Abstract: Features are disclosed for facilitating content consumption and communication among a group of users. A content consumption group may be formed including any number of users, and content may be selected. Group members may consume roughly the same portion of the content at roughly the same time and share the consumption experience regardless of geographic location, user device, content format, on-demand consumption preferences, and the like. Policies may be defined or selected regarding the rate of content consumption, the communications and other inputs that may be submitted by group members, and the like. A shared content consumption management system may receive data from various user devices regarding each group member's current content consumption position, enforce group policies, and distribute group inputs. Group members may also communication in real time through various chats and other interactive features.

Abstract: Items of content may be available in any of a number of versions. Major aspects of each content version, such as overall plot and major characters, may generally overlap. However, minor aspects, such as level of description, minor characters, or sub-plots may vary between versions. Accordingly, systems and methods are provided for managing playback of multiple content versions, and enabling users to switch between such content versions. In some embodiments, a playback path including portions of multiple content versions may be provided, such that a user may consume only desired portions of each content version. In other embodiments, a determined playback path may be utilized to create a customized content version, which may be provided to a user.

Abstract: Base items of content may be conveyed by a user computing device. These base items of content may be enhanced with enhancement content, such as sounds, songs, video clips, animations, images, multimedia content, and the like. Characteristics and enhancement objects may be identified in a portion of the base item of content, and enhancement content may be assigned to that portion automatically by a content enhancement service. In one embodiment, enhancement sounds or songs may be provided and conveyed to enhance an audiobook or electronic book.

Abstract: Base items of content may be conveyed by a user computing device. These base items of content may be enhanced with enhancement content, such as sounds, songs, video clips, animations, images, multimedia content, and the like. Characteristics and enhancement objects may be identified in a portion of the base item of content, and enhancement content may be assigned to that portion automatically by a content enhancement service. In one embodiment, enhancement sounds or songs may be provided and conveyed to enhance an audiobook or electronic book.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide techniques for sharing network service access credentials among multiple devices that share a common user or are associated in a device group. After connecting to a network service (e.g., a wireless network, wired network, or web site), a first device can upload the credentials used to access the network service to a cloud-hosted credential service. The credential service can store the credentials and associate them with the first device and/or its user. Later, a second device can log in to the credential service and receive a download of one or more sets of credentials to enable access to one or more network services that are authorized for the second device. Various embodiments include a credential management interface to enable an authorized user to manage device/network service pairings, permissions, and/or restrictions for network service access.

Abstract: A content alignment service may generate content synchronization information to facilitate the synchronous presentation of audio content and textual content. In some embodiments, a region of the textual content whose correspondence to the audio content is uncertain may be analyzed to determine whether the region of textual content corresponds to one or more words that are audibly presented in the audio content, or whether the region of textual content is a mismatch with respect to the audio content. In some embodiments, words in the textual content that correspond to words in the audio content are synchronously presented, while mismatched words in the textual content may be skipped to maintain synchronous presentation. Accordingly, in one example application, an audiobook is synchronized with an electronic book, so that as the electronic book is displayed, corresponding words of the audiobook are audibly presented.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for identifying multiple users contending for use of a shared media device with which to present a content item. Users may be detected by the shared media device or a management component, and each user may have previously begun and stopped consumption at a different point within the content item. When multiple users wish to consume the content, a component or module determines which presentation position to use, or creates a new presentation position for use. In cases in which not all users have begun consuming or wish to consume the same content item, a component or module determines which content item to present.

Abstract: A content processing service may analyze an item of original content and identify several objects, attributes of those objects, and relationships between those objects present in the item of original content. The content processing service may also analyze a source graph, such as a social graph or supplemental graph, and identify several objects, attributes of those objects, and relationships between those objects present in the source graph. The content processing service may customize the item of original content by selecting an original object and selecting a source graph object. One or more of the attributes or relationships of the selected original object in the item of original content may be replaced by one or more of the attributes or relationships of the selected source graph object, thereby forming an item of modified content.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for graphically representing associations between one or more stories and one or more referents of interest. In some embodiments, a score may be determined for each of a set of stories based at least in part on a number of associations between the given story and one or more referents of interest. A graphical representation of the stories may then be presented for display. The graphical representation may include indicia, where each indicium graphically indicates the strength of association between a given story and the one or more referents of interest. The strength of association for a given story may be determined, for example, based at least in part on the determined score for the story.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to managing licenses for playback of digital content. A license management device may create licenses that determine the number of playback devices that can be authorized by the license. Each license may be included in a corresponding digital content. In addition, each license may be distributed to a set of playback devices. Thereafter, a playback device may playback digital content that includes a license when the playback device stores a matching license. A single license can be used to provide authorization to play digital content from multiple sources and/or multiple types of content. Playback devices can store multiple licenses, which allows playback devices to belong to multiple sets of playback devices authorized to playback various digital content. In one embodiment digital content files can contain multiple licenses to allow the content files to be shared by multiple sets of playback devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enabling a user to associate a story with one or more referents. In some embodiments, information representing a first version of a story may be caused to be displayed, and in the display of information representing the first version of the story, a user may be enabled to associate a referent with a first point in the first version of the story, where the referent is at least one of an event, a character, an object, a subject, a time, a place and a person. In some embodiments, the referent may be automatically associated with a second point in a second version of the story based at least in part on a point map associated with the first version of the story and the second version of the story.

Abstract: A computing device may provide a control interface that enables the user to manage the synchronized output of companion content (e.g., textual content and corresponding audio content). For example, the computing device may display a visual cue to identify a current location in textual content corresponding to a current output position of companion audio content. As the audio content is presented, the visual cue may be advanced to maintain synchronization between the output position within the audio content and a corresponding position in the textual content. The computing device may adjust the speed at which the audio content is presented and the visual cue is advanced based at least in part on an input corresponding to the user's performance on a task (e.g., a speed on an exercise machine).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for displaying relationships between stories. In some embodiments, a plurality of referents that are each related to a first story may be caused to be displayed, where a referent is at least one of an event, a character, an object, a subject, a time, a place and a person. A user may be enabled to select one of the plurality of referents in order to view identification information identifying at least one other story, where the other story is also associated with the selected referent. In response to user selection of one of the plurality of referents, identification information identifying the at least one other story that is associated with the selected referent may be caused to be displayed.

Abstract: A computing device may provide a control interface that enables the user to manage the synchronized output of companion content (e.g., textual content and corresponding audio content). For example, the computing device may display a visual cue to identify a current location in textual content corresponding to a current output position of companion audio content. As the audio content is presented, the visual cue may be advanced to maintain synchronization between the output position within the audio content and a corresponding position in the textual content. The user may control the synchronized output by dragging her finger across the textual content displayed on the touch screen. Accordingly, the control interface may provide a highlight or other visual indication of the distance between the advancing position in the textual content and the location of a pointer to the textual content indicated by the current position of the user's finger.

Abstract: A content processing service may analyze an item of original content and identify several objects, attributes of those objects, and relationships between those objects present in the item of original content. The content processing service may also analyze a source graph, such as a social graph or supplemental graph, and identify several objects, attributes of those objects, and relationships between objects present in the source graph. The content processing service may customize the item of original content by selecting an original object and selecting a source graph object. One or more of the attributes or relationships of the selected original object in the item of original content may be replaced by one or more of the attributes or relationships of the selected source graph object. To customize items of audio content, audio content associated with the source graph object may replace audio content associated with the target graph object.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the sharing of synchronization information corresponding to content among devices in a communication network. An originating device collects synchronization information related to the presentation of content to a user via the originating device. The synchronization information is defined according to reference points related to the presentation of the content to the user via the originating device, including a current state of the presentation of the content and/or additional information obtained during the presentation of the content. Based on detection of a synchronization event, the originating device transmits the collected synchronization information, resulting in the receipt of the synchronization information by one or more receiving devices. Thereafter, the presentation of the content to the user on one of the receiving devices can incorporate the synchronization information collected and transmitted by the originating device.

Abstract: A content exchange service facilitates communication between, and production of content by, holders of rights in content titles and producers of content. The content exchange service receives content profiles from various rights holders and surfaces the content profiles to producers for purposes of soliciting auditions to produce the content subject of the content profiles in an alternative form. The rights holder can review the auditions submitted by producers and establish communication with the producer of the audition the rights holder liked via the content exchange service. The content exchange service can then facilitate negotiation of an agreement between the rights holder and the producer for production of the content in an alternative form. Following finalization of the agreement, the producer may submit a complete production of the content in the alternative form to the content exchange service, which in turn presents the complete production to the rights holder for approval.

Abstract: Generally described, a content alignment service may generate content synchronization information to facilitate the synchronous presentation of corresponding audio content and textual content. In some embodiments, portions of body text (as opposed to front matter, such as a table of contents; or back matter, such as an index) in the textual content are identified and synchronized with corresponding audio content. In one example application, an audiobook may be synchronized with an electronic book. As the body text portions of the electronic book are consumed, corresponding words of the audiobook may be audibly presented.

Abstract: A content alignment service may generate content synchronization information to facilitate the synchronous presentation of audio content and textual content. In some embodiments, a region of the textual content whose correspondence to the audio content is uncertain may be analyzed to determine whether the region of textual content corresponds to one or more words that are audibly presented in the audio content, or whether the region of textual content is a mismatch with respect to the audio content. In some embodiments, words in the textual content that correspond to words in the audio content are synchronously presented, while mismatched words in the textual content may be skipped to maintain synchronous presentation. Accordingly, in one example application, an audiobook is synchronized with an electronic book, so that as the electronic book is displayed, corresponding words of the audiobook are audibly presented.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for graphically representing associations between one or more points in a story and one or more referents of interest. In some embodiments, a score may be determined for each of a set of points in a story based at least in part on a number of associations between the given point in the story and one or more referents of interest. A graphical representation of the points in the story may then be presented for display. The graphical representation may include indicia, where each indicium graphically indicates the strength of association between a given point in the story and the one or more referents of interest. The strength of association for a given point in the story may be determined, for example, based at least in part on the determined score for the point.