Abstract: Devices in a local network can cooperatively share functionality by advertising their available services and current service needs with an agent being executed in the network. The network can be automatically configured by device discovery or manually configured by a user.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide methods, systems and apparatuses for use in displaying and/or distributing heterogeneous applications or applications for heterogeneous platforms. Some of these methods, systems and apparatus include steps or components for storing heterogeneous applications, determining compatibility for each of the stored applications via a remote processing system, and presenting to a consumer via the remote processing system only those applications that are compatible with a target processing system.

Abstract: An embodiment is a technique to perform centralized multimedia access. A playlist is created in a single document, the playlist including a plurality of items. Each of the items specifies an access parameter to a multimedia file and a play parameter. The playlist is stored in a central location. The multimedia file as pointed to by the playlist is retrieved or accessed in the central location using the access parameter to play the multimedia file according to the play parameter. A storage element contains a pointer to point to a playlist in a single document. The playlist includes a plurality of items. Each of the items specifies an access parameter to a multimedia file and a play parameter. A compiler compiles the playlist to determine the access parameter, the play parameter, and a plug-in associated with the multimedia file. The plug-in plays the multimedia file according to the play parameter.

Abstract: An embodiment is a technique to perform centralized multimedia access. A playlist is created in a single document, the playlist including a plurality of items. Each of the items specifies an access parameter to a multimedia file and a play parameter. The playlist is stored in a central location. The multimedia file as pointed to by the playlist is retrieved or accessed in the central location using the access parameter to play the multimedia file according to the play parameter. A storage element contains a pointer to point to a playlist in a single document. The playlist includes a plurality of items. Each of the items specifies an access parameter to a multimedia file and a play parameter. A compiler compiles the playlist to determine the access parameter, the play parameter, and a plug-in associated with the multimedia file. The plug-in plays the multimedia file according to the play parameter.