Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for setting up a meeting schedule for people whose representation at the meeting is essential to holding the meeting. If the person whose representation at the meeting is essential can be represented by someone else at the meeting, the system sets up a predefined dependency rule for the second person to fill in for the essential attendee in their absence. When the system sends out meeting invitations, for example, by email, the essential person's attendance is subject to the dependency rule. In this way, if the first person cannot attend the meeting but the second person is able to attend, the meeting can be carried out. Sending out meeting invitations with such a predefined dependency rule simplifies the logistics of setting up a meeting to be attended by a number of individuals with full schedules.

Abstract: Writing a collaborative email document with hierarchical authorities including establishing a collaborative email document on an administrator's computer, identifying one or more signatories for the document, identifying one or more collaborators who are authorized to view and edit the document, providing to the collaborators copies of the document for viewing and editing, where the collaborators' copies reside on collaborators' computers, updating the copies of the document on collaborators' computers with revisions from the collaborators, and sending the collaborative email document from the administrator's computer to addressees when the document bears valid digital signatures from all signatories.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for modifying an event in an electronic calendar system. An event invitation is created in the electronic calendar system. A first timeout value is associated with the event invitation. The first timeout value specifies a time for replying to the event invitation. The event invitation is sent to one or more invitees and the first timeout value is applied to at least a subset of the one or more invitees. If a response to the event invitation is not received from an invitee with an applied timeout value within the time specified by the first timeout value, a first action relating to the event is performed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for managing contingent events in an electronic calendar system. A priority is associated with each event among two or more events. The two or more events are at least partly overlapping in the electronic calendar system. When a high priority event of the two or more events is canceled from the electronic calendar system, the high priority event is automatically replaced with a lower priority event from the two or more events.

Abstract: Illustrative embodiments provide a navigation device for determining an optimal route for a user. The navigation device comprises a location unit capable of determining the present position of the navigation device and a selection unit capable of receiving user input indicating a selected destination. Further, a memory capable of storing information for searching routes, a receiver capable of acquiring current information comprising road, business hour, traffic congestion patterns, conveyance mode and time buffer information relative to the present position and the selected destination to store in the memory and a route identification unit capable of identifying, from among a combination of the stored roads, business hours, traffic congestion patterns, conveyance mode and time buffer information, an optimal route from the present position to the selected destination. Also, the navigation device comprises a notification unit capable of presenting a notification of the optimal route.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing a notification to a user about the progress of a task running on a digital processing device. A user input identifying a progress indicator for the task running on the digital processing device is received. A user input selecting a threshold value is received. The threshold value indicates a point on the progress indicator at which the user is to be notified about the progress of the task. A notification is provided to the user when the threshold value is reached.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for synchronizing a media presentation. A locally stored electronic copy of the media presentation is displayed on a presenter's presentation device and a locally stored copy of the media presentation is displayed on each of one or more participants' presentation devices. The presenter's presentation device and each participant's presentation device is operable to communicate with each other through a communications network. In response to the presenter performing an action on the electronic copy of the media presentation on the presenter's presentation device during the media presentation, data pertaining to the action is transmitted through the communications network to each participant's presentation device. The appearance of the media presentation on each participant's presentation device is changed in accordance with the data transmitted from the presenter.

Abstract: A monitoring tool continuously monitors for insertion, call or deletion of objects from a session. Display of this information shows any get object, set object or remove object operations in the session and shows the entry and exit points for each such object, thus assisting the user whenever objects inserted or called remain in the session and are not removed, thus allowing the user to prevent any data buildup in the session.

Abstract: A monitoring tool continuously monitors for insertion, call or deletion of objects from a session. Display of this information shows any get object, set object or remove object operations in the session and shows the entry and exit points for each such object, thus assisting the user whenever objects inserted or called remain in the session and are not removed, thus allowing the user to prevent any data buildup in the session. The display is performed in a navigational view or “state diagram” form of view which is constructed by polling the filesystem content and building a navigational view of the overall states and interactions occurring within the session.

Abstract: A method and implementing computer system are provided in which users are enabled to create a database listing areas in which the user may be at any given moment and corresponding phone numbers to which calls directed to the user's phone number are re-routed if the user is in any of the designated areas when an incoming call is placed. In an exemplary embodiment, a global positioning system is implemented as a geographic locating device to determine the user's location at any time, and a routing server database is implemented and accessed to match the user's current location to one or more user-designated telephone numbers in an area proximate to the user's current location.

Abstract: Device, method and system for providing shopping assistance information to customers using RFID tagged items in a store equipped with on-board or hand-held shopping cart RFID readers and display devices modified to have a personal product specification criteria data input interface.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for requesting a page from a server across a network data processing system. The page is requested a first time from a client application in the data processing system in which the page is requested using a domain name. An Internet Protocol address for the domain name is looked up for the page on a remote domain name server. The Internet Protocol address is used to request the page. The Internet Protocol address is stored locally in the data processing system in a database of Internet Protocol translations in association with the domain name for the page and wherein the database is accessible only by the client application. As a result, subsequent requests for the page may be processed using this database. The database of Internet Protocol translations is referenced to determine whether an Internet Protocol address for a selected page is present in response to a request for the selected page.

Abstract: A computer-implementable method, system, and computer-readable medium for binding an image descriptor of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) widget to a text field are presented. The method includes associating an image descriptor, of the GUI widget, with a content of an active field in the text field, wherein the image descriptor of the GUI widget and the content of the active field in the text field are substantially similar. In response to the image descriptor of the GUI widget changing, the content of the active field in the text field is modified to represent the changed image descriptor of the GUI widget.

Abstract: A color computer output is dynamically converted into a monochrome computer output based on a stored profile. The stored profile may be for a piece of hardware (e.g., a monochrome printer), or a user (e.g., a color-blind user).

Abstract: A computer implemented method and a computer usable program product for ordering a plurality of instant messages are provided. A data processing system receives at least one incoming instant message. Responsive to identifying the at least one incoming instant message as a response to at least one outgoing instant message originating from the data processing system, the data processing system associates the at least one incoming instant message with the at least one outgoing instant message to form a set of related messages. The data processing system presents the at least one incoming instant message to a first user, wherein a relationship between the at least one incoming instant message and the at least one outgoing instant message is identified.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an enhanced layer of security to protect the file system from malicious programs are provided. An additional layer of security for protecting data and to minimize successful attacks by malicious programs is provided. This additional layer uses the feature of code signing to verify that the code is from a source which the code claims to be from, and also that the code has not been tampered with by a malicious party. The file system provides a feature by which certificates are mapped to portions of a file system, e.g., files/directories, such that only programs that are certified by those certificates are able to read/modify those portions of the file system.

Abstract: A method that enables automatic retrieval and transfer of bibliographical information whenever content is copied from a web page. During creation of a web page, the meta data defining each independent portion of the content is linked via paired comments or meta tags to bibliographical information associated with the content. When a person accesses the web site and copies the content from the site, the bibliographical information is automatically appended to the content. If that content is then pasted into a different document, e.g., within a word processing application, the bibliographical information is automatically transferred to a location for such information within the document. Also, if the content is saved, the bibliographical information is saved along with the content.

Abstract: Writing a collaborative email document with hierarchical authorities including establishing a collaborative email document on an administrator's computer, identifying one or more signatories for the document, identifying one or more collaborators who are authorized to view and edit the document, providing to the collaborators copies of the document for viewing and editing, where the collaborators' copies reside on collaborators' computers, updating the copies of the document on collaborators' computers with revisions from the collaborators, and sending the collaborative email document from the administrator's computer to addressees when the document bears valid digital signatures from all signatories.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer implemented method, system, and computer program product for selective encryption of a data transmission. A data transmission is received. When the data transmission is received, the data transmission is unmarshaled. When the transmission is unmarshaled, objects and a set of sensitive fields within the data transmission are identified by referencing a metadata database. Only the set of sensitive fields within the data transmission are encrypted to form a partially encrypted data transmission. The partially encrypted data transmission is marshaled to form a marshaled data transmission. The marshaled data transmission is transmitted to a recipient.

Abstract: A locking digital pen system includes memory means which is available for storing user passwords for a plurality of users. When a user wishes to activate the digital pen, the user is enabled to use the digital pen to enter a password. After verification of the password, the pen is unlocked and the system associates the user with a matching digital signature certificate. When the user wishes to lock the pen, the user is enabled to actuate a button on the pen or provide an entry to a coupled computer to initiate a locking sequence. The system then disassociates the user from the digital signature certificates so the pen can no longer be used to digitally sign documents and the pen enters a locked state. In another embodiment, an authorized user may disable the unlocking function of the pen whereby the pen may not be unlocked by entry of a password but rather only when a special code is entered into the system.