Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes providing a post generated by a first user for display to one or more other users of the site, receiving an indication of a request from a second user of one or more other users to suggest auxiliary content relating to at least one of one or more items represented in the post, providing a suggestion mechanism to the second user on the page displaying the post to allow the second user to provide auxiliary content relating to the at least one of the one or more items, receiving a suggestion from the second user including the auxiliary content, providing the auxiliary content for display to the first user and providing the first user with a mechanism for viewing the auxiliary content.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining one or more user habits for a user. A group of one or more past user activity occurrences of a user may be determined based on similarity between the past user activity occurrences of the group. A user habit may be determined based on the past user activity occurrences of the group.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining a likelihood that a task is completed. One or more task completion entities with which the user can interact to complete the task may be determined. One or more activity data indicators may be determined for a given entity of the task completion entities. The activity data indictors are indicative of the user performing the action through interaction with the given entity. User activity data may be received and compared with the activity data indicators to determine one or more matching activity data indicators of the activity data indicators that match the user activity data. A likelihood that the task is completed may be determined based on the matching activity data indicators.

Abstract: A system and method for crowdsourcing user-provided brand identifiers and distributing content based on crowd-sourced identifiers is provided. Different user-provided brand identifiers are extracted from messages provided by users of a social network. The identifiers are aggregated into two or more aggregate identity groups. When a brand identifier associated with a user request for content is determined to be in at least one of the aggregate identity groups, content items comprising one or more other brand identifiers of the at least one aggregate identity group are provided to the user.

Abstract: A user attempting to obtain information about an object can capture image information including a view of that object, and the image information can be used with a matching or identification process to provide information about that type of object to the user. In order to narrow the search space to a specific category, and thus improve the accuracy of the results and the speed at which results can be obtained, the user can be guided to capture image information with an appropriate orientation. An outline or other graphical guide can be displayed over image information captured by a computing device, in order to guide the user in capturing the object from an appropriate direction and with an appropriate scale for the type of matching and/or information used for the matching. Such an approach enables three-dimensional objects to be analyzed using conventional two-dimensional identification algorithms, among other such processes.

Abstract: A process simplifies task management. The process receives a first task description from a user. The first task description includes a first term. The process matches the first term to a first predefined category of entities. Each entity has a physical location. The process displays multiple entities selected based on geographic proximity to a location corresponding to the user and receives user selection of a first entity. The process stores the user selection. The process later receives a second task description from the user. The second task description includes a second term, distinct from the first term. The process matches the second term to the first predefined category of entities and correlates the second task description to the first entity based on the stored user selection of the first entity for the first predefined category. The process updates information for the second task description to include the first entity.

Abstract: A method of task management executes at a computing device having one or more processors and memory. The memory stores one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. The method includes receiving, from a user, a task description corresponding to an electronic message. The method further includes identifying, based on the task description, a task template from among a plurality of predefined task templates. The identified task template includes one or more task parameters. The method further includes determining values for the one or more task parameters based on contents of the electronic message. The method further includes presenting, to the user for user selection, a set of options for completing a task corresponding to the received task description. At least a first subset of the options in the set of options is based upon the one or more first task parameters.

Abstract: A method of task management executes at a computing device having one or more processors and memory. The memory stores one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. A user interface for a messaging application is displayed. The interface comprises an electronic message list panel comprising a plurality of listed objects. At least one such listed object represents (i) one or more electronic messages or (ii) a task. A task description is obtained. In some instances this task description is received from the user through the user interface. In some instances this task description is obtained from an object in the plurality of listed objects. An event within the task description is identified. An event date for the event is identified. The plurality of objects is updated to include an object that provides a representation of the event date and the task.

Abstract: A method of task management executes at a computing device having one or more processors and memory. The memory stores one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. There is received a description of a task associated with a user. Upon receipt of the description of the task, one or more entities associated with the task are identified using at least the description of the task and geographic information about the user. Information is identified for performing the task with the at least one respective entity in the one or more entities based upon an identity of the entity. This identified information for performing the task is then formatted for use by the user.

Abstract: Various approaches provide for the delivery of information on a portable computing device in response to being at or near a particular geographic location. In addition, optional functionality associated with the information can also be provided. In various embodiments, one or more applications are available to a user for download. The applications could come prepackaged with the device. It can be beneficial to monitor the user of the portable computing device to learn a user's habits. Understanding a user's habits, along with their stated preferences, allows a service to provide a user with timely and relevant information that is not only relevant to the user, but also relevant to the user's current location.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to associating a task completion step with a task template based on one or more task completion steps of tasks that conform to the task template. A task template may include one or more terms, entities, and/or category of entities. A Task conforms to the task template when the task includes the one or more terms, entities, and/or an identifier of an entity that is a member of the entity category. In some implementations, a task that is associated with a task completion step is identified as conforming to the task template and the task completion step of the conforming task is associated with the task template. In some implementations, the task template may be utilized to associate a task completion step with a task that conforms to the task template.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to associating a task completion step with one or more tasks. A task group is determined based on similarity between the tasks of the task group, a task completion step of one of the tasks of the task group is identified, and one or more of the other tasks of the task group are associated with the task completion step. In some implementations, the task group is determined based on similarity between entities that are associated with the tasks of the task group. In some implementations, the task group is determined based on textual representations that are associated with the tasks of the task group.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating sharing device connections across multiple physical and/or virtual (logical) computers. A method may include receiving a USB device request from a virtual host controller driver of a client when a host is not in a power save mode and passing a USB device request to a host controller driver of the client when the host is in a power save mode. A method may also include activating a sharing switch of a host controller to connect a device connection port to the host when the host is not in a power save mode and to connect the device connection port to the client when the host is in a power save mode. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: A user attempting to obtain information about an object can capture image information including a view of that object, and the image information can be used with a matching or identification process to provide information about that type of object to the user. In order to narrow the search space to a specific category, and thus improve the accuracy of the results and the speed at which results can be obtained, the user can be guided to capture image information with an appropriate orientation. An outline or other graphical guide can be displayed over image information captured by a computing device, in order to guide the user in capturing the object from an appropriate direction and with an appropriate scale for the type of matching and/or information used for the matching. Such an approach enables three-dimensional objects to be analyzed using conventional two-dimensional identification algorithms, among other such processes.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to generating steps to return a product and providing the steps to a user to enable the user to return the product. Product return indication data associated with a user may be received. A purchase source of the product may be determined. One or more sets of purchase source return steps for the purchase source may be retrieved from a mapping of multiple purchase sources to respective return steps. At least an attribute of the user and product data of the product may be identified. A set of steps to return the product may be generated based on the identified at least an attribute of the user and product data of the product. The set of steps to return the product may be provided to the user.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to associating a task completion step with one or more tasks. A task group is determined based on similarity between the tasks of the task group, a task completion step of one of the tasks of the task group is identified, and one or more of the other tasks of the task group are associated with the task completion step. In some implementations, the task group is determined based on similarity between entities that are associated with the tasks of the task group. In some implementations, the task group is determined based on textual representations that are associated with the tasks of the task group.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to providing an indication to a user that a task may be completed based on the values of one or more dynamic attributes of an entity related to the task. An entity is determined based on information that is associated with the task. An indication related to completion of the task is provided to the user when the value of one or more dynamic attributes of the entity is one or more states.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to associating a task completion step with a task template based on one or more task completion steps of tasks that conform to the task template. A task template may include one or more terms, entities, and/or category of entities. A Task conforms to the task template when the task includes the one or more terms, entities, and/or an identifier of an entity that is a member of the entity category. In some implementations, a task that is associated with a task completion step is identified as conforming to the task template and the task completion step of the conforming task is associated with the task template. In some implementations, the task template may be utilized to associate a task completion step with a task that conforms to the task template.

Abstract: A user attempting to obtain information about an object can capture image information including a view of that object, and the image information can be used with a matching or identification process to provide information about that type of object to the user. In order to narrow the search space to a specific category, and thus improve the accuracy of the results and the speed at which results can be obtained, the user can be guided to capture image information with an appropriate orientation. An outline or other graphical guide can be displayed over image information captured by a computing device, in order to guide the user in capturing the object from an appropriate direction and with an appropriate scale for the type of matching and/or information used for the matching. Such an approach enables three-dimensional objects to be analyzed using conventional two-dimensional identification algorithms, among other such processes.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for spatially indicating notifications to a user via display regions that are arranged (e.g., perimeterally) about the display of an apparatus. The apparatus may include a processor and a memory including computer program code which provide for the presentation, in a first display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a first application and provide for the presentation, in a second display region, of a non-pictorial indication of a notification associated with a second application. The first and second display regions may, for example, be arranged along the edges of a polygonal display. As such, a user may be able to quickly discern which application is responsible for a particular notification, and the user's view of an underlying application provided on the display may not be obscured or diminished as a result of the issuance of the notification.