Abstract: An exercise apparatus and method for working the hip muscles, in particular the glute muscle groups. Said exercise apparatus includes a low-profile chassis having a front portion and a rear portion, an elongated cross member having a pair of hip/lap cushions, a foot platform slidably mounted on the chassis, a shoulder/back support mounted on a support frame, a resistance member for loading the muscles of a user and a variable transmission adapted to act as a variable diameter pulley configured to reduce the input force required for a user to overcome the resistance member force.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing consistent data storage in distributed computing systems. A consistent distributed computing file system (consistent DCFS) may be backed by an object storage service that only guarantees eventual consistency, and may leverage a data storage service (e.g., a database service) to store and maintain a file system/directory structure (a consistent DCFS directory) for the consistent DCFS that may be accessed by compute nodes for file/directory information relevant to the data objects in the consistent DCFS, rather than relying on the information maintained by the object storage service. The compute nodes may reference the consistent DCFS directory to, for example, store and retrieve strongly consistent metadata referencing data objects in the consistent DCFS. The compute nodes may, for example, retrieve metadata from consistent DCFS directory to determine whether the object storage service is presenting all of the data that it is supposed to have.

Abstract: A home automation (HA) system may include a cloud media content server and HA operation devices within a structure. The HA system may also include HA user interface devices for respective users within the structure. Each HA user interface device may wirelessly communicate with at least one of the HA operation devices to perform an HA operation and provide stored media content to the respective user. The HA system may also include HA hub devices within the structure to provide communications for the cloud media content server, HA user interface devices, and HA operation devices. A designated HA hub device may download media content from the cloud media content server and push the downloaded media content to other HA user interface devices within the structure so that the other HA user interface devices do not communicate with the cloud media content server relating to the downloaded media content.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for preventing inadvertent viewing of media content for a media program. A processor can detect an inadvertent viewing condition including exposing content for a media program including audio content and video content. The processor can create an alert that indicates the inadvertent viewing condition exists and that includes selectable options for actions to take for the inadvertent viewing condition. The processor can provide the alert to a video display and can further block output of the audio content and the video content to the video display.

Abstract: Techniques and arrangements for allowing modification of transaction flows, user interfaces (UIs), receipt configuration and control of buyer-facing displays associated with transactions between a payment service, a merchant and a buyer are provided. Payment service payment functionality is exposed by the payment service via one or more application programming interfaces (API)s, software development kits (SDKs), or some other web-based communication technique (e.g., a uniform resource locator). The payment service payment functionality exposed by the payment service allows a merchant to customize one or more steps of a transaction between a user and a merchant. A merchant can use the exposed payment service payment functionality to configure and modify the look and feel and/or the steps within a transaction flow. The merchant can also modify a receipt to include other information from the information that is included in a default receipt.

Abstract: Presented here is a system that manages secured file system, and an authority to the secured file system, by granting access only to a user who is authorized to access the file system. The user within the system is identified using a unique key unique to each user. The user's authority is recorded in a linear sequence distributed among multiple devices each of which independently verifies the validity of each block in the linear sequence. The validity of the linear sequence is guaranteed by preventing certain operations from being performed on the linear sequence, such as branching of the linear sequence, deletion, and modification of the blocks within the linear sequence. Prior to adding a new block to the linear sequence, the validity of the block is independently computed by each of the devices.

Abstract: A home automation (HA) system may include a cloud media content server and HA operation devices within a structure. The HA system may also include HA user interface devices for respective users within the structure. Each HA user interface device may be configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the HA operation devices to perform at least one HA operation and provide stored media content to the respective user. A designated HA user interface device from among the HA user interface devices may be configured to download media content from the cloud media content server, and push the downloaded media content to others of the HA user interface devices within the structure for storage so that the others of the HA user interface devices do not communicate with the cloud media content server relating to the downloaded media content.

Abstract: A sensor device for detecting voltage in a conductor cable includes a sense electrode to be disposed over a surface of the conductor cable to cover a sense region having a sense axial width and a sense circumferential length and a reference electrode to be disposed over the surface of the conductor cable to cover a reference region. The reference region has an axial position adjacent the axial position of the sense region and has a reference circumferential length greater than the sense circumferential length. The sensor device further includes a charge measurement circuit connected in series between the sense electrode and the reference electrode to measure a charge measurement and circuitry to compare the charge measurement to a threshold to detect a presence of the voltage in the conductor cable.

Abstract: In a restaurant having a customer-facing food service counter, a video camera is positioned to produce video of an area that includes the food service counter. The video is analyzed to determine the ingredients that are used to prepare each of multiple customer meals. This information may be used to recommend a modified ingredient layout of the food service counter, where the modified ingredient layout is formulated so as to improve serving efficiency or customer convenience.

Abstract: Access across private networks may be enabled for blockchain networks in a managed blockchain service. Requests to enable access for a node hosted in a private network to one or more nodes hosted in a different private network that hosts the blockchain network as part of a managed blockchain service may be received. Routes to enable the access may be determined and added to networking devices so that communications between the node in the private network to specified nodes in the private network of the managed blockchain service may be correctly routed.

Abstract: A multi-framework blockchain service may be implemented with a common interface to manage different types of blockchain networks. Requests to create a blockchain network may be received via an interface for the control plane that triggers the creation of the blockchain network according to an identified workflow. Various operations to change the blockchain network, including membership changes, node additions, governance changes, analytics changes, and monitoring changes may be allowed or denied by the control plane according to a distributed governance policy in effect for the blockchain network.

Abstract: In some examples, a smart container may enable crowdsourced delivery of items from a pickup location to a delivery location. The container may include a location sensor and a communication interface to enable the container to provide its location to at least one of a service computing device, a courier device, a sender device, or a recipient device. In some cases, a service provider may employ public transport vehicles to transport the container along a portion of a delivery route. One crowdsourced courier may pick up the container for placement on the public transport vehicle and another crowdsourced courier may pick up the container from the public transport vehicle and deliver the container to the delivery location. Further, the container may include multiple compartments, and recipients who receive a shipment in the container may be solicited to deliver the container to a delivery location of a next recipient.

Abstract: An automated commissioning and floorplan configuration (CAFC) device can include a CAFC system having a transceiver and a CAFC engine, where the transceiver communicates with at least one device disposed in a volume of space, where the CAFC engine, based on communication between the transceiver and the at least one device, commissions the at least one device.

Abstract: A home automation (HA) system to be used within a structure may include a communications network extending within the structure and HA operation devices within the structure. The HA system may also include HA user interface devices for respective users within the structure and HA hub devices within the structure to provide communications via the communications network for the HA user interface devices and the HA operation devices. Each HA hub device may have a processing capacity associated therewith and determine a shareable processing capacity for sharing with at least one other HA hub device based upon a current processing capacity and at least one of the HA operation devices. Each HA hub device may also communicate the amount of shareable processing capacity to another HA hub device and perform processing operations for the other HA hub device based upon the communicated shareable processing capacity.

Abstract: A home automation (HA) system may include addressable HA devices that are not publicly accessible via the Internet and a remote user device configured to generate a connection request to communicate with a given addressable HA device. The HA system may also include a cloud server configured to cooperate with the remote user device to generate a connection file based upon the connection request, and store the connection file so that the connection file is publicly accessible via the Internet. The connection file may include instructions for establishing an encrypted connection to the given addressable HA device. The given addressable HA device may be configured to retrieve the connection file and establish the encrypted connection with the remote user device via the cloud server.

Abstract: A system and method for improving the speed of generating a list of previously-uncounted items stored with a computing resource service provider. The system and method involve obtaining a set of keys from a data store, wherein each key of the set of keys corresponds to an item in a group of items, wherein a quantity of items in the group is uncounted. The system and method further includes generating a first sub-listing of keys based at least in part on a first key range of the set of keys by executing a first thread, generating a second sub-listing of keys based at least in part on a second key range of the set of keys by executing a second thread, combining the first sub-listing of keys with the second sub-listing of keys to produce a list of keys, and providing the list of keys.

Abstract: An automated commissioning and floorplan configuration (CAFC) device can include a CAFC system having a transceiver and a CAFC engine, where the transceiver communicates with at least one device disposed in a volume of space, where the CAFC engine, based on communication between the transceiver and the at least one device, commissions the at least one device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing consistent data storage in distributed computing systems. A consistent distributed computing file system (consistent DCFS) may be backed by an object storage service that only guarantees eventual consistency, and may leverage a data storage service (e.g., a database service) to store and maintain a file system/directory structure (a consistent DCFS directory) for the consistent DCFS that may be accessed by compute nodes for file/directory information relevant to the data objects in the consistent DCFS, rather than relying on the information maintained by the object storage service. The compute nodes may reference the consistent DCFS directory to, for example, store and retrieve strongly consistent metadata referencing data objects in the consistent DCFS. The compute nodes may, for example, retrieve metadata from consistent DCFS directory to determine whether the object storage service is presenting all of the data that it is supposed to have.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery pack includes a plurality of prismatic lithium polymer cells and one or more graphite heat spreaders. Each spreader has at least two major surfaces and is made of one of a sheet of a compressed mass of exfoliated graphite particles, a graphitized polyimide sheet, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method for teaching a person, such as a child, to read aloud is disclosed. The method is implemented as a voice activated, visual software application that provides a visual display of a story as the person reads the words of the story. The method provides pronunciation assistance to the person, which in the software includes a simulated “teacher” that helps the person with assistance in reading the story. The method progresses through a sequence of story passages which together represent the entire story. The method progresses to each story passage upon successful completion of the current story passage by the person reading the story, such that the method will not allow the visual story to progress for the reader if a word is not read correctly out loud.