Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a controller programmed to receive a media program having a repetitive portion that plays every time the media program is played. A first portion of the repetitive portion of the media program is modified while leaving another portion unmodified to produce a first modified portion. The first modified portion is presented after an initial presentation of the repetitive portion. The repetitive portion is further modified to produce multiple different modified repetitive portions used for successive presentations of the repetitive portion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network device having a controller programmed to receive a video program in an editable digital format having a repetitive portion that plays every time the video program is played; store video content used in modifying the repetitive portion of the video program; store descriptor files containing instructions for modifying the repetitive portion; and automatically morph the repetitive portion using the video content based on the instructions, the automatic morphing being performed for each instance the repetitive portion is presented. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a controller programmed to receive a media program having a repetitive portion that plays every time the media program is played. A first portion of the repetitive portion of the media program is modified while leaving another portion unmodified to produce a first modified portion. The first modified portion is presented after an initial presentation of the repetitive portion. The repetitive portion is further modified to produce multiple different modified repetitive portions used for successive presentations of the repetitive portion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: One or more virtual access nodes manage multiple physical links connecting a digital subscriber line access multiplexer and an intelligent network interface device by logically bonding physical ports together into a group. Physical ports bonded in a logical group have equal priority with respect to one another. Thus, no master-slave relationship exists between the physical ports in the logical group. Traffic associated with a site is transmitted over physical links associated with the logical group of physical ports to a customer premises network interface device. The customer premises network interface device subsequently aggregates the received traffic and provides an increased bandwidth to the site over the physical links. The quality of communication is based on the number of operational physical links associated with the logical group. As long as at least one physical link associated with the logical group remains operational, communication will be enabled.

Abstract: A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a system comprising a processor, holographic video data and a descriptor file associated with the holographic video data, where the holographic video data comprises encoded holographic wave front images that are generated by reconstructing holographic interference patterns associated with a target object, determining, by the system, presentation characteristics from the received descriptor file, and presenting, by the system, holographic video content decoded from the holographic video data, at a portion of a display device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method includes monitoring network activity corresponding to a user device to detect a period of inactivity and generating additional network activity that is different from the network activity in response to detecting the period of inactivity. The additional network activity obscures a profile of a user. The profile is generated by a remote user tracking engine.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products personalize haptic emulations of merchandise. An association is defined between merchandise item numbers and anatomical identifiers. A query is received for an anatomical identifier associated with a merchandise item number. The anatomical identifier is sent in response to the query to identify an anatomical part associated with the merchandise item number.

Abstract: Systems and methods to emulate user network activity to change the profiling of users of the network are disclosed. A method includes monitoring network activity corresponding to a particular user. The method includes automatically generating emulated user network activity when a usage pattern is detected in the monitored network activity. The emulated user network activity may be detectable by a user tracking engine as the network activity of the particular user and the user tracking engine may attempt to profile the emulated user activity.

Abstract: Methods for providing targeted content are disclosed. For example, the method registers a user profile with a social network and provides a user identifier associated with the user profile to a user device. The method then receives a request from a third party with the user identifier. The method determines whether the third party is authorized to receive the user profile and provides the user profile to the third party if the third party is authorized.

Abstract: A method includes receiving an indication of interest in a garment depicted within media content displayed at a video display and determining, based on the media content, one or more garment identifiers associated with the garment. The method includes after determining the one or more garment identifiers, generating an image representation including a garment overlay and a viewer representation, the garment overlay at least partially covering the viewer representation. The viewer representation is generated based at least partially upon measurement input associated with the viewer. The garment overlay is based at least partially on the one or more garment identifiers and at least partially on the measurement input.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network device having a controller programmed to receive a rerun of a video program in an editable digital format streamed in an Internet Protocol Television system where the rerun has an identifier, initiate a search of a rerun database for video clips matching the identifier, retrieve a rerun descriptor file associated with the identifier, determine an insertion point on the rerun for inserting a video clip matching the identifier using the rerun descriptor file, and substitute at the insertion point, a portion of the rerun with the video clip matching the identifier. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for modifying original television ads to generate snippet-modified ads utilizes a snippet ad engine to automatically incorporate the snippet ad. A snippet ad may include content from the television program being interrupted by the original ad. The snippet ad engine may receive descriptor files for the original ad and the snippet ad, including parameters describing when and how the snippet ad is to be incorporated. The snippet ad engine may use digital video editing techniques to generate the snippet-modified ad, which may be output to an ad inserter/splicer for insertion into a digital television data stream.

Abstract: A particular method of user-defined modification of video content includes receiving video content at a set-top box (STB) and converting the video content into modifiable video content. The method includes selecting an image in at least one frame of the modifiable video content. The image is associated with a user-defined modification condition. The at least one frame of the modifiable video content is modified to generate modified video content. Modifying the at least one frame includes modifying the selected image in the at least one frame.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network device having a controller programmed to receive a video program in an editable digital format having a repetitive portion that plays every time the video program is played; store video content used in modifying the repetitive portion of the video program; store descriptor files containing instructions for modifying the repetitive portion; and automatically morph the repetitive portion using the video content based on the instructions, the automatic morphing being performed for each instance the repetitive portion is presented. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A search engine is operable to receive keyword information and semantic information that gives meaning and context to the keyword information. The search engine searches a keyword database with the keyword information to determine a set of links to web pages. The search engine also searches a semantic database with the semantic information, and ranks the set of web links based on the search.

Abstract: Systems and methods for targeted advertising based on user-created profiles are disclosed. A particular method includes receiving a file at a web server during an Internet session, where the file is created by a user and includes profile information that is associated with the user and that is input into the file by the user. A targeted advertisement is selected for transmission from the web server to the user based on the profile information.

Abstract: Systems and methods to emulate user network activity to change the profiling of users of the network are disclosed. A method includes monitoring network activity corresponding to a particular user. The method includes automatically generating emulated user network activity when a usage pattern is detected in the monitored network activity. The emulated user network activity may be detectable by a user tracking engine as the network activity of the particular user and the user tracking engine may attempt to profile the emulated user activity.

Abstract: One or more virtual access nodes manage multiple physical links connecting a digital subscriber line access multiplexer and an intelligent network interface device by logically bonding physical ports together into a group. Physical ports bonded in a logical group have equal priority with respect to one another. Thus, no master-slave relationship exists between the physical ports in the logical group. Traffic associated with a site is transmitted over physical links associated with the logical group of physical ports to a customer premises network interface device. The customer premises network interface device subsequently aggregates the received traffic and provides an increased bandwidth to the site over the physical links. The quality of communication is based on the number of operational physical links associated with the logical group. As long as at least one physical link associated with the logical group remains operational, communication will be enabled.