Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for storing small volumes of data within a grid-scale storage system. The method includes creating a container within a storage disk. The method includes distributing data evenly between storage disks. A partition is created within the container. Data is received and stored in the partition, wherein the partition is at least as large as the data. The method may also include setting an offset associated with the partition to allow for partition expansion.

Abstract: Approaches presented herein enable challenge-response authentication of a user based on information captured by a personal internet of things (IoT) device set associated with the user. Specifically, in one approach, a personal IoT device set comprising at least one device records and stores data associated with a user. The data is synchronized and stored to a computerized authentication system, which prompts the user with an authentication question based on the synchronized and stored data. The user may find an answer to the authentication question by reviewing data recorded and stored in the device of the personal IoT device set. The user may then enter the found answer to the authentication question, thereby authenticating the user. The personal IoT device set may comprise a single device or may comprise a plurality of devices, the information of one of which may be selected as the basis of the authentication question.

Abstract: A trigger can relate to power usage of a computing device that a computer program to be run or running on the computing device causes. Detection of the trigger causes performance of a power-saving action. The power-saving action relates to the computer program to reduce the power usage of the computing device. The power-saving action is a strictly software-oriented action. An amount of power of the computing device used in detecting the trigger and performing the power-saving action is less than a reduction of the power usage of the computing device that results from performing the power-saving action, resulting in a net power usage reduction.

Abstract: An aspect of providing user-configurable settings for content obfuscation includes, for each media segment in a media file, inputting the media segment to a neural network, applying a classifier to features output by the neural network, and determining from results of the classifier images in the media segment that contain the sensitive characteristics. The classifier specifies images that are predetermined to include sensitive characteristics. An aspect further includes assigning a tag to each of the images in the media segment that contain the sensitive characteristics. The tag indicates a type of sensitivity. An aspect also includes receiving at least one user-defined sensitivity, the user-defined sensitivity indicating an action or condition that is considered objectionable to a user, identifying a subset of the tagged images that correlate to the user-defined sensitivity, and visually modifying, during playback of the media file, an appearance of the subset of the tagged images.

Abstract: A trigger can relate to power usage of a computing device that a computer program to be run or running on the computing device causes. Detection of the trigger causes performance of a power-saving action. The power-saving action relates to the computer program to reduce the power usage of the computing device. The power-saving action is a strictly software-oriented action. An amount of power of the computing device used in detecting the trigger and performing the power-saving action is less than a reduction of the power usage of the computing device that results from performing the power-saving action, resulting in a net power usage reduction.

Abstract: A current email addressed to an email address of a user account associated with a user can be received by an automated reply service with an automated reply enabled. The automated reply can include an automated reply notification. A current context of the current email can be compared to a previously established monitored reply history of the user to determine a normal reply to the email. A risk assessment can be applied to the default automated reply notification and the normal reply of the current email with weighting for current email aspects including urgency, recipients, sender, subject, and information in an automated reply notification. An action can be performed to the default automated reply notification based on the risk assessment.

Abstract: Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include configuring a mapping table to store mappings between logical and physical storage regions on one or more storage devices, and configuring recent and stable lists to store physical region numbers for non-mapped physical storage regions. A request is received to delete, from the mapping table, a given mapping including a given physical storage region, and the metadata indicating the given physical storage region is stored to a recent list stored in the memory. When the mapping table is destaged from the memory to a given storage device, the metadata is moved from the recent list to a stable list stored in the memory. Upon receiving a mapping request, a physical storage region is allocated from the stable list. If the recent list is empty, then the physical storage region is allocated from the recent list.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining performance shortfall in a storage system includes recording a log of I/O operations of a storage system, wherein each I/O operation includes associated operational parameters. The method prepares the storage system to perform a replay of a performance shortfall that occurred during a specified time frame. The method performs the replay on the storage system based at least on the log of I/O operations and the I/O operations' associated operational parameters for the specified time frame. The method identifies a cause for the performance shortfall during the specified time frame based at least on the difference between I/O performance measures of the replay and I/O performance measures for the specified time frame.

Abstract: An approach includes contacting a predefined contact information when a mobile device, which is password protected, is lost and subsequently found. The approach includes receiving an activation event predefined for a specified password protected mobile device, and receiving predefined contact information stored in the mobile device while the mobile device remains password protected, upon the receipt of the activation event.

Abstract: A security method that includes assigning a sensitivity value for a communication with a sensitivity determining module including at least one hardware processor. Following assignment of the sensitivity value to the communication, the communication is formatted for display. When sensitivity value exceeds a security threshold, the communication is parsed into a sequence of fragments. The communication is transmitted as the sequence of fragments when said sensitivity value exceeds the security threshold.

Abstract: A security method that includes assigning a sensitivity value for a communication with a sensitivity determining module including at least one hardware processor. Following assignment of the sensitivity value to the communication, the communication is formatted for display. When sensitivity value exceeds a security threshold, the communication is parsed into a sequence of fragments. The communication is transmitted as the sequence of fragments when said sensitivity value exceeds the security threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for storing small volumes of data within a grid-scale storage system. The method includes creating a container within a storage disk. The method includes distributing data evenly between storage disks. A partition is created within the container. Data is received and stored in the partition, wherein the partition is at least as large as the data. The method may also include setting an offset associated with the partition to allow for partition expansion.

Abstract: An approach for authentication is provided. The approach performs identifying, by one or more computer processors, an account attempting to access striped data. The approach performs identifying, by one or more computer processors, one or more computing devices that are associated with the account. The approach performs determining, by one or more computer processors, a distance from a first computing device of the identified one or more computing devices to a second computing device of the identified one or more computing devices. The approach performs determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the distance from the first computing device to the second computing device is within a threshold proximity. The approach further grants or denies access to striped data based on threshold proximity being met or exceeded.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for synchronizing data to update backup files. In one embodiment, data associated with files to be synchronized is sent to a second computer system by a first computers system. The second computer system matches data associated with the files to be synchronized to a database, and the first computer system determines differences between an old and new version of the files to be synchronized and creates a backup of the files. The backup of the files is stored in a storage device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for synchronizing data to update backup files. In one embodiment, data associated with files to be synchronized is sent to a second computer system by a first computers system. The second computer system matches data associated with the files to be synchronized to a database, and the first computer system determines differences between an old and new version of the files to be synchronized and creates a backup of the files. The backup of the files is stored in a storage device.

Abstract: A first electronic device can receive an identifying signal broadcast from a second electronic device located within a wireless communication range of the first electronic device, and in response, establish a first, local electronic communication path between the first and second electronic devices. The first electronic device can then receive a set of status data from the second electronic device over the local electronic communication path. The first electronic device can then establish a second, remote electronic communication path to a remote server and subsequently transmit, over the remote electronic communication path, the status data from the second electronic device along with status data from the first electronic device.

Abstract: A method to create and store at least one challenge question transformation (CQT) is provided. The method may include receiving an access query to a user interface associated with a password-recovery challenge question. The method may also include associating the at least one stored CQT with the password-recovery challenge question. The method may further include retrieving the associated CQT from a storage repository.

Abstract: Solutions are provided that use shared scan phases and scan output for various file-level incremental data analysis systems. In one embodiment, a shared scan phase is initiated for a plurality of files in a file system. During the shared scan phase, one or more rules are applied to the files in the file system to identify files on which to perform one or more operations. Shared scan output is created that includes information describing the identified files and operations to be performed on the identified files. Embodiments of the present invention can reduce the amount of time and computing resources that would otherwise be consumed by performing separate walkthroughs of a file system during separate scan phases.

Abstract: In a method for dynamically highlighting repetitive text in electronic documents, obtaining one or more user preferences related to a user reading an electronic document. The method further includes determining whether the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, wherein a repetitive text association is data that provides one or more indications of repetitive text segments interspersed within a document. In response to determining that the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, the method further includes identifying one or more repetitive text segments in the electronic document corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations and determining a time duration expended by the user reading an instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document.

Abstract: In a method for dynamically highlighting repetitive text in electronic documents, obtaining one or more user preferences related to a user reading an electronic document. The method further includes determining whether the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, wherein a repetitive text association is data that provides one or more indications of repetitive text segments interspersed within a document. In response to determining that the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, the method further includes identifying one or more repetitive text segments in the electronic document corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations and determining a time duration expended by the user reading an instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document.