Abstract: A vehicular integrated personnel protection device is operable to increase the visual and physical presence of a vehicle relative to approaching vehicular traffic. The device includes an erect frame and a light directing element. The light directing element is attached relative to the erect frame and is positioned along an outer margin of the frame to direct light from the erect frame, with the light being viewable by the approaching vehicular traffic. The erect frame presents an open area surrounded by the outer margin, with the erect frame and light directing element cooperatively providing a window that is operable to draw attention to the scene of the vehicle and to permit the approaching vehicular traffic to see a person ahead of the device.

Abstract: A technique for providing environmental impact information associated with code includes determining, based on execution of the code on a computer system, an environmental impact of a code execution sequence included in the code. A section of the code that is associated with the code execution sequence is then annotated with environmental impact information associated with the environmental impact of the code execution sequence.

Abstract: An enhanced personal firewall system having an inter-firewall connection listener which binds to a specified communications port and listens for inbound and/or outbound connection requests; and an inter-firewall controller which establishes a trusted communications through a local firewall and a remote firewall by exchanging public keys, a signed trusted computer firewall request, and using the keys to determine if a local key storage indicates previous authorization to trusted communications. If not, then a user of the targeted resource is notified and prompted to authorize the access. If so, then the firewall rules protecting the targeted resource are modified, even if temporarily, to allow the requesting firewall to have trusted access.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for managing distributed application relationships and dependencies, and migration of applications and components within the same or a disparate networked (e.g. cloud) service provider. An application dependency management program module (“ADM”), and cloud service migration management program module (“CSMM”) are provided. The ADM, manually or by deductive logic, discovers and manages relationships and dependencies of computer software applications underlying cloud services, state information of the respective computer software applications, as well as upstream and downstream network data connections. The CSMM comprises ensuring that applications are not migrated or modified in a manner that could affect overall service, ensuring that a migration is performed correctly, maintaining a list of service level requirements for monitoring whether those requirements are being met, and performing application migration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer implemented method for transferring an item from a source virtual universe to a target virtual universe. A target virtual universe host opens a session between a source virtual universe host and itself. Next, it determines that the source virtual universe host is authorized to transmit the item to the target virtual universe host. Next, it receives a command from a client computer to transfer the item from the source virtual universe host to the target virtual universe host. Next, it receives item data in the target virtual universe host.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer implemented method and apparatus to project a projected avatar associated with an avatar in a virtual universe. A computer receives a command to project the avatar, the command having a projection point. The computer transmits a request to place a projected avatar at the projection point to a virtual universe host. The computer renders a tab associated with the projected avatar.

Abstract: A system and related methods for providing a handler for requests to access a wireless network, operable by or separate from an enhanced personal firewall system, which obtains connection-related information from the operating system, network interface drivers, or both, and then provides that information to a controller which determines to allow or deny access. By collecting certain connection-related information, new levels and granularities of control are allowed and enabled. The process is equally well suited for implementation by a wireless device which may be in range of multiple servers or networks, such that the device may allow different levels of access to the device by the different servers or networks according to the collected connection-related information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer implemented method, system, and computer program product for selective encryption of a data transmission. A data transmission is received. When the data transmission is received, the data transmission is unmarshaled. When the transmission is unmarshaled, objects and a set of sensitive fields within the data transmission are identified by referencing a metadata database. Only the set of sensitive fields within the data transmission are encrypted to form a partially encrypted data transmission. The partially encrypted data transmission is marshaled to form a marshaled data transmission. The marshaled data transmission is transmitted to a recipient.

Abstract: A DeepQA engine is enhanced to provide a digital medical investigation tool which assists a medical professional in researching potential causes of a set of patient conditions, including clues, facts and factoids about the patient. The DeepQA engine provides one or more answers to a natural language question with confidence levels for each answer. If a confidence level falls below a threshold, the enhanced DeepQA engine performs a crowd sourcing operation to gather additional information from one or more domain experts. The domain expert responses are provided to the medical professional, and are learned by the enhanced DeepQA system to provide for better research of similar patient conditions in future queries.

Abstract: Auctions with socially-connected private advance offerings are provided by by a social auction integration server by receiving at least one parameter regarding an item to be offered in an online auction by an offeror user; using the parameter and an identifier of the offeror user, searching at least one social network server for identifies of friends and associates that have a recorded affinity for the item or for similar items; preparing a list of the friend users and associate users; configuring a restricted auction wherein only the friend users and associate users are allowed to review and bid on the offered item; and providing the friend users and associate users a digital means for accessing the restricted auction.

Abstract: A method and system for workload balancing to assist in power grid load management. The method includes receiving a request to perform a task at a site powered by connection to an AC power grid, the task comprising either data processing or manufacturing an article; measuring an AC frequency of the AC power grid to obtain a current AC frequency; and performing or not performing the task at the site based on the current AC frequency.

Abstract: A data restructuring method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing system from a first user content data arranged in a first specified order and a command for tagging portions of the content data according to various parameters. The computing system assigns identification tags to the portions of the content data. The computing system presents the identification tags to the first user. The computing system receives from the first user, a selection of at least one of the identification tags. The computing system restructures the content data into a second specified order in response to the selection. The computing system receives a request for viewing the content data from a second user. The computing system presents to the second user, the content data in the second specified order.

Abstract: A method, program product and system are provided to enable a new software interface and program to manage DVR content including methods for separating storage partitions, e.g. by user and also on a shared basis on local media. The partitions may either be logical or physical partitions and may be allocated differently based on the user. In an exemplary illustration, a shared partition/buffer is used for multiple users who may each initiate the recording of various shows or recordings which may be shared by other users. The interactive shared partition is used to allow multi-room coordination, messaging, content cloning, user-to-user notifications, and specific user to user messaging facilities, with the capability of setting notifications for other parties on the addition/removal of content, “pushing” recommendations of shows to other users of a shared DVR system, and allowing messages to be left to other users regarding content.

Abstract: Software reuse utilizing naive group annotation of incomplete software descriptions. A software code is decimated whereby the software code's attributes, such as variable, class and method names are obfuscated into non-informative forms. The decimated software code is then presented to two or more participants that include at least one naive and one informed participant. The naive participant(s) poses a predetermined number of question(s) to and receive answer(s) from the informed participant(s). After receiving the answer(s) posed to the informed participant(s), the naive participant(s) proceeds to guess the function of the presented decimated software code. The annotations, i.e., questions and answers, to the decimated software code under review are collected and stored in a database.

Abstract: A method, program product and system are provided to enable a new software interface and program to manage DVR content including methods for separating storage partitions, e.g. by user and also on a shared basis on local media. The partitions may either be logical or physical partitions and may be allocated differently based on the user. In an exemplary illustration, a shared partition/buffer is used for multiple users who may each initiate the recording of various shows or recordings which may be shared by other users:The interactive shared partition is used to allow multi-room coordination, messaging, content cloning, user-to-user notifications, and specific user to user messaging facilities, with the capability of setting notifications for other parties on the addition/removal of content, “pushing” recommendations of shows to other users of a shared DVR system, and allowing messages to be left to other users regarding content.

Abstract: A smart magazine adapted to be releasably engaged with a simulated weapon is provided, the magazine comprising a housing, a valving mechanism disposed within the housing and a data module including an electronic storage medium for storing information concerning an amount of simulated ammunition “shots” present in the magazine, and a connection member operably connected to the data module and adapted to be operably connected to a control module in the weapon to transmit and receive signals in response to the firing of the weapon to adjust the number of “shots” stored in the storage medium. The magazine utilizes a compressed gas cartridge that releases gas to produce an audible “pop” when the weapon is fired and to reset the “shot” count for the magazine when the canister is replaced.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product transfer information from a guest virtual machine running on a host machine to a receiving machine. A monitor intercepts a request to transfer information from a sending machine, which is a guest virtual machine located on the host system, to a receiving machine. If the receiving machine is a guest virtual machine running on the host machine, the information is transferred to memory associated with the receiving machine. If, the receiving machine is not a guest virtual machine located on the host system, the information is transferred to a network.

Abstract: A grid service detects a current software environment for a grid job within a grid environment, wherein the grid environment includes multiple grid resources. The grid service searches a catalog of multiple software images to determine whether an image for the current software environment matches any software images in the catalog. Each of the software images includes an index into at least one installation image. Storage of the software images is structured in the catalog for automated efficient access to each software image by multiple resource nodes within the grid environment. If the grid service does not locate a software image for the current software environment in the catalog, the grid service captures at least one installation image for the current software environment for storage in the catalog as an additional software image.

Abstract: A method and system for processing road sign content by a mobile computing device in a vehicle. A wireless communication network is monitored for signals continuously broadcasted over the network from road sign transmitters, the signals including road sign messages containing road sign content information from road signs. A signal of said continuously broadcasted signals is captured as a result of the monitoring, the captured signal including a message of the road sign messages, the message including road sign content information from a road sign of including road signs, the captured signal being in range of the mobile computing device. The message is interpreted to ascertain the road sign content information from the road sign. Based on display parameters previously defined by a user, the road sign content information in the captured message is displayed onto a display device in the vehicle operationally coupled to the mobile computing device.

Abstract: A user of a virtual universe system is provided with the option of deferring a response to an invitation for an avatar to be relocated (including relocation by performing a teleportation operation) by providing for selective storage of received invitations in a queue with a priority determined based on one or more rules which can preferably be developed by conversion from an invitation. Status of issuers of invitations can be monitored or the issuers polled and the current status can be displayed to a user to determine actions to be taken in manipulating priority in the queue. The user is also provided with the capability of editing priority of stored invitations including the ability to accept, reject or forward the invitation or convert the invitation to a landmark. Invitations having similarities may be grouped in accordance with any desired metadata contained in the invitation.