8. A user-interface system for selecting a subset of items from a collection of items in response to search criteria including keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys and including unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result, the system comprising instructions encoded on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and when executed operable to: a. receive a sequence of keystrokes entered by a user, each keystroke of the sequence associated with an overloaded key of a keypad, in which a given overloaded key is in fixed association with a plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols, wherein the user is using the symbols to search for desired items and each keystrokes of an overloaded key of the sequence represents any of the plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed associated with that overloaded key; b. in response to receiving the keystrokes, perform a first search operation on the collection of items based on the sequence of keystrokes to retrieve a first subset of items from the collection of items and corresponding unambiguous metadata associated with the first subset of items, wherein the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the first subset of items matches a permutation of the pluralities of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with each overloaded key associated with each keystroke of the sequence of keystrokes; c. present on a display device the first subset of items; d. receive a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items from the user; e. in response to a locking operation received from the user, perform a second search operation on the collection of items based on at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item to retrieve second subset of items from the collection of items, wherein at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the second subset of items matches the portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item; and f. present on the display device the second subset of items.
8. A user-interface system for selecting a subset of items from a collection of items in response to search criteria including keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys and including unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result, the system comprising instructions encoded on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and when executed operable to: a. receive a sequence of keystrokes entered by a user, each keystroke of the sequence associated with an overloaded key of a keypad, in which a given overloaded key is in fixed association with a plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols, wherein the user is using the symbols to search for desired items and each keystrokes of an overloaded key of the sequence represents any of the plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed associated with that overloaded key; b. in response to receiving the keystrokes, perform a first search operation on the collection of items based on the sequence of keystrokes to retrieve a first subset of items from the collection of items and corresponding unambiguous metadata associated with the first subset of items, wherein the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the first subset of items matches a permutation of the pluralities of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with each overloaded key associated with each keystroke of the sequence of keystrokes; c. present on a display device the first subset of items; d. receive a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items from the user; e. in response to a locking operation received from the user, perform a second search operation on the collection of items based on at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item to retrieve second subset of items from the collection of items, wherein at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the second subset of items matches the portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item; and f. present on the display device the second subset of items. 12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions operable to receive a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items is further operable to receive a browse action from the user for highlighting one of the presented items of the first subset and wherein the instructions operable to receive a locking operation from the user is further operable to receive at least one additional keystroke entry from the user.