Abstract: A computer-implemented technique for context-based application invocation for short-range wireless communication interactions can include exchanging sets of information between first and second computing devices via a short-range wireless communication medium. The set of information for a specific computing device can include at least one of (i) device type information for the specific computing device and (ii) user information for the specific computing device. The techniques can include performing, at one of the computing devices, at least one of a plurality of actions based on the set of information received from the other computing device. The plurality of actions can generally include (a) automatically configuring another wireless communication medium and (b) outputting a menu configured to receive a user selection from a set of operations associated with at least one of the short-range wireless communication medium and the other wireless communication medium.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for moving between delay sensing and packet loss based congestion control states. In connection with communicating over a network by sending and receiving data, one or more network devices automatically selects between a first and a second congestion control state for the sending and receiving of the data based a predetermined algorithm. The devices move between the first and the second congestion control states to maintain a bit rate associated with the sending and receiving at a predetermined threshold according to the predetermined algorithm.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system may promote points of interest (POIs) for display on a digital map at a client computing device based on context information associated with a user. Location data from a client computing device may indicate a geographic location of the computing device. Using the location data, the system may determine a user classification indicating a degree of familiarity with the location indicated by the location data. Promotion data may be determined based on the location data and the user classification. The promotion data may indicate one or more sets of POIs to be promoted. The system may then send the determined promotion data to the client computing device, enabling display on the client computing device of the one or more indicated sets of POIs.

Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method is provided for multi-party auctioning of map content, the method including identifying a first region on a map, determining one or more special bids for one or more map features associated with a location within the first region, determining one or more bids for one or more contents to be placed on the first region, the one or more contents comprising one or more of one or more advertisements or one or more map features, selecting a set of content to be displayed on the first region of the map based at least in part on the one or more special bids and one or more bids, the set of content including one or more of one or more advertisements or one or more map features and rendering the first region of the map including the set of content.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to identifying content accessed on a computing device that is likely actionable on another computing device. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for identifying a computing device of a user, identifying content accessed on another computing device by the user, determining content that is actionable on the computing device, determining a confidence level that the actionable content is of interest to the user, and providing the actionable content for use on the computing device if the confidence level satisfies a threshold. The confidence level may be based on an indication of time passage between the user accessing the content on the other computing device and the identified use of the computing device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a search query from a searching user, defining a set of users based on the query, the set of users being a sub-set of a super-set of users and including one or more users that have submitted queries that are determined to correspond to the search query, providing an electronic document comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to display a search results page including search results responsive to the search query and a connection interface, the connection interface displaying at least one indication of users of the set of users, and transmitting the electronic document to a computing device associated with the searching user.

Abstract: System and method for determining a first location of a network accessible device from a location associated with a content item provider when a content item is displayed thereon. A second location of the network accessible device from the location associated with the content item provider is also determined during a predetermined amount of time after the content item is displayed on the network accessible device. The method and system can also operate to determine data responsive to a change in distance between the first location and the second location. The data can then be provided a status value to be used by the content item selector.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selecting an audience for content are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, from a content item provider, a request to distribute content items to users that have been deemed interested in a particular entity. First users that have expressed an interest in the particular entity are identified. Expansion entities for the particular entity are identified in a knowledge graph. At least one of the expansion entities can be connected to the particular entity by a relationship path. Second users are identified. The second users are deemed interested in the particular entity based on the second users having expressed an interest in an expansion entity. The content items are provided to at least a portion of the first users and at least a portion of the second users.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for low latency server-side redirection of User Datagram Protocol (UDP)-based transport protocols traversing a client-side Network Address Translation (NAT) are provided. At a first server, a request for directing a data resource to a client may be received. The request may be received from the client or a back-end server trying to push the data resource to the client. The first server may lack the data resource or the resources to provide the data resource to the client. A second server may be determined for responding to the request. The request may be redirected to the second server. The first server may provide for the second server to connect to the client and directly respond to the request. The second server may have not been previously connected to the client.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for obtaining search results that are responsive to a received query received from a user, identifying one or more topics associated with the query, determining that social annotations are to be displayed in a search results page based on at least one topic of the one or more topics and data associated with the user, and in response: providing an electronic document including instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to display an enhanced search results page comprising the search results and one or more social annotations, and transmitting the electronic document to a computing device associated with the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for entity-based searching with content selection include receiving a search query and determining that the search query corresponds to a search entity. The search entity may be associated with an online action, thereby forming an entity-action pair. Auction parameters that specify the entity-action pair may be used to select third-party content. A visual layout for the third-party content may be generated based on the relationship between a search query and the entity-action pair and used as part of the presentation of the third-party content on a search result screen.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing content items to a network accessible device responsive to a rotational orientation of the device. In accordance with some embodiments, a first rotational orientation of a display screen of the network accessible device is identified. A first content item is transferred across a network for display on the screen in said first orientation responsive to a request from the device. A change of the display screen to a different, second rotation orientation is detected. A second content item for display on the screen in said second rotational orientation is transferred across the network to the device responsive to said change of the display screen to the second orientation.

Abstract: A method of processing optical signals in a passive optical network includes receiving a first signal in a first optical spectrum, and receiving a second signal in a second optical spectrum. The second optical spectrum is different from the first optical spectrum. The method also includes multiplexing the first and second signals into a first multiplexed signal and outputting the first multiplexed signal. The method also includes receiving a second multiplexed signal, and demultiplexing the second multiplexed signal into a third signal and a fourth signal. The third signal is in the second optical spectrum and the fourth signal is in the first optical spectrum. The method also includes outputting the third and fourth signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods for entity-based searching with content selection include receiving a search query and determining that the search query corresponds to a search entity. The search entity may be associated with an online action, thereby forming an entity-action pair. Auction parameters that specify the entity-action pair may be used to select third-party content. Search results based on the search query, the search entity, and the selected third-party content may be provided for presentation as part of a search result screen.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes providing a post generated by a first user for display to one or more other users of the site, receiving an indication of a request from a second user of one or more other users to suggest auxiliary content relating to at least one of one or more items represented in the post, providing a suggestion mechanism to the second user on the page displaying the post to allow the second user to provide auxiliary content relating to the at least one of the one or more items, receiving a suggestion from the second user including the auxiliary content, providing the auxiliary content for display to the first user and providing the first user with a mechanism for viewing the auxiliary content.

Abstract: A method and/or system for reliable content recommendations may include receiving, from an electronic device, a request for one or more content recommendations. An indicator associated with the electronic device may be determined. A history of interactions, wherein the interactions may be associated with the indicator, may also be determined. One or more entity root certificates may be determined based on the history of interactions. Based on the one or more entity root certificates, one or more entities may be determined. One or more recommended content items may be determined, where the one or more recommended content items may be associated with the one or more entities. Content recommendation data may be communicated, to the electronic device, where the content recommendation data may comprises data related to the one or more recommended content items.

Abstract: A system and method for crowdsourcing user-provided brand identifiers and distributing content based on crowd-sourced identifiers is provided. Different user-provided brand identifiers are extracted from messages provided by users of a social network. The identifiers are aggregated into two or more aggregate identity groups. When a brand identifier associated with a user request for content is determined to be in at least one of the aggregate identity groups, content items comprising one or more other brand identifiers of the at least one aggregate identity group are provided to the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for classifying voice inputs. The methods, systems, and apparatus include actions of providing an answer to a first voice input from a user and receiving visual or audio data corresponding to a second voice input. Further actions include classifying the second voice input as a follow on request to the first voice input or as deliberation on the answer, based on the visual data or the audio data. Additionally, the actions include determining whether to provide a response to the second voice input based on the classification of the second voice input.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving an indication of a user request to view content at a social networking site, identifying one or more genres associated with the user, where each genre acts as proxy for a grouping of content that is of interest to the user, determining one or more entities mapped to the one or more genres, identifying a plurality of posts associated with the one or more entities and providing one or more of the plurality of posts for display to the user in response to receiving the indication. Other aspects can be embodied in corresponding systems and apparatus, including computer program products.

Abstract: A method and/or system for screenshot orientation detection may include performing an initial optical character recognition (OCR) and/or an initial face recognition technique on a screenshot of an application. A determination of whether the screenshot orientation is correct may be made based on, for example, the initial OCR and/or the initial face recognition technique. In an event when the screenshot orientation is not correct, a determination of a correct screenshot orientation may be made. In this regard, the screenshot may be rotated (e.g., by a predetermined number of degrees). A subsequent OCR and/or a subsequent face recognition technique may be performed on the rotated screenshot. A determination may be made whether the screenshot orientation of the rotated screenshot is correct based on, for example, the subsequent OCR and/or the subsequent face recognition technique.