Abstract: Improving accuracy in understanding and/or resolving references to visual elements in a visual context associated with a computerized conversational system is described. Techniques described herein leverage gaze input with gestures and/or speech input to improve spoken language understanding in computerized conversational systems. Leveraging gaze input and speech input improves spoken language understanding in conversational systems by improving the accuracy by which the system can resolve references—or interpret a user's intent—with respect to visual elements in a visual context. In at least one example, the techniques herein describe tracking gaze to generate gaze input, recognizing speech input, and extracting gaze features and lexical features from the user input. Based at least in part on the gaze features and lexical features, user utterances directed to visual elements in a visual context can be resolved.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for recommendations based on adoption curve. A method includes tracking over a period of time user popularity of a media content using a web service residing in a server, the popularity and period of time representing a life cycle of each of the media content. The method tracks over the period of time users enrolled in the web service and when in the period of time each of the users adopted the tracked media content and associates adopted media content with user profiles representing the users. The method recommends media content associated with a first user who adopted the tracked media content earlier in the period of time to a second user who may want to adopt the tracked media content subsequently in the period of time.

Abstract: A method for deriving probabilistic association scores based on image content is provided. A bipartite graph is constructed based on a database of image content and associated textual content. One partition of the bipartite graph contains image content and the other partition of the bipartite graph contains textual content. Weighted edges between nodes in the two partitions represent associations between the image content and textual content in the database. Random walks on the bipartite graph are performed to derive probabilistic association scores between image content and textual content. Association scores are used to automatically annotate images and detect spurious image tags.

Abstract: A system and method for improved classification. A first classifier is trained using a first process running on at least one computing device using a first set of training images relating to a class of images. A set of additional images are selected using the first classifier from a source of additional images accessible to the computing device. The first set of training images and the set of additional images are merged using the computing device to create a second set of training images. A second classifier is trained using a second process running on the computing device using the second set of training images. A set of unclassified images are classified using the second classifier thereby creating a set of classified images. The first classifier and the second classifier employ different classification methods.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for recommendations based on adoption curve. A method includes tracking over a period of time user popularity of a media content using a web service residing in a server, the popularity and period of time representing a life cycle of each of the media content. The method tracks over the period of time users enrolled in the web service and when in the period of time each of the users adopted the tracked media content and associates adopted media content with user profiles representing the users. The method recommends media content associated with a first user who adopted the tracked media content earlier in the period of time to a second user who may want to adopt the tracked media content subsequently in the period of time.