Abstract: A digital content pricing apparatus may include a sales computer and a memory used to retain digital content items associated with a base price and one or more option prices, along with a final price related to the base and option prices by a final pricing formula. A method may include selecting a digital content item and at least one configuration option associated with the item, calculating the item price using appropriate adjustment factors, and calculating the final price using a final pricing formula. Pricing information, in the form of prices, adjustment factors, and formulae may be defined in meta-data descriptors included in the digital content.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system, an article including a machine-accessible medium, and methods for pricing digital content are disclosed. The digital content pricing apparatus may include a sales computer and a memory used to retain digital content items associated with a base price and one or more option prices, along with a final price related to the base and option prices by a final pricing formula. The method may include selecting a digital content item and at least one configuration option associated with the item, calculating the item price using appropriate adjustment factors, and calculating the final price using a final pricing formula. Pricing information, in the form of prices, adjustment factors, and formulae may be defined in meta-data descriptors included in the digital content.

Abstract: A media signal is controlled using a portable media content device. The media signal is received and encoded into an encoded media signal for a portable media content device. The encoded media signal is stored for playback on the portable media content device.

Abstract: A method for providing an appliance personality is presented comprising ascertaining a current location/location type for the electronic appliance, selecting a suitable electronic appliance personality based, at least in part, on the ascertained location/location type of the electronic appliance and provisioning the selected appliance personality on the electronic appliance.

Abstract: A media signal is controlled using a portable media content device. The media signal is received and encoded into an encoded media signal for a portable media content device. The encoded media signal is stored for playback on the portable media content device.

Abstract: A media signal is controlled using a portable media content device. The media signal is received and encoded into an encoded media signal for a portable media content device. The encoded media signal is stored for playback on the portable media content device.

Abstract: A media signal is controlled using a portable media content device. The media signal is received and encoded into an encoded media signal for a portable media content device. The encoded media signal is stored for playback on the portable media content device.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system, an article including a machine-accessible medium, and methods for pricing digital content are disclosed. The digital content pricing apparatus may include a sales computer and a memory used to retain digital content items associated with a base price and one or more option prices, along with a final price related to the base and option prices by a final pricing formula. The method may include selecting a digital content item and at least one configuration option associated with the item, calculating the item price using appropriate adjustment factors, and calculating the final price using a final pricing formula. Pricing information, in the form of prices, adjustment factors, and formulae may be defined in meta-data descriptors included in the digital content.

Abstract: A filter for restricting access to a user's destination to authorized senders. The filter generates a unique address identification (ID) for each authorized sender. The address ID may be formatted into a unique address by associating with a machine address. The address IDs are stored in a database along with information identifying the sender to which it was issued. The user may revoke a sender's authorization by removing the address ID from the database, or restrict access with policies associated with the address ID.

Abstract: A system for handling incoming media events based on content and state information. An interface which receives events transmitted via a plurality of media forwards such incoming events into an attribute extractor. The attribute extractor extracts one or more attributes from the event and passes those attributes to a characteristic accumulator. The attribute extractor may, for example, read the header of an e-mail event to determine its source or, for example, employ caller ID in conjunction with voice recognition to determine the identity of a caller. The characteristic accumulator creates a characterization of an event on which a decision engine can base a decision of how the event should be handled. The characterization includes all extracted attributes as well as state information deemed relevant to such attributes. The decision engine will typically employ rule-based decision-making using the characterization as a starting point.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a sealed digital camera system that eliminates the use of wear items in the case, essentially providing a fully-sealed digital camera system. As a result, the camera is protected from exposure to the outside environment during use and the integrity of the case is not degraded during normal operation. Unlike conventional systems, the sealed digital camera system of the present invention is not subject to catastrophic failure, even when used under high pressure for extended periods. Use of a high capacity integrated or replaceable storage system and/or battery system with the present invention eliminates the need for a user to access the camera itself. Images taken by the camera can be sent to an external display unit via a suitable transmission link, again without the need to open the case. The present invention provides vast improvements in reliability, ruggedness, maintainability as well as price competitiveness as compared with conventional underwater cameras.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting user privacy by providing an inaccurate measure of network systems automatically initiates one or more non-user requested accesses to one or more network systems. The data received from the host system corresponding to the one or more non-user requested accesses is then automatically ignored.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for masquerading online is provided. A user supplies one or more transformation factors by selecting aspects of a stored user profile or by specifying desired attributes directly. The transformation factors are subsequently used to disguise the user's identity by generating suggested masqueraded output or by altering the user's input based upon the transformation factors. User input is received that is to be transmitted. The user input is then transformed into a masqueraded user output. The resulting masqueraded user output conforms to the transformation factors while maintaining the same basic meaning as the original user input. The masqueraded user output is then transmitted in place of the original user input.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and a method for compressing digitized color video data by generating codes into a pattern of tables for regions in frames of the video data exhibiting certain patterns. An image frame in a video data stream has a plurality of pixels assigned digitized color and luminance data. The image frame is divided into a plurality of non-overlapping elementary units, with each elementary unit comprising a plurality of pixels. For elementary units exhibiting change from the prior frame in time, elementary units having pixels with differing digitized color and luminance data are selected for pattern matching. Each pixel of an elementary unit selected for pattern matching is mapped to a pattern value. A pattern value is the same for all pixels sharing the same color and luminance data in an elementary unit. The pattern values are then grouped based on relative position in the elementary unit into offsets into associated sets of pattern match tables and error condition tables.

Abstract: A color-mapped display sub,stem efficiently combines palettes of multiple images into a single shared palette. As each image already received a degree of distortion during conventional palette selection, it is desirable to minimize further distortion during the palette combination method of this invention. A pairwise nearest neighbor (PNN) technique is used for combining colors from respective palettes to minimize further distortion. For a final 256-color shared palette, up to 256 (n-1) individual vector merges are performed (where n is the number of image palettes being combined). In one embodiment, two vectors are chosen at each step that yield the lowest increase in distortion when merged. A mean squared error distortion measure of gamma-corrected values defined in YIQ space is used to compare distortion. Searching time at each step is reduced from O(N.sup.2) to O(N), while also eliminating the need for extensive recalculation of color pair distortions between steps.