Abstract: A system is presented for structured coauthoring of a document, the system comprising a server. The server includes one or more documents organized into sections, a document permissions module that stores user access permissions for each section of a document, a document update processing module that processes requests from a user to share document updates with other users and that processes requests from a user to receive document updates from other users and a document rendering module that renders a document for display on a client so that sections of the document are updated with shared document updates made by users. The user access permissions determine the extent to which a user can modify each section of the document.

Abstract: In embodiments of mobile devices control, a mobile device includes a communication interface for control communication with associated devices of the mobile device, and the associated devices correspond to members of a private interaction hub. A device control service is implemented to determine that the mobile device is moving in a vehicle based on motion data, and can generate a device quiet control to restrict at least audible outputs from one or more of the associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device. The device control service can then initiate communication of the device quiet control to the associated devices in the vehicle to quiet the associated devices that are controllable from the mobile device.

Abstract: Avatars are used to graphically represent users in a communications session, and the avatars are capable of being animated. An indication of an animation of one of the avatars is received. Another avatar that represents another of the users is animated in response to, and based on, the animation of the avatar in the same communications session.

Abstract: A user request to display an application while the device is locked is received. In response to this user request, one or more images generated by the application are obtained and displayed while the device is locked. Additionally, an indication of an application to be displayed upon resuming operation from a power-saving mode can be received, and an image generated by the application is displayed in response to resuming operation from the power-saving mode.

Abstract: Various embodiments utilize different counters or clocks, working in concert, to smooth out position information that is derived for a rendering/capturing device. Specifically, in at least some embodiments, each counter or clock has a different speed. A faster counter or clock is used to determine intra-transition position offsets relative to a slower counter or clock.

Abstract: Techniques relating to managing multimedia transmissions in terminal services scenarios are described. In an example, a method sends a user-interface component from a server to a remote client. The exemplary method further streams a media component for presentation on the remote client in combination with the user-interface component and wherein the media presentation is tracked but not displayed by the server.

Abstract: In implementations of automatically quieting mobile devices, a mobile device includes a communication interface for communicating with other devices that are associated with the mobile device, and the other devices correspond to respective users of the devices. A device quiet service is implemented to initiate a device quiet control that quiets one or more of the other associated devices that are controllable by the mobile device, and the device quiet service initiates communication of the device quiet control to the associated devices. A device quiet control can be initiated to restrict communication functions of the other associated devices, such as for a designated time duration. Alternatively or in addition, a device quiet control can quiet the other associated devices at a designated location, during an event, within a designated quiet zone, and/or quiet the associated devices that are proximate the mobile device at a location.

Abstract: Portions of an application can be delivered through a network without having to download the entire application. When an application is installed, HTML, CSS and javascripts or other User Interface (UI) files can be copied into local cache. A version number can also be stored with this code, so that when the application is launched, a web service checks the latest version on a server computer. If the latest version differs from the cached version, then an update is needed. New UI files can then be downloaded to the local cache. The local cache can be a folder that is used by the application, wherein the folder is stored on a hard drive of the client device. Binaries associated with the application can be stored in a different folder.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system for communicating over a network using a first device and a peripheral device, wherein the first device comprises a user interface and a network interface for connecting to the network, and the peripheral device has a local connection to the first device, the local connection being independent of the network. The method comprises receiving data packets from the network at the network interface of the first device and forwarding the received data packets from the first device to the peripheral device via the local connection. A client engine of a communication client, executed on a processor of the peripheral device, processes the received data packets. The peripheral device sends processed data packets to the first device via the local connection such that data contained in the received data packets is displayed on the first device using the user interface of the first device.

Abstract: Improved video coding is described to encode video data within a sequence of video frames. To this end, at least a portion of a reference frame is encoded to include motion information associated with the portion of the reference frame. At least a portion of a predictable frame that includes video data predictively correlated to said portion of said reference frame is defined based on the motion information. At least said portion of the predictable frame is encoded without including corresponding motion information and including mode identifying data. The mode identifying data indicate that the encoded portion of the predictable frame can be directly derived using at least the motion information associated with the portion of the reference frame.

Abstract: Different processor cores in a computing device can support different features. In one or more embodiments, the features supported by each of multiple physical processor cores of a computing device are identified. A set of one or more features of the multiple physical processor cores to make available to virtual processor cores of the virtual machine are determined based at least in part on both the one or more features supported by each of the multiple physical processor cores and a number of virtual processor cores of the virtual machine. In additional embodiments, a multi-level scheduling model is used. An operating system level scheduler of an operating system schedules multiple applications for execution on multiple processor cores, and a user level scheduler of an application schedules application threads of that application for execution on one or more of the multiple processor cores.

Abstract: An online service includes databases that are upgraded while still processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while it is being upgraded. The schema of the database is upgraded before the web servers are upgraded to utilize the upgraded schema. Changes that are made to the upgraded schema are backwards compatible with the schema being used during the upgrade process. Restrictions are placed on the operations performed on the database during the upgrade process. After upgrading the schema, the web servers of the online service are upgraded to use the upgraded schema.

Abstract: Solution packages for a product for deployment on a collection of servers can be designed using one or more designers that provide user interfaces for visually arranging and configuring elements of the product. A package object model includes a managed object model that represents a package or feature manifest as defined by a product manifest XML schema. The object model can be used to create references to other project item and feature definitions. The extended object model can be used to generate an equivalent package or feature manifest XML file.

Abstract: A control system is disclosed that is configurable (e.g., by a programmer) so as to enable input from multiple sources to capture to multiple controls. Also or alternatively, the system is configurable so as to enable input from multiple sources to capture to a single control. The system also provides a consistent and extendable scheme for filtering out conflicting events for individual controls. In one embodiment, this means that the system is configurable (e.g., based on the programmer's asserted preferences) so as to enable a selective determination as to whether additional inputs can be captured for a given control.

Abstract: Power consumption of a device (e.g., flash storage driver, hard drive, etc.) connected to a host computer system is managed to promote efficient power usage and improved service. Communication between a host computer system (e.g., an operating system) and a device is enabled so that the host system can ascertain a power footprint of the device. Taking the power footprint of the device into consideration, along with the power consumption of the system as a whole (e.g., including the power consumption needs of other devices), a power manager can provide a power budget to the device based upon an informed decision. This allows for improved system power management through a coordination of the device's power consumption by the host system, specifically during operation allowing device performance to be enhanced for the task at hand.

Abstract: A computing device and method for managing inputs from a plurality of user input device actuators are provided. The computing device may include code stored in memory for implementing, via a processor, an actuator input module configured to receive a first actuator input from a first user input device actuator, and a second actuator input from a second user input device actuator. The computing device may further execute code to implement a window selection module configured to select a first selected window to which the first actuator input is sent according to predetermined selection rules, to select a second selected window to which the second actuator input is sent according to the predetermined selection rules, and to send the first actuator input to the first selected window and to send the second actuator input to the second selected window.

Abstract: Embodiments related to the removal of blur from an image are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a method of performing an iterative non-blind deconvolution of a blurred image to form an updated image. The method comprises downsampling the blurred image to form a blurred image pyramid comprising images of two or more different resolution scales, downsampling a blur kernel to form a blur kernel pyramid comprising kernels of two or more different sizes, and deconvoluting a selected image in the blurred image pyramid according to a Richardson-Lucy deconvolution process in which a bilateral range/spatial filter is employed.

Abstract: In implementations of mobile device parental control, a controlling device includes a communication interface for control communication with one or more associated devices of the controlling device, and the associated devices correspond to members of a group. An integrated display device displays a parental control user interface. A parental control service is implemented to receive an input of a device control via the parental control user interface, where the device control is initiated for one or more of the associated devices that are controllable by the controlling device. The parental control service can then initiate communication of the device control to the associated devices that are controlled by the controlling device.

Abstract: A node on a serial bus, preferably a device such as a personal computer (PC), can emulate other devices using virtual device drivers. A PC connected to a 1394 bus exposes its CROM on the bus which presents an image to other nodes on the 1394 bus and describes the functional units supported by the node. The CROM can be changed dynamically by adding unit directories to the CROM detailing peripherals connected to the PC. The PC can then be enumerated as the connected device by other PCs on the bus. The PC can emulate or morph itself into any desired device or even multiple devices at the same time. The invention also allows a PC to create devices that don't yet exist on the bus. The invention allows a user to create virtual device objects with device properties to have just in case a user plugs the particular device in to the PC.

Abstract: A backup and restore system may present recovered backup data as local resources and in a read and write manner so that the recovered backup data may be accessed using an application that created the data. In some embodiments, the recovered data may be read only data, but a differencing virtual hard disk (VHD), Common Internet File System protocol, or differencing driver may be used to present a read/write version of the data. Additionally, the data may be presented using iSCSI or other technologies to present the data as local data, even though the data may be remotely located. The backup and restore system may additionally use VHD differencing technologies to create multiple backups.