Abstract: The disclosed playback devices, media playback systems, and/or methods improve upon the media playback experience by selectively reducing audio quality under certain conditions. The reduction of audio quality may be based on one or more aspects of the acoustic environment, such as the number and locations of one or more users, noise levels, playback device locations relative to the acoustic environment, etc. The media playback system may monitor or periodically poll each of one or more playback devices and other devices or sensors in and around an acoustic environment to determine whether there are opportunities to reduce audio quality for one or more playback devices. This reduction in quality allows the media playback system to conserve resources in one or more aspects and, potentially, divert those resources to other aspects for purposes.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a list of names of compute resources of an enterprise network, the names of compute resources including at least one name of a virtual machine and at least one name of a host, for each of the list of names: assessing a particular name of the list of names for removable data and removing the removable data to generate a feature for that particular name, for each feature, determining distances based on at least one metric for every other feature, grouping features based on distances, each feature being in only one group, recommending groups of compute resources based on groups of features, each feature of a group of features being associated with a different compute resource, the group of compute resources corresponding to a particular group of features, and providing a report of recommended groups.

Abstract: A method comprising identifying a plurality of compute resources of an enterprise network, the compute resources including ports associated with each compute resource, each port being in communication with entities within and outside the enterprise network, for each identified compute resources, identifying a subset of ports associated with a particular compute resource based on a number of connections and a port number of each port, and the ports of the subset of ports being an N most frequently used ports of a particular compute resource of the plurality of compute resources, determining a port signature associated with the particular compute resource based on the identified subset of ports, and determining one or more applications of the enterprise network being executed by the particular compute resource based on the port signature associated with the particular compute resource and providing a report of the one or more applications of the enterprise network.

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a list of names of compute resources of an enterprise network, the names of compute resources including at least one name of a virtual machine and at least one name of a host, for each of the list of names: assessing a particular name of the list of names for removable data and removing the removable data to generate a feature for that particular name, for each feature, determining distances based on at least one metric for every other feature, grouping features based on distances, each feature being in only one group, recommending groups of compute resources based on groups of features, each feature of a group of features being associated with a different compute resource, the group of compute resources corresponding to a particular group of features, and providing a report of recommended groups.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a list of names of compute resources of an enterprise network, the names of compute resources including at least one name of a virtual machine and at least one name of a host, for each of the list of names: assessing a particular name of the list of names for removable data and removing the removable data to generate a feature for that particular name, for each feature, determining distances based on at least one metric for every other feature, grouping features based on distances, each feature being in only one group, recommending groups of compute resources based on groups of features, each feature of a group of features being associated with a different compute resource, the group of compute resources corresponding to a particular group of features, and providing a report of recommended groups.

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aspects of an optical pulse stretcher for temporally stretching a short duration pulsed light signal to reduce its peak power, thus reducing the risk of causing damage to components that receives the pulsed light signal. Some embodiments are directed to a molecule sequencing system, in which photochemical damage caused by laser pulses having high peak power may be mitigated by the optical pulse stretcher. In one embodiment, the optical pulse stretcher comprises a polarizing beam splitter, a quarter-wave plate and a single etalon disposed in series. In another embodiments, an optical pulse stretcher splits a pulsed light signal along multiple delay lines before combining the split signals together to form a stretched light signal.

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a list of names of compute resources of an enterprise network, the names of compute resources including at least one name of a virtual machine and at least one name of a host, for each of the list of names: assessing a particular name of the list of names for removable data and removing the removable data to generate a feature for that particular name, for each feature, determining distances based on at least one metric for every other feature, grouping features based on distances, each feature being in only one group, recommending groups of compute resources based on groups of features, each feature of a group of features being associated with a different compute resource, the group of compute resources corresponding to a particular group of features, and providing a report of recommended groups.

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to attenuating excitation radiation incident on a sensor in an integrated device that is used for sample analysis are described. At least one semiconductor film of a selected material and crystal morphology is located between a waveguide and a sensor in an integrated device that is formed on a substrate. Rejection ratios greater than 100 or more can be obtained for excitation and emission wavelengths that are 40 nm apart for a single layer of semiconductor material.

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for producing an amplitude-modulated laser pulse train. The laser pulse train can be used to cause fluorescence in materials at which the pulse trains are directed. The parameters of the laser pulse train are selected to increase fluorescence relative to a constant-amplitude laser pulse train. The amplitude-modulated laser pulse trains produced using the teachings of this invention can be used to enable detection of specific molecules in applications such as gene or protein sequencing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aspects of a pulsed laser light source for producing excitation light in an integrated bioanalytical system. In some embodiments, the light source comprises one or more laser diodes that produces pulsed light signals synchronized with a common clock source for excitation of samples within reaction chambers on at least one chip. The light source may be used to provide excitation for a system with a large sensor array with reduced cost, size and electrical power requirements.

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to attenuating excitation radiation incident on a sensor in an integrated device that is used for sample analysis are described. At least one semiconductor film of a selected material and crystal morphology is located between a waveguide and a sensor in an integrated device that is formed on a substrate. Rejection ratios greater than 100 or more can be obtained for excitation and emission wavelengths that are 40 nm apart for a single layer of semiconductor material.

Abstract: A method comprising discovering workload attributes and identify dependencies, receiving utilization performance measurements including memory utilization measurements of at least a subset of workloads, grouping workloads based on the workload attributes, the dependencies, and the utilization performance measurements into affinity groups, determining at least one representative synthetic workload for each affinity group, each representative synthetic workload including a time slice of a predetermined period of time when there are maximum performance values for any number of utilization performance measurements among virtual machines of that particular affinity group, determining at least one cloud service provider (CSP)'s cloud services based on performance of the representative synthetic workloads, and generating a report for at least one of the representative synthetic workloads, the report identifying the at least one of the representative synthetic workloads and the at least one CSP's cloud services inclu

Abstract: A power sliding window assembly for a motor vehicle. The assembly can include a back window casing with a first window pane and a second window pane fixedly attached to the casing. A generally U-shaped guide rail can be at least partially encased within the window casing and be adjacent to the first window pane and the second window pane. A third window pane can have a portion fixedly attached to a glass carrier and the glass carrier can be located at least partially within and slidably engaged with the generally U-shaped guide rail. Located at least partially within the generally U-shaped guide rail can be a first stopper and a second stopper with the first and second stoppers providing for desired placement of the third window pane when it is in a closed position and a fully open position.