Patent ID: 8005927

Claim:
A method implemented at least in part by a computing device and comprising: receiving, via a communication network, a list comprising a selected set of entities including multiple different updatable entity types, the entity types selected from a superset of entities for a mobile communication and computing device for which updates are available including contacts, update feeds, a group of persons configured to receive email and text messages all at once from the mobile communication and computing device, and application program updates, that are associated with a user or information sufficient to differentiate the selected set of entities from non-selected entities of the superset of entities, the superset of entities having at least one of said non-selected entities for which current updates are available and at least one of said selected entities for which current updates are available; responsive to receiving the selected set of entities or information, providing, in real-time and automatically, current updates for said selected entities to the mobile communication and computing device associated with the user and forgoing providing in real-time and automatically, current updates for said non-selected entities, the providing effective to enable the mobile communication and computing device to display current updates including application program updates or indicia thereof for said selected entities in real-time and automatically in a user interface such that current updates for multiple different entity types are visible at-a-glance together in the user interface; and in response to receiving an explicit request from the mobile communication and computing device to provide an update for a non-selected entity, providing the requested update for said non-selected entity to the mobile communication and computing device.