Abstract: A computer establishes a wireless wide area network (WWAN) account simply by entering his telephone number in a user interface (UI) which is sent to an Internet server and correlated with the user's telephone account. A utility notes when a usage limitation for a period is approaching and in response disables wireless updates and automatically executes the updates when a landline connection is sensed.

Abstract: System and methods for automated adjustment of device settings are described. An electronic device comprises a receiver for receiving environmental information related to a surroundings of the device, a setting configurator for determining a desired setting for the device as a function of the environmental information, and a setting adjuster for adjusting a device setting in accordance with the desired setting. Moreover, the device further comprises a sensor for receiving the stimulus from the surroundings, for determining the value of the stimulus, and for sending the value of the stimulus to the receiver. Further, the device setting includes a volume of a speaker or a headphone, a theme or a color of a background displayed by the display, a brightness of the display, a sharpness of the display, a user interface displayed on the display, an intensity of a backlight of the display, or a contrast of the display.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a system and/or method for processing information may include a server computing device. The server computing device may aggregate data associated with a user received from one or more data sources. The data may depend on a pre-defined distance range from a location of the user. At least one tag value may be associated with each element of the aggregated received data. The associated at least one tag value may uniquely identify each element of the aggregated received data.

Abstract: A method for auto-registering a device in a network comprising detecting a coupling of the device to a router, retrieving network configuration data for the router and transmitting the network configuration through the coupling.

Abstract: System and methods for automated adjustment of device settings are described. An electronic device comprises a receiver for receiving environmental information related to a surroundings of the device, a setting configurator for determining a desired setting for the device as a function of the environmental information, and a setting adjuster for adjusting a device setting in accordance with the desired setting. Moreover, the device further comprises a sensor for receiving the stimulus from the surroundings, for determining the value of the stimulus, and for sending the value of the stimulus to the receiver. Further, the device setting includes a volume of a speaker or a headphone, a theme or a color of a background displayed by the display, a brightness of the display, a sharpness of the display, a user interface displayed on the display, an intensity of a backlight of the display, or a contrast of the display.

Abstract: In a configuration-to-order (CTO) software provisioning system, software upgrade/downgrade support, software running change support, and software file server management are provided in part using microcode typically stored on a user computer BIOS.

Abstract: A user of a user computer whose hard disk drive (HDD) is “fried” can press a special key to cause BIOS to automatically gather location information about the computer from its GPS receiver and gather information about the HDD, activate a WWAN transceiver, and automatically send the location and HDD information over the WWAN to a service computer, which may return a location of a nearest service center to the user computer and any other advice including recovery advice for the HDD that the service center might be able to divine from the information sent to it by the user computer.

Abstract: Systems and methods consistent with the disclosure relate to managing social networks. According to one exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method for managing social networks of a user is disclosed. The method accesses an online social network site of the user, and receives, from the online social network site, networking content related to the user and a plurality of contacts of the user. The method identifies the plurality of contacts based on the networking content, and determines relationships between the user and the respective contacts based on the networking content. The method also creates a social networking map according to the relationships.

Abstract: A method for data synchronization across multiple target destinations in a computer network includes acquiring information about the target destinations, wherein: the target destinations comprises at least one of a network account in the computer network, or a target device coupled to the computer network or associated with the network account; and the acquired information includes identification information associated with the target destinations. The method may also include receiving, at a user device, data from a data source; filtering the received data based on information included in the received data and in the identification information; identifying, based on the filtering, a selected target destination for receiving the filtered data; and transmitting the filtered data to the identified selected target destination.

Abstract: A user of a user computer whose hard disk drive (HDD) is “fried” can press a special key to cause BIOS to automatically gather location information about the computer from its GPS receiver and gather information about the HDD, activate a WWAN transceiver, and automatically send the location and HDD information over the WWAN to a service computer, which may return a location of a nearest service center to the user computer and any other advice including recovery advice for the HDD that the service center might be able to divine from the information sent to it by the user computer.

Abstract: Computer help is provided through a user's social networking sites. For example, a computer help desk can request permission to be added to a user's social networking contacts or can add itself automatically as a contact of the user to provide help information through the social network as an RSS feed.

Abstract: Keypad keys having functions when they are pressed simultaneously with a meta key are backlit or bear indicia indicating the functions. A user interface (UI) can be presented indicating the functions of the keys. A row of special purpose keys user-programmable can be provided with each key invoking a respective application of service.

Abstract: Social media account UIs are disclosed to allow users to easily manage all social media accounts. Photos are automatically shared based on image recognition with social networking contacts appearing in the photos. Movies are automatically created from related social media clips, and videos can be generated by a user and uploaded to the user's social media accounts with a single click.

Abstract: A computer establishes a wireless wide area network (WWAN) account simply by entering his telephone number in a user interface (UI) which is sent to an Internet server and correlated with the user's telephone account. A utility notes when a usage limitation for a period is approaching and in response disables wireless updates and automatically executes the updates when a landline connection is sensed.

Abstract: A software management database contains data structures supporting computer software provisioning for a range of CTO/BTO variations, language variations, region variations, and operating system variations.

Abstract: A software management database contains data structures supporting computer software provisioning for a range of CTO/BTO variations, language variations, region variations, and operating system variations.

Abstract: In a configuration-to-order (CTO) software provisioning system, software upgrade/downgrade support, software running change support, and software file server management are provided in part using microcode typically stored on a user computer BIOS.