Abstract: Techniques to promote messages in a social networking services to increase communication opportunities while throttling unsolicited messages are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may have a message generation component and a message delivery component. The message generation component may be operative to receive a request from a first member of a social networking service (SNS) to send a message for a second member of the SNS. The message delivery component may be operative to deliver the message to one of multiple mailboxes for the second member based on a tiered payment schedule. The tiered payment schedule may include a first parameter to represent a relationship type between the first and second members, a second parameter to represent a subscriber tier for the second member, and a third parameter to represent a promotional cost associated with the subscriber tier. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a method of operating an avatar server. The method can include implementing an application service avatar in an avatar server that has at least an intermittent network access to an application service server for providing an application service to client applications. The avatar server can establish a service group by maintaining profiles of one or more end-user devices connected to the avatar server to access the application service. The avatar server can provide a localized application service by emulating at least a subset of functionalities provided by the application service to the end-user devices, for example, by locally processing, at least partially, a service request from at least one of the end-user devices at the avatar server. The avatar server can asynchronously communicate with the application service server to complete the service request.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of transmitting electronic messages in a computer environment. The preferred embodiment receives an electronic message addressed to a telephone number and determines an instant message identifier associated with the telephone number. In response to the determination that an instant message identifier associates with the telephone number, it is further determined whether an instant message receiver is available to receive messages addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that an instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is forwarded as an instant message addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that no instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is sent to a mobile device at the telephone number.

Abstract: A sender's degrees of separation from a recipient may be used to aid in spam filtering or to otherwise handle a communication. The “degrees of separation” represent a metric used to quantify whether/how the recipient is linked to the sender through intermediary people or other entities. For example, a recipient may know a first user (first degree of separation) and the first user may know a second user (second degree of separation) who knows the sender of an e-mail. In this case, the sender is separated from the recipient by two degrees of separation (by two other contacts). A level of “trust” or “legitimacy” about a sender's communication can be inferred by looking at whether the sender is linked to an intended recipient. Typically, user contact lists (e.g., address book, buddy list, and/or white list) are evaluated to determine the number of degrees (or hops) are required to link or relate two users.

Abstract: Embodiments of a notification framework for smart objects (e.g., smart televisions) to deliver notifications to user devices are described. In one embodiment, a method includes a server receiving an event-registration request from a smart object. The event-registration request may include event information associated with an event associated with the smart object. In response to the request, the server may generate a code, associate the code with the event information, and send the code to the smart object. The smart object may then broadcast the code to the user device through, e.g., short-range wireless communication. The server may receive an information request from a user device that includes the code, and in response send the event information associated with the code to the user device.

Abstract: A server receives an instruction to verify that a contact point (e.g., a phone number) is associated with a name. A set of users that have the contact point stored in a contact list on the server is identified and client devices associated with the users in the set are sent a name verification query. The name verification query includes a representation of the name and the contact point. The server receives a set of one or more matching scores from each of at least a subset of the client devices. The set of matching scores received from a given client device indicates a degree to which a name stored in association with the contact point in the client device's local address book matches the representation of the name. A determination is made as to whether the contact point is associated with the name based on the received matching scores.

Abstract: A sender's degrees of separation from a recipient may be used to aid in spam filtering or to otherwise handle a communication. The “degrees of separation” represent a metric used to quantify whether/how the recipient is linked to the sender through intermediary people or other entities. For example, a recipient may know a first user (first degree of separation) and the first user may know a second user (second degree of separation) who knows the sender of an e-mail. In this case, the sender is separated from the recipient by two degrees of separation (by two other contacts). A level of “trust” or “legitimacy” about a sender's communication can be inferred by looking at whether the sender is linked to an intended recipient. Typically, user contact lists (e.g., address book, buddy list, and/or white list) are evaluated to determine the number of degrees (or hops) are required to link or relate two users.

Abstract: Techniques for efficient messaging client communication are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a client front-end component of a messaging server operative to receive a protocol connect packet from a messaging client, the protocol connect packet initiating a client authentication process with the messaging client; and receive a message package from the messaging client, the message package received during the client authentication process; a client authentication component operative to perform the client authentication process with the messaging client; and a client message queueing component operative to queue the message package in an authorization-holding message queue in response to the message package being received during the client authentication process. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of transmitting electronic messages in a computer environment. The preferred embodiment receives an electronic message addressed to a telephone number and determines an instant message identifier associated with the telephone number. In response to the determination that an instant message identifier associates with the telephone number, it is further determined whether an instant message receiver is available to receive messages addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that an instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is forwarded as an instant message addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that no instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is sent to a mobile device at the telephone number.

Abstract: Techniques to generate mass push notifications are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a submission component, a query component, a delivery component, and a record update component. The submission component may be operative to receive a message bundle, the message bundle comprising a message and a query. The query component may be operative to compare the query to a plurality of recipient records to determine a plurality of recipient records matching the query, each of the plurality of recipient records corresponding to a particular installation of a particular application onto a particular device. The delivery component may be operative to broadcast the message to a plurality of installed applications corresponding to the plurality of recipients records matching the query. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques to configure the network distribution of media compositions for transmission are described. An apparatus may comprise a user interface component of a messaging client on a client device operative to receive a media composition via a composition interface, the messaging client associated with a user account with a messaging system; and receive a transmission command via the composition interface; and a messaging component operative to transmit a media composition package from the client device to the messaging system in response to the transmission command, the media composition package comprising the media composition, the media composition package addressed to a media composition distribution group for the user account, the media composition distribution group determined based on, at least in part, a messaging history for the user account with the messaging system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques to increase engagement with a social networking system. In one embodiment, activities are prioritized based on relatedness to a user. References associated with at least a portion of the prioritized activities are created. The references are categorized into a plurality of types. The reference types may include notifications, friend identifications, and top stories. The references are embedded in digest communications for the user. Descriptive information about the activities are omitted from the digest communications. Digest communications for the user are provided during a time period when the user is not engaged with the social networking system. Notifications for a user are ceased when a level of engagement of the user with the social networking system is less than a threshold value.

Abstract: An online system provides a social networking environment for a set of users, enabling the users to establish connections with and to communicate with each other. Absent explicit connections between a user and an additional user in the set, the online system determines a measure of affinity of the user for the additional user based on an organizational chart for an organization including the set of users that indicates relationships between the users based on their roles in the organization. The measure of affinity may also be based on actions associated with the user and the additional user and characteristics of the user and the additional user. Based on the measure of affinity, the online system determines whether to establish an inferred connection between the user and the additional user. The online system may account for the inferred connection when identifying content for presentation to the user.

Abstract: An online social networking system receives user interactions with a content item from client devices of users of the social networking system. A public user interface displaying at least some of the received user interactions with the content item is provided for display on each of the client devices. A request to initiate a private session associated with the content item is received from a client device of a first user. The request identifies a subset of the users including the first user. User interactions with the content item from client devices of the subset of the users are received within the private session. A private user interface for interacting with the content item is provided for display on each of the client devices of the subset of the users. The private user interface displays the user interactions received within the private session.

Abstract: A social networking system notifies its users of different events and actions taking place inside the social networking system. To present notifications that are most likely to be of interest to the user, the social networking system observes the interactions of the user with notifications presented to the user and suggests an option to opt-out of notifications associated with a source based on the observed interactions. The option to opt-out of notifications associated with the source may be presented if the users interactions with the notifications presented are below a threshold. Notifications associated with a social group are presented to the user based on factors describing the group and the relation between the user and other users of the social group, for example, seniority of the user, size of the group, and the rate at which user actions associated with the group are received.

Abstract: A social networking system receives contact information from a social networking system user. The received contact information is stored and associated with a user profile in the social networking system including information matching at least a portion of the stored content information. This increases the information associated with the user profile. Subsequently received content information is compared to user profiles and stored contact information associated with one or more user profiles. User profiles including information matching at least a portion of the subsequently received content information or associated with stored contact information matching at least a portion of the subsequently received content information are identified as potential connections for the user providing the subsequently received contact information.

Abstract: A sender's degrees of separation from a recipient may be used to aid in spam filtering or to otherwise handle a communication. The “degrees of separation” represent a metric used to quantify whether/how the recipient is linked to the sender through intermediary people or other entities. For example, a recipient may know a first user (first degree of separation) and the first user may know a second user (second degree of separation) who knows the sender of an e-mail. In this case, the sender is separated from the recipient by two degrees of separation (by two other contacts). A level of “trust” or “legitimacy” about a sender's communication can be inferred by looking at whether the sender is linked to an intended recipient. Typically, user contact lists (e.g., address book, buddy list, and/or white list) are evaluated to determine the number of degrees (or hops) are required to link or relate two users.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system include a host system structured and arranged to receive and deliver messages of various types between users of the communications system. The host system includes an instant messaging network; a mail gateway; and a configuring network in communication with both the instant messaging network and the mail gateway. The instant messaging network enables instant messaging communication between users of the communications system and has the capability to monitor whether a certain user is capable of receiving an instant message at a particular moment. The mail gateway receives and delivers e-mail messages to users of the communications system. The configuring network is dedicated to automatically configuring instant messaging communication between an intended recipient of an e-mail message and the sender of the e-mail message.

Abstract: Techniques for ephemeral message are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a delayed-action worker module operative to wake according to a wake timer; determine a current update object for a delayed-action cursor for a recipient update queue for a messaging system, the delayed-action cursor associated with an action delay for the recipient update queue; determine a delayed-action activity for the current update object; perform the delay-action activity for the current update object; determine a next update object for the delayed-action cursor for the recipient update queue; and determine a next wake timer for the delayed-action worker module based on the action delay and a creation time for the next update object. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of transmitting electronic messages in a computer environment. The preferred embodiment receives an electronic message addressed to a telephone number and determines an instant message identifier associated with the telephone number. In response to the determination that an instant message identifier associates with the telephone number, it is further determined whether an instant message receiver is available to receive messages addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that an instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is forwarded as an instant message addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that no instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is sent to a mobile device at the telephone number.