Abstract: A social networking system enables interaction between various devices, infrastructures, and the like based upon monitoring, analysis, processing, and the like of information received from devices. Some or all of an infrastructure can monitor information output from one or more socially controllable devices. Upon receiving a trigger or determining a trigger event processing of received data, some or all of the infrastructure, supporting processing systems, and the like can take one or more various responsive actions, including contacting a user associated with the social devices, contacting a third party that is not a member of the social network group, contacting a service that is a member of the group, and controlling or enabling others to control aspects of devices docked with the user's group. A user can manage various levels of authorized interaction between associated devices and a docked social group.

Abstract: A social network (SNET) is divided into one or more circles employing separate security secrets, e.g. keys, for communication between members. A device can be a member of more than one circle, and store different keys for each of those circles in separate, restricted portions of memory. When a member leaves a circle, new keys can be generated and distributed to the remaining members. Before and after joining a circle, a level of trust associated with the device or human member can be determined based on third party trust verification and a trust history. A requirement for multiple current circle members to vouch for the prospective member can be imposed as a condition of membership. Each circle can be assigned different trust and access levels, and authorization to receive information can be checked before transmitting information between circles.

Abstract: Members of a social network (SNET) circle can share content with other members of SNET circle, members of the same SNET that are not members of the same circle, or send content to people or devices outside of SNET. Different levels of content security can be applied to the shared content, depending on who requests the content, the destination of the content, user preferences, content type, SNET, SNET circle, or other security parameters. Content can be tagged to limit the number of times it can be accessed, the length of time access is allowed, and to otherwise control redistribution. Content can also be protected by limiting host network access to the content, implementing SNET circle firewalls and virtual private networks, or transcoding content before allowing transmission to non-SNET circle or SNET members. Docking of devices into an SNET security circle can be restricted to properly secured devices.

Abstract: A social networking system enables sharing of content between various members, devices, infrastructures, and the like based upon membership in a social network (SNET group). Content can be protected by limiting access to the content to members of an SNET group, members associated with various devices docked to the SNET group, and the like. Joint access of content by various members of an SNET group can be managed to ensure synchronized access of content and interactions between SNET accessing group members. Instances of a content item can be distributed to multiple destination devices associated with an SNET group, where various instances are transcoded to accommodate varying capabilities and characteristics of various communication pathways and the destination devices and ensure synchronized access of the content item by the multiple destination devices. Interactions between members of an SNET group can be managed to leverage links to other SNET groups.

Abstract: A gateway includes at least one communications interface and processing circuitry and establishes communications with at least one service provider device and with a serviced client device. The gateway receives serviced client device display structure instructions, first streamed content from a service provider device, and second streamed content from a cloud server, the second streamed content based upon an Internet session hosted by the cloud server. Based upon the serviced client device display structure instructions, the gateway combines the first streamed content with the second streamed content to form merged streamed content and transmits the merged streamed content to the serviced client device. In another operation the gateway forwards the first streamed content to a first client device and the second streamed content to a second client device based upon the serviced client device display structure instructions.

Abstract: A gateway includes a communications interface and processing circuitry and establishes communications with at least one service provider device and with a serviced client device. The gateway receives serviced client device display structure instructions from a cloud server. The gateway then receives first streamed content from the cloud server, the first streamed content comprising images of an Internet session hosted by the cloud server and having a video program hole formed therein. The gateway receives second streamed content from the cloud server, the second streamed content comprising a video program corresponding to the video program hole of the first streamed content. Based upon the serviced client device display structure instructions, the gateway combines the first streamed content with the second streamed content to form merged streamed content and transmits the merged streamed content to the serviced client device. The client device may alternately receive and merge the video streams.

Abstract: A gateway includes a communications interface and processing circuitry and establishes communications with at least one service provider device and with a serviced client device. The gateway receives video on demand instructions from the serviced client device and transmits the video on demand instructions to the cloud server. The gateway then receives streamed video content from the cloud server, the streamed video content video processed based upon the video on demand instructions and, during some operations the streamed video content having video on demand icons formed therein. The gateway then transmits the streamed video content to the serviced client device. The advanced video processing instructions may be three-dimensional processing instruction, texturing, or another type of advanced video processing. The cloud server may also service a Video on Demand session for the serviced client device.

Abstract: A gateway having at least one communications interface and processing circuitry establishes communications with at least one service provider device and at least one serviced client device. The gateway then determines that a serviced client device is to establish an Internet browsing session. Based upon characteristics of the serviced client device, the gateway determines where to instantiate a web browser to service the Internet browsing session. Based upon the determination, in a first operation, instantiates the web browser to service the Internet browsing session at the gateway or client device. In a second operation, the gateway instantiates the web browser to service the Internet browsing session at a service provider server. In other operations, the gateway may determine to instantiate a browser for a first client device at a cloud server and to instantiate a browser for a second client device either locally or at the second client device.

Abstract: A disk drive having a cache memory and a method of operating same, in which the disk drive is connectable to a host computer for reading and writing data on a disk. The method defines a length parameter specifying the length of a data segment to be written to the disk. A first portion of the cache memory stores data segments whose length is equal to the length parameter and a second portion of the cache memory stories data segments whose length is not equal to the length parameter. When a host write command including a write data segment having a write command length is received, the write data segment is storied in the first portion if the write command length is equal to the length parameter and stored in the second portion if the write command length is not equal to the length parameter. Write data segments stored in the first portion may be overwritten and the writing thereof to disk may be delayed according to a predetermined delayed writing policy.