Abstract: An application store tastemaker recommendation service is usable to determine experts within a user's social network(s), receive recommendations from the experts, and filter and/or rank mobile application query results based at least in part on the recommendations. Additionally, the service may be usable to determine experts based on data compiled about previous actions, reviews, comments, etc., of the experts. Further, the service may be usable to provide recommendations to the user to aid in selecting mobile applications for purchase, and may provide an avenue for completing such purchases.

Abstract: Content for display to a consumer at a vending machine is dynamically generated at a remote content server based on one or more variables maintained at the content server, and delivered in real time to the vending machine for display to the customer during a vend process. In the case of a customer loyalty program, the content may include metadata comprising an authorization code for a free vend and an associated message if the customer has accumulated sufficient reward points, or a message indicating a number of accumulated rewards points.

Abstract: Data records representing a time sequence of events are received, where time gaps between successive events vary. A first visualization having a sequence of graphical elements representing the corresponding events is generated, where the graphical elements do not overlay each other. A second visualization includes a time density track having gap representing elements, where the gap representing elements have different characteristics to represent different gaps between respective successive events.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an on-line reputation manager whereby review and/or ratings data associated with a given business and/or product is obtained from two or more Internet based business ratings/review system sources. The review and/or ratings data is aggregated, and/or processed, according to one or more aggregation/processing parameters. The aggregated, and/or processed, review and/or ratings data is then provided to an owner, manager, and/or agent of the given business. The review and/or ratings data is then monitored and updated periodically and/or on the occurrence of specified trigger events.

Abstract: Generating popularity ratings for virtual world artifacts based on how often and in what manner avatars access the artifacts is provided. The popularity ratings for virtual world artifacts may be used to determine what virtual world artifacts are selected to have a prominent presence in a virtual world. When an event caused by an avatar accessing a virtual world artifact in a virtual world is detected, the illustrative embodiments receive information about the event, such as the event type, the avatar identifier (ID), and the time the event occurred. The illustrative embodiments generate a rating score for the virtual world artifact based on the information received about the event. The illustrative embodiments update a rendering of the virtual world artifact in the virtual world based on the rating score.

Abstract: Aggregating information includes configuring, by at least one processor, a user profile that indicates user preferences for aggregated information. The at least one processor monitors information sources including the World Wide Web, business websites of interest, and online social media, based on the user preferences. Data obtained from the information sources is presented, based on the monitoring, by the at least one processor, in accordance with a presentation format, as the aggregated information, based on the user preferences. The at least one processor triggers updating of the presented aggregated information based on a change to the data at least one of the information sources and a change to the user profile.

Abstract: A method or system for measuring or estimating user credibility is described.

Abstract: A system and method for creating and maintaining a correspondent banking relationship mapping including current illicit designations. The system enables identification of a bank's correspondent relationships and the relationships of their correspondents. Through the system and method users can identify which banks have illicit relationships prior to engaging with banks or can be notified if the status of any banks which they have an existing relationships changes because a correspondent bank has entered into a correspondent relationship with an illicit banking entity.

Abstract: A personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method correlate and quantify a personalized match between a business offering products or services to a searching consumer looking for the reviewed products or services. In one embodiment of the invention, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking is based on requirements, traits, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and business evaluators who have reviewed the business. Whereas conventional consumer reviews such as star-ratings merely give an average rating based on inputs from the business evaluators, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method generate a personalized match score based on individual traits, requirements, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and the business evaluators.

Abstract: A personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method correlate and quantify a personalized match between a business offering products or services to a searching consumer looking for the reviewed products or services. In one embodiment of the invention, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking is based on requirements, traits, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and business evaluators who have reviewed the business. Whereas conventional consumer reviews such as star-ratings merely give an average rating based on inputs from the business evaluators, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method generate a personalized match score based on individual traits, requirements, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and the business evaluators.

Abstract: A computer assisted method, system and related program product for evaluating and selecting an independent software vendor solution from a plurality of independent software vendor solutions is predicated upon a structured information capture framework and a scoring model based upon the structured information capture framework. The scoring model uses a multilevel weighted scoring algorithm that uses inputted parameter level data to calculate a plurality of subject level scores. The plurality of subject level scores is secondarily weighted to provide a plurality of dimension level scores. The plurality of dimension level scores is further primarily weighted to provide a final score for each of the plurality of independent software vendor solutions.

Abstract: A restaurant customer-survey system and device, which reduces employee fraud when a customer-satisfaction survey embedded in the device is conducted. The survey may be implemented in a pager, tip tray, or other computing device that includes an internally mounted camera that covertly takes a photograph of the survey participant. The photograph is date/time stamped and associated with a table number so that the waiter for the table can be identified. The survey results together with the associated photograph are uploaded to a management database. The restaurant manager can review the photographs to ensure that employees are not fraudulently conducting the surveys rather than customers. The system also enables the customer to interface with the restaurant's point-of-sale (POS) system to retrieve the customer's current bill or wirelessly make a payment from the table.

Abstract: A method is provided which enables ratings data registered by a number of users for a first service and at least one corresponding service to be collected, wherein each user have been federated for a Single-Sign-On (SSO) on the first service as well as on the corresponding service/s. In response to a request for a set of ratings data received from a user requesting for the first service, a group of users is identified and the SSO identity of each SSO federated user of the identified group of users is mapped to one or more service identities of the respective SSO federated user. The mapping enables ratings data associated with the SSO users of the identified group of SSO users to be collected and normalized, such that the requested ratings data can then be provided to the requesting user in a unified format.

Abstract: Disclosed systems and methods provide healthcare cost transparency by enabling consumers to compare cost information for doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers before obtaining services. In some web-based server embodiments, a database is provided having available providers indexed by location and practice category. The database includes estimated costs for services from each provider, possibly based on past insurance claims submitted by each provider. A front end system provides access to the database, responding to requests for healthcare providers in a given location and practice category with lists that include an indication of costs charged by each of the listed providers relative to other providers. A user's selection of an individual provider may result in a detailed information page that includes a list of services and an estimate of the provider's fee for each service. The detail page may further include credentials, affiliations, ratings, reviews, and options to set an appointment.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and computer system for automatic generation of trailers. More specifically it relates to a method for generating revenues from providers of content data. The method generally comprises the steps of finding product placement data in a super set of data. When these product placements have been found they are preferably matched with a user profile and segments, of the superset comprising these product placements with a positive match, are selected and merged into a subset of data. A counter may keep track of which product placement that has been chosen and how many times a product placement has been chosen and viewed. Based on the value of the counter an invoice is created.

Abstract: A system and method provide a way of improving customer satisfaction with an IVR by identifying tuning opportunities for applications of an IVR system based on customer satisfaction scores. The system and method compare portions of the IVR application to a customer satisfaction score obtained from a customer satisfaction survey. The comparisons show, statistically, which portions of the IVR application correlate to a low customer satisfaction score. A report is produced which identifies these areas that correlate to low customer satisfaction, and these areas may be tuned to improve customer satisfaction with the IVR.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, example embodiments of a transaction system that may receive, over a network, a first set of transaction data associated with a transaction for an item. In an example embodiment, a reputation application may adjust a rating associated with the transaction when the first set of transaction data indicates a purchase or a return of the item.

Abstract: A system and computer implemented method of distributed audience feedback of media content in real time or substantially real time, including: semantically analyzing, at a semantic speech analysis engine, media content from a media program and identifying relevant topic data; distributing, at a topic data publisher, the identified relevant topic data to an audience of the media program; collecting, at a server, audience opinions on the identified relevant topic data; and processing the collected audience opinions. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing content recommendations to a user based on aggregate profile data of other users that the user is predicted to encounter in the future are disclosed. In general, an aggregate profile is obtained for a predicted encounter of a first user. The aggregate profile is based on user profiles of a number of second users identified for the predicted encounter. In one embodiment, the predicted encounter is a predicted physical encounter. In another embodiment, the predicted encounter is a predicted remote encounter. One or more content recommendations are then obtained for the first user based on the aggregate profile for the predicted encounter. The content recommendation may be, for example, a recommended movie, a recommended television program, a recommended news article, a recommended user-generated video (e.g., a recommended video on YouTube.com), or the like.

Abstract: A system and method for confidence-based selection of items for use in conducting a computer-implemented survey. The survey presents information about a selected plurality of items to a survey participant, to elicit survey feedback information. Information regarding the plurality of items is stored, the stored information including display information about each of the plurality of items for presentation to a survey participant. A subset of items for presentation to a survey participant is selected in accordance with a predetermined selection algorithm. Information corresponding to the selected subset of items is displayed to the survey participant via a survey user interface. Rating information is input by the survey participant via the survey user interface indicating the survey participant's preferences as to items in the presented subset of items. The rating information is utilized in various manners to affect the selection algorithm for a subsequent survey.

Abstract: Systems and methods for easily navigating a collection of editorial content related to products are described. Embodiments of the invention provide seamless, continuous, structured access to relevant product reviews. Users of embodiments of the invention can advance from one product review to another by selecting navigational buttons representing the previous and next product reviews from within a product review currently being viewed. The previous product review represents the review the user was viewing prior to the currently viewed review. The next product review is determined based on a simple learning engine that presents the next relevant product, along with another relevant product that is, for example, either cheaper or more expensive than the review being currently viewed. This simplifies the user experience by eliminating the need to go back to a listing page to research products similar to the product whose review is being viewed.

Abstract: Items are rated for use in a recommender. A record of a plurality of previously rated items and their associated ratings is maintained and upon receiving a rating for a first item (201), at least one of the rated items is retrieved (205) having a similar rating to the rating of the first item. The retrieved at least one rated items is displayed (207). The user may then change rating of the first item or the retrieved items (209) in order to apply the ratings consistently.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes providing a rich media file for a literary work of authorship in an electronic medium of expression and generating a recommendation of an external source of information on one of a contextually relevant basis, a geospatially relevant basis, and a user-centric basis. The method also includes generating a contextually relevant suggestion based on a contextual meta-data associated with the literary work when the recommendation is contextually relevant and generating a geospatially relevant suggestion dynamically based on a meta-data associated with a current geo-spatial location of a rich-media player device presently displaying the literary work of authorship when the recommendation is geospatially relevant.

Abstract: A demand driven process of collecting and collaborating around reviews including the steps of: receiving a request for a review from a requestor, associating one or more potential responders with the request for a review, providing the request for a review to one or more potential responders, receiving and organizing one or more reviews from the responders, providing access to the organized reviews to the requestor and to the responders, and updating the accessible organized reviews as additional reviews are received, all electronically. An arrangement for the same includes user computers for receiving requests for a review, network communication devices for transmitting the requests to potential responders, memory for storing electronic reviews and a controller for organizing, updating, and providing access to the electronic reviews.

Abstract: A system includes an interactive item catalog and a data repository that stores purchase histories for users, first reviews for items submitted by users, and first review helpfulness scores. A search engine system identifies catalog items that do not have reviews from users. The system includes a user interface that enables the user to select an item identified by the search engine system as not having user reviews. The systems includes review entry user interface via which the user can enter a first review for an item selected by the user. A game system is configured to calculate for a first review game first review scores and first review rankings for users based at least in part on data stored in the data repository and the first review scores. The system includes an interface configured to provide information to users related to their first review scores and rankings.

Abstract: A method for appraising at a retail location an item having one of a precious stone, a semi-precious stone, a precious metal, or a semi-precious metal includes the step of providing a variety of food products at the retail location. Then, by a transaction point computer at the retail location, the item to be appraised is received, along with the consumer's selection of a food product. The item's composition is determined using an evaluating device, and an exchange value is associated with the item using data obtained by the evaluating device and market data obtained over a network. The exchange value of the item is relayed to the consumer after the food product selected by the consumer has been delivered.

Abstract: A method for providing a customized review may include receiving, by a processing device, a request for a customized review for a product or service from a requester. The method may also include receiving, by the processing device, a consumer profile associated with the request from the requester. The method may additionally include receiving, by the processing device, at least one review for the product or service and an associated profile for a provider of each review. The consumer profile associated with the request may be compared by the processing device to the profile associated with each review for the product or service. The method may further include providing, by the processing device, the customized review to the requester. The customized review may include any reviews by review providers with profiles that substantially match the consumer profile associated with the request.

Abstract: Video content recommendations are described. In embodiments, a request for a recommendation of video content is received from a client device, and the recommendation includes identifiers of video assets for an optimal viewing schedule for a user. A utility of each video asset can be determined that indicates a social value of a video asset to the user. A time relevance of each video asset can also be determined that indicates how soon the user may select to watch the video asset, based at least in part on the social value of the video asset. The optimal viewing schedule can then be generated based on the utility of each video asset and the time relevance that is associated with each video asset. The optimal viewing schedule includes recommended video assets that, when watched by the user, provide the most social value in the shortest amount of viewing time.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for recommending content based on context such as location. In one aspect, a method includes receiving data that references a location of a mobile device, selecting, from among multiple, different applications that are available in an online application marketplace, one or more of the applications that are relevant to the location, and providing, by a recommendation server, a recommendation to the mobile device, where the recommendation identifies the one or more applications as applications that the user is likely to be interested in purchasing or downloading.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing an intermediary to preserve user privacy and anonymity in electronic transactions. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method for facilitating a transaction between a subscriber and a vendor through an intermediary is provided. In this embodiment, the method comprises the step of receiving at the intermediary personal information from the subscriber to establish a user account. The method also comprises the step of storing the personal information for subsequent access. The method further comprises the step of receiving a request from the subscriber to access the user account, upon which the subscriber's identity is verified by the intermediary against the personal information. The method also comprises the step of the intermediary entering into a transaction with the vendor on behalf of the subscriber based on the subscriber's instruction once the subscriber's identity is successfully verified.

Abstract: A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a request for information, a request for information response, a supplier assessment profile, a supplier questionnaire assessment, and/or a supplier transaction assessment business object.

Abstract: Various deficiencies in the prior art are addressed by embodiments for recommending applications to users. A method and apparatus are provided for selecting an application to recommend to a user based on user profile information associated with the user and application profile information associated with the application, and propagating recommended application information toward a user device of the user, where the recommended application information includes an application executable of the recommended application. A method and apparatus are provided for receiving, at a user device, recommended application information comprising an application executable of an application recommended for a user of the user device, and automatically installing the application executable on the user device.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for dynamic generation of products for online recommendation.

Abstract: A method and a system to rank search results based on dwell time is provided. The system comprises a search module to identify a plurality of listings stored in a listing database as search results. A dwell time module determines a respective dwell time associated with each of the plurality of listings. The dwell time is based on an elapsed amount of time one or more buyers view a view item page associated with the listing. A ranking module ranks the listings composing the identified plurality of listings based at least in part on the respective dwell time associated with each of the plurality of listings.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and systems which provide a comprehensive rating and ranking of products and services. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention provides a complete review of products and services, as well as rankings of semantic and non-semantic reviews, which provides a “true” reflection of a product and/or service. As such, a calculation of a product/supplier rating based on all of its social entity contexts, is performed. This takes into account factors like, author (of social entity context) credibility, non-semantic (direct) rating, semantic rating calculated from the textual content of the social entity context, the community based credibility of the social entity context, and the like. Then, the community based credibility of a given social entity context is in turn calculated.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for popularity prediction of user-generated content are provided. The method includes measuring the novelty of a user-generated content and predicting the popularity of the user-generated content based on the measured novelty. Predicting the popularity of the user-generated content includes: extracting basic features of the user-generated content; measuring novelty features of the user-generated content; and predicting the popularity based on the basic features and novelty features.

Abstract: A server exchanges information between one or more wireless devices. The server receives second device identifier information from a first wireless device using a wide area wireless network The second device identifier information was previously provided to the first wireless device via short range wireless communication. The server then uses the second device identifier information to determine additional information concerning an entity or object located in proximity to the second device, and then delivers information to the first wireless device or the second wireless device based at least in part upon the second device identifier and feedback ratings relevant to an entity associated with either the first wireless device or the second device identifier.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable mediums are provided for indexing network resources. One method includes accessing, using one or more computer systems, a data store of menu items. The method further includes accessing identification information associated with one or more food providers from one or more data sources. One or more network resources are crawled based on the identification information to search for one or more menu items in the data store of menu items associated with corresponding ones of the food providers. Using the one or more computing systems, an index feed is generated, the index feed comprising the identification information of one or more of the food providers, and one or more menu items associated with the identification information of corresponding food providers based on the crawl and search.

Abstract: A rating server is provided with: a rating acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a user who purchased content sold in a plurality of types of sales modes, a rating for the content; a rating collection unit configured to determine, by collecting the rating given by a user on the content having the same title, the degree of the rating for the content based on a title regardless of a difference or a similarity in a sales mode of the content purchased by the user; and a rating information providing unit configured to provide, to an external apparatus, the degree of the rating for the content based on the title as a result of the rating for the content by the user.

Abstract: An interoperability assessment between two or more devices can be based on the devices' specifications and on empirical evidence of interoperability. Comparisons between the devices' capabilities can provide an initial assessment of interoperability, which can be further supported, or contradicted, by empirical evidence. Interoperability determinations can leverage existing data collection, such as error reporting and user identities to obtain estimates of empirical usage of devices, and to provide for a level of automation for requesting users. Interoperability determinations can also be offered, with identity protection limitations, for users other than the requesting user to facilitate gift-giving or agent purchasing.

Abstract: For each first entity of a subset of a number of first entities, an expected improvement of a predictive performance of a collaborative filtering model if additional ratings of the first entity in relation to a plurality of second entities were obtained is estimated. Particular first entities from the subset of the first entities of which to obtain the additional ratings in relation to the second entities are selected based at least on the expected improvements that have been determined. The additional ratings of the particular first entities in relation to the second entities are obtained.

Abstract: Method for building a customer base for a musician, comprising offering a discount on food or drinks at a venue where a musician plays or has played a piece of music to a listener who hears or has heard the piece of music of the musician, the discount is to be in exchange for the listener providing a rating of the piece of music of the musician or the listener providing a rating of the musician, accepting a rating by the listener of the piece of music of the musician or a rating by the listener of the musician. Optionally, offering at least one song of the musician for purchase to the listener who rated the piece of music or offering a song of the musician for purchase to the listener who rated the musician. Optionally, wherein the at least one song of the musician comprises the piece of music.

Abstract: Users may browse web pages, interact with a plethora of applications, search for new content, and perform a wide variety of other tasks using a mobile device. Unfortunately, useful content may be difficult for a user to locate because of the large amount of content available (e.g. hundreds of thousands of applications within an application store). Accordingly, one or more systems and/or techniques for determining recommendations are disclosed herein. In particular, user input (e.g., text, numbers, etc.) and/or a user profile (e.g., contextual information relating to a user) may be used to determine a user intent. Recommendations may be determined based upon the user intent. For example, a user may input “I am hungry” using a mobile phone having a GPS location of Downtown and a noon timestamp. Using this information, an application allowing the user to make lunch reservations at local restaurants may be provided as a recommendation.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product facilitating communications between a plurality of users using wireless mobile devices is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving, from each of a plurality of mobile devices, information of a location of the mobile device and information sufficient for identifying the user associated with the mobile device, receiving from a first mobile device information regarding a business located at a first location that is supplied by the first user, receiving location information of a second mobile device associated with a second user, determining that the second mobile device is within a distance of the first location, and in response, transmitting data related to the business, based at least in part on the information supplied by the first user, to the second mobile device for presentation to the second user.

Abstract: A method of displaying information items, the method comprising determining an average value for each of a plurality of information items based on at least one stored input value received for each of the information items; determining, responsive to a first serve request and based on at least one display criterion, at least one of the information items to be displayed at a client device; and transmitting to the client device code executable by a browser application to display the at least one information item and the average value determined for each at least one information item.

Abstract: An automated broker provides contextual assignment of tasks. Service providers send the broker service provisioning information indicating the services they provide, with bids for referrals. Service consumers send the broker service requests, including criteria which the broker matches against the service provisioning information. The broker selects a recommended service provider, based on the service request's criteria, the referral bids, and reviews of the candidate service providers. Service request criteria may include a service provider's reputation in the consumer's social network, geographic proximity of the service provider to the location of the task, particular skills or experience of the service provider, the service provider's availability, and price. After a predetermined number of task assignment rejections by a service provider, a human administrator is notified.

Abstract: A dating Internet site based computer system offers matchmakers to aid in the dating process. The system includes a client database to hold clients that wish to date and attributes of said clients. The system contains a matchmaker database that holds matchmakers, who are experts at personal relations. The client and matchmaker database information is used to provide potential clients with insight into whether a matchmaker will be of use to them, as well as information for the internet site to determine whether they should host a given matchmaker. Matchmakers can provide counseling and knowledge with regard to dating for pleasure and success.

Abstract: Methods and systems provided herein provide an enterprise with the ability to conduct automated customer feedback surveys. In particular, customer interactions on social media channels are intelligently monitored, aggregated, filtered, and analyzed to determine a customer's response to a particular product or service. Since customers are more likely to be truthful regarding their reaction to a product or service on a neutral forum, such as a social media channel, more accurate customer feedback can be obtained in a less intrusive manner than has previously been available.

Abstract: A processor retrieves, from a database, an identifier of a first media item rated by a target user, user identifiers of users having provided media item ratings for the first media item, and the media item ratings provided by the users, correspondingly. Each of the media item ratings is randomized, resulting in randomized media item ratings. A user identifier corresponding to a maximum of the randomized media item ratings is selected from the user identifiers. Additional media item ratings associated with the selected user identifier are retrieved from the database. Each of the additional media item ratings are randomized, resulting in additional randomized media item ratings. An identifier of a recommended media item corresponding to a maximum of the randomized media item ratings and the additional randomized media item ratings is selected. Metadata associated with the recommended media item is transmitted to a user device over a network.

Abstract: Information is analyzed from a user's financial account in order to identify one or more payment transactions between the user and a corresponding one or more merchants. The user is enabled to provide feedback, over a computer interface, about individual merchants, as identified from the information. Information about the merchant is published that incorporates or otherwise uses the feedback provided from the user.