Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method, comprising hosting content on behalf of content owners who own the content; enabling content sharers to share the content through the creation of links to the content; generating revenue through the use of the content; and sharing said revenue with the content owners and the content sharers.

Abstract: A method for a local device to establish an ad hoc communications channel with a broadcast device is disclosed. The method comprises upon determining that the ad hoc communications link with the broadcast device is required, accessing memory to obtain connection parameters for the broadcast device; and establishing a communications link with the broadcast device by sending a connection request to the broadcast device based on the connection parameters.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe a technique to Content may be viewed or accessed with a link. The access or viewing of the content may be controlled by using an encrypted link that is generated and sent to an authorized user. When the authorized user uses a client system to access the content with the link, the client system is registered and the link is associated with the client system. When the link is forwarded to another computer system and the link is received from the other computer system in an attempt the access the content associated with the link, access to the content is at least initially, denied.

Abstract: In one embodiment, there is provided a method for a media storage device to manage digital content. The method comprises determining if there is digital content to be categorized into one or more galleries; automatically categorizing said digital content into the one or more galleries; and for digital content categorized into a gallery with an auto-publish flag, sending at least one of said digital content and a derivative form of said digital content to a server.

Abstract: Event messages are received from a first source, each has a subscription based-sequence number and a time stamp. The order of events within the first event source are determined on the basis of the subscription based-sequence number. Additional event messages are received from a second source each having a subscription based-sequence number and a time stamp. The events from the second event source are ordered with respect to the first event source on the basis of the time stamp within each of the at least two event messages from the first event source and the another at least two event messages from the second event source.

Abstract: An isolated persistent storage object accesses an isolated persistent storage region using identities of the application, an underlying component of the application, and optionally the user. Direct access to the isolated persistent storage region is available only to the isolated persistent storage object and is unavailable to other components. Accordingly, other components access the isolated persistent storage region through the isolated persistent storage object, which determines the specific location (e.g., specified by an internally constructed path name) and performs the access operation on behalf of the calling component. The application identity and the component identity are converted to typed identity names for use in the construction of the path name.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides a method for sharing content. The method is performed by a data acquisition device and comprises upon encountering a content transfer condition, if a size of content is greater than a predefined size threshold then performing a lossy compression operation on the content to reduce the size of the content to produce lossy-compressed content, and transmitting the lossy-compressed content to a predefined destination for routing to a final storage location using a packet-switched networking protocol; and at a later time, performing a synchronization operation wherein the non-lossy compressed content is transmitted to the final storage location.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method, comprising hosting content on behalf of content owners who own the content; enabling content sharers to share the content through the creation of links to the content; generating revenue through the use of the content; and sharing said revenue with the content owners and the content sharers.

Abstract: In a distributed system querying and navigating data structures, databases, and XML documents in uniform and extensible manner is provided. Queries are defined that provide type information to a variety of digital objects. As such, the underlying data format is abstracted thereby allowing a single query to apply to multiple digital devices even though the multiple digital devices store their data in a different native format.

Abstract: A network-based distributed application system is provided in accordance with the present invention for enabling services to be established locally on a client system. The system may include an application and presentation logic, at least a portion of which is interchangeably processed by a server or a client without modification to the portion. The core functionality provided by the application may be preserved between the client and the server wherein improved network performance may provided along with improved offline service capabilities.

Abstract: Communication among agile objects and context-bound objects within object-oriented programming environments, including communication across contextual boundaries, is disclosed. In one embodiment, a reference to a second object within a second context is wrapped in a proxy wrapper. A first object within a first context calls the second object via the wrapped reference. No direct reference is held by the first object to the second object. Other embodiments relate to agile objects. Agile objects called by context-bound objects execute in the contexts of their callers. The context of a calling context-bound object becomes the context of an agile object for calling of the agile object by the calling context-bound object. Direct reference to the agile object by the context-bound object is thus permitted.

Abstract: An authentication graphic included in a password prompt can allow a user to visually authenticate the password prompt. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a client device receiving a password challenge from a server, and displaying a prompt asking the user for a password, the prompt including an authentication graphic visible to the user.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a method to for printing an image from an arbitrary website. The method comprises, on a server system associated with the arbitrary website generating a link to the image; and sending the link to a client system; and on a server system associated with an online print service receiving the link to the image in the form of a request from the client system; retrieving the image from the server system associated with the arbitrary website; making a physical print of the image; and mailing the physical print to a mailing address.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe a technique to control access to content that may be viewed or accessed with a link. Broadly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an encrypted link to content is generated and sent to an authorized user. When the authorized user uses a client system (CS) to access the content with the link, the client system is registered and the link is associated with the client system. When the link is forwarded to another computer system and the link is received from the other computer system in an attempt the access the content associated with the link, access to the content is at least initially, denied. In some embodiments a user of the other computer system may be required to pass an authentication challenge, and access to the content is allowed if the user is authenticated as the authorized user. Users that are not authorized may be invited to request a new or fresh link.

Abstract: A method for a local device to establish an ad hoc communications channel with a broadcast device is disclosed. The method comprises upon determining that the ad hoc communications link with the broadcast device is required, accessing memory to obtain connection parameters for the broadcast device; and establishing a communications link with the broadcast device by sending a connection request to the broadcast device based on the connection parameters.

Abstract: A security policy manager generates a permission grant set for a code assembly received from a resource location. The policy manager can execute in a computer system (e.g., a Web client) in combination with the verification module and class loader of the run-time environment. The permission grant set generated for a code assembly is applied in the run-time call stack to help the system determine whether a given system operation by the code assembly is authorized. A permission request set may also be received in association with the code assembly. The permission request set may include a minimum request set, specifying permissions required by the code assembly to run properly. The permission request set may also include an optional request set, specifying permissions requested by the code assembly to provide an alternative level of functionality. In addition, the permission request set may include a refuse request set, specifying permissions that are not to be granted to the code assembly.

Abstract: A security policy manager generates a permission grant set for a code assembly received from a resource location. The policy manager can execute in a computer system (e.g., a Web client) in combination with the verification module and class loader of the run-time environment. The permission grant set generated for a code assembly is applied in the run-time call stack to help the system determine whether a given system operation by the code assembly is authorized. A permission request set may also be received in association with the code assembly. The permission request set may include a minimum request set, specifying permissions required by the code assembly to run properly. The permission request set may also include an optional request set, specifying permissions requested by the code assembly to provide an alternative level of functionality. In addition, the permission request set may include a refuse request set, specifying permissions that are not to be granted to the code assembly.

Abstract: A software package manager uses a distribution unit containing components for a software package and a manifest file that describes the distribution unit to manage the installation, execution, and uninstallation of software packages on a computer. Information in the manifest file pertaining to a software package is stored in a code store data structure upon installation of the package. The manifest file also contains information that permits the software package manager to resolve any software dependencies upon installation. The software package manager uses the code store data structure to locate the required components when the software is executed and to remove the components appropriately when the software is uninstalled.

Abstract: A method for ensuring the integrity of a receiving system in a distributed computing environment includes receiving information from a transmitting system. The method also includes testing whether the information is preverified information. If the information is not preverified, the method includes verifying the information or rejecting receipt of the information. If the information is preverified, the method includes testing if the information was received from a trusted transmitting system. If the information was received from a trusted transmitting system, the method includes accepting receipt of the information without reverifying. If the information was not received from a trusted transmitting system, the method includes verifying the information or rejecting receipt of the information.

Abstract: An evidence-based policy manager generates a permission grant set for a code assembly received from a resource location. The policy manager executes in a computer system (e.g., a Web client or server) in combination with the verification module and class loader of the run-time environment. The permission grant set generated for a code assembly is applied in the run-time call stack to help the system determine whether a given system operation by the code assembly is authorized. Both code assemblies and evidence may be received from a local origin or from a remote resource location via a network (e.g., the Internet). The policy manager may comprise execution modules for parsing a security policy specification, generating a one or more code hierarchies, evaluating membership of the received code assembly in one or more code groups, and generating a permission grant set based upon this membership evaluation.