VoIP in Python: at first it sounds crazy, but the talk at (given at PyCon DC '04 says otherwise. I thought the paper was interesting for the discusion of how VoIP and the underlying protocols (particularly SIP and RTP) work. Obviously, the thought occurs: if you can do this in languages like Python, performance ought not to be nearly as much an issue as people tend to think.
Bonus points for the snark aimed at the ITU and Microsoft's Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). An example:
As an aside, UPnP's implementation (which features SOAP, HTTP over multicast/broadcast UDP, and extremely odd XML) is a must-read for fans of unnatural and baroque network protocols.
Via David Goodger via LWN.