Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.), while in other situations at least some users who are remote from a particular geographic area may be allowed to intercommunicate with one or more other users or other entities in or related to that geographic area. In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.

Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.), while in other situations at least some users who are remote from a particular geographic area may be allowed to intercommunicate with one or more other users or other entities in or related to that geographic area. In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.

Tools, strategies, and techniques are provided for evaluating the identities of different entities to protect individual consumers, business enterprises, and other organizations from identity theft and fraud. Risks associated with various entities can be analyzed and assessed based on analysis of social network data, professional network data, or other networking connections, among other data sources. In various embodiments, the risk assessment may include calculating an authenticity score based on the collected network data.

Tools, strategies, and techniques are provided for evaluating the identities of different entities to protect individual consumers, business enterprises, and other organizations from identity theft and fraud. Risks associated with various entities can be analyzed and assessed based on analysis of social network data, professional network data, or other networking connections, among other data sources. In various embodiments, the risk assessment may include calculating an authenticity score based on the collected network data.

A life management system receives data from a client device worn by a user, the data comprising biotelemetry data and activity data collected about a user wearing the client device. The life management system generates snapshot information using information from a group consisting of: the biotelemetry data, activity data, social data associated with the user, and user profile information associated with the user. The life management system generates a recommendation using portions of the snapshot information, and updates the snapshot information with the recommendation. The life management system executes a recommendation associated with the snapshot information in accordance with the user controls associated with the user.

Controlling wireless access to target devices by initiating, by a user device, wireless pairing with a target device. The user device collects, concurrent with the initiating, a wireless signal of at least the target device. One or more computing devices builds a profile for the user device based on the collected wireless signal. The one or more computing devices controls access of the user device to functionality of the target device based on the profile.

A method involving obtaining a first plurality of topic groups (TGs), each having a membership of accounts, identifying a first plurality of accounts as authorities for an expertise topic, obtaining a second plurality of TGs with a number of accounts as members, wherein the first plurality of TGs comprises the second plurality of TGs, identifying a first frequent account which is a member in at least one of the second plurality of TGs, adding the first frequent account to the authorities of the expertise topic to obtain a second plurality of accounts as the authorities of the expertise topic, determining a third plurality of TGs in which a second number of accounts from the second plurality of accounts are members, determining that another frequent account is a member in one of the third plurality of TGs, and obtaining a ranking of accounts that are an authority on the expertise topic.

A method involving obtaining a first plurality of topic groups (TGs), each having a membership of accounts, identifying a first plurality of accounts as authorities for an expertise topic, obtaining a second plurality of TGs with a number of accounts as members, wherein the first plurality of TGs comprises the second plurality of TGs, identifying a first frequent account which is a member in at least one of the second plurality of TGs, adding the first frequent account to the authorities of the expertise topic to obtain a second plurality of accounts as the authorities of the expertise topic, determining a third plurality of TGs in which a second number of accounts from the second plurality of accounts are members, determining that another frequent account is a member in one of the third plurality of TGs, and obtaining a ranking of accounts that are an authority on the expertise topic.

The present invention relates to improvements to systems and methods for determining a current location of a client device, and for identifying and selecting appropriate geo-fences based on the current location of the client device. An improved geo-fence selection system performs operations that include associating media content with a geo-fence that encompasses a portion of a geographic region, sampling location data from a client device, defining a boundary based on the sampled location data from the client device, detecting an overlap between the boundary and the geo-fence, retrieving the media content associated with the geo-fence, and loading the media content at a memory location of the client device, in response to detecting the overlap.

The present invention relates to improvements to systems and methods for determining a current location of a client device, and for identifying and selecting appropriate geo-fences based on the current location of the client device. An improved geo-fence selection system performs operations that include associating media content with a geo-fence that encompasses a portion of a geographic region, sampling location data from a client device, defining a boundary based on the sampled location data from the client device, detecting an overlap between the boundary and the geo-fence, retrieving the media content associated with the geo-fence, and loading the media content at a memory location of the client device, in response to detecting the overlap.