Maybe there's a solution to rural broadband by using the high-reliability frequencies reserved for voice purely for data — and using VoIP to make phone calls. http://www.networkperformancedaily.com/2008/05/can_voip_provide_the_solution.html
"Repurposing the broadband of 0-25kHz would result in... speeds of around 14.4 kBytes/s (or 115.9 kbits/s) upload and 28.8 kBytes/s (231.3 kbits/s) download. That's not much of a speed boost. Still, if you've been plodding along on a '56.6k' modem, at speeds of 7.2kBytes/s, this would be like an oasis in the desert. And what about those phone calls? Well, if you make the same phone calls with VoIP that you were with the standard 0-4kHz landline, it would only take about 20.8kbits/s using the G.723.1 codec — that still leaves you with 80% of your broadband capacity when on the phone — and 100% of your broadband when you're off it."
Why not use existing technology!!! IDSL is an ISDN-flavored DSL version. It uses the ISDN modulation to send bits over the wire, but with a full-time DSLAM connection as opposed to ISDN switched calling. It gets 144kbps - ISDN has two 64kbps B channels and a 16kbps D channel, and is typically used for a 128kbps bonded circuit. The big advantage of IDSL is distance - it typically gets about 30,000 feet, compared to about 18000 for most DSL flavors.
Ulteo http://www.ulteo.com/home/en/virtualdesktop?autolang=en today unveiled their Virtual Desktop which is a free, full Linux desktop that runs seamlessly on Windows. It's not running under Xen or VMWare, but instead uses the coLinux patch, which they claim allows the system to achieve 'great performance, close to a native installation on the PC.' No need to reboot the system anymore to switch from Windows to Linux.
I will still prefer http://www.andlinux.org/ for when I need to fire up a quick linux system, its more stable and based on Ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com/ they both use the same coLinux patch.Finally, the stability and security of Windows with the application availability of Linux… but really I wonder if I can get WINE http://www.winehq.org/ running under coLinux. Firefox now works great in Wine, so I can run Firefox in Wine, on Linux, on Windows, and maybe just maybe I could run that copy of windows on parallels http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/ on my Mac.
ScienceDaily is reporting that the self-healing materials are being used in some new aircraft designs -- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080519105052.htm
"This simple but ingenious technique, similar to the bruising and bleeding/healing processes we see after we cut ourselves, has been developed by aerospace engineers at Bristol University, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). It has potential to be applied wherever fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are used. These lightweight, high-performance materials are proving increasingly popular not only in aircraft but also in car, wind turbine and even spacecraft manufacture. The new self-repair system could therefore have an impact in all these fields."
The plane will heal itself after a crash. Great for the plane, not so much for the passengers.