Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating the awarding of prizes in chance-based contests in various ways, such as chance-based contests which are part of promotional advertising, etc. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include facilitating the awarding of prizes at the time a contestant enter or plays the contests, while awarding a selected number of prizes, which may be determined before the contest starts. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include employing an award counter to control awarding of prizes in a chance-based contest. For example, an award counter may be incremented at random or pseudo-random times. In at least some embodiments, the contest is associated with a location-based virtual group of users that has one or more associated geographical areas.

Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating the awarding of prizes in chance-based contests in various ways, such as chance-based contests which are part of promotional advertising, etc. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include facilitating the awarding of prizes at the time a contestant enter or plays the contests, while awarding a selected number of prizes, which may be determined before the contest starts. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include employing an award counter to control awarding of prizes in a chance-based contest. For example, an award counter may be incremented at random or pseudo-random times. In at least some embodiments, the contest is associated with a location-based virtual group of users that has one or more associated geographical areas.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.), while in other situations at least some users who are remote from a particular geographic area may be allowed to inter-communicate with one or more other users or other entities in or related to that geographic area. In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for mobile location based sales lead identification. Sales lead information may be provided based on a reference location, such as a sales resource real time location. Additional location information, demand information, competitive information, activity history, follow-up tasks, sales resource ownership information and past promotions relating to a particular sales lead may be additionally provided. The mobile location based sales lead information may allow a sales resource to efficiently manage their time during and in between sales visits, and prepare effective sales pitches to sales leads.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.), while in other situations at least some users who are remote from a particular geographic area may be allowed to inter-communicate with one or more other users or other entities in or related to that geographic area. In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.

Abstract: A rating and settlements engine synthesizes activity data to discover ratable events. The ratable events are processed to produce a rated event. In a described implementation, the ratable events are discovered responsive to an event-generation plug-in and/or the rated events are produced from the ratable events responsive to a rating-model plug-in.

Abstract: A rating and settlements engine synthesizes activity data to discover ratable events. The ratable events are processed to produce a rated event. In a described implementation, the ratable events are discovered responsive to an event-generation plug-in.