Abstract: Query information in an indication of a referral to a web page is used to characterize the web page, e.g., for targeting advertisements and/or other supplemental content to display in association with the web page or in the process of responding to subsequent search engine queries. A referral indication may be provided by the publisher web page, indicating a referral from a search engine service to the publisher web page based on an activation of one of a plurality of search results. The referral indication, and sometimes other information as well, is processed to cause determination therefrom of characteristics of the publisher web page. Thus, for example, based at least in part on the determined characteristics, supplemental content may be determined to be displayed in association with the content of the publisher web page. In addition, the determined characteristics may be used by a search engine service in the process of responding to search queries.

Abstract: One aspect is a method of providing information relevant to a query. Syndication data feeds are processed, the syndication data feeds regarding the contents of publisher web pages. The processing of the syndication data feeds includes, for each syndication data feed, causing determination from that syndication data feed of at least one tag to associate with that syndication data feed and causing the at least one tag to be stored in association with an indication of syndication data feed information corresponding to that syndication data feed. The query is received, and the query is processed in view of the stored tags. Based thereon, an indication is provided of syndication data feed information corresponding to at least one syndication data feed.

Abstract: At least one computing device provides user assistance functionality associated with an application. The application is executed, including causing at least one user interface to be displayed via which a user may interact with the application. Each user interface corresponds to a particular function. For each function, in a portion of the user interface corresponding to that function, a user interface element is caused to be provided that, when activated, causes a user assistance video to be played regarding that function. Executing applications are thus provided associated in-context user assistance video tutorials. The users of the application are provided a mechanism to access the user assistance video tutorials in the context of the interface for which the help is sought.

Abstract: System and method related to a distributed collaborative knowledge generation system are disclosed. The distributed collaborative knowledge generation system includes one or more databases configured to store content information related to the distributed collaborative knowledge generation system, a search services module configured to search for the content information, a web services module configured to retrieve and gather the content information, a presentation services module configured to share the content data with multiple users, and a data services module configured to manage the content information by providing interfaces between the one or more databases, the search services module, the web services module, and the presentation services module.

Abstract: Techniques are described for delivering search results pages to the users of a search engine, where one or more search result listings on the search results pages include one or more items that are associated with links to resources that satisfy a related search and that satisfy a specified condition. The items that are delivered with the search results may be associated with a party that is different than the party that controls the resource to which the link is associated, and may be delivered such that any item that is displayed based on the item's association with a link to a resource is displayed in a frame of display that is different than a frame of the display in which the link to which the item is associated is displayed.

Abstract: A pipe specification editor is provided to configure a plurality of modules for processing a syndication data feed. The editor is operable to provide a graphical user interface to receive a user specification of a plurality of modules and to receive a user specification of wires. Each module is characterized by at least one of a group consisting of an input node and an output node, wherein the input node, if present, is configured to input a syndication data feed and the output node, if present, is configured to output a syndication data feed. At least one of the modules is a module configured to retrieve a source syndication data feed. The wires are configured to provide a syndication data feed provided from an output node of a module to an input node of another module.

Abstract: Syndication data feed items, corresponding to hosted content, are provided to a user program. A resource locator to hosted content to which a syndication data feed item corresponds is processed, including adjusting the resource locator to associate the resource locator with an intervention service with regard to the syndication data feed item. The processed syndication data feed items are provided to the user program. In addition, requests are processed to view hosted content corresponding to syndication data feed items. An intervention service receives a request from a user program to view hosted content to which a syndication data feed item corresponds, including a resource locator to the host that has been adjusted in the syndication data feed item to associate the resource locator with an intervention service. Intervention processing is performed, including causing interaction with the host of the requested content such that the host content is caused to be displayed at a user location.

Abstract: One or more input syndication data feeds are processed to generate an adjusted syndication data feed. The input syndication data feeds are received, and include a plurality of syndication data items. Based on a configuration of a syndication feed adjuster, particular ones of the syndication data items in the received syndication data feed are determined to not be included in an output syndication data feed. The output syndication data feed is provided based on the received input syndication data feeds and a result of the determination. The determination may be provided via a user interface via which, for example, a user may indicate particular ones of the syndication data feed items to not include in the output syndication data feed. Furthermore, in some examples, if no decision has been made about a particular syndication data feed item, that syndication data feed item is not provided in the output syndication data feed.

Abstract: Supplemental content is determined relative to web page content of a publisher web page, to display in association with the web page content. Syndication data is received regarding the content of the publisher web page. The syndication data is processed to cause determination therefrom of supplemental content to be displayed in association with the content of the publisher web page. An indication is provided of the determined supplemental content to display.

Abstract: Techniques are described for delivering search results pages to the users of a search engine, where one or more search result listings on the search results pages include one or more items that are associated with links to resources that satisfy a related search and that satisfy a specified condition. The items that are delivered with the search results may be associated with a party that is different than the party that controls the resource to which the link is associated, and may be delivered such that any item that is displayed based on the item's association with a link to a resource is displayed in a frame of display that is different than a frame of the display in which the link to which the item is associated is displayed.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for computing a relevance rank or score of a point of interest based on its proximity to clusters of other points of interest (POI). The methods of the present invention are based upon novel approaches that use location information and weighting functions in order to filter and sort searches of hotels, destinations, and other properties or other points of interest. In one approach, a relevance rank of a target POI at a location is determined by obtaining a plurality of component POIs that are each within the same geographical region as the target POI. Component POI scores for each of the component POIs are calculated as a function of a distance between the locations of the component POI and the location of the target POI. The relevance rank of the target POI is a combination of the plurality of component POI scores.

Abstract: A trip planner is provided for creating, modifying, categorizing, and sharing online trip plans. A trip plan includes a list of items such as hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions selected from a travel guide or provided by a user. An item can have a street address for positioning the item on a map, an image and description of the item, and other metadata assigned by the user, such as tags and notes. The trip planner can generate an itinerary listing the items, and a corresponding map showing the locations of the items. A trip plan can be shared with other users, who can locate the trip plan by searching for the tags or other metadata.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for providing notifications of financial transactions to the owners of financial accounts. In one embodiment, a user proposes to transact business with a merchant by supplying certain account information to make an electronic payment. A merchant may then submit an authorization request to a clearing house, including details on the proposed transaction. After the clearing house processes the authorization request and verifies funds with the appropriate financial institution, a set of notification parameters may be accessed by the clearing house and used to provide the financial account owner with instant or near instant notification of the transaction. In another embodiment, a feedback request is delivered to the user along with a transaction notification.

Abstract: Techniques are described for delivering search results pages to the users of a search engine, where one or more search result listings on the search results pages include one or more items that are associated with links to resources that satisfy a related search and that satisfy a specified condition. The items that are delivered with the search results may be associated with a party that is different than the party that controls the resource to which the link is associated, and may be delivered such that any item that is displayed based on the item's association with a link to a resource is displayed in a frame of display that is different than a frame of the display in which the link to which the item is associated is displayed.

Abstract: A method includes: receiving a query from a user, generating a map in response to the query, identifying items within an area covered by the map, displaying interactive icons on the map at locations corresponding to the locations of the items, displaying a textual list of the items displayed on the map, enabling a user to select at least one item from the textual list for continued display; and displaying the at least one selected item on the map simultaneously while displaying items found by a subsequent query, regardless of whether the at least one selected item satisfies a search criterion used in the subsequent query.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for ranking user preferences. The searched item is categorized in classes, and the sort mechanism gives the user a list of attributes of the item. The user can pick one or more attributes of the item from a list, or the user can edit the list of attributes. Each attribute is given a value, which is used to display the results of the search in real time. The value of each attribute may not exceed a certain threshold, and if it does, the search mechanism normalizes accordingly. The results can be further sorted in real time by either changing the value of one or more attributes, or by clicking on a heading of an attribute thus making it the most (or least) important attribute from the list of attributes.