Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for adaptively shrinking software. The software includes one or more adaptive features. A tracking facility tracks use of the adaptive features, and when it is determined that a given feature is unwanted or unnecessary in the software configuration preferred by a given user, a separation facility separates the feature from the rest of the software. The feature is then archived or deleted. In this manner, resources such as disk space are conserved, program load time and memory requirements are reduced, and user interfaces and supporting code are tailored to meet the needs of particular users.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for adaptively shrinking software. The software includes one or more adaptive features. A tracking facility tracks use of the adaptive features, and when it is determined that a given feature is unwanted or unnecessary in the software configuration preferred by a given user, a separation facility separates the feature from the rest of the software. The feature is then archived or deleted. In this manner, resources such as disk space are conserved, program load time and memory requirements are reduced, and user interfaces and supporting code are tailored to meet the needs of particular users.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for adaptively shrinking software. The software includes one or more adaptive features. A tracking facility tracks use of the adaptive features, and when it is determined that a given feature is unwanted or unnecessary in the software configuration preferred by a given user, a separation facility separates the feature from the rest of the software. The feature is then archived or deleted. In this manner, resources such as disk space are conserved, program load time and memory requirements are reduced, and user interfaces and supporting code are tailored to meet the needs of particular users.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for adaptively shrinking software. The software includes one or more adaptive features. A tracking facility tracks use of the adaptive features, and when it is determined that a given feature is unwanted or unnecessary in the software configuration preferred by a given user, a separation facility separates the feature from the rest of the software. The feature is then archived or deleted. In this manner, resources such as disk space are conserved, program load time and memory requirements are reduced, and user interfaces and supporting code are tailored to meet the needs of particular users.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and techniques for directing funds on behalf of a consumer to a specified account as a beneficial side-effect of a transaction that is primarily directed toward another goal, such as the purchase of merchandise or services. For instance, when the consumer purchases goods with a specified credit card, one version of the invention automatically directs an incremental amount to savings on behalf of the consumer, pursuant to an agreement previously made between the consumer and a facilitator. Under such an agreement, a specified percentage of the transaction or a flat amount per transaction is directed to a savings account, a mutual fund account, or another savings vehicle. The benefited savings vehicle is not necessarily owned by the consumer. The directed funds may be deposited on an annual basis, a threshold basis, or a one-deposit-per-transaction basis. Other variations are also described.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and techniques for providing users of devices with actual notice of patent rights by displaying applicable patents, or by allowing users to indicate they have previously reviewed those patents, or both, before permitting use of core features of the device.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and techniques for recreational facilities (100) in which medical screening (710) results are made known to facility patrons, thereby permitting better-informed recreational interactions. Facilities (100) may include medical screening regions (112), recreational regions (114, 116, 118), exit processing regions (130) and other regions. Methods for use in recreational facilities may include medical screening (710, 810), permissioning (724, 824), entry (726, 826) to recreational regions, sharing (730, 830) of medical screening results through badges (500), displays (238), or other means, recreational activities (742, 744, 842, 844), and other steps.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for providing email message originators and distributors with default control over message removal at a message recipient's location, regardless of whether the message has been opened. For instance, a self-removing message is designated as such by the message's originator, and a self-removal enhancement is added to conventional message content before the message is transmitted over a computer network toward one or more recipients. At the recipient's location, the message is automatically deleted without additional effort by the recipient, before or after being displayed, according to the originator's instructions unless they are overridden by the recipient. Messages may be automatically deleted in response to the arrival of a replacement message. Thus, the burden of removing unsolicited email messages is transferred from recipients to the system and the message's originators and/or to ISPs and other email distributors.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for protecting email message contents. A self-removing message is designated as such by the message's originator, and a self-removal enhancement such as self-removal code or self-removal indicators are added to conventional message content before the message is transmitted over a computer network toward one or more recipients. Copies of the message may be removed from intermediate network nodes by software which recognizes, and acts in response to, self-removal indicators. At the recipient's location, the message is displayed and then removed from disk and from memory without additional effort by the recipient. Thus, the burden of removing unsolicited email messages is transferred from recipients to the system and the message's originator. Security of messages may also be enhanced by reducing the number of copies of confidential message content and/or the accessible life span of those copies.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for providing unsolicited email message originators with default control over message removal at a message recipient's location, regardless of whether the unsolicited message has been opened. For instance, a self-removing message is designated as such by the message's originator, and a self-removal enhancement is added to conventional message content such as advertising before the message is transmitted over a computer network toward recipients. At a given recipient's location, the message is automatically deleted without additional effort by the recipient, before or after being displayed, according to the originator's instructions unless they are overridden by the recipient. Thus, the burden of removing unsolicited email messages is transferred from recipients to the message's originators.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and techniques for directing funds on behalf of a consumer to a specified account as a beneficial side-effect of a transaction that is primarily directed toward another goal, such as the purchase of merchandise or services. For instance, when the consumer purchases goods with a specified credit card, one version of the invention automatically directs an incremental amount to savings on behalf of the consumer, pursuant to an agreement previously made between the consumer and a facilitator. Under such an agreement, a specified percentage of the transaction or a flat amount per transaction is directed to a savings account, a mutual fund account, or another savings vehicle. The benefited savings vehicle is not necessarily owned by the consumer. The directed funds may be deposited on an annual basis, a threshold basis, or a one-deposit-per-transaction basis. Other variations are also described.

Abstract: The invention provides sampling, escrowing, and other tools and techniques for facilitating transactions that involve digital goods. Transactions may be of the goods-for-payment type, or they may be barter transactions that exchange goods for goods. Digital goods may be escrowed with an automatic broker. The broker may also create and distribute samples of the goods, which are created by techniques such as distorting or burdening part or all of a copy of the goods. In some cases the broker may accept and act on approval or disapproval notices from the parties to a transaction, to cancel or complete a transaction. In other cases, the broker's participation is limited to providing and/or authenticating samples.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and techniques for providing users of devices with actual notice of patent rights by displaying applicable patents, or by allowing users to indicate they have previously reviewed those patents, or both, before permitting use of core features of the device.

Abstract: An aid for improving language skills permits readers of a book or other work to incrementally display a translation of the work. In one embodiment, the work is initially displayed (902) on a device (100) in a first language. The user selects (1004) part of the displayed text. The selection, which identifies a linguistic unit having counterparts in at least two languages, is interpreted as a translation request. The device therefore obtains (906) a translation of the selected text and displays (908) it. By leaving the translation on display, the user indicates (1008) a preference for the translation rather than the original text. This preference is noted (910) in a data structure. As a result, the reader will subsequently see (1010) the translation rather than the original text when another instance of the translated linguistic unit is encountered after the reader continues reading.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for providing email message originators and distributors with default control over message removal at a message recipient's location, regardless of whether the message has been opened. For instance, a self-removing message is designated as such by the message's originator, and a self-removal enhancement is added to conventional message content before the message is transmitted over a computer network toward one or more recipients. At the recipient's location, the message is automatically deleted without additional effort by the recipient, before or after being displayed, according to the originator's instructions unless they are overridden by the recipient. ISPs and other message distributors may identify messages that should be self-removing, and make them self-removing if they are not.

Abstract: The invention provides sampling, escrowing, and other tools and techniques for facilitating transactions that involve digital goods. Transactions may be of the goods-for-payment type, or they may be barter transactions that exchange goods for goods. Digital goods may be escrowed with an automatic broker. The broker may also create and distribute samples of the goods, which are created by techniques such as distorting or burdening part or all of a copy of the goods. In some cases the broker may accept and act on approval or disapproval notices from the parties to a transaction, to cancel or complete a transaction. In other cases, the broker's participation is limited to providing and/or authenticating samples.

Abstract: The invention provides tools and techniques for enhancing the security of information by misdirecting unauthorized parties, so they believe they have decrypted a message and obtained protected information when in fact they have only obtained the plaintext the information's owners wanted them to obtain. Thus, the invention provides tools and techniques for using different decryption keys to surreptitiously provide different decryption results for what is apparently a single encrypted message. An encrypted mux message includes encryptions for several plaintexts, each of which has a corresponding key, and the decoding software displays plaintext according to which key is used.

Abstract: Methods, articles, signals, and systems are provided for providing email message originators and distributors with default control over message removal at a message recipient's location, regardless of whether the message has been opened. For instance, a self-removing message is designated as such by the message's originator, and a self-removal enhancement is added to conventional message content before the message is transmitted over a computer network toward one or more recipients. At the recipient's location, the message is automatically deleted without additional effort by the recipient, before or after being displayed, according to the originator's instructions unless they are overridden by the recipient. ISPs and other message distributors may identify messages that should be self-removing, and make them self-removing if they are not.

Abstract: The invention provides sampling, escrowing, and other tools and techniques for facilitating transactions that involve digital goods. Transactions may be of the goods-for-payment type, or they may be barter transactions that exchange goods for goods. Digital goods may be escrowed with an automatic broker. The broker may also create and distribute samples of the goods, which are created by techniques such as distorting or burdening part or all of a copy of the goods. In some cases the broker may accept and act on approval or disapproval notices from the parties to a transaction, to cancel or complete a transaction. In other cases, the broker's participation is limited to providing and/or authenticating samples.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling the disclosure of sensitive information. Disclosure is controlled in the sense that (a) the information is not disclosed until predefined conditions are met, such as the passage of a certain time without an authorized update request for secrecy, (b) copies of the information are protected by encryption and by widespread, unpredictable storage, so that at least one copy will be available when disclosure is required, (c) the information is kept secret until disclosure is required, and (d) when disclosure is required, the information is sent to predefined destinations such as email addresses or posted to web sites, in a predefined format.