Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for consumption based subscription frequency recommendations. A system configured to practice the example method first evaluates purchase statistics for an item to determine a consumption frequency. The system receives from a user a request for the item, and presents to the user a subscription recommendation based on the consumption frequency. The system can also provide recommendations for accessories by evaluating purchase statistics for an item to determine an accessory for the item, wherein a number of times the accessory is purchased with the item exceeds a threshold, receiving from a user a request for a subscription for recurring purchases of the item, and presenting to the user a recommendation to include the accessory as part of the subscription.

The present disclosure is directed to associating computing devices with each other based on computer network activity for selection of content items as part of an online content item placement campaign. A first linking factor is identified based on a connection between a first device and the computer network via a first IP address during a first time period, and based on a connection between a second device and the computer network via the first IP address during the first time period. A number of devices that connect with the computer network via the first IP address is determined. A positive match probability is generated. A second and third linking factors are monitored. A negative match probability is determined based on the second and third linking factors. The first device is linked with the second device based on the positive and negative match probabilities.

An ad is placed in a movie, by analyzing inherent characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewed characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewer characteristics of a viewer of the movie, obtaining advertiser preferences for placement of the ad in the movie, determining costs of placing the ad in the movie based on the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics and the advertiser preferences, and placing the ad in the movie in accordance with the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics, the advertiser preferences and the determined costs.

An online content management system determines a new account configuration to offer to a user, including the price and/or size of a user's quota of storage space in an account on the online content management system, based on usage characteristics of the account. An account management module tracks account usage. The account management module analyzes the account usage and applies a model to predict the willingness of the user to pay for a new account configuration. Responsive to the results of the prediction, the new account configuration is offered to the user. The user's feedback on the offered new account configuration is tracked. If the user accepts the offer, the user's account details are updated accordingly. If the user rejects the offer, this feedback may be added as input into future predictions of that user's willingness to pay for a new account configuration.

Systems and methods are provided for automatically generating and maintaining user profile cookie sets. The user profile cookie sets may be used by a web crawler when gathering data such as advertisement data associated with one or more websites. The cookie sets may be generated by choosing a user profile with a set of user traits, selecting a set of websites related to the user traits, and browsing the selected set of websites using a web crawler while allowing the website to place cookies in storage of the web crawler. The cookie sets may be maintained by selecting a website to browse, selecting a user profile associated with the selected website, loading a previously generated cookie set for the selected user profile into the storage of a web crawler, and loading the webpage while allowing the website to place, update, or replace cookies in the storage of the web crawler.

In one embodiment, a method of transmitting streaming media and advertisements to viewers at a plurality of viewer nodes is disclosed in which a plurality of viewer groups are created. Each viewer node is assigned to one of the plurality of viewer groups, wherein the assigning includes creating an advertising group map disclosing an advertising group to which each viewer belongs and transmitting the advertising group map to each viewer node. At the head end, at least one media stream is received including media content. A plurality of presentation streams is formed, each presentation channel corresponding to one of the viewer groups, by replicating the at least one media stream, each presentation channel including the media content and advertisements, wherein the advertisements replace previously scheduled advertisements. Each of the presentation channels is transmitted to at least one viewer node in said viewer group corresponding to said presentation channel.

An audience proposal creator determines a target cost per thousand (CPM) baseline and a demographics CPM baseline for a deal offering audience spots, determines deal constraints based on a target CPM reduction goal, a demographics CPM cap, and the established parameters, and generates rates by selling title for each selling title-weeks for a duration of pending deal, and for each network of a plurality of networks based on the constraints. Target and demo audience rating estimates are acquired based on the target and demo applicable to the advertiser for the plurality of networks, and a distribution of the audience spots generated across the plurality of selling title-weeks, and networks based on the target audience rating estimates, a budget for the pending deal, the generated rates, and available inventory per selling title-weeks, and a proposal generated based on the distribution. An audience processor schedules audience spots across one or more networks for selling title-weeks based on the distribution.

A user interacts with content received from a remote server; content (e.g. feeds from social networking sites, advertisements) is received over a wireless network at a mobile telephone, which then automatically displays a specific item of the content on the mobile telephone, without the user explicitly requesting the display of that specific item of content. In response to the user selecting or highlighting the displayed specific item of content, the mobile telephone lists multiple options that, if individually selected, each initiate an associated action that corresponds to a particular way of responding to or interacting with the specific item of content.

A computerized information apparatus useful for providing information to a user via a display. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a processor apparatus, and first wireless interface, radio frequency apparatus, and at least one computer program configured to run on the processor apparatus, the at least one program being configured to enable functions within a transport device including remote control of environment functions (e.g., HVAC, lighting, imagery capture) based on authentication of a user carrying a portable radio frequency device.

A computerized information apparatus useful for providing information to a user via a display. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a processor apparatus, and speech input apparatus, touch screen input and display apparatus, and at least one computer program configured to run on the processor apparatus, the at least one program being configured to provide a user with contextually relevant content without an affirmative request for such content, but rather based on context divined from one or more free form words spoken by the user, whether while searching for information or otherwise. In one variant, the context determination is performed by a remote networked server after having been provided digitized speech samples via wireless interface. In another variant, the context is determined based on soft function key inputs from the user while requesting information. A virtual database structure enabling rapid context determination is also disclosed.