Personal computer

About: Personal computer is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 58809 publications have been published within this topic receiving 800814 citations. The topic is also known as: PC.

Computer use meter and analyzer

Abstract: The subject system measures and reports the use of a personal computer by a user through a log file (11). The log file (11) includes entries corresponding to predetermined events and can report on the applications used and communication functions engaged in by the user. The log files (11) from one or more computers may be assembled and analyzed in order to ascertain computer use habits for computer software, computer hardware and computer communications. The system may also be used to predict computer use trends and to represent computer use history.

Behavior Change Techniques Implemented in Electronic Lifestyle Activity Monitors: A Systematic Content Analysis

Abstract: Background: Electronic activity monitors (such as those manufactured by Fitbit, Jawbone, and Nike) improve on standard pedometers by providing automated feedback and interactive behavior change tools via mobile device or personal computer. These monitors are commercially popular and show promise for use in public health interventions. However, little is known about the content of their feedback applications and how individual monitors may differ from one another. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the behavior change techniques implemented in commercially available electronic activity monitors. Methods: Electronic activity monitors (N=13) were systematically identified and tested by 3 trained coders for at least 1 week each. All monitors measured lifestyle physical activity and provided feedback via an app (computer or mobile). Coding was based on a hierarchical list of 93 behavior change techniques. Further coding of potentially effective techniques and adherence to theory-based recommendations were based on findings from meta-analyses and meta-regressions in the research literature. Results: All monitors provided tools for self-monitoring, feedback, and environmental change by definition. The next most prevalent techniques (13 out of 13 monitors) were goal-setting and emphasizing discrepancy between current and goal behavior. Review of behavioral goals, social support, social comparison, prompts/cues, rewards, and a focus on past success were found in more than half of the systems. The monitors included a range of 5-10 of 14 total techniques identified from the research literature as potentially effective. Most of the monitors included goal-setting, self-monitoring, and feedback content that closely matched recommendations from social cognitive theory. Conclusions: Electronic activity monitors contain a wide range of behavior change techniques typically used in clinical behavioral interventions. Thus, the monitors may represent a medium by which these interventions could be translated for widespread use. This technology has broad applications for use in clinical, public health, and rehabilitation settings. [J Med Internet Res 2014;16(8):e192]

Personalized Search Based on User Search Histories

Abstract: User profiles, descriptions of user interests, can be used by search engines to provide personalized search results. Many approaches to creating user profiles collect user information through proxy servers (to capture browsing histories) or desktop bots (to capture activities on a personal computer). Both these techniques require participation of the user to install the proxy server or the bot. In this study, we explore the use of a less-invasive means of gathering user information for personalized search. In particular, we build user profiles based on activity at the search site itself and study the use of these profiles to provide personalized search results. By implementing a wrapper around the Google [10] search engine, we were able to collect information about individual user search activities. In particular, we collected the queries for which at least one search result was examined, and the snippets (titles and summaries) for each examined result. User profiles were created by classifying the collected information (queries or snippets) into concepts in a reference concept hierarchy. These profiles were then used to re-rank the search results and the rank-order of the user-examined results before and after re-ranking were compared. Our study found that user profiles based on queries were as effective as those based on snippets. We also found that our personalized re-ranking resulted in a 34% improvement in the rank-order of the user-selected results.

Interface device for electronically integrating global financial services

Abstract: An interface device for electronically integrating a plurality of financial services provided at different geographical locations and in different time zones, and delivering such services directly to a customer facility at any time requested by the customer. The customer connects to the system whenever desired to access each of the services, and the interface device stores and routes messages between the customers and each of the service providers at the respective times when the customers' facilities and the service providers' facilities are operative. The system can be accessed through a customer's stand-alone personal computer, local area network, and/or mainframe computer. The system also includes a variety of security functions that provide different levels of access to the services for different customers.

Secure improved remote gaming system

Abstract: A remote gaming system whereby a player can gamble against a wagering establishment or state-run lottery from a remote location on a personal computer or portable computer device where it is unnecessary to establish an on-line connection with a host computer associated with the wagering establishment, the gaming computer having associated gaming software for providing at least one wagering opportunity and enabling the player to obtain gambling credit and cash-out any resulting winnings, the host computer enabling the player to purchase and redeem gambling credit at the remote location in one embodiment of the invention using cryptographic protocols such as through a series of authenticatable message exchanges between the player and the wagering establishment, the gaming computer and the host computer directly on-line, or the gaming computer having a detachable tamper-resistant or tamper-evident credit module associated therewith or for use with a personal computer being provided to the player with preinstalled or preloaded gambling credit, the gaming system also enabling participation in future events of which the outcome is uncertain such as, for example, a lottery whereby the player makes selections on a gaming computer at a remote location.