An approach is provided for determining social influence. Measurements of social reach of social media content are determined. The content is being sent by mobile devices during an ongoing event that involves multiple individuals using social media via the mobile devices. The measurements of social reach include a rate of proliferation of the social media content. Social context features of the mobile devices during the event are determined. The social context features include geographic locations of the mobile devices at times at which the mobile devices send the social media content. A Rayleigh distribution is generated based on the measurements of social reach and the social context features. Based on the Rayleigh distribution, scores indicating respective social influences of the individuals are determined.

Autonomous vehicles may be deployed to areas where an item is in demand, and configured to fulfill orders for the item received from the areas. The autonomous vehicles are loaded with the item and dispatched to the area under their own power or in a carrier. When an order for the item is received, an autonomous vehicle delivers the item to a location in the area. Autonomous vehicles may also be equipped with a 3D printer or other equipment and loaded with materials for manufacturing the item. When an order for the item is received, the autonomous vehicle manufactures the item from such materials, and delivers the item. Autonomous vehicles may be configured for collaboration, such as to deliver or manufacture items in multiple stages and to transfer the items between vehicles. Autonomous vehicles may also be configured to automatically access locations in the area, e.g., using wireless access codes.

Techniques are disclosed for using social networking resources to evaluate the influence of offline marketing assets. In certain embodiments data posted to a social network is analyzed to identify references to a particular marketer and/or a particular brand. Where such reference is identified, geographic location data associated with the posted data is stored in a database. As this location data is aggregated over a period of time, it can be cross-referenced with location data corresponding to offline marketing assets that belong to the particular marketer and/or that are otherwise associated with the particular brand. Offline marketing assets that geographically correspond to a cluster of social networking activity can be understood as wielding influence within social networks and being capable of generating valuable word-of-mouth.

Systems and methods are described which manage, in real time, and without impeding the natural flow of vehicles, a preferred flow of traffic within a geographic location based on prior modeling and simulation.

A system for providing location-based services to a mobile device regularly determines the location of the mobile device. Using the location of the device, the system queries a database of virtual geographic regions to determine if the location of the mobile device falls within one or more of the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions correspond to service entities that have purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise acquired the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions cover a certain area of a map. If the mobile device is within a virtual geographic region, the system notifies the mobile device. A location-based services application installed on the mobile device launches an applet for the entity that acquired the virtual geographic region within which the mobile device is located. When the mobile device is located within multiple overlapping virtual geographic regions, the system generates a prioritization scheme that defines which of the corresponding service entities should be displayed on the mobile device, and in what order the service entities should be displayed.

A system for geographic mobile customer relations management, using a mobile customer relations management system manager connected to at least one mobile-capable network-connected computing device configured to graphically identify, manage and update customer relations management data in a geographic context and configured to organize customer relations management data based on at least one specific real-time queried variable using a selective graphical encapsulating function and/or graphical query mode to yield optimal routes to location-based customers, with an option to optimize schedules and appointments based on real-time customer relations management data available in a customer relations management system.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for defining, generating, utilizing, and/or detecting a geo-fence are described. A trigger is obtained, the trigger generated in response to a change in a geo-fence criteria. One or more boundaries of the geo-fence based on the geo-fence criteria are defined in response to obtaining the trigger.

Described are systems and methods for generating and displaying ratings for points of interest in a region. A method for generating ratings includes receiving transaction data from a plurality of points of interest, the transaction data representing financial transactions between a plurality of individuals and each point of interest of the plurality of points of interest. A method also includes automatically generating, for each point of interest of the plurality of points of interest, at least one point of interest rating based at least partially on the transaction data for the point of interest. A method further includes, in response to a selection of a chosen point of interest of the plurality of points of interest, providing to at least one user the at least one point of interest rating associated with the chosen point of interest.

A method to conduct a public opinion poll via application on smart phone or electronic device is discussed. This is a survey based method of gathering public opinion data, without using the traditional method of a telephone based survey, or emerging method of deducing public opinion by internet search and preference methods tracking. The concept in this context is to propose that an application resident on a smart phone/device is utilized to poll the public without a verbal exchange with a caller. This differs from the current telephone based method of randomly calling citizens of the polling population, or web based surveys that don't employ standard polling methodology on which to base the results. The concept proposes to include a background statement putting the poll questions in context, limiting poll to three questions and three possible responses for each, and providing a countdown timer indicating time remaining before poll is ended.

Techniques are disclosed utilizing cognitive computing to improve commercial communications from vendors to users. A user's financial account(s) and location may be monitored to determine when a user is within a threshold distance of a vendor. If the user is within the threshold distance the methods and systems disclosed may determine which targeted commercial communications to transmit to the user based upon a shopping profile for the user. The shopping profile may include a dataset indicative of the shopping habits of the user.