Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor may identify information about an entity represented by a first node in a social graph for a social-networking system. The information may comprise a location for the entity and an affinity score for the entity with respect to a user, wherein the user is represented by a second node in the social graph. The processor may then determine a region defined with respect to the location of the entity, wherein the region is defined based in part on the affinity score for the entity, as well as determining that a location of a mobile device associated with the user is within the region. Finally, the processor may cause the mobile device to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting at a pre-determined polling frequency an activation signal waking from a sleep mode an application on a mobile computing device and causing the application to activate a location service of the mobile computing device for a pre-determined sampling duration. The pre-determined polling frequency and the pre-determined sampling duration are determined at least in part by detecting a movement of the mobile computing device. The method also includes receiving location data from the mobile computing device after the pre-determined sampling duration. The location data is responsive to a transmission signal.

Abstract: Several embodiments include a server rack that accesses high voltage direct current (HVDC) power from a power source external to the server rack. The server rack can provide the HVDC power to two or more shelves in the server rack via at least a HVDC power rail pair. One or more DC-DC converters in a shelf of server rack can convert the HVDC power to a lower DC voltage usable by information technology (IT) load in the shelf. A power distribution board (e.g., in the shelf or in the server rack) can then provide the lower DC voltage to the IT load. The DC-DC converters can be blindly mated with the power distribution board and can be hot swappable from the power distribution board.

Abstract: A messaging system facilitates communication between users through various messaging channels. The messaging system supports multiple communication channels and includes a messaging module that automatically selects one or more of the messaging channels for delivering a message to a recipient of the message using, for example, a set of policy rules or a trained model. The messaging module may also provide, in a user interface for sending and receiving messages, a visual indication of the selected messaging channel to the sender of the message to provide the user with transparency about how the message will be delivered. Additionally, the message may be delivered via multiple messaging channels, where the messaging module may rescind messages from some of the messaging channels upon receiving a reply from the recipient of the message or other confirmation that the recipient has seen the message via one of the communication channels.

Abstract: A message screening system includes routing to a supervisory recipient an electronic message directed to an intended recipient. The supervisory recipient then is allowed to screen the electronic message by approving or rejecting the electronic message. The electronic message then is forwarded to the intended recipient if the electronic message is approved by the supervisory recipient.

Abstract: A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device includes receiving, form a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a current location of the client device. The method also includes automatically updating the search query as the current location of the client device changes and instructing the host to identify a potential location associated with the point of interest and located within a user-defined proximity from the current location of the client device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor of a computing device executes a sequence of instructions that depends on one or more external operations. Software of the computing device determines a clocking policy for the processor during execution of the sequence of instructions. The clocking policy is based at least in part on a pattern of execution involving the sequence of instructions and the external operations, and the clocking policy modifies a clock speed of the processor. The software of the computing device applies the clocking policy to the processor during execution of at least a portion of the sequence of instructions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a touch input made by a user of a computing device on a touch screen of the computing device as a particular one of a plurality of custom touch gestures of the user stored on the computing device; determining the particular one of the user inputs corresponding to the particular one of the custom touch gestures identified as the touch gesture made by the user; and executing one or more actions based on the particular one of the user inputs.

Abstract: A composer interface allows a user to provide input, such as text data, to the social networking system. To reduce the number of inputs for a user to provide to the social networking system, one or more phrase objects are presented to the user when providing input. A phrase object includes a group of objects that users have previously provided to the social networking system. The social networking system presents phrase objects to the user that match at least a portion of the received input. Context information associated with the input and associated with various phrase objects may be used to select the presented phrase objects. By selecting a presented phrase object, the user includes the selected phrase object in the input.

Abstract: Content that is significant to a user may be determined. An indication that a user finds content within a document significant may be received. In response to the received indication, the document may be analyzed to identify a set of topics associated with the content of the document. From the set of topics, a subset of topics responsible for the user finding the document significant may be identified. A user profile associated with the user may be updated based on the subset of topics.

Abstract: Implementing an electronic calendar can include accessing a first electronic calendar owned by a first party, accessing a second electronic calendar owned by a second party, and presenting a view that combines at least one existing entry from within each of the first and second electronic calendars. Source information for each of the first and second electronic calendars may be electronically maintained. The combined view may be updated electronically to reflect a change to at least one of the existing entries from within at least one of the first and second electronic calendars. Electronic calendars may be accessed and overlaid without importing events, thus enabling simple updating. Event information may be imported and source or other attributes may be associated with imported information to enable updating and other sorting functions.

Abstract: A user may make a digital item available to other users of a computer network, such as an instant messaging system, a chat environment, or a subscription-based computer network. Examples of digital items that may be shared with other users include digital representations of graphic images, photographs, audio segments, songs, video segments, movies, and text (such as lists of favorites (e.g., a list of favorite books, a list of favorite movies, and a list of favorite places to visit)). On-line presence information is provided to indicate the on-line presence of users with whom a digital item has been shared, may be shared or is being shared. For instance, an indication of the on-line or offline status of a user with whom an item has been shared or is being shared may be presented.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for analyzing a collection of communication messages. The communication messages may be any one of a collection of electronic mail messages, voicemail messages, instant messaging dialogs and other forms of communications. The collections of communications, such as electronic mail messages, may be selected by a user and then subsequently processed to determine the identity of any of the user's contacts within the communications. The contacts may then be arranged in a relative priority arrangement whereby contacts which have been identified as engaging in prior reciprocal communications with the user are given higher priority. Higher priority may also be given to contacts which engage in more recent communications with the user. Specific contact relationships may be inferred from the communications depending on whether specific contacts are repeatedly mentioned within the communication messages.

Abstract: Speculative processing of begin transaction database messages may include receiving a begin transaction message from a database client, transmitting an acknowledgement of the begin transaction message to the database client prior to forwarding the begin transaction message to the database server, forwarding the begin transaction message to the database server, and receiving an acknowledgement of the begin transaction message from the database server. In some implementations, the acknowledgement of the begin transaction message to the database client is transmitted substantially without delay after receiving the begin transaction message from the database client.

Abstract: In particular embodiments, one or more images associated with a primary user are received. The image(s) may comprise single images, a series of related images, or video frames. In each image, one or more faces are detected and/or tracked. For each face, a set of one or more candidates are selected who may be identified with the face. The primary user has a computed measure of affinity for candidates in the set through a social network, or the candidate in the set is otherwise known to the primary user. A facial recognition score is calculated for each candidate. A subset of candidates is selected, wherein each candidate in the subset has a facial recognition score above a predetermined threshold. A candidate score is calculated for each candidate based on the facial recognition score and the computed measure of affinity. A winning candidate is selected based on the candidate scores.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for animating 3D characters using synthetic motion data generated by motion models in response to a high level description of a desired sequence of motion provided by an animator. In a number of embodiments, the synthetic motion data is streamed to a user device that includes a rendering engine and the user device renders an animation of a 3D character using the streamed synthetic motion data. In several embodiments, an animator can upload a custom model of a 3D character or a custom 3D character is generated by the server system in response to a high level description of a desired 3D character provided by the user and the synthetic motion data generated by the generative model is retargeted to animate the custom 3D character.

Abstract: An instant message is received from an instant message sender and a determination is made that the instant message includes a link to a web page that was selected by the instant message sender. In response to determining that the instant message includes the link to the web page, an image corresponding to the web page is fetched and stored, and a thumbnail image preview of the fetched image is generated. In addition, the thumbnail image preview of the fetched portion of the web page is displayed while at least a portion of the instant message is displayed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a request from a user agent of a client computing device of a user to access a communication network through the router; and automatically redirecting the user agent from a first network resource to second network resource. The first network resource is configured to authenticate the user to provide access to the communication network. The second network resource is configured to authenticate the user to provide access to a particular domain of the communication network. The method also includes providing to the user agent access to the particular domain of the communication network if the second network resource successfully authenticates the user.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a computer-implement method of producing a flexible sentence syntax to facilitate one or more computer applications to generate and publish sentence expressions. For example, the method can include providing a developer interface to define a flexible sentence syntax that controls one or more sentences publishable by an application service. A developer of the application service can customize the flexible sentence syntax including selecting at least one of selectable tokens that is associated with a specific sentence element to incorporate in the flexible sentence syntax. Based on the selected token, a computing device can generate and publish a target sentence according to the flexible sentence syntax on the application service's behalf.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function.

Abstract: Providing supplemental contact information for an individual referenced in an electronic message typically includes receiving an electronic message, examining the electronic message, detecting an identifier for a referenced individual contained in the electronic message, and making supplemental contact information for the referenced individual available to a recipient of the electronic message. The supplemental contact information may include information that is in addition to information contained in the electronic message. The supplemental contact information may include at least one of an e-mail address, a screen name, a telephone number, a facsimile number, and a mailing address, each of which is associated with the referenced individual.

Abstract: Providing location information to a supervisory user includes providing a parental control, using a computer automatically to determine a location of a subordinate user, and storing location information indicative of the location of the subordinate user in a database. A request of the supervisory user to locate the subordinate user is received and a user interface informs the supervisory user of the location of the subordinate user based on the stored location information. At least one of the storing and/or the informing are based on the parental control.

Abstract: Instant messaging (IM) entities may be invited to an electronic calendar event using an instant message. Selecting the IM entities as invitees to the event may include dragging and dropping names of the IM entities from a buddy list of an IM application to an event from an electronic calendar application, or vice versa. A method of inviting an entity to a calendar event includes providing a calendar event from a calendar application and recognizing, by the calendar application, an IM entity as an invitee to the event.

Abstract: Physical social actions are conveniently detected, characterized, and provided to a social networking system. This improves the user experience of the social networking system by more thoroughly recording the social actions of users occurring outside a social graph. This has the effect of extending an open social graph, which typically refers to social actions taken outside the social networking system but within a computer network, to physical social actions. By providing characterized physical social actions to the social networking system, the open social graph is extended to include physical social actions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method receiving receives information describing a current or future activity from a user of a computing system via a mobile device. The current activity is an activity occurring at a current time when the information is received, while the future activity is an activity occurring at a future time relative to a time when the information is received. The method transmits the information describing the current or future activity to a backend database coupled to the Internet and remote from the mobile device. The information describing the current or future activity is accessible to at least one recipient having access privilege to information associated with the user and describing the current or future activity via the Internet.

Abstract: Methods and systems to facilitate eye tracking control on mobile devices are provided. An image of a portion of a user is received at an eye tracking device, where the image includes reflections caused by light emitted on the user from one or more light sources located within the eye tracking device. One or more eye features associated with an eye of the user is detected using the reflections. Point of regard information is determined using the one or more eye features, where the point of regard information indicates a location on a display of a computing device coupled to the eye tracking device at which the user was looking when the image of the portion of the user was taken. The point of regard information is sent to an application capable of performing a subsequent operation using the point of regard information.

Abstract: When a program function is called, if the instructions for that function are not in active memory, a page fault occurs. Resolving a page fault includes a costly process of loading a page of object code instructions, into active memory, including the instructions for the called function. Technology is disclosed to reduce page faults by placing interrelated functions near each other within executable code based on a log of previous function calls. A log of function calls may be from observing the execution of applications over time. Computing devices can compute where to place functions within executable code by: obtaining the function call log; building a call graph based on the function call log; defining multiple node clusters within the call graph; and generating an ordered list of functions by sorting the node clusters. The ordered list of functions can then be provided during linking to determine function placements.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to balancing resources between pools of servers, e.g., by moving servers from a first pool of servers to a second pool of servers. The first pool executes a first version of an application, e.g., a desktop version, and the second pool executes a second version of the application, e.g., a mobile version. The technology moves a number of servers from an “OK” pool to a “not OK” pool. A “not OK” pool is a pool whose performance metric, e.g., response latency of a server, does not satisfy a criterion, and an “OK” pool is a pool whose performance metric satisfies the criterion even if the number of servers are removed from the pool. The number of servers to be moved is determined as a function of the increase in load which the pool can withstand by remaining in OK state even after the servers are removed.

Abstract: An electronic device accesses a comparison of at least a portion of a second version of a software program to a corresponding portion of a first version of the software program. The device determines an attribution value for a first author based in part on one or more differences between a respective segment of source code in the second version of the software and a corresponding segment of source code in the first version of the software, and determines an attribution value for a second author based in part on one or more differences between the respective segment of source code in the second version of the software and the corresponding segment of source code in the first version of the software. The device displays or sends instructions for displaying indicia of at least one attribution value with the respective segment of source code in the second version.

Abstract: When a social networking system receives a report of malicious activity, the social networking system calculates disabled connectivity score for a user reporting the activity or identified by the report. The disabled connectivity score indicates how strongly the user is associated with other objects that have been disabled by the social networking system. Hence, the disabled connectivity score provides a measure of the user's trustworthiness that is used to determine a type of action to be taken in response to the report. Examples of actions that may be taken when a report is received include ignoring the report, further reviewing the report, or taking remedial action by disabling or deleting an object maintained by the social networking system that is the subject of the report.

Abstract: A computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user, the destination address is associated with an instant message name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message name.

Abstract: A social networking system generates a location store based on information received from its users. The location store includes entries having a physical location description and one or more terms associated with the physical location description. One or more entries associated with physical location descriptions within an area are identified. A local frequency of occurrence of each term in the identified entry is determined, and a global frequency of occurrence of each term in the identified entries within the location store is determined. Trending terms in the identified entries are determined based on the local frequencies and the global frequencies. Identified entries are compared to each other, with a score based on differing terms in compared entries and whether the differing terms are trending terms is generated. If a score is less than a threshold value, a combined entry is generated from the compared entries.

Abstract: A multi-shard database system receives a transaction including multiple actions directed to different shards of the database system. The database system creates a transaction record including a transaction identifier and a transaction status for the transaction in a transaction database. The database system then executes, in parallel, the multiple actions on the different shards by associating with each data item involved in the transaction a data structure that includes the transaction identifier and new data to be applied to the data item. The database system then updates the transaction status in the transaction record for the transaction from pending to completed when each of the multiple actions is successfully executed on the corresponding shard. Consistency is eventually implemented when the data structures associated with the data items involved in the transaction are evaluated. The evaluation of a data structure can be triggered by a read request or other events.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method receiving receives information describing a current or future activity from a user of a computing system via a mobile device. The current activity is an activity occurring at a current time when the information is received, while the future activity is an activity occurring at a future time relative to a time when the information is received. The method transmits the information describing the current or future activity to a backend database coupled to the Internet and remote from the mobile device. The information describing the current or future activity is accessible to at least one recipient having access privilege to information associated with the user and describing the current or future activity via the Internet.

Abstract: Techniques for facilitating and accelerating log data processing are disclosed herein. The front-end clusters generate a large amount of log data in real time and transfer the log data to an aggregating cluster. When the aggregating cluster is not available, the front-clusters write the log data to local filers and send the data when the aggregating cluster recovers. The aggregating cluster is designed to aggregate incoming log data streams from different front-end servers and clusters. The aggregating cluster further sends the aggregated log data stream to centralized NFS filers or a data warehouse cluster. The local filers and the aggregating cluster stage the log data for access by applications, so that the applications do not wait until the data reach the centralized NFS filers or data warehouse cluster.

Abstract: Systems and methods for social dating are provided. In particular, some embodiments provide recommendations for connections (i.e., candidate users) based on a user's social graph. These recommendations can identify potential single individuals that may be good matches for dating or can identify individuals with other commonalities or shared experiences to create dialog. For example, the recommendations for a user can include single individuals that are friends of a friend. The user can be presented with information about the recommendation and then ask for an introduction from the user's friend. As another example, the recommendations can be based on subject matter selected by the user (e.g., twins, cancer, phone type, etc.) with or without any friendship connections. The user may also be able to filter or further refine the searches based on other criteria such as interests, location, age, and/or other constraints. Rewards can be provided in some cases to encourage participation.

Abstract: To generate stories for presentation to social networking system users, one or more story generation engines receives a set of actions of social networking system users. Various story generation engines output stories of different types that collect particular types of actions and arrange the actions in a specified format for presentation. The story generators may avoid selecting the same actions for different stories. Stories generated by the various story generators may be ranked and the ranking used to select stories for presentation to one or more social networking system users.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes while a user is interacting with a mobile device, displaying a notification on a screen of the mobile device automatically and without any user input to the mobile device, the notification informing the user an event that has occurred recently and is not related to the user's interaction with the mobile device.

Abstract: Sentence internationalization methods and systems are disclosed.

Abstract: Migrating a chat messaging service provided for a chat user is disclosed. At a second chat server from a first chat server, static information associated with a chat user is received. The static information is received before the chat user is indicated as being associated with a migration state. At the second chat server from the first chat server, dynamic information associated with the chat user is received. At least a portion of the dynamic information is received after the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state. After the chat user is no longer indicated as being associated with the migration state, a chat message for the chat user is received at the second chat server.

Abstract: In particular embodiments, a computing device provides for presentation to a user a first user interface, the first user interface including a plurality of interactive elements. The computing device receives first user input selecting one of the interactive elements. In response to the first user input, the computing device provides for presentation to the user an animation associated with the selected one of the interactive elements. The computing device receives second user input associated with the selected one of the interactive element and, in response to the second user input, provides for presentation to the user a second user interface, the second user interface being associated with the selected one of the interactive elements.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a plurality of content items is displayed. The content items are of a plurality of content types. In response to a user selecting a specific content type, only those content items of the specific content type are displayed. In response to the user unselecting the specific content type, all the content types are displayed.

Abstract: Switching an active metadata node is disclosed. An indication that a standby metadata node of a distributed file system should replace an active metadata node of the distributed file system as a new active metadata node of the distributed file system is received. The standby metadata node is included in a server. A request that indicates that the standby metadata node would like to become an exclusive metadata node writer of a transaction log is sent. A confirmation that the standby metadata node is the exclusive metadata node writer of the transaction log is received. Based at least in part on the confirmation, an update that the standby metadata node has become the new active metadata node of the distributed file system is provided.

Abstract: The disclosed online system includes a number of processing blocks, including a feeding service that sends a data stream and a consuming service that receives a data stream, without sending back acknowledgements for the data (i.e., “nontransactional”). The system handles failure in the feeding service and/or the consuming service by adding reference points into the data stream and backing up a current sum that is maintained by the consuming service. Upon a failure of the consuming service, the system obtains the last reference point, restores the backup copy of the database, and starts reading the backup copy from that check point. To address a failure of the feeding service, the feeding service creates an identifier for each message in the data stream, and upon failure, the consuming service checks for messages that have the same identifier within a specified period of time, and discards any duplicate messages.

Abstract: An apparatus for remote hand control of a computer device, the apparatus comprising: a hand tracker, configured to track movement of a hand of a user of the computer device, an image presenter, associated with the hand tracker, configured to present a first image representative of the hand and a second image to the user, and to move the first image in concert with the tracked movement, and a computer controller, associated with the image presenter and configured to control the computer device in accordance with an interaction between the first image and the second image, thereby allowing the user to control the computer device, by moving the hand for bringing the first image and the second image into the interaction.

Abstract: A content access management system receives an access determination requested identifying an access rule and a requesting user. The access rule may be created in advance by the content owner at the content access management system. The access rule may allow access to content objects based on the requesting user's biographic information, geographic information, affiliation information, payment information, or any other user characteristic. The user information may be entered by the requesting user at a social networking system interface for purposes unrelated to the content object or content owner. The content access management system retrieves the identified access rule and retrieves requesting user information based on the access rule. An access determination is made based on the retrieved access rule and requesting user information, and is transmitted to the content owner.

Abstract: Particular embodiments arrange a plurality of objects in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the objects; display a portion of a sequence of first objects on a screen of a user device, the sequence of first objects all belong to a first layer in the hierarchy, each first object having as its children one or more second objects belonging to a second layer immediately below the first layer in the hierarchy; in response to a user scrolling through the sequence of first objects, estimate which specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at a predetermined time in the future based on an acceleration of the user scrolling through the sequence of first objects; and preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can identify a first video represented based on a first set of image frames. A first subset of image frames can be extracted from the first set of image frames. The first subset of image frames can be compared to one or more image frames associated with a collection of video clusters. It can be determined that at least a threshold quantity of image frames in the first subset matches, within an allowable deviation, at least some image frames associated with a first video cluster included the collection of video clusters. The first video cluster can be defined to include the first video.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing device determines one or more points of interest in an image. The computing device selects a viewport position including a pre-determined number of the points of interest. The computing device crops the image based at least in part on the viewport position.

Abstract: A disc-drive enclosure system comprising an enclosure assembly having an interior area, a divider separating the interior area into two chambers. An opening in the divider receives the end of a disc drive the a disc tray being openable into the first chamber, while the disc drive's body remains in the second chamber. A sled assembly in the enclosure assembly support the disc drive and is movable relative to the divider between first and second positions. The sled assembly has a sealing member coupled to a leading end portion and positioned to form a seal around the drive opening when the sled assembly is in the first position with the end portion of the housing in the first chamber and the body portion in the second chamber.