Abstract: Systems and methods to predict bidding behavior are described. The system identifies a listing that includes listing information that describes an item that is being auctioned on a network-based marketplace. The system further identifies bid classification information based on the number of bids received for the item. Finally, the system predicts whether no more bids are expected to be received for the item based on the classification information.

Abstract: Techniques for determining search results based on session based refinements are presented herein. A method is disclosed that includes receiving a query in a user session, the query comprising one or more search parameters, detecting, in the user session and after receiving the query, a user event associated with a property of an item, updating a record in a table that associates the query with the property, the table comprising a plurality of records that associate the query with respective item properties, the record comprising the query, the property, and a score, and ranking search results for a subsequent query based on the associated properties indicated in the plurality of records, the subsequent query including the one or more search parameters.

Abstract: Techniques for determining search results based on session based refinements are presented herein. A method is disclosed that includes receiving a query in a user session, the query comprising one or more search parameters, detecting, in the user session and after receiving the query, a user event, updating, for each previous query in the user session that includes one or more of the search parameters, a record in a table for the query, the record storing a count of user events that match the user event, updating a score for each of the previous queries based on the count of user events, the respective records further storing the score, and ranking search results for a subsequent query based on the scores in the table, the subsequent query including the one or more search parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for generating search results. A data access module accesses search results data indicative of a plurality items and that is indicative of ranking values of the plurality of items. A controller module generates page data based on the search results data. The controller module selects a first item from the plurality of items. A diversification module accesses a first rule of the page data. The diversification module determines a deviance value and a reordering-cost value of a second item from the plurality of items. The controller module can select, based at least on a first combination of the deviance and the reordering-cost values of the second item, the second item for placement ahead of the first item on the page data.

Abstract: The author ranking technique described herein is a technique to rank authors in social media systems along various dimensions, using a variety of statistical methods for utilizing those dimensions. More particularly, the technique ranks authors in social media systems through a combination of statistical techniques that leverage usage metrics, and social and topical graph characteristics. In various exemplary embodiments, the technique can rank author authority by the following: 1) temporal analysis of link sharing in which authority is computed based on a user's propensity to provide early links to web pages that subsequently become popular; 2) topical authority based on the author's links and content updates in specific topic areas; and 3) popularity and influence based on nodal properties of authors.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for a query-breadth selected search result sorting mechanism are herein described. A search query can be received from a user. A breadth score can be generated for the search query. A sorting mechanism can be selected from a plurality of sorting mechanisms based on the breadth score. Search results can be identified for the query and the selected sorting mechanism can be applied to the search results to produce an ordered set of search results. The ordered set of search results can be presented to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods to predict bidding behaviour are described. The system identifies a listing that includes listing information that describes an item that is being auctioned on a network-based marketplace. The system further identifies bid classification information based on the number of bids received for the item. Finally, the system predicts whether no more bids are expected to be received for the item based on the classification information.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying suspicious item-related features are disclosed. In some embodiments, a sample of item listings is received. Each item listing in the sample of item listings may correspond to an item offered for sale on an e-commerce website. Item-related data for each item listing in the sample of item listings may be extracted. Training data comprising identifications of which item listings in the sample of item listings are suspicious and identifications of which item listings in the sample of item listings are not suspicious may be received. A model for classifying a candidate item listing on the e-commerce website as being suspicious may be determined using the training data.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, e-commerce listings from a database are ranked into a first ranking in accordance with a first ranking scheme. Then a location of a potential buyer is identified. One or more of the listings are identified as may ship listings that a corresponding seller has indicated as pertaining to a good or service that may ship to the location of the potential buyer, without a commitment of shipping to the location of the potential buyer. A position of one or more of the may ship listings in the first ranking may be altered to achieve a second ranking.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for presenting supplemental search results having indications that identified documents have been endorsed by the user and/or social network connections of the user are provided. A search query is received and it is determined that the user's social networking data is available. Documents that have been endorsed by the user and/or social network connections of the user are searched to identify those that satisfy the input search query. The satisfying documents are assigned a relevance score to determine whether each satisfying document is relevant enough to be shown and to determine placement of the document on the SERP relative to standard search results. Upon rendering of the SERP, a supplemental search result identifying documents that were endorsed by the user and/or social network connections of the user is presented, as is an indication about which social network connection(s) of the user endorsed the document.

Abstract: Search results may include both objective results and person results. In one example, a search query is evaluated to determine whether it is the type of query that a user might want to ask to a friend. If the query is of such a type, then the search engine may examine a social graph to determine which friends of the user who entered the query may have information that is relevant to answering the query. If such friends exist, then the friends may be displayed along with objective search results, along with an explanation of each friend's relevance to the query. Clicking on a person in the results may cause a conversation to be initiated with that person, thereby allowing the user who entered the query to ask his or her friend about the subject of the query.

Abstract: Search results may include both objective results and person results. In one example, a search query is evaluated to determine whether it is the type of query that a user might want to ask to a friend. If the query is of such a type, then the search engine may examine a social graph to determine which friends of the user who entered the query may have information that is relevant to answering the query. If such friends exist, then the friends may be displayed along with objective search results, along with an explanation of each friend's relevance to the query. Clicking on a person in the results may cause a conversation to be initiated with that person, thereby allowing the user who entered the query to ask his or her friend about the subject of the query.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for presenting supplemental search results having indications that identified documents have been endorsed by the user and/or social network connections of the user are provided. A search query is received and it is determined that the user's social networking data is available. Documents that have been endorsed by the user and/or social network connections of the user are searched to identify those that satisfy the input search query. The satisfying documents are assigned a relevance score to determine whether each satisfying document is relevant enough to be shown and to determine placement of the document on the SERP relative to standard search results. Upon rendering of the SERP, a supplemental search result identifying documents that were endorsed by the user and/or social network connections of the user is presented, as is an indication about which social network connection(s) of the user endorsed the document.

Abstract: Search results may include both objective results and person results. In one example, a search query is evaluated to determine whether it is the type of query that a user might want to ask to a friend. If the query is of such a type, then the search engine may examine a social graph to determine which friends of the user who entered the query may have information that is relevant to answering the query. If such friends exist, then the friends may be displayed along with objective search results, along with an explanation of each friend's relevance to the query. Clicking on a person in the results may cause a conversation to be initiated with that person, thereby allowing the user who entered the query to ask his or her friend about the subject of the query.

Abstract: A method and related apparatus to control pitch angle of the blade of any horizontal axis wind turbines (wind generators or wind mills), which employs only the centrifugal force of the blade assembly including the blades and the moving parts of the patented apparatus. The pitch control is automatic when the rotational speed of the turbine rotor reaches certain pre-set value, the blade pitch angle is increased by the centrifugal forces of the blade assembly, thus the apparatus restricts the maximum rotating speed of the turbine rotor, and protects the wind turbine from being destructed by excessive wind speed, yet the wind turbine will keep running and producing power at the excessive wind speed. Due to the simplicity and low cost, this method and related apparatus are more suitable for medium and small wind generators (e.g., power <10 KW), where the conventional hydraulic or electrical power-actuated pitch control apparatuses are too complicate and too costly to be installed.

Abstract: The author ranking technique described herein is a technique to rank authors in social media systems along various dimensions, using a variety of statistical methods for utilizing those dimensions. More particularly, the technique ranks authors in social media systems through a combination of statistical techniques that leverage usage metrics, and social and topical graph characteristics. In various exemplary embodiments, the technique can rank author authority by the following: 1) temporal analysis of link sharing in which authority is computed based on a user's propensity to provide early links to web pages that subsequently become popular; 2) topical authority based on the author's links and content updates in specific topic areas; and 3) popularity and influence based on nodal properties of authors.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods allocate I/O bandwidth of an electrical component, such as an IC, by configuring an I/O interface into various types of interfaces. In an embodiment of the present invention, an I/O interface is configured into either a bi-directional contact, unidirectional contact (including either a dedicated transmit or dedicated receive contact) or a maintenance contact used in a maintenance or calibration mode of operation. The I/O interface is periodically reconfigured to optimally allocate I/O bandwidth responsive to system parameters, such as changing data workloads in the electronic components.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods allocate I/O bandwidth of an electrical component, such as an IC, by configuring an I/O interface into various types of interfaces. In an embodiment of the present invention, an I/O interface is configured into either a bi-directional contact, unidirectional contact (including either a dedicated transmit or dedicated receive contact) or a maintenance contact used in a maintenance or calibration mode of operation. The I/O interface is periodically reconfigured to optimally allocate I/O bandwidth responsive to system parameters, such as changing data workloads in the electronic components.

Abstract: A system and method of crawling at least one website comprising at least one URL includes maintaining a lookup structure comprising all of the URLs known to be on a website; calculating a hub score for each webpage of the website to be recrawled, wherein the hub score measures how likely the to be recrawled webpage includes links to fresh content published on the website; sorting all the to be recrawled pages by their hub scores; and crawling the to be recrawled pages in order from highest hub scores to lowest hub scores. The calculating comprises computing a first value equaling a percentage of a number of new relative URLs on the to be recrawled page; computing a second value equaling a percentage of a previous hub score of the to be recrawled page; and computing the hub score as a sum of the first and the second values.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods allocate I/O bandwidth of an electrical component, such as an IC, by configuring an I/O interface into various types of interfaces. In an embodiment of the present invention, an I/O interface is configured into either a bi-directional contact, unidirectional contact (including either a dedicated transmit or dedicated receive contact) or a maintenance contact used in a maintenance or calibration mode of operation. The I/O interface is periodically reconfigured to optimally allocate I/O bandwidth responsive to system parameters, such as changing data workloads in the electronic components.