Abstract: An image query system, and associated method and computer program product are disclosed that enhance and accelerate image-based querying. To this end, the present invention presents a digital image query with implict and explicit associated metadata and retrieval of visually similar images or other pertinent information from a large collection of images stored on local, networked, or web-linked repositories.

Abstract: A system and related techniques monitor user navigation behavior to automatically detect candidate sites for addition to a user's browser favorites. A client machine, Internet service provider or other resource may host or execute implicit favorites logic which may detect parameters, behavior and variables indicating that a user may wish to add a Web site or other location or content to their set of browser favorites. Thus for example the navigation to a site a certain number of times a day, week or other period may indicate the user has recurring interest in the content of that site. Other factors, such as dwell time on a Web site or page, repeated click-throughs or selections of a Web site from search results over time, or other behavior or parameters may be captured and analyzed. When a candidate site or other content is identified, the user may be prompted to add that site to their set of browser favorites, or in embodiments may be automatically added according to user or default selection.

Abstract: A system and related techniques monitor the operation of networked computer services, such as Internet-based search or other services which may link to a set of server resources, supporting databases and other components. In current technology if a large-scale or other search service encounters a problem in one supporting platform, the overall response may be interrupted or hang. In embodiments for example a search engine which attempts to access a travel, shopping, news or other database or service in response to a user search request may suspend the delivery of the search results, or blank the page with a 404 or other error message, due to the. unavailability of one or two databases or other components. The service support platform of the invention on the other hand may monitor the computer services network and detect the occurrence of a failure or performance lag, and temporarily detach the faulted server or other resource from the larger network service.