Abstract: A technique is described herein for facilitating movement of graphical objects across display screens. In one manner of operation, the method includes: displaying a representation of a first movement as a user moves a graphical object across a source screen; detecting that the user has moved the graphical object into a graphical source portal associated with the source screen; associating the graphical object with two or more graphical destination portals provided by the plural display screens, in addition to the graphical source portal, such that the graphical object is accessible from the graphical source portal and any graphical destination portal; detecting that the user has removed the graphical object from a chosen graphical portal in a chosen screen; displaying the graphical object as having been removed from all graphical portals; and displaying a second movement as the user moves the graphical object across the chosen screen to a final destination.

Abstract: Various models may enable a first device to share a device resource with a second device in various contexts, such as sharing computing sessions via terminal services; sharing displays via display mirroring; and sharing input components across devices. However, such techniques often utilize ad hoc sharing models that depend on configuration and/or administrative access of each device; limit the capabilities of such sharing; and/or exhibit security concerns. Instead, a target device may advertise an availability of a target device resource. A host device may request the target device to lend the target device resource to the computing environment of the host device. The target device may reserve the target device resource for the host device, which may then integrate the target device resource into the host computing environment. The model may enable the user to utilize resources even from target devices that the user is not otherwise permitted to use.

Abstract: In many computing scenarios, a user of a primary device may wish to incorporate an auxiliary device in the presentation of an application. Such incorporation may involve a terminal services session that projects the computing environment of the primary device onto the auxiliary device; mirroring the computing environment of the primary device through the auxiliary device; and/or utilizing applications that interoperate with client applications executing on the second device. However, such techniques may not fully reflect the properties of each device, and/or may only apply to particular applications and/or configurations.

Abstract: A technique is described herein for facilitating movement of graphical objects across display screens. In one manner of operation, the method includes: displaying a representation of a first movement as a user moves a graphical object across a source screen; detecting that the user has moved the graphical object into a graphical source portal associated with the source screen; associating the graphical object with two or more graphical destination portals provided by the plural display screens, in addition to the graphical source portal, such that the graphical object is accessible from the graphical source portal and any graphical destination portal; detecting that the user has removed the graphical object from a chosen graphical portal in a chosen screen; displaying the graphical object as having been removed from all graphical portals; and displaying a second movement as the user moves the graphical object across the chosen screen to a final destination.

Abstract: A user may interact with a collection of devices that each exhibit particular device properties. Where each device executes and presents an isolated computing environment, inconsistencies may arise in the user interaction by the user with different devices. Alternatively, a terminal server may present a computing environment to various auxiliary devices, but such presentation may fail to utilize some device properties of some devices, and/or may present a computing environment that is not suitable for some devices. Instead, a primary device of the device collection may adapt a primary computing environment to an auxiliary computing environment for each auxiliary device, based upon its device properties. Upon receiving a request to execute an application, the primary device may execute the application within the auxiliary computing environment, and may adapt the application based upon the device properties. The primary device may stream each auxiliary computing environment to the respective auxiliary device.

Abstract: A user may interact with a collection of devices that each exhibit particular device properties. Where each device executes and presents an isolated computing environment, inconsistencies may arise in the user interaction by the user with different devices. Alternatively, a terminal server may present a computing environment to various auxiliary devices, but such presentation may fail to utilize some device properties of some devices, and/or may present a computing environment that is not suitable for some devices. Instead, a primary device of the device collection may adapt a primary computing environment to an auxiliary computing environment for each auxiliary device, based upon its device properties. Upon receiving a request to execute an application, the primary device may execute the application within the auxiliary computing environment, and may adapt the application based upon the device properties. The primary device may stream each auxiliary computing environment to the respective auxiliary device.

Abstract: Various models may enable a first device to share a device resource with a second device in various contexts, such as sharing computing sessions via terminal services; sharing displays via display mirroring; and sharing input components across devices. However, such techniques often utilize ad hoc sharing models that depend on configuration and/or administrative access of each device; limit the capabilities of such sharing; and/or exhibit security concerns. Instead, a target device may advertise an availability of a target device resource. A host device may request the target device to lend the target device resource to the computing environment of the host device. The target device may reserve the target device resource for the host device, which may then integrate the target device resource into the host computing environment. The model may enable the user to utilize resources even from target devices that the user is not otherwise permitted to use.

Abstract: Various models may enable a first device to share a device resource with a second device in various contexts, such as sharing computing sessions via terminal services; sharing displays via display mirroring; and sharing input components across devices. However, such techniques often utilize ad hoc sharing models that depend on configuration and/or administrative access of each device; limit the capabilities of such sharing; and/or exhibit security concerns. Instead, a target device may advertise an availability of a target device resource. A host device may request the target device to lend the target device resource to the computing environment of the host device. The target device may reserve the target device resource for the host device, which may then integrate the target device resource into the host computing environment. The model may enable the user to utilize resources even from target devices that the user is not otherwise permitted to use.

Abstract: A user may interact with a collection of devices that each exhibit particular device properties. Where each device executes and presents an isolated computing environment, inconsistencies may arise in the user interaction by the user with different devices. Alternatively, a terminal server may present a computing environment to various auxiliary devices, but such presentation may fail to utilize some device properties of some devices, and/or may present a computing environment that is not suitable for some devices. Instead, a primary device of the device collection may adapt a primary computing environment to an auxiliary computing environment for each auxiliary device, based upon its device properties. Upon receiving a request to execute an application, the primary device may execute the application within the auxiliary computing environment, and may adapt the application based upon the device properties. The primary device may stream each auxiliary computing environment to the respective auxiliary device.

Abstract: In many computing scenarios, a computing environment of a device may present applications through various presentation components, such as displays, speakers, and headphones. However, navigating among the applications currently presented within the computing environment may be difficult for the user; e.g., for a device presenting many applications on many displays that share an application stack, the application that the user wishes to select may be buried deep within the shared application stack. In accordance with the techniques presented herein, the device may generate an application presentation history for each presentation component, indicating applications that have previously been presented through the presentation component.

Abstract: A user may interact with a collection of devices that each exhibit particular device properties. Where each device executes and presents an isolated computing environment, inconsistencies may arise in the user interaction by the user with different devices. Alternatively, a terminal server may present a computing environment to various auxiliary devices, but such presentation may fail to utilize some device properties of some devices, and/or may present a computing environment that is not suitable for some devices. Instead, a primary device of the device collection may adapt a primary computing environment to an auxiliary computing environment for each auxiliary device, based upon its device properties. Upon receiving a request to execute an application, the primary device may execute the application within the auxiliary computing environment, and may adapt the application based upon the device properties. The primary device may stream each auxiliary computing environment to the respective auxiliary device.

Abstract: Multi-display computing environments are often represented as a unified coordinate space, where each display presents application views within a coordinate region. Such arrangements may enable features such as application views that span multiple displays, but such features may not appeal to users. Additionally, such representations may complicate the application of layouts to particular displays while maintaining relationships among application views. Instead, a view management architecture may generate a user interface collection comprising, for respective displays, an arrangement of view entries for respective views presented on the display. Entries for new views may be added to the arrangement for a particular display, and may be contained within an application container encapsulating all views of an application on the display.

Abstract: The manner of presenting a user interface of an application may be significant in many respects. A user interface may be suitable only for some devices (e.g., buttons may be selectable by a pointer, but not on a touch-sensitive display; textboxes may appear too large or too small on different displays), and may satisfy only some user interactions (e.g., a map interface may be usable on a laptop by a stationary user, but not usable in a vehicle while the user is driving). Presented herein are techniques for automatically generating a user interface that is adapted both for the interaction component properties of the device, and the interaction criteria of the user interaction with the user interface. A device may choose the presentation of each element of a user interface based on such information, and generate a user interface matching both the device and the user interaction with the application.

Abstract: In many computing scenarios, a computing environment of a device may present applications through various presentation components, such as displays, speakers, and headphones. However, navigating among the applications currently presented within the computing environment may be difficult for the user; e.g., for a device presenting many applications on many displays that share an application stack, the application that the user wishes to select may be buried deep within the shared application stack. In accordance with the techniques presented herein, the device may generate an application presentation history for each presentation component, indicating applications that have previously been presented through the presentation component.

Abstract: A user may interact with several devices of a device collection, and may utilize each device in a particular user context, such as driving a vehicle; relaxing at home; and attending meetings in a public location. The user may configure each device according to the user context of the user's interaction with the device. However, devices that are uninformed of the user context of the user's interaction with the device cannot adapt to the user context. Instead, a primary device of the device collection may detect various properties of each auxiliary device of the device collection and determine the user context of the user interaction with the auxiliary device. The primary device transmits to each auxiliary device, for presentation to the user, a user interface with elements of the computing environment adapted according to the user context of the user interaction of the user with the device.

Abstract: Various models may enable a first device to share a device resource with a second device in various contexts, such as sharing computing sessions via terminal services; sharing displays via display mirroring; and sharing input components across devices. However, such techniques often utilize ad hoc sharing models that depend on configuration and/or administrative access of each device; limit the capabilities of such sharing; and/or exhibit security concerns. Instead, a target device may advertise an availability of a target device resource. A host device may request the target device to lend the target device resource to the computing environment of the host device. The target device may reserve the target device resource for the host device, which may then integrate the target device resource into the host computing environment. The model may enable the user to utilize resources even from target devices that the user is not otherwise permitted to use.

Abstract: A user may interact with a collection of devices that each exhibit particular device properties. Where each device executes and presents an isolated computing environment, inconsistencies may arise in the user interaction by the user with different devices. Alternatively, a terminal server may present a computing environment to various auxiliary devices, but such presentation may fail to utilize some device properties of some devices, and/or may present a computing environment that is not suitable for some devices. Instead, a primary device of the device collection may adapt a primary computing environment to an auxiliary computing environment for each auxiliary device, based upon its device properties. Upon receiving a request to execute an application, the primary device may execute the application within the auxiliary computing environment, and may adapt the application based upon the device properties. The primary device may stream each auxiliary computing environment to the respective auxiliary device.

Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for providing interactive text preview. For example, a primary device (e.g., a smart phone) establishes a communication channel with a secondary device (e.g., a television). The primary device projects an application interface, of an application hosted on the primary device, to a secondary display of the secondary device. An interrogation connection is established with a text entry canvas of the application interface. The primary device listens through the interrogation connection to identify text input data directed towards the text entry canvas. An interactive text preview interface, populated with textual information derived from the text input data, is displayed on a primary display of the primary device. In this way, the user may naturally preview text entry through the primary device (e.g., and does not have to look up to the television to see what is being typed).

Abstract: Multi-display computing environments are often represented as a unified coordinate space, where each display presents application views within a coordinate region. Such arrangements may enable features such as application views that span multiple displays, but such features may not appeal to users. Additionally, such representations may complicate the application of layouts to particular displays while maintaining relationships among application views. Instead, a view management architecture may generate a user interface collection comprising, for respective displays, an arrangement of view entries for respective views presented on the display. Entries for new views may be added to the arrangement for a particular display, and may be contained within an application container encapsulating all views of an application on the display.

Abstract: In many computing scenarios, a user of a primary device may wish to incorporate an auxiliary device in the presentation of an application. Such incorporation may involve a terminal services session that projects the computing environment of the primary device onto the auxiliary device; mirroring the computing environment of the primary device through the auxiliary device; and/or utilizing applications that interoperate with client applications executing on the second device. However, such techniques may not fully reflect the properties of each device, and/or may only apply to particular applications and/or configurations.