Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes a method and system for automated check-out and drop-off return of products using a mobile device. A method may include purchasing at least one product of a plurality of products wherein each product is located at a respective associated product location in a store that sells the plurality of products and a point of sale of each purchased product corresponds to the respective associated product location.

Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes variable reward offers based on travel route. Techniques may include mapping a travel route from a first location to a second location using a mobile device, the mobile device configured to display at least a portion of the travel route; requesting an interest profile from a user, the interest profile comprising a place of interest and a deviation distance; and receiving a reward offer related to the interest profile and the travel route by the mobile device, the reward offer configured to cause the user to deviate a deviation distance from the travel route to redeem the reward.

Abstract: Systems and method may provide for a communication device that includes a primary communications module, a sensor, and a secondary wireless communications module. The sensor may detect a motion towards a second device while the communication device is involved in a real-time communication with one or more parties using the primary communications module. The secondary wireless communications module may invite the second device to join the real-time communication if the second device is authorized to take part in the real-time communication.

Abstract: Technologies for resource management include a mobile computing device configured to communicate with a resource database server. The mobile computing device determines a future context and sends a request to the server for resource information associated with a location defined by the future context. The server determines resources located at the location and sends the requested resource information to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device automatically configures itself to use the resources. The mobile computing device may automatically download and configure device drivers for the resources. The resources may include printers, displays, and network connections. The resource information may be provided by third-party resource providers. The resource database server may provide recommendations, including travel information recommendations.

Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes a method and system for authenticating to a network via a device-specific one-time password. A method in an embodiment may include generating a first one-time password (OTP) based at least in part on a plurality of client device attributes; and providing the first OTP to an authenticator associated with a private network during a first session, wherein the authenticator is configured to authenticate the client device to at least one of the private network and protected content included in the private network for a second session following the first session based on the provided first OTPP.

Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes dynamic route mapping between mobile devices. Techniques may include initiating communication between a first mobile device at a first location and a second mobile device at a second location; receiving a first location indicator by the second mobile device, the first location indicator transmitted from the first mobile device in response to a request from the second mobile device, the first location indicator corresponding to the first location; determining a convergence point based on at least one of the first location and the second location; mapping a travel route from at least one of the first location and the second location to the convergence point; and displaying the travel route on at least one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes authentication using biometric data for mobile device e-commerce transactions. A method may include capturing a mobile device user's biometric data; comparing the captured biometric data to authorized user biometric data stored on the mobile device; and authenticating an e-commerce transaction if the captured biometric data corresponds to the authorized user biometric data stored on the mobile device.

Abstract: Generally, a user records one or more user-specific gestures to enable switching from one partition to another using the gesture recorder. Information relating to the recorded gestures is stored in a data storage. Once a user-defined gesture is recorded, a context switcher detects a user performed gesture corresponding to the recorded gesture. Then the context switcher automatically switches from one environment to another environment.

Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes a method and system for providing product mapping on a mobile device based on device context. A method may include receiving product location data based on a context of a mobile device, wherein the product location data includes an available product location for each available product that corresponds to a desired product in a shopping list of desired products; and displaying a map of a store that sells one or more available products, wherein the store is related to the context and the map includes a product location indicator corresponding to each available product location configured to allow a user to find each available product that corresponds to a respective desired product in the store.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a network-accessible compute node, which includes a local storage storing reference images. Each reference image can depict one or more preferences, which can include a quality, a feature, a characteristic, an attribute, a type, and/or a form. Each preference can be associated with a distinctive pattern and a preference criterion. An embodiment includes an optimization module. The optimization module can learn the distinctive patterns from the reference images. The optimization module can also access a remote storage storing images of commodities and use pattern recognition to identify, from the remote storage, one or more images of commodities meeting the preference criterion selected by a user. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to cooperation among communications devices having microphones to employ their microphones in unison to provide voice detection with noise reduction for voice communications. A first communications device comprises a processor circuit; a first microphone; an interface operative to communicatively couple the processor circuit to a network; and a storage communicatively coupled to the processor circuit and arranged to store a sequence of instructions operative on the processor circuit to store a first detected data that represents sounds detected by the first microphone; receive a second detected data via the network that represents sounds detected by a second microphone of a second communications device; subtractively sum the first and second data to create a processed data; and transmit the processed data to a third communications device. Other embodiments are described and claimed herein.

Abstract: A select-hold-release navigation system is described. An apparatus may comprise a select-hold-release navigation application operative on a processor circuit to present a navigation menu rotationally displaying one or more navigation elements based on user input received at the apparatus. The select-hold-release navigation application may be operative on the processor circuit to present a navigation menu rotationally displaying one or more navigation elements based on navigation input received at the apparatus, the navigation input comprising control directives generated by an input device coupled to the apparatus sustained for a defined duration and being associated with a navigation capable area. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one example embodiment of a method for automating business negotiations, a vendor offers a product for sale at an original price. Subsequently, an automated haggling system receives a counteroffer to buy the product from a mobile device controlled by a shopper. The counteroffer proposes a second price for the product. In response to the counteroffer, the automated haggling system automatically determines whether the second price is acceptable. This determination may be based on data from a negotiation database with data identifying acceptable reduced prices. If the counteroffer proposes an acceptable price, the automated haggling system sends a message to the mobile device of the shopper to signify acceptance the counteroffer. In response to a determination that the shopper is purchasing the product at a point-of-sale (POS) station, the POS station automatically charges the shopper the negotiated price tier the product. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for software recovery in a computing system are disclosed. Software installation is authorized, for example, by a user providing a password or a finger print or some other authorization mechanism. The software may then be installed to a flash memory drive. Write access to the flash memory drive is disabled upon completion of the software installation to the flash memory drive. The software is also installed to a system hard drive. If any files of the software installation become corrupted on the hard drive, the corrupted files may be restored from corresponding uncorrupted files of the software installation on the flash memory drive. Restoring the corrupted files may be accomplished by rebooting into a pre-boot BIOS mode and then authorizing the BIOS to remove the corrupted files and to replace them with a copy of the uncorrupted files from the flash memory drive.