Abstract: An aircraft wing configuration for a vertical or a short take-off and landing aircraft having a plurality of propeller-blown wings mounted at different longitudinal locations along a fuselage of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft, producing two or more lifting surfaces, fixed at a predetermined acute wing angle greater than 0° and substantially less than 90° relative to a horizontal plane, and having a plurality of flaps disposed behind the wings. The configuration has a plurality of propellers distributed in front of the plurality of wings producing two or more lifting surfaces and mounted such that the wings are externally blown by forced airstreams from the propellers. The propellers produce distributed thrust components, and the plurality of flaps are in the forced airstreams of the propellers when one or more of the flaps is in an extended position.

Abstract: An approach that provides assigning and tracking inter-Cloud operational transactions within a Cloud computing environment in order to meter Cloud resource usage when processing a Cloud service request. In one embodiment, there is a Cloud usage and accounting tool, including a route management component configured to define and manage the physical implementation of delineation points between Clouds. The Cloud usage and accounting tool further includes a workflow control component configured to track inter-Cloud operational transactions as they pass through the delineation points.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for establishing inter-Cloud resource sharing agreements and policies such that dynamic expansion/contraction of Cloud resource requests can be seamlessly addressed without requiring physical build-out of the primary Cloud infrastructure and advertising the need for additional resources or the offer to provide additional resources can be brokered through an established marketplace. The financial transaction will support a symbiotic bi-lateral fair-share method that better aligns with an alternating supplier/consumer business model. Using this system and method will decrease the amount of time needed to respond to a given Cloud service request while advantaging a resource sharing model amongst established Cloud providers.

Abstract: An approach that provides assigning and tracking inter-Cloud operational transactions within a Cloud computing environment in order to meter Cloud resource usage when processing a Cloud service request. In one embodiment, there is a Cloud usage and accounting tool, including a route management component configured to define and manage the physical implementation of delineation points between Clouds. The Cloud usage and accounting tool further includes a workflow control component configured to track inter-Cloud operational transactions as they pass through the delineation points.

Abstract: A resilient enclosure for receiving a remote signaling, hand-held assembly includes a layered resilient foam pad comprising a rectangular base onto which a segmented layer is adhered. One or more parts of the layer are then removed to define an opening in which the hand-held assembly is received. A two-ply transparent cover may then be positioned over the pad having segments of the interior ply thereof, removed in correspondence with the remaining segments of the pad. The interply adhesive thus exposed is then useful to secure the cover to the pad.