Abstract: An improved gifting system is provided, one embodiment of which includes a container to receive a gift, a thematic character depicted on at least a portion of the container, and a unique identifier coupled to or associated with the container. The unique identifier uniquely identifies the container and is useable to reference a digital record stored in a computing system, which includes a registration database, one or more processors coupled to the registration database for updating state information, and a presentation server coupled to the registration database and the one or more processors. The presentation server is adapted to receive user input from a remote device and upon request, present a custom presentation on the remote device that includes the user input presented in a context that includes predefined attributes associated with the thematic character.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that include receiving an instruction to associate a unique identifier with a digital presentation, where the unique identifier is associated with a tangible object, receiving a first digital asset from a first remote device, determining a first media component to prepend to the first digital asset, determining a second media component to append to the first digital asset (which influences the determination of the first media component or the second media component), incorporating the prepended content, digital asset, and appended content into the digital presentation, and associating the unique identifier with the digital presentation in a data store.

Abstract: A card is provided that includes, for example, a fold that defines a first panel and a second panel, where each of those panels includes front and back surfaces. The second panel includes a void. The back surface of the first panel includes an actionable unique identifier such that when the greeting card is folded along the fold lines the actionable unique identifier is visible through the void. The actionable unique identifier is usable to retrieve a digital presentation among other things.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that include receiving an instruction to associate a unique identifier with a digital presentation, where the unique identifier is associated with a tangible object, receiving a first digital asset from a first remote device, determining a first media component to prepend to the first digital asset, determining a second media component to append to the first digital asset (which influences the determination of the first media component or the second media component), incorporating the prepended content, digital asset, and appended content into the digital presentation, and associating the unique identifier with the digital presentation in a data store.

Abstract: A greeting card is provided that includes, for example, two fold lines that define a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel, where each of those panels include front and back surfaces. The second panel includes a void. The back surface of the first panel includes an actionable unique identifier such that when the greeting card is folded along the fold lines the actionable unique identifier is visible through the void. The actionable unique identifier is usable to retrieve a digital presentation.

Abstract: The technology described herein allows a sender to initiate generation of a digital asset, which may be a video generated by merging videos provided by a group of users. The technology can facilitate the generation and collection of digital assets, such as video, images, and audio recordings from a group of users designed by the sender. The digital may be associated with a tangible object using a unique identifier located on the tangible object. The digital asset may be stored in computer memory on a user-experience server and associated with the unique identifier. When the unique identifier is provided to the user-experience server a second time, the digital asset can be retrieved and output to the computing device that provided the unique identifier. Thus, a user can initiate generation of a digital asset.

Abstract: A system and method is provided that incident to a triggering event within a virtual environment, includes receiving recipient-profile information of an initial recipient who is associated with the virtual environment and configuration information of a first physical product that is useable to facilitate conveying the first physical product in the real world to the initial recipient and utilizing the descriptive information to facilitate conveying the first physical product to the initial recipient.

Abstract: A greeting card is provided that includes, for example, two fold lines that define a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel, where each of those panels include front and back surfaces. The second panel includes a void. The back surface of the first panel includes an actionable unique identifier such that when the greeting card is folded along the fold lines the actionable unique identifier is visible through the void. The actionable unique identifier is usable to retrieve a digital presentation.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for receiving from a remote computing device an indication of a unique identifier that is associated with a digital presentation, which can include a digital representation of value; referencing a datastore to identify the digital presentation; and causing the digital presentation to be presented via the remote computing device, including presenting the digital representation of value consistent with a set of presentation instructions.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that include receiving an instruction to associate a unique identifier with a digital presentation, where the unique identifier is associated with a tangible object, receiving a first digital asset from a first remote device, determining a first media component to prepend to the first digital asset, determining a second media component to append to the first digital asset (which influences the determination of the first media component or the second media component), incorporating the prepended content, digital asset, and appended content into the digital presentation, and associating the unique identifier with the digital presentation in a data store.

Abstract: An improvement in a laundry dryer system using recovered waste heat from the hot air exhaust of the dryer to transfer that heat to the incoming ambient fresh air. A home laundry dryer in which both the fresh air entering a laundry drum and the air exhausted from the drum pass through thermal recovery ducting. The dryer heat recovery system has concentric ducting including a high temperature passage through which the exhaust air flows and a separate low temperature passage through which the entering air flows. Heat from the exhausted air is transferred from the high temperature passage to the entering air in the low temperature passage. This heat transfer lowers the energy required to raise the entering air to a desired drying temperature. The dryer ducting is designed to have an outer diameter equivalent to standard size ducting on home dryers.

Abstract: A multi-stage polarization transformer is described that includes a first polarization transformer stage that receives an optical signal at an input and that generates a first transformed optical signal at an output. The first transformed optical signal has a polarization state within a first predetermined range. A second polarization transformer stage receives the first transformed optical signal at an input and generates a second transformed optical signal at an output. The second transformed optical signal has a polarization state within a second predetermined range. The second predetermined range is less than the first predetermined range.

Abstract: The present invention describes an MOS device having deposited silicon regions and its a method of fabrication. In one embodiment of the present invention a substrate having a thin oxide layer formed on a silicon surface is heated and exposed to an ambient comprising germane (GeH4) to remove the thin oxide from the silicon surface. A silicon or silicon alloy film can then be deposited onto the silicon surface of the substrate.