Abstract: A toy safety system may allow a toy to safely shut down or dissuade a user from playing with it in the event that the toy is damaged. This may prevent the user from being hurt, as well as protecting other articles. A toy safety system may also include communications hardware, that may allow the toy to communicate with a device to notify a person that the toy is damaged.

Abstract: An adaptive learning system for animals may allow pets to engage in games, exercises, training, and other activities with little to no human oversight. A pet may initiate game play by triggering a motion sensor or visual detection sensor, for example, and may progress through levels based on its completion of tasks. An adaptive learning system for animals may include communications hardware, either wired or wireless, that may link multiple devices together and allow for direct communication between the devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a smart hydration container or bottle which accurately tracks a user's liquid intake. The smart hydration container utilizes a new capacitive sensing technology which does not require a complicated design for capacitive conductive surfaces and provides accurate capacitive measurements which map to volume measurements. Through the use of calibrated data, the smart hydration container accurately measures capacitance “as a whole” of the entire container's contents even when the container is not resting upright. In some implementations, the smart hydration container utilizes a combination of capacitive sensing, motion sensing, position sensing, and/or temperature sensing to provide an accurate measure of liquid volume in the container. The capacitive sensor may be electrically shielded by a passive conductive sensor shield, a grounded conductive sensor shield, or an active conductive sensor shield.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer media for generating and invoking voice-triggered macros are disclosed herein. A buffer is configured to receive sensor data for one or more sensors. The sensor data reflects user actions. A macro generator is configured to receive a command to initiate creation of a voice-triggered macro and determine macro actions for inclusion in the voice-triggered macro based on the sensor data in the buffer. The macro generator is also configured to assign a speech key to the voice-triggered macro. When audio input is determined to match the speech key of the voice-triggered macro, the macro actions are performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a smart hydration container or bottle which accurately tracks a user's liquid intake. The smart hydration container utilizes a new capacitive sensing technology which does not require a complicated design for capacitive conductive surfaces and provides accurate capacitive measurements which map to volume measurements. Through the use of calibrated data, the smart hydration container accurately measures capacitance “as a whole” of the entire container's contents even when the container is not resting upright. In some implementations, the smart hydration container utilizes a combination of capacitive sensing, motion sensing, position sensing, and/or temperature sensing to provide an accurate measure of liquid volume in the container. The capacitive sensor may be electrically shielded by a passive conductive sensor shield, a grounded conductive sensor shield, or an active conductive sensor shield.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer media for generating and invoking voice-triggered macros are disclosed herein. A buffer is configured to receive sensor data for one or more sensors. The sensor data reflects user actions. A macro generator is configured to receive a command to initiate creation of a voice-triggered macro and determine macro actions for inclusion in the voice-triggered macro based on the sensor data in the buffer. The macro generator is also configured to assign a speech key to the voice-triggered macro. When audio input is determined to match the speech key of the voice-triggered macro, the macro actions are performed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a gaming system may allow pets to engage in games, exercises, training, and other activities with little to no human oversight. A pet may initiate game play by triggering a motion sensor or visual detection sensor, for example, and may progress through levels based on its completion of tasks. Humans may also initiate game play, record, and watch a pet's game play remotely, and receive notifications through various multimedia formats. Adaptive Learning System for Animals may include a console that is physically separate from and compatible with third-party products such controllers, pet toys, and reward dispensing units.

Abstract: Functionality is described for allowing a first user to select a sound item. The first user can use a first device to send this sound item to a second device operated by a second user. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the sound item selected by the first user can be presented by the second device to the second user. The first device and the second device may correspond to two devices in an Instant Messaging (IM) system. According to another illustrative aspect, functionality is described that allows the first user to select the new sound item from a source sound item by adjusting the position and/or size (e.g., width) of a graphical selection unit that is presented over a graphical depiction of the source sound item.

Abstract: Functionality is described for allowing a first user to select a sound item. The first user can use a first device to send this sound item to a second device operated by a second user. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the sound item selected by the first user can be presented by the second device to the second user. The first device and the second device may correspond to two devices in an Instant Messaging (IM) system. According to another illustrative aspect, functionality is described that allows the first user to select the new sound item from a source sound item by adjusting the position and/or size (e.g., width) of a graphical selection unit that is presented over a graphical depiction of the source sound item.

Abstract: Functionality is described for allowing a first user to select a sound item. The first user can use a first device to send this sound item to a second device operated by a second user. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the sound item selected by the first user can be presented by the second device to the second user. The first device and the second device may correspond to two devices in an Instant Messaging (IM) system. According to another illustrative aspect, functionality is described that allows the first user to select the new sound item from a source sound item by adjusting the position and/or size (e.g., width) of a graphical selection unit that is presented over a graphical depiction of the source sound item.

Abstract: Various technologies for sharing digital images within an instant messaging (IM) session between two users. In one implementation, a first user uploads a set of images to the second user. The set of images may be displayed as thumbnails on the displays of both users. By clicking on one of the thumbnails, either user may make the associated image appear as a larger image on both users' displays. In the event that both users click on different images simultaneously, or near-simultaneously, a protocol may be employed that selects which image is displayed.

Abstract: Various technologies for sharing digital images within an instant messaging (IM) session between two users. In one implementation, a first user uploads a set of images to the second user. The set of images may be displayed as thumbnails on the displays of both users. By clicking on one of the thumbnails, either user may make the associated image appear as a larger image on both users' displays. In the event that both users click on different images simultaneously, or near-simultaneously, a protocol may be employed that selects which image is displayed.

Abstract: Functionality is described for allowing a first user to select a sound item. The first user can use a first device to send this sound item to a second device operated by a second user. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the sound item selected by the first user can be presented by the second device to the second user. The first device and the second device may correspond to two devices in an Instant Messaging (IM) system. According to another illustrative aspect, functionality is described that allows the first user to select the new sound item from a source sound item by adjusting the position and/or size (e.g., width) of a graphical selection unit that is presented over a graphical depiction of the source sound item.