Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for frequent content retrieval in a content browser. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for frequent content retrieval in a content browser is provided. The method includes retrieving requested content from a content server from over a computer communications network and comparing the retrieved requested content to a cached version of the requested content. The retrieved requested content thereafter can be annotated to visually emphasize a frequently accessed portion of the retrieved requested content in response to a threshold difference between the retrieved requested content and the cached version. Finally, the annotated retrieved requested content can be returned to a content browser for display therein.

Abstract: A computer identifies a group of players that are participating in a gaming session that is hosted by the computer. The computer identifies the location of an avatar of a first player included in the group of players. The computer identifies the location of a second avatar of a second player included in the group of players and determining the proximity between the first avatar and the second avatar. The computer determines if the proximity exceeds a threshold. Responsive to the determination that the proximity does not exceed the threshold, the computer sends data for the gaming session to the first player and the first player passes that data to the second player.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for frequent content retrieval in a content browser. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for frequent content retrieval in a content browser is provided. The method includes retrieving requested content from a content server from over a computer communications network and comparing the retrieved requested content to a cached version of the requested content. The retrieved requested content thereafter can be annotated to visually emphasize a frequently accessed portion of the retrieved requested content in response to a threshold difference between the retrieved requested content and the cached version. Finally, the annotated retrieved requested content can be returned to a content browser for display therein.

Abstract: A method for contact list prioritization according to predicted reachability includes loading a contact list of contacts and retrieving a reachability value for each corresponding contact in the contact list that has been computed for each corresponding contact according to usage data of each corresponding contact for an associated mobile telephone. Thereafter, contacts in the contact list that are determined to be most reachable according to a corresponding reachability value are displayed first. In one aspect, the usage data for the associated mobile telephone is based upon accelerometer data of the associated mobile telephone. In another aspect, the usage data is based upon recency or frequency of use of the mobile telephone to place telephone calls. In yet another aspect, the usage data is based upon recency or frequency of use of a messaging application executing in the associated mobile telephone.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic quality of service (QoS) management for multi-player gaming. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for dynamic QoS management for multi-player gaming is provided. The method includes monitoring a multi-player game and detecting a game moment for a game player in the multi-player game. The method also includes determining a degree of sensitivity for the game moment and enhancing access to a computing resource of the game player in response to determining the game moment to be highly sensitive. In one aspect of the embodiment, the method additionally includes detecting a subsequent game moment for the game player in the multi-player game, determining a degree of sensitivity for the subsequent game moment, and reducing access to the computing resource of the game player in response to determining the game moment to be less sensitive.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for managing a storage device using a hybrid controller are provided where the storage device comprises an internal peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface to control solid state memory within the storage device. In particular embodiments, the storage device includes a first external interface configured to establish an external PCIe link and a second external interface configured to establish at least one of an external serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) link and an external serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) link. Embodiments include receiving from an external source, by the hybrid controller, a first command at the first external interface and a second command at the second external interface; and concurrently implementing, by the hybrid controller, the first command using a PCIe protocol and the second command using one of a SAS protocol and a SATA protocol.

Abstract: A method for contact list prioritization according to predicted reachability includes loading a contact list of contacts and retrieving a reachability value for each corresponding contact in the contact list that has been computed for each corresponding contact according to usage data of each corresponding contact for an associated mobile telephone. Thereafter, contacts in the contact list that are determined to be most reachable according to a corresponding reachability value are displayed first. In one aspect, the usage data for the associated mobile telephone is based upon accelerometer data of the associated mobile telephone. In another aspect, the usage data is based upon recency or frequency of use of the mobile telephone to place telephone calls. In yet another aspect, the usage data is based upon recency or frequency of use of a messaging application executing in the associated mobile telephone.

Abstract: A method for contact list prioritization according to predicted reachability includes loading a contact list of contacts and retrieving a reachability value for each corresponding contact in the contact list that has been computed for each corresponding contact according to usage data of each corresponding contact for an associated mobile telephone. Thereafter, contacts in the contact list that are determined to be most reachable according to a corresponding reachability value are displayed first.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic quality of service (QoS) management for multi-player gaming. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for dynamic QoS management for multi-player gaming is provided. The method includes monitoring a multi-player game and detecting a game moment for a game player in the multi-player game. The method also includes determining a degree of sensitivity for the game moment and enhancing access to a computing resource of the game player in response to determining the game moment to be highly sensitive. In one aspect of the embodiment, the method additionally includes detecting a subsequent game moment for the game player in the multi-player game, determining a degree of sensitivity for the subsequent game moment, and reducing access to the computing resource of the game player in response to determining the game moment to be less sensitive.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic quality of service (QoS) management for multi-player gaming. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for dynamic QoS management for multi-player gaming is provided. The method includes monitoring a multi-player game and detecting a game moment for a game player in the multi-player game. The method also includes determining a degree of sensitivity for the game moment and enhancing access to a computing resource of the game player in response to determining the game moment to be highly sensitive. In one aspect of the embodiment, the method additionally includes detecting a subsequent game moment for the game player in the multi-player game, determining a degree of sensitivity for the subsequent game moment, and reducing access to the computing resource of the game player in response to determining the game moment to be less sensitive.

Abstract: Evaluating wireless network access connections via near field communications, including: identifying, by a requesting device, one or more network connections available to the requesting device; requesting, by the requesting device to one or more responding devices using a near field communications connection, information describing the performance of the network connections experienced by the one or more responding devices; receiving, by the requesting device, the information describing the performance of the network connections experienced by the one or more responding devices; and connecting, by the requesting device, to a preferred network connection in dependence upon the information describing the performance of the network connections experienced by the one or more responding devices.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamic task completion scaling of system resources for a battery operated device are provided. Embodiments include determining, by task completion controller, availability of system resources; retrieving, by the task completion controller, historical user-specific task performance data corresponding to a user; and performing, by the task completion controller, a system action based on the determined availability of system resources and the retrieved historical user-specific task performance data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for adapting game difficulty through dynamic map generation in a multi-player gaming environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for adapting game difficulty through dynamic map generation in a multi-player gaming environment is provided. The method includes creating in memory of a computer a multi-player gaming environment. The method also includes identifying a player in the multi-player gaming environment, looking up performance data of the identified player and correlating the performance data of the identified player with a feature of the multi-player gaming environment. Finally, the method includes modifying the multi-player gaming environment to account for the correlated feature.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic optimization of command sequencing in a computing cluster. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for dynamic optimization of command sequencing in a computing cluster can include selecting a set of nodes in the computing cluster to receive a single command and probing the nodes of the set to compute a computer communications latency for each of the nodes. Thereafter, the single command can be transmitted to the nodes in the set according to a sequence determined by the computed computer communications latency for each of the nodes.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for managing a storage device using a hybrid controller are provided where the storage device comprises an internal peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface to control solid state memory within the storage device. In particular embodiments, the storage device includes a first external interface configured to establish an external PCIe link and a second external interface configured to establish at least one of an external serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) link and an external serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) link. Embodiments include receiving from an external source, by the hybrid controller, a first command at the first external interface and a second command at the second external interface; and concurrently implementing, by the hybrid controller, the first command using a PCIe protocol and the second command using one of a SAS protocol and a SATA protocol.

Abstract: Managing direct attached cache and remote shared cache, including: receiving from an enclosure attached server, by an enclosure that includes enclosure cache, a request for data; determining, by the enclosure, whether the data has been requested by a predetermined number of enclosure attached servers; and responsive to determining that the data has been requested by a predetermined number of enclosure attached servers, marking, by the enclosure, the data as enclosure level cacheable.

Abstract: An object located within an image foreground relative to image content within a field of view of at least one camera lens is identified, using image processing module, as an image obstruction. Responsive to identifying the image obstruction, points of view of at least one camera lens are determined that provide image content portions of the image content that, in combination, yield a complete image of the image content without the image obstruction located within the image foreground. The image content portions are combined to yield the complete image of the image content without the image obstruction located within the foreground. The combined complete image is stored to a memory.

Abstract: Managing direct attached cache and remote shared cache, including: receiving from an enclosure attached server, by an enclosure that includes enclosure cache, a request for data; determining, by the enclosure, whether the data has been requested by a predetermined number of enclosure attached servers; and responsive to determining that the data has been requested by a predetermined number of enclosure attached servers, marking, by the enclosure, the data as enclosure level cacheable.

Abstract: A method authenticates a user of an electronic device located in and affiliated with a retail environment. The method includes prohibiting certain operations from being performed on the electronic device in a locked state. The method also includes, responsive to a user authenticating himself or herself through an authentication process, allowing those certain operations to be performed on the electronic device in an unlocked state. The method further entails configuring an extent to which the authentication process required for authentication at any given time is abbreviated. The method performs this configuring depending on whether operations performed on the electronic device at or within a defined interval before the given time are included in a defined list of operations. This defined list includes operations performed in the course of business associated with the retail environment.

Abstract: A method authenticates a user of an electronic device located in and affiliated with a retail environment. The method includes prohibiting certain operations from being performed on the electronic device in a locked state. The method also includes, responsive to a user authenticating himself or herself through an authentication process, allowing those certain operations to be performed on the electronic device in an unlocked state. The method further entails configuring an extent to which the authentication process required for authentication at any given time is abbreviated. The method performs this configuring depending on a level of customer activity detected within the retail environment with which the electronic device is affiliated and in which the electronic device is located.