Abstract: A cloud-based personalization service utilizes a personalization model providing service users with tools to create, personalize, and manage their own user profiles, which are abstracted in the form of “personas,” that can learn from, and be shared across, different ecosystems of online services and applications. One or more personas may be locally instantiated on the user's various computing devices by a personalization system. The personalization service and system interoperate to enable users to set operating parameters, preferences, and content-filtering criteria for their personas. Users can strictly control the information and parameters that their personas expose to the services and applications to protect user privacy and enhance the quality of online interactions. The personalization model facilitates personalization of the user's personas to individual online services and applications based on context-awareness to further improve the relevance of delivered content and user experiences.

Abstract: A silicon flake comprising silicon in a sufficient quantity is inserted into the arc tube of a high-intensity, metal halide discharge lamp in order to avoid a substantial buildup of free halogen, thereby extending the useful life of the lamp.

Abstract: A protective coating of suitable composition and thickness is applied to the inner surface of the arc tube of a high-intensity, metal halide discharge lamp in order to avoid a substantial loss of the metallic component of the metal halide fill and hence a substantial buildup of free halogen, thereby extending the useful life of the lamp. A preferred lamp structure includes a fused silica arc tube with a silicon coating. The silicon coating is preferably applied to the arc tube using a chemical vapor deposition process.