Abstract: The disclosure relates to modified orthopoxvirus vectors, as well as methods of using the same for the treatment of various cancers. The disclosure provides modified orthopoxvirus vectors that exhibit various beneficial therapeutic activities, including enhanced oncolytic activity, spread of infection, immune evasion, tumor persistence, capacity for incorporation of exogenous DNA sequences and safety. The viruses we have discovered are also amenable to large scale manufacturing protocols.

Abstract: Technologies pertaining to generating crowd-sourced answers are described herein. A text string is received, and the text string is parsed to determine if the text string represents an information need that is desirably answered by a collective of crowd workers. When it is determined that the information need is desirably answered by the collective of crowd workers, a query or question that represents the information need is provided to a first plurality of crowd workers, who generate proposed answers for the information need. The proposed answers are provided to a second plurality of crowd workers, who vote on the proposed answers. An answer to the information need is output based upon responses of the crowd workers.

Abstract: Technologies pertaining to generating crowd-sourced answers are described herein. A text string is received, and the text string is parsed to determine if the text string represents an information need that is desirably answered by a collective of crowd workers. When it is determined that the information need is desirably answered by the collective of crowd workers, a query or question that represents the information need is provided to a first plurality of crowd workers, who generate proposed answers for the information need. The proposed answers are provided to a second plurality of crowd workers, who vote on the proposed answers. An answer to the information need is output based upon responses of the crowd workers.

Abstract: Described is a system and method including an auxiliary display platform having an interface (API) set that provides a way for client applications running on a main computer system to interact with various types of auxiliary displays, irrespective of differences between various device implementations. Interaction includes displaying content and notifications provided by the application, and returning events to the application. In one implementation the API set comprises a set of COM objects that register and perform configuration checks of a client application, send content and notifications to attached devices, and return events from the attached devices. The application may send data to an endpoint corresponding to a communication destination (e.g., a particular auxiliary device application) and a contract (e.g., a format) for the data. The platform and API set thus provide an abstraction layer for applications to provide information independent of any particular auxiliary device implementation.

Abstract: Described is a system and method that use the concept of channels by which computer users select an appropriate set of network settings maintained in the computer system for a particular network. Upon selection, the corresponding settings are automatically applied by the system. A channel manager manages sets of network settings for various networks, including ad hoc networks, wherein each set contains the information that is necessary to connect to a network. A user interface allows selection of a channel, e.g., via a friendly name. The network settings may be stored in files to allow users to easily copy settings. Complex channels are capable of connecting to different networks at different times in a priority ordering, depending on network availability. The channel manager is able to determine the current channel from current network settings. Metadata may be received and displayed in conjunction with the channel-related user interface.

Abstract: An auxiliary computing device wakes an associated main computer system to obtain data as needed, on-demand and/or in anticipation of demand. The wakeup operation is ordinarily temporary to fetch data, whereby only a small amount of power is consumed by the main computer system. In one implementation, a control channel between the auxiliary device and the main computer system is used to signal a wakeup. A main data channel is used to obtain the data, whereby the auxiliary device has access to a larger amount of data than it can cache. Moreover, the components of the main computer system may be leveraged, such as to use the main computer system's digital rights management mechanisms. Additional data may be intelligently requested by the auxiliary device while the main computer system is powered up, e.g., to buffer media, and/or request a synchronization of calendar data, email data, and so forth.

Abstract: A remote automation system is described herein that allows application accessibility information to be used remotely and extended to allow custom UI elements to be automated. The remote automation system receives a request at a remote computer for automation data related to an application running on the remote computer. The remote automation system requests automation data from the application running on the remote computer and serializes the automation data for transmission to the client computer. The system transmits the serialized automation data to the client computer in response to the request. When the client computer receives the response, the system deserializes the automation data and provides the deserialized automation data to a local application on the client computer. Thus, the remote automation system allows users to view applications running on a remote system but run accessibility applications locally.

Abstract: Computer systems and methods allow users to receive, save, access, and/or display handwritten information as electronic ink in objects managed by an operating system and/or that are accessible by the operating system. Such systems and methods may allow the operating system to receive, save, access, and/or display electronic ink file names, author identifiers, keywords or comments, and the like. Some examples of such systems and methods include: (a) receiving electronic ink data associated with a document or file; (b) storing the electronic ink data; and (c) providing operating system access to the stored electronic ink data. Then, whenever the file name (or other information) is displayed in an object managed by the operating system, it will be displayed in electronic ink format. Additionally, aspects of the invention relate to computer-readable media including instructions stored thereon for performing the methods and operating the systems described above.

Abstract: Described is a system and method by which application programs running on a main computer system communicate with an auxiliary display device (such as a cell phone, pocket-sized computer, alarm clock, television, digital picture frame and so forth) to provide viewable information on the device, remote control capabilities, and notifications. Via API calls, programs provide information in the same format regardless of the device capabilities and/or the connection type. An auxiliary display platform converts the information into a format understood by a device driver, which then filters the information as desired for its particular hardware device before the information is communicated. Return communications return data such as status and user interaction with the displayed information. Software vendors may thus write code once to output information on auxiliary displays, while hardware manufacturers can have their devices work as auxiliary displays, with little or no modification to existing hardware.

Abstract: Described is a system and method by which application programs running on a main computer system communicate with an auxiliary display device (such as a cell phone, pocket-sized computer, alarm clock, television, digital picture frame and so forth) to provide viewable information on the device, remote control capabilities, and notifications. Via API calls, programs provide information in the same format regardless of the device capabilities and/or the connection type. An auxiliary display platform converts a notification into a format understood by a device driver, which then filters the notification as desired for its particular hardware device before the notification is communicated. Return communications return data such as status and user interaction with the displayed information. Software vendors may thus write code once to output notifications on auxiliary displays, while hardware manufacturers can have their devices work as auxiliary displays, with little or no modification to existing hardware.

Abstract: Described is a system and method by which an auxiliary computing device having an auxiliary display platform that displays information corresponding to data that originated on the main computer system may be extended by a device manufacturer. Extended hardware is added to the device, such as a radio receiver and/or an audio decoder. The auxiliary display platform is layered and extensible at each layer, and includes an extensible hardware abstraction layer that is extensible to support extended hardware if needed, and a driver layer that is extensible by adding driver code for the extended hardware. A runtime layer is also extensible to support the extended hardware as needed, as are libraries, the auxiliary shell program and other managed code. The client API is also extensible to allow applications on the main computer system to communicate with extended hardware via the device runtime layer.

Abstract: A licensing device is used for storing one or more licenses for licensable content such as music, video, e-books, software applications, online memberships, and the like. The licensing device communicates with a user's computing devices enabling licensable content to be downloaded and/or activated on a particular computing device. The communication can take many forms such as wireless, wired, or optical. Downloading and/or activation of the content upon confirmation of a valid license may be automatic or partially based on user input.

Abstract: A system and method for creating an ad-hoc network is described. A user may navigate a number of options to create an ad-hoc network and/or join an ad-hoc network using the described system.

Abstract: Described is a mechanism that preserves the state of computer system shared resources and/or settings, and ensures that changes thereto are reverted when an application exits. A shared resource change bubble logically surrounds application code that causes system resource and/or setting data to change. The bubble preserves existing data before it gets changed, and restores the data when the application program code exits. In one implementation, the bubble is implemented as a library loaded by the application. In an alternative implementation, the bubble is run in a separate process, whereby the bubble can restore changed data even if the application program crashes. In another implementation, a bubble is automatically run for any application that the user has specified needs a bubble. Multiple settings and states may be preserved in a bubble for multiple applications, allowing changes to be undone and reapplied per application, e.g., whenever focus changes.

Abstract: A method of controlling power management is provided. In an embodiment, the user provides feedback that the inactivity period before a display blanks is too short. In response to the user feedback, a behavior tracking mode is entered and the inactivity period is adjusted to a period that is more suitable to the user's needs. In an embodiment, the adjustment may be done through incrementing a counter and changing the inactivity period based on the value of the counter.

Abstract: A system and method for associating an ink title with a note is described. A user may hand write a title for a document or note and have the handwritten ink title be displayed when interacting with the system when, for example, viewing the contents of a directory, reviewing the results of a search, viewing a list of most recently used documents, viewing a history of which documents were used, and the like. The use of a handwritten ink title speeds a user's recall of the content of the note over textual titles.

Abstract: A system and process for quickly rendering ink is described. Rendered ink information is placed into a transparency map of an image. The image is combined with foreground and background information to produce a final image. Using this process, the painting of ink using transparency map information may be performed quickly and with less processor work than a slow rendering process.

Abstract: Various techniques and tools are described for allowing a user to flag desired content within a data file. More particularly, a user can select content within a file, such as an image or a group of electronic ink strokes. The user can then flag that selected content so that it may later be easily retrieved. The flag may simply mark the position of selected content, or the flag may be associated with the selected content such that, if the content is moved to another location or even to another file, the flag will remain associated with the selected content, and can continue to be used to easily retrieve the selected content.

Abstract: A system and method for associating an ink title with a note is described. A user may hand write a title for a document or note and have the handwritten ink title be displayed when interacting with the system when, for example, viewing the contents of a directory, reviewing the results of a search, viewing a list of most recently used documents, viewing a history of which documents were used, and the like. The use of a handwritten ink title speeds a user's recall of the content of the note over textual titles.

Abstract: Computer systems and methods allow users to receive, save, access, and/or display handwritten information as electronic ink in objects managed by an operating system and/or that are accessible by the operating system. Such systems and methods may allow the operating system to receive, save, access, and/or display electronic ink file names, author identifiers, keywords or comments, and the like. Some examples of such systems and methods include: (a) receiving electronic ink data associated with a document or file; (b) storing the electronic ink data; and (c) providing operating system access to the stored electronic ink data. Then, whenever the file name (or other information) is displayed in an object managed by the operating system, it will be displayed in electronic ink format. Additionally, aspects of the invention relate to computer-readable media including instructions stored thereon for performing the methods and operating the systems described above.