Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable and executable medium embodiments for revising cache expiration are described herein. One method for revising cache expiration includes tracking attributes of a number of queries of a database; identifying a storage database is outside a database threshold in response to a write operation against the database and based on the tracked attributes; and revising a cache expiration date for at least one query of the number of queries to bring the storage database to within the database threshold.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable and executable medium embodiments for revising cache expiration are described herein. One method for revising cache expiration includes tracking attributes of a number of queries of a database; identifying a storage database is outside a database threshold in response to a write operation against the database and based on the tracked attributes; and revising a cache expiration date for at least one query of the number of queries to bring the storage database to within the database threshold.

Abstract: In an embodiment, in response to detecting that a process is attempting to execute at the client, a vote for the process is requested from a user if the user has not yet provided a vote. In various embodiments, the vote is an opinion of whether execution of the process at the client is harmful or an opinion of a category to which the process belongs. In an embodiment, an aggregation of votes from other users is also presented. The votes of other users are provided by other clients where the process also attempted to execute. The aggregation of votes may be categorized by communities to which the users belong. In an embodiment, a decision is requested of whether to allow the process to execute, and a rule is created based on the decision. The process is blocked from executing if the process satisfies a rule indicating that the process is to be blocked. The process is allowed to execute if the process satisfies a rule indicating that the process is to execute.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing that encloses a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. One or more tap sensors provide a tap signal in response to a user's tap on an outside surface of the housing. A position detecting mechanism determines the position of a user's tap on the outside surface of the housing based on the tap signal. In one embodiment, the position of the user's tap is determined through triangulation using the tap signal from each of plural accelerometers mounted at different locations. A matching mechanism compares the determined position of the user's tap and one or more virtual buttons configured on the outside surface of the housing. In accordance with the preferred embodiments, the size and location of one or more virtual buttons are dynamically configured by the user and/or by a software program loaded on the electronic device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method provide simple and secure financial transactions in an instant messaging (IM) environment. Two users may engage in an IM session (chat session), with negotiations for a product or service taking place during the chat session. One or both of the users may activate an IM financial transaction mechanism during the chat session. The IM financial transaction mechanism analyzes the chat text, and presents a draft transaction to both buyer and seller, with options based on the analyzed chat text. The draft transaction may be modified by both buyer and seller, who both confirm the draft transaction when all of the details are correct. The confirmed transaction is then sent to a web server that includes an interface to the buyer's online account, and payment is made by transferring the funds for the confirmed transaction from the buyer's online account to an account for the seller.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments include a system for secure input for a mobile device including: a input device for receiving an input from a user; a sensor for determining the status of the mobile device; and a processor in operable communication with the input device and the sensor, wherein the processor alters the input received from the user responsive to the status of the mobile device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention allow a user to obtain information regarding the possible effects of invoking a user-selectable component provided by a software application, such as a user selected menu function or a database query element that may be added to a database query. Generally, a user selected component is analyzed to determine the expected execution characteristic of the component, and an expected execution characteristic may be associated with a graphical display component used to access the user-selectable component.

Abstract: A television receiver apparatus and method is disclosed that allow a viewer to define a viewer profile, to receive and process viewership information received from the program provider, and to perform at least one action based on the viewer profile and the received viewership information. The viewer profile may include geographical preferences, genre preferences, and channel preferences. The at least one action may include determining the most popular transfer channels, and performing one or more of the following: 1) displaying the most popular transfer channel as picture-in-picture (PIP); 2) display a menu option to jump to the most popular transfer channel; 3) display a menu option of the top X most popular transfer channels. The at least one action may also include providing control signals to a digital video recorder (DVR) to start and/or stop recording based on the viewership information and the viewer profile.

Abstract: A digital device automatically arranges digital images for display in a stack-based arrangement, wherein images are grouped in multiple stacks according to at least one grouping criterion, and the user can scroll over groups of images. Preferably, the digital device automatically selects a mascot image from each group as the top of the corresponding stack. When the images are displayed using a digital display apparatus, the user can scroll through the mascot images only, without reviewing the other images in each stack. When the user finds a mascot image of interest, he may optionally scroll down the images in the stack. Preferably, images are grouped according to power-on session, and mascots are chosen based on user interaction history.

Abstract: A semantic link is established in a document in connection with content being inserted into first and second portions of a document. Content in the first portion includes a linguistic expression, and is logically related to the content in the second portion. A semantic link is generated in the document that logically links the content of the first portion of the document to the content of the second portion of the document. The semantic link is configured to initiate performance of an action on content in either of the first or second portions of the document in response to a determination that a content modification made to content in the other of the first or second portions of the document is a semantic modification that creates a semantic inconsistency, based at least in part upon a meaning of the linguistic expression, between the first and second portions of the document.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, create a viewport based on a selected region of a source window, determine data that is within the selected region, and display the data in the viewport. The source window is minimized to an icon, which represents the source window, but which is different from the data displayed in the viewport. In response to additional data being received, the additional data is displayed in the viewport if the additional data is within the selected region. In an embodiment, the additional data is compared to the data already displayed in the viewport, and if the additional data fulfills a notification criteria, a notification that the criteria was fulfilled is presented via a notification technique.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, calculate scores for cells within a program based on a speed at which the cells were presented and a frequency that the cells were presented. A cell includes one or more frames of presentable data. Chapters within the program are then determined and located within the program based on gradients of the scores that exceed a threshold. The scores are calculated based on incrementing a score for each cell each time the cell is presented and by different amounts depending on the speed at which the cell is presented. In an embodiment, the score is incremented by a larger amount in response to a slower presentation speed of the associated cell. In an embodiment, scores may be received from multiple clients where the program was presented, the scores may be aggregated for all the clients, and the chapters may be determined based on the aggregated scores.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, detect a first user, detect a second user, determine a presentation rule based on the detection of the first and second user, and send the presentation rule to an application. The presentation rule instructs the application to modify data presented by the application. In an embodiment, the presentation rule contains an action that the application is to take. In another embodiment, the presentation rule includes categories of the users, and the application determines the action to take to modify the data in response to the categories. In various embodiments, the rule may instruct the application to remove information from the presented data, exclude information from a directory from the presented data, remove a window from the presented data, remove a portion of the window from the presented data, or restrict a user interface element.

Abstract: A networked computer system provides a way to quickly switch to a backup data center when a primary data center fails. Each data center includes a redirect table that specifies a geographical area corresponding to each user. The redirect table is replicated on one or more data centers so that each data center has the same information. When a data center fails, the redirect table in one of the non-failed data centers is updated to specify a new data center for each client that used the failed data center as its primary data center. A network dispatcher recognizes that the failed data center is unavailable, and routes a request to the backup data center. Network routing logic then issues a redirection command that causes all subsequent requests from that client to be redirected directly to the backup data center.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment save presented clips of a program and delete unpresented clips of the program. Meta-data associated with the program or embedded in the program to delineate the presented clips. The meta-data are created in response to commands that cause or end the presentation of the program, such as play, slow motion, skip, fast forward, or rewind commands.