Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by a computational assistant executing at one or more processors of a mobile computing device and via a wireless link between the mobile computing device and an external device, a representation of audio data generated by a microphone of the external device, the audio data representing a spoken utterance detected by the external device; determining, by the computational assistant and based on the audio data, a response to the spoken utterance; and sending, by the mobile computing device, to the external device, and via the wireless link between the mobile computing device and the external device, a command to output, for playback by one or more speakers connected to the external device via a hardwired analog removable connector of the external device or a wireless link between the external device and the one or more speakers, audio data representing the response to the spoken utterance.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by a computational assistant executing at one or more processors of a mobile computing device and via a wireless link between the mobile computing device and an external device, a representation of audio data generated by a microphone of the external device, the audio data representing a spoken utterance detected by the external device; determining, by the computational assistant and based on the audio data, a response to the spoken utterance; and sending, by the mobile computing device, to the external device, and via the wireless link between the mobile computing device and the external device, a command to output, for playback by one or more speakers connected to the external device via a hardwired analog removable connector of the external device or a wireless link between the external device and the one or more speakers, audio data representing the response to the spoken utterance.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by a computational assistant executing at one or more processors of a mobile computing device and via a wireless link between the mobile computing device and an external device, a representation of audio data generated by a microphone of the external device, the audio data representing a spoken utterance detected by the external device; determining, by the computational assistant and based on the audio data, a response to the spoken utterance; and sending, by the mobile computing device, to the external device, and via the wireless link between the mobile computing device and the external device, a command to output, for playback by one or more speakers connected to the external device via a hardwired analog removable connector of the external device or a wireless link between the external device and the one or more speakers, audio data representing the response to the spoken utterance.

Abstract: A group of post data items may be identified at a first location. Presentation of the group of post data items may be provided at a second location. A post data item in the group of post data items at the second location may be identified where the post data item is in reply to another post data item in the group of post data item. A user may be identified for notification of the post data item. A determination of whether the user interacted with the group of post data items at the first location or the second location is made and a notification for the user that includes a reference to the group of post data items at the first location or the second location is provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating notifications are described. A method includes receiving user input of a user of a first plurality of users of a first service to transmit an invitation to a second plurality of users to become members of the first service, wherein the first plurality of users are associated with respective online accounts of the first plurality of online accounts, the second plurality of users are specified in the user input and are associated with respective online accounts of a second plurality of online accounts of a second service.

Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for providing a customized stream of content to a user. The system includes: an item sourcer for gathering one or more content items from one or more content sources; a behavior indicator module and scorer for determining one or more behavior scores for the one or more content items; a content indicator module and scorer for determining one or more content scores for the one or more content items; a score combiner for aggregating the one or more behavior scores and the one or more content scores to generate one or more item scores for the one or more content items; a content diversifier for determining one or more diverse items from the one or more content items; and a stream generator for generating a customized stream of content for the user from the one or more diverse items.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by a computational assistant executing at one or more processors of a mobile computing device and via a wireless link between the mobile computing device and an external device, a representation of audio data generated by a microphone of the external device, the audio data representing a spoken utterance detected by the external device; determining, by the computational assistant and based on the audio data, a response to the spoken utterance; and sending, by the mobile computing device, to the external device, and via the wireless link between the mobile computing device and the external device, a command to output, for playback by one or more speakers connected to the external device via a hardwired analog removable connector of the external device or a wireless link between the external device and the one or more speakers, audio data representing the response to the spoken utterance.

Abstract: A group of post data items may be identified at a first location. Presentation of the group of post data items may be provided at a second location. A post data item in the group of post data items at the second location may be identified where the post data item is in reply to another post data item in the group of post data item. A user may be identified for notification of the post data item. A determination of whether the user interacted with the group of post data items at the first location or the second location is made and a notification for the user that includes a reference to the group of post data items at the first location or the second location is provided.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is provided, including the following method operations: receiving a request to generate a first post data item at a first location; providing for presentation of the first post data item at a second location; receiving a request to generate a second post data item at the second location, the second post data item being in reply to the first post data item; identifying a destination for notification about the second post data item; providing in association with the destination a notification identifying the second post data item, the notification being associated with the first location.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating notifications are described. One of the methods includes identifying a selection to invite users to become members of a social network and generating prompt data to allow invitations to be sent to the users based on the selection. The method further includes determining whether indications of becoming members of the social network are received from one or more of the users. The method includes transmitting notification data to inform a member that the one or more users have become members of the social network in response to determining that the indications of becoming members are received.

Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for providing a customized stream of content to a user. The system includes: an item sourcer for gathering one or more content items from one or more content sources; a behavior indicator module and scorer for determining one or more behavior scores for the one or more content items; a content indicator module and scorer for determining one or more content scores for the one or more content items; a score combiner for aggregating the one or more behavior scores and the one or more content scores to generate one or more item scores for the one or more content items; a content diversifier for determining one or more diverse items from the one or more content items; and a stream generator for generating a customized stream of content for the user from the one or more diverse items.

Abstract: A distributed storage system has a plurality of instances. A computer system simulates the state of the distributed storage system. The system obtains a current state of the distributed storage system and replication policies for objects in the distributed storage system. Each replication policy specifies criteria for placing copies of the relevant objects among the plurality of instances. The system receives proposed modifications to the state of the distributed storage system and simulates the state of the distributed storage system over time based on the current state of the distributed storage system, current statistical trends in the state of the distributed storage system, the replication policies for the objects in the distributed storage system, and the proposed modifications to the state of the distributed storage system. One or more reports are generated relating to time evolution of the state of the distributed storage system based on the simulation.

Abstract: An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents. Phrases are extracted from the document collection. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases, using phrase posting lists. The phrase posting lists are stored in an cluster of index servers. The phrase posting lists can be tiered into groups, and sharded into partitions. Phrases in a query are identified based on possible phrasifications. A query schedule based on the phrases is created from the phrases, and then optimized to reduce query processing and communication costs. The execution of the query schedule is managed to further reduce or eliminate query processing operations at various ones of the index servers.

Abstract: A request to generate a first post data item for display at a first location may be received. The first post data item may include a reference to a content item. A content identifier may be determined for the first post data item based on the reference to the content item. One or more additional post data items may be retrieved based on the content identifier where each of the one or more additional post data items includes another reference to the content item. The first post data item and the one or more additional post data items may be provided based on whether an author of the first post data item or one or more additional authors of the one or more additional post data items are in a social graph of a viewer.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving an indication of a request from a user to view a stream associated with the user, generating a request for one or more items visible to the user for display within the stream, the request including a search query identifying search criteria including one or more tokens, the one or more tokens including at least a user token identifying the user, receiving one or more items in response to the request, the one or more items including at least one of the one or more tokens and further being visible to the user and providing the one or more items for display to the user within the stream in response to the request. Other aspects can be embodied in corresponding systems and apparatus, including computer program products.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is provided, including the following method operations: receiving a request to generate a first post data item for display at a first location, the first post data item including a reference to a content item located at a second location; determining, based on the reference to the content item, a content identifier associated with the content item; associating the content identifier with the post data item; retrieving one or more post data items based on the content identifier and displaying the one or more post data items at the second location, the one or more post data items including the first post data item.

Abstract: An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents. Phrases are extracted from the document collection. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases, using phrase posting lists. The phrase posting lists are stored in an cluster of index servers. The phrase posting lists can be tiered into groups, and sharded into partitions. Phrases in a query are identified based on possible phrasifications. A query schedule based on the phrases is created from the phrases, and then optimized to reduce query processing and communication costs. The execution of the query schedule is managed to further reduce or eliminate query processing operations at various ones of the index servers.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is provided, including the following method operations: receiving a request to generate a first post data item for display at a first location, the first post data item including a reference to a content item located at a second location; determining, based on the reference to the content item, a content identifier associated with the content item; associating the content identifier with the post data item; retrieving one or more post data items based on the content identifier and displaying the one or more post data items at the second location, the one or more post data items including the first post data item.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is provided, including the following method operations: receiving a request to generate a first post data item at a first location; providing for presentation of the first post data item at a second location; receiving a request to generate a second post data item at the second location, the second post data item being in reply to the first post data item; identifying a destination for notification about the second post data item; providing in association with the destination a notification identifying the second post data item, the notification being associated with the first location.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is provided, including the following method operations: receiving a request to generate a post data item at a first location, the post data item including a reference to a content item located at a second location; accessing a notification tag associated with the content item, the notification tag identifying a destination for notification; and sending a notification to the destination, the notification identifying the post data item.