Abstract: Methods for providing a privacy setting for a target user relative to relationships with a number of other users in a social network utilizing an electronic computing device are presented, the method including: causing the electronic computing device to retrieve a current privacy setting for a common profile item, where the common profile item corresponds with the target user and each of the number of other users, and where the common profile item is one of a number of common profile items; causing the electronic computing device to calculate a pseudo-common profile item sensitivity value for the common profile item based on the current privacy settings of the target user and the number of other users; causing the electronic computing device to calculate a final common profile item sensitivity value for the common profile item based on the current privacy setting.

Abstract: Dynamic discovery of peers or services in different networks, where few or no servers may be required for the discovering process, is provided. Broadcasting used for the peer or service discovery may serve to reduce centralized bottlenecks and may serve to increase scalability.

Abstract: Dynamic discovery of peers or services in different networks, where few or no servers may be required for the discovering process, is provided. Broadcasting used for the peer or service discovery may serve to reduce centralized bottlenecks and may serve to increase scalability.

Abstract: Dynamic discovery of peers or services in different networks, where few or no servers may be required for the discovering process, is provided. Broadcasting used for the peer or service discovery may serve to reduce centralized bottlenecks and may serve to increase scalability.

Abstract: Methods for providing a privacy setting for a target user relative to relationships with a number of other users in a social network utilizing an electronic computing device are presented, the method including: causing the electronic computing device to retrieve a current privacy setting for a common profile item, where the common profile item corresponds with the target user and each of the number of other users, and where the common profile item is one of a number of common profile items; causing the electronic computing device to calculate a pseudo-common profile item sensitivity value for the common profile item based on the current privacy settings of the target user and the number of other users; causing the electronic computing device to calculate a final common profile item sensitivity value for the common profile item based on the current privacy setting.

Abstract: Dynamic discovery of peers or services in different networks, where few or no servers may be required for the discovering process, is provided. Broadcasting used for the peer or service discovery may serve to reduce centralized bottlenecks and may serve to increase scalability.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for descriptively representing an application programming interface and data of a networked software application, and a descriptive domain specific language are presented. Additionally, methods and apparatus for mashup creation, including a repository of networking or Web applications that may be reused and combined, are presented. Networked software applications and mashups are provided with mostly declarative common structure and design, facilitating sharing and reuse of mashup and mashup parts. For example, a method for representing a first application programming interface of a first networked software application includes forming a declarative representation of the first application programming interface, and forming a declarative representation of first data. The first networked software application comprises the first application programming interface and the first data.

Abstract: A method and associated systems for monitoring and maintaining a cluster of virtual machines. The cluster contains one or more pairs of a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, in which each machine of a pair monitors the other one machine of the pair. When a first virtual machine identifies that its corresponding second virtual machine is not operating properly, the first virtual machine automatically requests that a system-management entity restart the second machine. If a certain number of restart attempts fails to restore the second machine to desired functionality, the first virtual machine automatically requests that the system-management entity recreate or reprovision the second virtual machine from a prior backup. If a certain number of such attempts fail, a system administrator is automatically notified that further action is needed.

Abstract: A method and associated systems for monitoring and maintaining a cluster of virtual machines. The cluster contains one or more pairs of a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, in which each machine of a pair monitors the other one machine of the pair. When a first virtual machine identifies that its corresponding second virtual machine is not operating properly, the first virtual machine automatically requests that a system-management entity restart the second machine. If a certain number of restart attempts fails to restore the second machine to desired functionality, the first virtual machine automatically requests that the system-management entity recreate or reprovision the second virtual machine from a prior backup. If a certain number of such attempts fail, a system administrator is automatically notified that further action is needed.

Abstract: A method and associated systems for increasing resiliency of a distributed computing system. A processor creates a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, each of which monitor the other. When the first virtual machine identifies that the second virtual machine has become unavailable or is otherwise compromised, the first virtual machine automatically requests that a system-management entity restart the unavailable machine. If a certain number of restart attempts fails to restore the second virtual machine to desired functionality, the first virtual machine automatically requests that the system-management entity recreate or reprovision the second virtual machine from a prior backup. If a certain number of such recreations or reprovisionings attempts fails, a system administrator is automatically notified that further action is needed.

Abstract: A method and associated systems for increasing resiliency of a distributed computing system. A processor creates a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, each of which monitor the other. When the first virtual machine identifies that the second virtual machine has become unavailable or is otherwise compromised, the first virtual machine automatically requests that a system-management entity restart the unavailable machine. If a certain number of restart attempts fails to restore the second virtual machine to desired functionality, the first virtual machine automatically requests that the system-management entity recreate or reprovision the second virtual machine from a prior backup. If a certain number of such recreations or reprovisionings attempts fails, a system administrator is automatically notified that further action is needed.

Abstract: Mashup creation, through the reuse and combination of existing networking or Web applications, are presented. For example, a method for forming a networked software application on a first computer resource coupled by a network to a client computer of a user includes accessing, within a repository that is part of the first computer resource, a first networked software application part, forming, within the first computer resource, a second networked software application part, and providing the second networked software application part to the repository. The second networked software application part comprises a first element of the first networked software application part. The steps of accessing, forming and providing are performed using the first computer resource comprising the repository. The first and the second networked software application parts remain on the first computer resource, and separate from the client computer, during the forming of the second networked software application part.

Abstract: A method for managing complex payload using on a point of sale (POS) printer is described. The complex payload includes a plurality of commands. The method includes organizing at least a portion of the commands into a single entity. The single entity corresponds to more than one command, though need not contain all of the commands. The method also includes providing a payload identifier corresponding to the single entity. The payload identifier indicates a correspondence between the commands for the single entity and the single entity.

Abstract: Methods for providing a privacy setting for a target user in a social network utilizing an electronic computing device are presented, the method including: causing the electronic computing device to retrieve a current privacy setting for a common profile item, where the common profile item corresponds with the target user and each of a number of users, and where the common profile item is one of a number of common profile items; causing the electronic computing device to calculate a common profile item sensitivity value for the common profile item based on the current privacy setting; causing the electronic computing device to calculate a common profile item visibility value for the common profile item based on the a current privacy setting and the sensitivity value for the common profile item; and causing the electronic computing device to calculate the privacy score of the target user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing security and/or privacy settings are described. In one embodiment, the method may include communicably coupling a first client to a second client. The method may further include propagating a portion of a plurality of security and/or privacy settings for the first client from the first client to the second client. The method may also include, upon receiving at the second client the portion of the plurality of security and/or privacy settings for the first client, incorporating the received portion of the plurality of security and/or privacy settings for the first client into a plurality of security and/or privacy settings for the second client.

Abstract: Methods for managing privacy settings for a social network using an electronic computing device are presented including: causing the electronic computing device to receive a triggering event on the social network; and causing the electronic computing device to determine a number of privacy indices in response to the triggering event, where the number of privacy indices correspond with at least one target user, where the number of privacy indices are normalized from a summation of a number of privacy scores, where the number of privacy scores are each derived from a sum of attribute scores, and where the sum of attribute scores are each derived from a weighted sensitivity value of an attribute and a user relationship distance value of a user and the target user.

Abstract: Mashup creation, through the reuse and combination of existing networking or Web applications, are presented. For example, a method for forming a networked software application on a first computer resource coupled by a network to a client computer of a user includes accessing, within a repository that is part of the first computer resource, a first networked software application part, forming, within the first computer resource, a second networked software application part, and providing the second networked software application part to the repository. The second networked software application part comprises a first element of the first networked software application part. The steps of accessing, forming and providing are performed using the first computer resource comprising the repository. The first and the second networked software application parts remain on the first computer resource, and separate from the client computer, during the forming of the second networked software application part.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for descriptively representing an application programming interface and data of a networked software application, and a descriptive domain specific language are presented. Additionally, methods and apparatus for mashup creation, including a repository of networking or Web applications that may be reused and combined, are presented. Networked software applications and mashups are provided with mostly declarative common structure and design, facilitating sharing and reuse of mashup and mashup parts. For example, a method for representing a first application programming interface of a first networked software application includes forming a declarative representation of the first application programming interface, and forming a declarative representation of first data. The first networked software application comprises the first application programming interface and the first data.

Abstract: A shopping environment includes a server and a shopping device for broadcasting a wireless signal that identifies the identity of a shopper associated with the device. A network infrastructure conveys the wireless signal information to the server. A verification system is configured to detect the shopping device being in proximity to an exit of the shopping environment and to initiate precautionary action in response thereto. The shopping device may be enabled to permit the user to indicate purchase of an item and, responsive thereto, to communicate a purchase to the server as part of maintaining a virtual shopping cart of items selected for purchase by the shopper. The verification apparatus initiates the precautionary action if the shopper has not made payment arrangements. The verification apparatus is further enabled to display the number of items in the virtual shopping cart and the amount of time spent on the shopping trip.

Abstract: A method and system for brokering a transaction between a plurality of wireless communication devices is disclosed. The method and system includes enabling a plurality of wireless devices to communicate with one another, allowing a user to enter a request related to an object to be brokered into a first enabled wireless device, and exchanging the request with a plurality of enabled wireless devices. The system and method also includes receiving a response to the request by a third party facilitator from a user of a wireless device interested in completing the transaction. The third party facilitator will then complete the transaction between users of the first wireless device and the wireless device interested in completing the transaction. In another aspect of the present invention, at least one wireless broker device helps disseminate the request from the first wireless device to the wireless device interested in completing the transaction.