The client interacts with the store server to conduct the purchase transaction, and seamlessly transitions the user from the sample to the full version of the content.

Abstract: The subject matter of this disclosure can be implemented in, among other things, a method. In these examples, the method includes selecting for analysis by a computing device, an executable application, and identifying a group of application programming interfaces (APIs) utilized by the application when the application is executed. The method may also identifying a group of related applications that are each related to the application based on the group of APIs utilized by the application, wherein each related application of the group of related applications utilizes one or more APIs of the group of APIs utilized by the application.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a supervisor component executing at a computing device, a request to execute an application, and determining, by the supervisor component, whether any application container is currently allocated for the application. The method may also include, responsive to determining that an application container is currently allocated for the application: activating, by the supervisory, the application container currently allocated for the application, and executing, by the application container for the application, the application, and, responsive to terminating execution of the application, deactivating, by the supervisor component, the application container for the application.