Bakari should be along soon...
Sorry, I've been doing overtime with the US Coast Guard, not so much computer time...
Is cruise better than pulse-and-glide, or worse, or the same? I'm semi-hypermiling too, and do see the difference, and it feels awesome.
P&G works without a hybrid (or dedicated cut-off switch - although it sure makes it a lot easier to do engine off) as long as its a manual. You can save gas with P&G even if you just let it idle while you coast instead of turning the engine off. It doesn't work so well with automatics. It also is optimal at lower speeds (depending on the cars aerodynamics).
The reason it works is because internal combustion engines are by nature so ridiculously inefficient that it actually takes more energy just to turn the engine itself than it takes to accelerate the car. Because of that, any time you can have the engine off (or at least at neutral) more than makes up for having to accelerate back up to speed later.
P&G also ties in really well with this discussion re: hills.
Here's what I do: on the uphill, I maintain my regular, slow, flat land speed (which is the minimum I can practically drive on the highway, usually 45-50) until I am close enough to the top that if I give it 80% throttle, I'll reach 65mph by just after the crest of the hill (the exact point varies with the steepness). Then, at the top I shift into neutral. Basically, its regular pulse and glide, but using the hill allows me to a) maximize engine load at low RPM (which is generally the optimal point on the BSFC chart that Uncephalized was talking about) and b) maximize the length of the glide. Its all about the amount of time you spend with the engine off (or idling at neutral, thereby minimizing RPMs and internal friction)
The discussion on hills started by way of not using cruise control, and one big point that Uncephalized's post missed was that cruise control will frequently cause the car to downshift (in automatics) in order to maintain speed, and also that there are plenty of hills steep enough that one can maintain speed without additional throttle (esp in neutral, so there is no engine braking effect). On shallower hills, I would agree there is less point, although it still has the effect of enhancing P&G; in fact, I never use P&G unless there is at least a shallow hill to help maximize my glide.
But though I think going faster on the downhill than the up is valid, I agree that there is no particular reason to hold a constant throttle.
Re: not going too fast on the downhill, the majority of modern cars cut out the fuel injectors automatically when at cruising RPM, in gear, with the foot totally off the throttle. So, if you were coasting down hill, just pop it in gear, don't touch any pedals, and it will scrub off a little speed while dropping your fuel consumption to zero.
If you still are going too fast, you probably were going too fast at the peak of the hill (as MMM once said "if you have to brake, you made a mistake") unless you are descending the rocky mountains or something.
Re: cruise control set to constant engine load instead of constant speed, people have done it, see ecomodder.com
Personally, I find semi-trucks drive too fast to draft behind. Legally they aren't supposed to go above 55, but they rarely do less than 65. If they actually drove 55 I might do it more, but I find speed to make the bigger difference in fuel economy.
But your mileage may vary (pun intended!)
The best way to know what works best for the specific engine, gearing, and aero of your car is to get a scanguage or mpguino and actually see how different options affect your mpg in real time. I believe they cost something like $100 or so, (if you sign up at ecomodder, and then buy it through them, its slightly cheaper than retail), and its super easy to instal - plug in one wire under the dash at your code reader port.
Instant feedback is probably the biggest boost to fuel economy a hypermiler can get, so it eventually pays for itself.
Plus, built in code-reader, so it may save you some mechanic fees someday too.
BTW, I'm up to 38 highway in my truck after having installed my new overdrive tranny! :)