Abstract: Briefly, embodiments of a system, method, and article for receiving selfie images of a patient and additional images of one or more portions of the patient's body from a skin measurement/monitoring device. The selfie images and the additional images may be processed to identify one or more skin care conditions for the patient. A group of skin care products may be determined to recommend to the patient based on the one or more determined skin care conditions. A multi-day, multi-day portion schedule for a skin care routine may be generated for the patient, the skin care routine comprising one or more products from the group of skin care products and one or more additional actions for the patient to perform. Instructions may be generated for the patient, the instructions indicating how to use the one or more products and how to perform the one or more additional actions in a particular order.

Abstract: A method for tracking abandonment rates. A client computer may send a first message to a server requesting a content unit to be incorporated into a web page. The client computer may receive, from the server computer, the content unit including deliverable content and a communications element configured to send messages generated by the content unit to the server. After delivering the deliverable content, the client computer may send a second message to the server via the communications element, the second message indicating that the delivery of the deliverable content has been completed.

Abstract: There are disclosed apparatus and processes for playing a prestream. A client computer running a browser has loaded a webpage including instructions for playing a designated stream in a media player. To enable the prestream, prestream control code is included in the webpage such that when a stream initiation action takes place the prestream control code is processed and causes the prestream to be played before the media player plays the stream.

Abstract: Methods for presenting self-expanding content in a web page. A client computer may receive, from a server computer, a content unit including initial visual content and a self-contained expansion element. The client computer may display all or a portion of the initial visual content in an initial display window. After displaying the initial visual content, the client computer may execute the self-contained expansion element, which causes the client computer to perform actions including: defining a size and location for an expanded display window larger than the initial display window; hiding elements of the web page determined to interfere with the expanded display window; loading, from the server, expanded visual content; and displaying at least a portion of the expanded visual unit in the expanded display window.

Abstract: Methods and machine readable media for delivering online advertisements. A client computing may receive a first web page including data identifying an ad unit to be incorporated into the first web page. The client computer may request content for the ad unit content from an ad server. The ad server may download a shell to the client computer. Running the shell may cause the client computer to perform actions including loading from the ad server ad unit code defining the ad unit content; receiving from the ad server a URL of a second web page; opening an HTML iframe element positioned to overlay at least a portion of the ad unit within the first web page; and delivering the first web page, the ad unit, and at least a portion of the second web page displayed within the HTML iframe element.

Abstract: A method for tracking abandonment rates. A client computer may send a first message to a server requesting a content unit to be incorporated into a web page. The client computer may receive, from the server computer, the content unit including deliverable content and a communications element configured to send messages generated by the content unit to the server. After delivering the deliverable content, the client computer may send a second message to the server via the communications element, the second message indicating that the delivery of the deliverable content has been completed.

Abstract: In various embodiments, one or more servers is (collectively) endowed with a core data collection and management service, and a core content/metadata selection and propagation service, to receive from client devices automatically collected user activity associated data and in response, to select and propagate content/metadata to the client device, in a more efficient, flexible and effective manner (with high relevancy).

Abstract: In various embodiments, direct or indirect specification of an advertisement to be displayed on a web page or other medium being published or administered by a user is received by a computing device. In response, the computing device provides or enables provision of the advertisement to be delivered and displayed to another user that is a friend of the user, and/or another advertisement to be displayed subsequently to the user. In various embodiments, the computing device provides or enables provision of an advertisement to be displayed for the user based on the intersection of the preferences of the user with the preferences of a publisher or administrator of content being consumed by the user. In various embodiments, the computing device tracks propagation of an advertisement through a social network of users, and/or determining the nature and amount of influence a user has in propagating an advertisement through the social network.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a client device is endowed with a client data collection and management service, a client content/metadata selection and propagation service and a client content presentation, to automatically collect user activity associated data to support a content/metadata selection and propagation service to select and propagate content/metadata more efficiently, flexibly and effectively (with high relevancy).

Abstract: A system provides an interface for users to author and post pieces of content, referred to as “blurbs,” for viewing by other users. Blurbs may also be obtained from external sources, such as from blogs hosted by various web sites. A personalized blurb selection component selects blurbs to present to users based on histories of catalog items selected by such users, and/or based on various other criteria. User feedback provided on specific blurbs may be taken into consideration by the personalized blurb selection algorithms.

Abstract: A method of supporting all raster-based image manipulations described in vector-based terms. The present invention has the benefits of providing clean transformation that vector-based manipulations yields, and providing a broad selection of all image transformation operations that raster-based manipulations yield. In one aspect of the invention a vector-defined shape is drawn on top of a raster-based image by replacing the contents of the vector image with the bits from the raster image. In another aspect of the present invention, a copy of the portion of the raster image that overlaps with the vector-defined portion is made, the transformation operation is performed on the copy, and then the portion of the raster image is replaced with the transformed copy.

Abstract: A method of supporting all raster-based image manipulations described in vector-based terms. The present invention has the benefits of providing clean transformation that vector-based manipulations yields, and providing a broad selection of all image transformation operations that raster-based manipulations yield. In one aspect of the invention a vector-defined shape is drawn on top of a raster-based image by replacing the contents of the vector image with the bits from the raster image. In another aspect of the present invention, a copy of the portion of the raster image that overlaps with the vector-defined portion is made, the transformation operation is performed on the copy, and then the portion of the raster image is replaced with the transformed copy.

Abstract: A markup language document includes a data structure includes a plurality of parameter tag statements. Each parameter tag statement includes a first field containing data representing a variable name and a second field containing data representing a command associated with the variable name. Each variable name indicates an order of execution of its associated command relative to the other commands.

Abstract: An electronic catalog system provides an interface for users to author and post pieces of content, referred to as “blurbs,” for viewing by other users. The blurbs submitted by a particular author are made available for viewing in an author-specific blog (web log) format. Blurbs may also be obtained from external sources, such as from blogs hosted by various web sites. A personalized blurb selection component selects blurbs to present to users based on histories of catalog items selected by such users, and/or based on various other criteria. The blurbs selected for a particular user are presented within a personal log or “plog,” which may be updated daily and will typically contain entries from many different authors. User feedback provided on specific blurbs is taken into consideration by the personalized blurb selection algorithms.