Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

K Aaron Williams

John R Selbie

Kandarp Jani

Troy A Schauls

Asta Jane Roseway

Steven Abrahams

Yuanquan Zhang

Raghuveer Simha

Thomas Aleksandr Barbour

William S Archbell

James Andrew Canitz

Drew Canitz

Functionality is described for allowing a first user to select a sound item. The first user can use a first device to send this sound item to a second device operated by a second user. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the sound item selected by the first user can be presented by the second device to the second user. The first device and the second device may correspond to two devices in an Instant Messaging (IM) system. According to another illustrative aspect, functionality is described that allows the first user to select the new sound item from a source sound item by adjusting the position and/or size (e.g., width) of a graphical selection unit that is presented over a graphical depiction of the source sound item.

Providing sender-selected sound items to conversation participants

Content sharing and instant messaging are described. In an implementation, a first user interface is displayed at a first client that is configured to provide instant messaging with a second client having a second user interface. One or more content items are output in the first user interface to be controllable via both the first user interface and the second user interface.

Content sharing and instant messaging

Various technologies for sharing digital images within an instant messaging (IM) session between two users. In one implementation, a first user uploads a set of images to the second user. The set of images may be displayed as thumbnails on the displays of both users. By clicking on one of the thumbnails, either user may make the associated image appear as a larger image on both users' displays. In the event that both users click on different images simultaneously, or near-simultaneously, a protocol may be employed that selects which image is displayed.

Peer-to-peer synchronous content selection

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K Aaron Williams