Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprising receiving, on a server, an offer for sale from a computing device related to a retailer, the offer for sale including a description of an expiring commodity and a discounted price of the expiring commodity; identifying, by the server, one or more consumers as targeted consumers by comparing the offer for sale with purchase preferences previously provided by consumers; sending, from the server, a currently unsolicited notification to a computing device related to at least one of the targeted consumers, the currently unsolicited notification including information related to the offer for sale; and receiving, on the server, from the computing device related to the targeted consumer, a purchase indication related to the expiring commodity.

Abstract: An electronic platform and system for obtaining direct interaction with celebrities including a computer implemented and internet based system for conducting an involvement contest to win a personalized session to interact with a designated celebrity. The system identifies and categorizes different celebrities and announces a set of predetermined participating celebrities in each category. Users send in submissions including content of limited length and predetermined payment with each submission. The submissions are processed through a set of unique reviewing, grading, and selecting procedures to determine their eligibility. The submissions are filtered and graded by a computer-based filter and grading functional block and the graded messages are ranked and preselected based on the scores they were given. The final winner is based on the results of a manual selection process and is awarded an online interaction session with the selected celebrity for that contest.

Abstract: A bandwidth manager includes a bandwidth monitor for monitoring the available bandwidth of plural routes within the corresponding network. At least one primary, higher bandwidth link (HBL), and at least one secondary, lower bandwidth link (LBL) are monitored by the bandwidth monitor. When the bandwidth monitor determines that the primary, higher bandwidth link is experiencing a failure or a degradation in bandwidth (e.g., the link is performing at less than a threshold bandwidth), the bandwidth monitor notifies a call filter of the failure or degradation. In response, the call filter can deny additional voice channel requests unless the requests are for higher priority calls (e.g., calls to or from emergency services or emergency service answering points).