Abstract: Tools and techniques are provided for detecting a particular type of spyware. Network activities and user update activities are monitored automatically, and the results are analyzed to identify related processes which perform network transmissions without performing substantive user updates. These processes are identified to a user and/or an administrator as potential spyware, and are then quarantined or otherwise handled based on instructions received from the user or administrator. In some cases, the monitoring and analysis begins with selection of a group of processes to monitor, while in other cases it begins with monitoring of network and/or user update activities in order to narrow the group of suspect processes. Devices, configured media, and method products are also described.

Abstract: An intergenerational historic snapshot message may inform a younger person about the world an older person lived in when they were young. The older person's age and the younger person's age may be used to identify a historic time period in which the older person was the same age as the younger person. A circumstance which occurred in the historic time period may be selected from a database or web search result. The message may be automatically tailored to the ages of the people involved, and to recite circumstances specific to a topic area or a geographic location. A draft message may be approved or disapproved by a user, and/or may be edited by the user.

Abstract: A note pad is attached to a device having a weapon-shaped handle and a base. Kinetic force is applied through the device to stun or crush a target pest between a top sheet of the note pad and a wall or floor. The top sheet does not have previously applied adhesive for trapping insects, and hence does not generally adhere to the wall or floor. Some sheets bear amusement indicia, such as the likeness of an unpopular public figure or other target of mockery. After a pest is smashed onto it, smearing indicia, the sheet can be removed, wrapped around the target's remains, and placed in a wastebasket for disposal. The device may be provided alone, or it may be provided together with a note pad, or it may be provided with a note pad and with a stamp or stickers for placing target likenesses on the note pad sheets.

Abstract: Tax collection tools and techniques automatically and electronically separate tax amounts from other funds in a commercial transaction, and divert the collected tax into a holding fund. The holding fund bears income, at little or no risk. Funds collected are tracked, as are their payment due dates, and tax payments are made automatically from the holding fund to tax authorities in a timely manner on behalf of merchants. Income from the holding fund may be distributed among various parties. Collection of debt, whether taxes or otherwise, through automatic incremental billing is also described.

Abstract: Avoidance criteria are obtained and used to help prevent offline encounters between members of an online community by limiting online communications between members who share some aspect of offline life, thereby reducing the risk of offline encounters that could otherwise arise from online interaction. For each member of the online community, a system provider obtains one or more avoidance criteria ratified by the member and associates them with the member. Avoidance criteria include aspects of the member's offline life, such as geographic regions in which the member resides or plans to travel, organizations in which the member is active, and other interests and activities of the member. Respective avoidance criteria of different members are compared to determine whether the members share at least one avoidance criterion. Online communication between members who share an avoidance criterion is automatically limited.

Abstract: A user-customized card includes a tailored intergenerational historic snapshot message which informs a younger person about the world an older person lived in when they were young. The older person's age and the younger person's age may be used to identify a historic time period in which the older person was the same age as the younger person. A circumstance which occurred in the historic time period may be selected from a database or web search result. The message may be tailored to the ages of the people involved. The message may also be tailored to recite circumstances specific to a topic area or a geographic location. The message may be used in the text generally, and in photo captions specifically, for example. The card may be a greeting card, birthday card, gift card, or other card. Items other than cards may also be customized with such a message.

Abstract: Tax collection tools and techniques automatically and electronically separate tax amounts from other funds in a commercial transaction, and divert the collected tax into a holding fund. The holding fund bears income, at little or no risk. Funds collected are tracked, as are their payment due dates, and tax payments are made automatically from the holding fund to tax authorities in a timely manner on behalf of merchants. Income from the holding fund may be distributed among various parties. Collection of debt, whether taxes or otherwise, through automatic incremental billing is also described.

Abstract: A system for providing notice of legal rights corresponding to a computing device includes presenting a notice to the user through an I/O interface. The notice is in response to an attempt by a user to access at least one feature of the device through the I/O interface of the device and the notice further indicates that the device is subject to legal rights under a legal instrument. An acknowledgement of the legal rights is presented through the I/O interface. If the user selects the acknowledgement, the user is allowed to access at least one feature of the device. The user is prevented from accessing the at least one feature of the device if the user does not select the acknowledgement.

Abstract: A member of an online community has an online identity published in the online community, and owns an offline identity which is not published there. The member manifests consent to a privacy review of an electronic communication involving the member, to help prevent disclosure of the member's offline identity within the online community. The electronic communication is reviewed by a human privacy reviewer and/or by automatically scanning for privacy concern triggers. Review results are provided to the member, who provides an opinion of the review that is then reflected in a summary of the reviewer's online reputation.

Abstract: A vetting service protects personal information while nonetheless allowing its authorized use to perform background investigations of consenting participants. Raw background search results are filtered, redacted, and otherwise sanitized in compliance with an agreement by the participants, to produce background reports.

Abstract: A user-customized card includes a tailored intergenerational historic snapshot message which informs a younger person about the world an older person lived in when they were young. The older person's age and the younger person's age may be used to identify a historic time period in which the older person was the same age as the younger person. A circumstance which occurred in the historic time period may be selected from a database or web search result. The message may be tailored to the ages of the people involved. The message may also be tailored to recite circumstances specific to a topic area or a geographic location. The message may be used in the text generally, and in photo captions specifically, for example. The card may be a greeting card, birthday card, gift card, or other card. Items other than cards may also be customized with such a message.

Abstract: A user-customized photo book includes a tailored intergenerational historic snapshot message which informs a younger person about the world an older person lived in when they were young. The older person's age and the younger person's age may be used to identify a historic time period in which the older person was the same age as the younger person. A circumstance which occurred in the historic time period may be selected from a database or web search result. The message may be tailored to the ages of the people involved. The message may also be tailored to recite circumstances specific to a topic area or a geographic location. The message may be used in the book's title, dedication, photo captions or watermarks, photo call-outs or other labels, narrative text, and back-cover summary, for example. Items other than photo books may also be customized with such a message.

Abstract: A note pad is attached to a device having a handle and a base. Kinetic force is applied through the device to stun or crush a target pest between a top sheet of the note pad and a wall or floor. The top sheet does not have previously applied adhesive for trapping insects, and hence does not generally adhere to the wall or floor. Some sheets bear indicia, such as the likeness of an unpopular public figure or other target of mockery. After a pest is smashed onto it, smearing indicia, the sheet can be removed, wrapped around the target's remains, and placed in a wastebasket for disposal. The device may be provided alone, or it may be provided together with a note pad, or it may be provided with a note pad and with a stamp or stickers for placing target likenesses on the note pad sheets.

Abstract: A system for providing notice of legal rights corresponding to a computing device includes presenting a notice to the user through an I/O interface. The notice is in response to an attempt by a user to access at least one feature of the device through the I/O interface of the device and the notice further indicates that the device is subject to legal rights under a legal instrument. An acknowledgement of the legal rights is presented through the I/O interface. If the user selects the acknowledgement, the user is allowed to access at least one feature of the device. The user is prevented from accessing the at least one feature of the device if the user does not select the acknowledgement.

Abstract: A system for providing notice of legal rights corresponding to a computing device includes presenting a notice to the user through an I/O interface. The notice is in response to an attempt by a user to access at least one feature of the device through the I/O interface of the device and the notice further indicates that the device is subject to legal rights under a legal instrument. An acknowledgement of the legal rights is presented through the I/O interface. If the user selects the acknowledgement, the user is allowed to access at least one feature of the device. The user is prevented from accessing the at least one feature of the device if the user does not select the acknowledgement.

Abstract: The invention provides tools and techniques for assisting searches of large information collections, such as the Internet or databases. An initial search from a given user A is used to help identify related productive searches by other users. Those searches (keywords and/or searched portions) are then used to focus the search effort of user A. Activities by other users in response to search results are tracked to help a search assistant automatically identify the results those other users deemed of greatest interest.

Abstract: Tools and techniques are provided for detecting a particular type of spyware. Network activities and user update activities are monitored automatically, and the results are analyzed to identify related processes which perform network transmissions without performing substantive user updates. These processes are identified to a user and/or an administrator as potential spyware, and are then quarantined or otherwise handled based on instructions received from the user or administrator. In some cases, the monitoring and analysis begins with selection of a group of processes to monitor, while in other cases it begins with monitoring of network and/or user update activities in order to narrow the group of suspect processes. Devices, configured media, and method products are also described.

Abstract: Tools and techniques are provided for detecting a particular type of spyware. Network activities and user update activities are monitored automatically, and the results are analyzed to identify related processes which perform network transmissions without performing substantive user updates. These processes are identified to a user and/or an administrator as potential spyware, and are then quarantined or otherwise handled based on instructions received from the user or administrator. In some cases, the monitoring and analysis begins with selection of a group of processes to monitor, while in other cases it begins with monitoring of network and/or user update activities in order to narrow the group of suspect processes. Devices, configured media, and method products are also described.

Abstract: Restrictions are placed on the content of usernames and other online identifiers to help maintain the privacy of offline identities of online users. A proposed username is tested by comparing at least a portion of its content to a set of personal identification information tokens that reflect aspects of an offline identity. The username is accepted if it satisfies a predetermined privacy criterion, which is defined in terms of matches to the personal identification information tokens. The user may receive questions regarding a proposed username and its relation, if any, to the online user's offline identity. Answers to the questions can be used to create personal identification information tokens which are compared to the proposed username.

Abstract: A malware spoof component may be a formed component which has some but not all characteristics of an actual malware file or other component. Alternately, a spoof component may be an isolated component extracted from actual malware. Malware spoof components may be placed on a target system, after which a listing is obtained and checked. If the placed spoof component does not appear in the listing, then the spoof component may have been filtered out by malware infecting the system, thereby revealing the malware's presence.