Abstract: A data safety frame user interface control is provided that visually indicates the presence and location of off-screen data to a user. The data safety frame user interface control can also visually indicate the presence and location of special data that is off-screen. The data safety frame user interface control can also be utilized to quickly navigate to the off-screen data.

Abstract: Confirmation is provided each time a command is initiated at an application program in the form of a temporary non-modal user interface (UI) overlay that is displayed in front of the UI windows generated by the application program that received the command. The overlay includes a bounding shape having text contained therein that identifies the command. The overlay might also include a graphical, textual, or numerical indication of a value being adjusted by a user in conjunction with execution of the command. The overlay might be displayed by fading the display of the overlay in over a period of time. The display of the overlay may then be removed by fading the display of the overlay out over a period of time. The overlay might also be displayed at the same on-screen position each time it is displayed.

Abstract: Described is a technology that uses the unused (free) space (that is not occupied by text of a text message) to encode metadata into the text message. The metadata may correspond to an advertisement, a sender's mood, a sender's location, and the like. The inclusion of an advertisement can help reduce the user's cost, while the inclusion of other types of data can reduce the number of messages that need to be sent, without requiring typing in the information. The receiving device processes the metadata to determine an action to take, such as to display an advertisement identified in the metadata, along with the text. The advertisement content may have been previously downloaded in anticipation of its later display.