We kicked off an effort at the start of this year to look more closely at network research happening at university and other labs, figuring that while the technologies being worked on won't necessarily find their way into your network immediately, they might give you something to consider in making longer-term plans.

We've covered these stories in the physical and virtual pages of Network World, including on our Alpha Doggs network research blog. Here our pick of the 10 most interesting projects, in no particular order, that we've come across as mid-year approaches:

'Active cookies' to the rescue

Sharing Wi-Fi with your neighbors

Futuristic optical system tackles image processing

Using opportunistic coding to boost wireless

Saving VoIP from spam

Fighting spam zombies from outer space

Human beings that live in computers

Spintronics key to small, powerful net devices?

DWT claims to search where Google misses

Researching beyond the constraints of today's Internet