The Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol emerged from work first started in 1998 in partnership with Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The initial goal was to modify the ubiquitous Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to facilitate robust communications between celestial bodies and satellites. However most people don't have a need for regular satellite communication (well, our columnist Warren Ellis has that death ray of his), but Cerf sees his robust protocol having more down-to-Earth applications. Mobile networks, for example, must regularly cope with long periods of delay or loss – a train tunnel rudely interrupting a YouTube stream, for example. Perhaps looking to gain an edge on its competitors, Google has already integrated DTN into Android's networking stack. Using Android from an asteroid? It's only a matter of time. - Eric Logan from Bookmarklet

@Houston Uh, we have a problem...still getting Twitter fail whale. Moving to Friendfeed. Also, Heroes is 78% done torrenting. #lifeinavacuum - Josh Haley

System-Wide-Web? sww.wongranch.mars - Slappy Line