Abstract: Alternative representations are generated from a user's audible or visual data submission (e.g., user's picture) for use as part of an online account profile or user identification in an online service (e.g., online gaming user profile) or computer device. A specific representation is selected for use with the online account or computing device. Furthermore, a specific representation of the user's audible or visual data that is suitable for a particular display device (e.g., television, cellular telephone) can be generated and presented.

Abstract: Alternative representations are generated from a user's audible or visual data submission (e.g., user's picture) for use as part of an online account profile or user identification in an online service (e.g., online gaming user profile) or computer device. A specific representation is selected for use with the online account or computing device. Furthermore, a specific representation of the user's audible or visual data that is suitable for a particular display device (e.g., television, cellular telephone) can be generated and presented.

Abstract: The apparent speed with which a media work is ripped to copy the work into a visible store is substantially reduced. When the media work is played, its content is cached onto a persistent, fast access storage media. If the user subsequently decides to rip the media work, the content of the cache is copied to a visible store in substantially less time than would be required to play the media work and convert it. The user thus perceives that the media work is ripped in a substantially shorter time, compared to that required for ripping the media work in a conventional manner. The ripping process may encode or transform the format of the content to a desired format for use within the visible store. Constraints may be imposed by the user to limit the cache, or the caching process may be hidden from the user.

Abstract: The present invention is direct to a Live Network Explorer (LNE) which allows users to graphically navigate through a web of interconnected friends on a gaming console. The LNE provides a real-time graphical representation of friend-of-friend relationships, with the currently-viewed user as a visual node in the screen center. The center node is surrounded by nodes representing that user's friends. Real-time animation is used to represent transitions as the user navigates from person to person. The LNE also represents groups as a visual node in this graphically interconnected web so that the user can travel to a group that a person belongs to, and can see all the people inside the group by connections. The user can navigate to any of these people in the group. The user can click on a person to bring up their digital identity details.

Abstract: Alternative representations are generated from a user's audible or visual data submission (e.g., user's picture) for use as part of an online account profile or user identification in an online service (e.g., online gaming user profile) or computer device. A specific representation is selected for use with the online account or computing device. Furthermore, a specific representation of the user's audible or visual data that is suitable for a particular display device (e.g., television, cellular telephone) can be generated and presented.

Abstract: The apparent speed with which a media work is ripped to copy the work into a visible store is substantially reduced. When the media work is played, its content is cached onto a persistent, fast access storage media. If the user subsequently decides to rip the media work, the content of the cache is copied to a visible store in substantially less time than would be required to play the media work and convert it. The user thus perceives that the media work is ripped in a substantially shorter time, compared to that required for ripping the media work in a conventional manner. The ripping process may encode or transform the format of the content to a desired format for use within the visible store. Constraints may be imposed by the user to limit the cache, or the caching process may be hidden from the user.

Abstract: The apparent speed with which a media work is ripped to copy the work into a visible store is substantially reduced. When the media work is played, its content is cached onto a persistent, fast access storage media. If the user subsequently decides to rip the media work, the content of the cache is copied to a visible store in substantially less time than would be required to play the media work and convert it. The user thus perceives that the media work is ripped in a substantially shorter time, compared to that required for ripping the media work in a conventional manner. The ripping process may encode or transform the format of the content to a desired format for use within the visible store. Constraints may be imposed by the user to limit the cache, or the caching process may be hidden from the user.

Abstract: The apparent speed with which a media work is ripped to copy the work into a visible store is substantially reduced. When the media work is played, its content is cached onto a persistent, fast access storage media. If the user subsequently decides to rip the media work, the content of the cache is copied to a visible store in substantially less time than would be required to play the media work and convert it. The user thus perceives that the media work is ripped in a substantially shorter time, compared to that required for ripping the media work in a conventional manner. The ripping process may encode or transform the format of the content to a desired format for use within the visible store. Constraints may be imposed by the user to limit the cache, or the caching process may be hidden from the user.

Abstract: The apparent speed with which a media work is ripped to copy the work into a visible store is substantially reduced. When the media work is played, its content is cached onto a persistent, fast access storage media. If the user subsequently decides to rip the media work, the content of the cache is copied to a visible store in substantially less time than would be required to play the media work and convert it. The user thus perceives that the media work is ripped in a substantially shorter time, compared to that required for ripping the media work in a conventional manner. The ripping process may encode or transform the format of the content to a desired format for use within the visible store. Constraints may be imposed by the user to limit the cache, or the caching process may be hidden from the user.