Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for providing personal assistant information. For example, a primary device (e.g., a smart phone) may establish a communication channel with a secondary device (e.g., a television that lacks digital personal assistant functionality). The primary device may receive a context associated with a user (e.g., a user statement “show weather on my television”). The primary device, which may be enabled with the digital personal assistant functionality or access to such functionality, may invoke the digital personal assistant functionality to evaluate the context to generate a personal assistant result (e.g., local weather information). The personal assistant result may be provided from the primary device to the secondary device for presentation to the user. In this way, the secondary device appears to provide digital personal assistant functionality even though the secondary device does not comprise or have access to such functionality.

Abstract: A mold for making dry cast concrete blocks includes a pair of vertical shoulder forming sections, one along each of the opposite sides of the mold to form vertical front shoulders of a block. Each shoulder forming section has a shoulder roughening arrangement to result in molded, roughened shoulders of the block. Methods of making such blocks and the resulting block are included.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and program product are provided to optimize film cooling performance for turbomachinery components. A design space is defined by selecting process variables and limits. A random initial population of a plurality of designs is provided using Latin hypersquare sampling, varying the process variables across the design space. Each design of the plurality of designs is evaluated. A fitness function value is determined based on a performance of each of the evaluated designs of the plurality of designs. A half of the plurality of designs having higher fitness function values is selected. Designs of the selected half of the plurality of designs are randomly paired to generate two new designs from each random pair of designs forming a plurality of new designs.

Abstract: Inference based event notification techniques are described. In one or more implementations, user preferences are inferred based on monitored interaction of the user with at least one computing device. One or more events are located that correspond to the inferred user preferences and are likely to be available to the user based on an examination of a calendar of the user that is performed automatically and without user intervention. An option is output in a user interface that is selectable by a user to obtain credentials to attend the located one or more events.

Abstract: Spacers and a spacing strip for use in an outer wall of a building between the outer vertical surface of its underlying structure and the inner surface of siding through which the siding is nailed to the underlying structure to provide a ventilation space between the rear surface of the siding and the outer surface of the underlying structure. Ventilation channels can be provided at both the lower and upper ends of the ventilation space to facilitate movement of air to the atmosphere from such a ventilation space.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for diagnosing and optimizing an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) network are disclosed. In one aspect a method includes receiving a network address of a device; detecting a network topology associated with the device based on the network address of the device; identifying a configuration parameter setting associated with the network topology that is outside of a range of acceptable configuration parameter settings for the network topology; and providing output specifying the configuration parameter setting that is outside of the range of acceptable configuration parameter settings.

Abstract: Oleophobic and/or philic surface(s) are utilized for oil separation, direction, and/or collection in a refrigeration system. Surfaces of component(s) of a refrigeration system (compressor, oil separator, evaporator, etc.) are produced to be oleophobic or philic. The oleophobic and/or philic surfaces are utilized to direct a flow path of oil within the refrigeration system or to prevent oil connection in an area. Refrigerant phobic and/or lubricant phobic material(s) also may be utilized to help promote separation of refrigerant vapor from refrigerant liquid and/or from oil in refrigeration systems.

Abstract: A mechanism for optimization of deployment of applications for activation in a multi-tenant Platform-as-Service (PaaS) system is disclosed. A method of the disclosure includes receiving, by a processing device, a request for deployment of an application source code on a node. The node is provided by the PaaS system. The method also includes implementing, by the processing device, a build, prepare and distribute functionality to convert the application source code into a build result prepared for distribution as a deployment artifact code. The method further includes implementing, by the processing device, a deployment functionality to activate the deployment artifact for the deployment in the node by not incurring downtime.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling gesture-based authentication without retained credentialing gestures. The techniques are capable of determining an identifier for a credentialing gesture where the identifier can be reproduced on receiving a similar authentication gesture at a later time. The identifier for the credentialing gesture can be encrypted, sent to a secure authentication entity, and then, when an authentication gesture is received, an identifier for the authentication gesture can also be determined, encrypted, and sent to the secure authentication entity. If the secure authentication entity determines that the encrypted identifiers match, the user is authenticated.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for automated straight-through processing in an electronic discovery system. Further, the embodiments described herein provide for electronic discovery processes, such as, but not limited to, data collection, barcoding, source-to-processing, quality control, third-party network data transfer and data analysis platform loading to be automatically initiated and performed in pipeline fashion. Once a process is completed on a dataset, the next process in the flow is automatically initiated unless exceptions are determined to exist. In addition, embodiments provide for prioritizing cases and conducting each process in the straight-through data processing based on the case prioritization.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a software architecture for simulation of physical entities. The invention provides an object-oriented container based framework architecture for simulator software implementations, methods, and objects in a time domain on a distributed computer network. The invention further provides an interface system and a plug-in definition which allows compartmentalization of participants in the container and easy extensibility of the system. The invention further provides a system and method for streaming video in a container-based architecture.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling gesture-based authentication without retained credentialing gestures. The techniques are capable of determining an identifier for a credentialing gesture where the identifier can be reproduced on receiving a similar authentication gesture at a later time. The identifier for the credentialing gesture can be encrypted, sent to a secure authentication entity, and then, when an authentication gesture is received, an identifier for the authentication gesture can also be determined, encrypted, and sent to the secure authentication entity. If the secure authentication entity determines that the encrypted identifiers match, the user is authenticated.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a picture signature password system may use a picture signature password to determine access to a computing device or service. A display screen 172 may display a personalized digital image 310. A user input device 160 may receive a user drawing set executed by a user over the personalized digital image 310. A processor 120 may authenticate access to the user session if the user drawing set matches a library drawing set associated with the user.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a software architecture for simulation of physical entities. The invention provides an object-oriented container-based framework architecture for simulator implementations, methods, and objects in a time domain on a distributed computer network and in field deployed units. The invention further provides an interface system and a plug-in definition which allows compartmentalization of participants in the container and easy extensibility of the system. A hierarchy of life-cycle containers having contained objects is disclosed. An object graph description is used by an assembly engine to construct an executable object graph including the hierarchy of life-cycle containers. Life-cycle containers can be implemented as LRU portable containers for field deployed units.

Abstract: A bicycle support that when attached to a vertical surface can support a wheel of a bicycle upright and support the bicycle upright with the wheels of the bicycle resting on a horizontal surface. The bicycle support has opposed projections having support parts between which the tire and rim of a bicycle can be received and supported, retaining parts to help retain the tire of the bicycle between the support parts, and guide parts for guiding a tire between the retaining parts and to a position between the support parts. The distance between the support parts is adjustable to support bike wheels with different width tires, and the projections are positioned at an angle with respect to the surface to which the bicycle support is attached that allows the entire bicycle engaged with the bicycle support to be positioned closely adjacent the surface to which the bicycle support is attached.

Abstract: An integrated truck and trailer power system comprises auxiliary power generation and storage devices mounted on a trailer, such as an array of solar panels mounted on the roof of the trailer and a storage battery mounted on the trailer, and switching devices for controlling flow of power there between and to an electrically powered HVAC system of the truck, whereby the truck can be maintained at a comfortable temperature by supply of power stored by the auxiliary power storage device.

Abstract: An apparatus (500) for fatigue testing elongate test articles (404) including wind turbine blades through forced or resonant excitation of the base (406) of the test articles (404). The apparatus (500) includes a testing platform or foundation (402). A blade support (410) is provided for retaining or supporting a base (406) of an elongate test article (404), and the blade support (410) is pivotally mounted on the testing platform (402) with at least two degrees of freedom of motion relative to the testing platform (402). An excitation input assembly (540) is interconnected with the blade support (410) and includes first and second actuators (444, 446, 541) that act to concurrently apply forces or loads to the blade support (410). The actuator forces are cyclically applied in first and second transverse directions. The test article (404) responds to shaking of its base (406) by oscillating in two, transverse directions (505, 507).

Abstract: A system and methodology facilitates the handling of oilfield materials in a space efficient manner. The oilfield materials are delivered without blowers to at least one modular silo. Each modular silo comprises an outer housing defining an enclosed interior. A vertical conveyor is positioned within the enclosed interior and is used to lift the oilfield material from a silo inlet to an upper portion of the modular silo without utilizing airflow to carry the oilfield materials. Once the oilfield materials are disposed within the upright modular silo, the outflow of oilfield materials through a silo outlet may be controlled so as to selectively release the desired amount of material into a blender or other suitable equipment.

Abstract: User experience adaptation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes a connection portion configured to be removably physically and communicatively with a computing device, a housing physically connected to the connection portion and providing an outer surface having one or more characteristics that are viewable by a user, and memory disposed within the housing and configured to communicate data to the computing device via the connection portion, the data usable by the computing device to dynamically adapt a user interface displayable by a display device of the computing device to mimic the one or more physical characteristics of the housing.

Abstract: Tools for accessing tissue are described for use with a locatable guide of a navigation system. In preferred embodiments, said tools are attachable to a distal tip of a locatable guide, such that the location of the tool, preferably in six degrees of freedom, is known while the tool is being used.