Abstract: Mechanisms for providing a social network aware input dictionary are provided. A social network of users is monitored to determine the words and terms utilized by the users as part of their communication and interaction within the social network. Words and terms are ranked, or prioritized, within the social network based on a determined increase/decrease in popularity of the words/terms as determined from the monitoring of the social network. Based on the ranking of these words/terms, individual input dictionaries associated with devices used by the users of the social network may be automatically updated to include/remove these words/terms and/or increase/decrease a relative priority of the words/terms within the input dictionaries. Such automatic updating may be performed regardless of whether the particular user has used the word/term or not.

Abstract: Provided is a method for displaying information such as lists of data, files and icons in a window of a graphical user interface (GUI). Unlike a typical display methodology, which arranges items in a “machine-dependent” sorting order, the disclosed technology provides a “natural” sorting order. The list, or names associated with the files or icons are incorporated into a query and the query is transmitted to a web service. The web service parses the query to determine a natural order appropriate to the material represented by the list, files, or icons rearranges the list, files or icons into the natural order and returns a response to the originator of the query. The operating system or GUI that originated the query receives the response, parses the response and displays the list, files or icons in the corresponding natural order.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of negotiating locale settings among a plurality of users communicating over a communication network can include determining a locale for each of a plurality of remotely located users, identifying at least one locale setting for each of the plurality of users according to the locale of each respective user, wherein the locale setting for each of the plurality of users forms at least one locale setting group, and determining whether each locale setting group is exclusive or non-exclusive. For each locale setting group that is exclusive, a locale setting from the locale setting group can be selected and, for each locale setting group that is non-exclusive, a locale setting union can be generated by taking a union of all locale settings of the locale setting group. The selected locale setting and/or the local setting union can be applied to a message exchanged between the users.

Abstract: Two sliding user interactions along a display surface of a multitouch input display device are detected in approximately opposite directions proximate to a display location of a scroll element displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the device. Available content displayed within the GUI is automatically zoomed based upon the detected two sliding user interactions along the display surface. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: Human ability to perceive higher audio frequencies diminishes with age. Functionality can be implemented to use a combination of audio tones with varying frequencies to identify an age range to which a user belongs and accordingly control access to age dependent access controlled information and services. The user's ability to perceive one or more audio tones in the combination of audio tones depends on the user's age. Thus, different users, depending on the users' age, may perceive the same combination of audio tones differently. Such an age verification system based on human perception of audio tones can minimize the need for identification cards and a reliance on the user providing accurate age information. This can prevent the user from misinterpreting his/her age to access the age dependent access controlled information and can ensure that only an authorized user gets access to the age dependent access controlled information.

Abstract: A system, method, and program product is provided that identifies asset restrictions pertaining to the movement of tangible assets. The system reads a list of assets intended to be moved from a first geographical location to a new geographical location. Each of the assets in the list includes asset descriptive data. More than one geographical regions are identified that apply to the new geographical location. Regulatory items are retrieved from the identified geographical regions. The regulatory items include regulated item descriptive data that is compared with the user's asset descriptive data to match regulations applicable to assets. An exception list is generated based on the comparison that includes the regulatory items that apply to one or more of the assets.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing a server cluster. The process identifies a plurality of average method call durations corresponding to calls to a plurality of methods associated with an application on the server cluster to form a plurality of identified average method call durations. The process groups the plurality of methods based on the plurality of identified average method call durations to form a plurality of grouped methods. Each method in the plurality of grouped methods is executed by a particular cluster member in the server cluster. The manner in which the plurality of grouped cluster members is grouped reduces a coefficient of variation on each cluster member in the server cluster. The process executes a method in a selected cluster member associated with the method in response to receiving a call for the method.

Abstract: A solution for visual credential verification. The solution includes an apparatus, system, and method embodiment. The apparatus for visual credential verification includes an input module, a comparison module, and a response module. The input module receives from a security official an image of an unverified credential, such as a badge, that an individual has presented to the security official. The comparison module determines whether or not the unverified credential is valid or invalid. The determination includes comparing the image of the unverified credential with known good images of valid credentials. The comparison module may also compare authentication information such as a photo of the individual, a name, or a badge number, with known good authentication information. Based on the comparison module's determination, the response module notifies the security official that the unverified credential is either valid or invalid.

Abstract: A system, method, and program product for updating a software program running in a middleware environment, such as a Java™ environment, are provided. An update request is received for a method loaded in the middleware environment. The request identifies a new version of the method and the method's class file. The new version is registered. Registering of the new version includes writing the new version to a heap managed by the middleware environment. In this manner, both the old version and the new version of the method can be executed. The update of the class file is scheduled for a future time. Subsequent requests are either routed to the old version of the method or re-routed to the new version. At the scheduled time, the class file is updated by replacing the old method with the new version.

Abstract: An approach is provided that that uses an electronic multi-touch floor covering that has numerous sensors to identify shapes. The electronic multi-touch floor covering identifies a shape of an object that is in contact with the surface of the electronic multi-touch floor covering. An entity record is then retrieved from a data store, such as a database, with the retrieved entity record corresponding to the identified shape. Actions are then retrieved from a second data store with the actions corresponding to the retrieved entity record. The retrieved actions are then executed by the computer system.

Abstract: A method is provided for promoting agenda awareness in a communication client. A system user's agenda of tasks with associated contact information is provided to the communication client. Matches are sought between the associated contact information from the agenda and a contact in a contact list in the communication client. Contacts matching the associated contact information and the tasks associated with the contact information are presented at a user interface.

Abstract: It has been discovered that inaccurate representations of content read from an optical disc can be restored. A representation of content read from a damaged optical disc may include data that corresponds to misread data sections. The data for the misread data sections can be replaced with portions of an accurate representation of the content. The portions can be extracted from an accurate representation maintained online or at a local repository of digital representations of content.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provide for accepting a user's selection of sort options for sorting a table according to embodiments of the present invention.

Abstract: A system, method and program product for providing a voice response unit (VRU) proxy. A system is provided that includes: a graphical user interface (GUI) for dynamically displaying information from a VRU and for receiving data from a user; a system for initiating a call with the VRU; and a VRU interface system for transmitting data from the user to the VRU, and for using speech recognition to capture broadcasts from the VRU for display within the GUI.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for product identification using image analysis and user interaction. The method may include comparing a retail product image to a plurality of candidate retail product images. In addition, the method may include generating a candidate product set containing candidate retail product images satisfying image comparison criteria. The method may determine one or more product identity queries configured to solicit additional product identity information from a user. In addition, the product identity queries may eliminate one or more members of the candidate product set. The method may query the user with these inquiries and determine a product match based on the user's response. Therefore a user may obtain information about a product using only a picture and a user's knowledge of the product.

Abstract: A photograph processing system that prevents the unpermitted use of photographic media containing a depiction of a protected person, view or item. A permission object is located in physical proximity to the person, view or object being protected. A photograph including the permission object will contain a depiction of the permission object. When the photograph is processed, the photograph processing system scans the photograph for a permission object. If a permission object is found, the system further processes the photograph according to the permission associated with the permission object.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, system and computer program product for sorting records based on content in a free text field. A request is received by a sort function to sort a free text field. The sort function request is intercepted. The content in the free text field is analyzed. One or more new focus words are identified by the analysis. The new focus words are used to sort the free text field. The focus words in the free text field are highlighted and sorted alphabetically. Sorted free text field results based on the new focus words are displayed to a user on the user's display.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product that enables a direction service to automatically inform the requester or user of the directions of advertisement associated with the various businesses and/or landmarks situated on a directional map generated by the service. The service provider of the navigational service enhances the directional offerings to include advertisements associated with specific businesses and/or points of interest within the service's mapping database. When a generated route/direction includes landmarks (e.g., one or more of the businesses or other point of interest), which have an associated advertisement, the service displays (or outputs via audible or other means) the advertisement to the user, along with the directions. In this way the user is provided an output that includes the directions, landmarks (businesses and/or points of interest) along the routes, as well as an output of the specific advertisement associated with each of these landmarks.

Abstract: A mechanism for modifying a chat distance associated with an environmental chat based on a determined chat amount within a time window of a predetermined amount of time in an area of a virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. An initial environmental chat distance may be determined based on the determined chat amount within an initial time window in the virtual universe area associated with the environmental chat. The initial environmental chat distance may be modified in response to a change in the chat amount within a subsequent time window.

Abstract: A mechanism for modifying a chat distance associated with an environmental chat based on the avatar population density of an area of a virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. An initial environmental chat distance may be determined based on the avatar population density, i.e., the number of avatars, in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. The environmental chat distance may be modified in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. The environmental chat distance may be modified such that the environmental chat distance is inversely proportional to the detected number of avatars in the virtual universe area associated with the environmental chat.