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WiFi is an unintentional bully in the wireless world: as it has to be powerful and respond quickly, it tends to drown out less demanding protocols like Bluetooth and ZigBee. The University of Michigan's GapSense software could have the format finally learning to play well with others. By instituting a common set of alerts determined by pulses and gaps, researchers could have every wireless device giving a heads-up to others when data is on the way. The trick would force patience on WiFi devices and offer a higher priority to less aggressive standards. Along with giving every device a chance to breathe, GapSense could improve the performance of WiFi itself -- the technology could lower WiFi's power draw by as much as 44 percent through slowing down the receiver, which would sometimes only have to wait for notice from the transmitter. The university doesn't have a timetable for practical use of GapSense, but it does want to produce a shipping product. We just might see considerably less wireless gridlock should that research translate to reality.
Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Science
Source: University of Michigan
While ZigBee hasn't become as ubiquitous in wireless as the likes of Bluetooth or WiFi, it has carved out niches in home automation and low-power gear. The format is about to expand its world a little further now that a more network-savvy spec, ZigBee IP, is officially available for everyone. The upgrade adds IPv6 and tougher security to the open mesh networking formula, letting it more easily join an internet of things where there's potentially billions of connected devices. The ZigBee Alliance isn't naming customers at this stage, although it's quick to note that ZigBee IP was built for smart grid use: don't be surprised if you first see it behind the scenes, keeping energy use in check.
Filed under: Household, Networking
Source: ZigBee Alliance
Wireless routers aren't the sexiest of gadgets to come across on the CES showfloor, but Securifi's doing its best with the Almond+. The all-white router, an update to last year's OG Almond, still features a 2.8-inch touchscreen, but now supports the 802.11ac standard for high speeds over 5GHz, in addition to Zigbee and Z-Wave for home automated control. That latter bit is a recent addition to the Almond+'s UI interface, allowing users with compatible Zigbee or Z-Wave products to control lights around the house or even monitor and receive notifications (cloud-synced via a free iOS or Android app) when their door is being opened or closed. Around back the innocuously designed device sports one USB 2.0 and five for gigabit ethernet. At present, Securifi intends to launch the Almond+ on Kickstarter for $99 sometime within the next week, so look for it to debut there soon. While you wait, take a look out our gallery below, as well as video demo just after the break.
Continue reading Securfi Almond+ hands-on (video)
Filed under: Internet
Securifi isn't your average Kickstarter outfit. It already has one Almond wireless touchscreen router under its belt, currently sold at Amazon, and now it's about to bid for crowdfunding to build a sequel: the Almond+. The new device will incorporate a 2.8-inch 320 x 240 touchscreen for PC-free setup, dual band 802.11ac for speeds of up to 1,167Mbps, plus an integrated Smart Home hub that works with the slightly esoteric Zigbee and Z-Wave protocols. In conjunction with the iOS and Android app, this would let you access regular home automation tasks from anywhere, including security alerts and heating and lighting control. We'll see more of it when the project launches at Kickstarter, at which point it'll have a $250,000 funding goal.
Continue reading Almond+ WiFi router coming to Kickstarter: touchscreen, 802.11ac, home automation
Filed under: Wireless, Networking
How was your week? We got to spend a couple of days trekking around the Carnegie Mellon campus in Pittsburgh, PA to check out some of the latest projects from the school's world renowned Robotics Institute -- a trip that culminated with the bi-annual induction ceremony from the CMU-sponsored Robot Hall of Fame. Given all the craziness of the past seven days, you might have missed some of the awesomeness, but fear not, we've got it all for you here in one handy place -- plus a couple of videos from the trip that we haven't shown you yet. Join us after the break to catch up.
Butlers, lunar rovers, snakes and airboats: the best of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Want to do something about pollution in our water and air? Carnegie Mellon's CREATE Lab is working on a few interesting solutions to the problem of localizing pollution data with a trio of devices aimed at making the process accessible and affordable for regular people. First up is AirBot, a "particle counting robot" that monitors pollutants that can contribute to breathing problems like asthma. Aimed at a $99 price point, the little black boxes are portable enough to bring around with you, so you can, say, compare the air quality in areas when apartment hunting. The lab has made six prototype devices (one of which was on-hand during our visit), and is aiming to bring them to market next year.
WaterBot, meanwhile, is set to bring the solution to streams near you. Stick one end in a body of water near your home and it will upload water purity information to the web via a built-in ZigBee module. CREATE's also cooked up the CATTFish, a method for recording such information in your home via, yes, your toilet. Dip one end in the reservoir and the box on top of the tank, and it will give you a reading of the cleanliness of the water being used to refill. That information can then be uploaded to the web via a USB port. The lab is shooting for a $50 price tag on the device.
The big thing here is the ability to let the community take its own readings to build a bigger picture of water and are purity levels through online applications. More information on all of the above devices can be found in the video below.
Continue reading AirBot and WaterBot help localize pollution data collection (video)
AirBot and WaterBot help localize pollution data collection (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This picture from Mitsumi's CEATEC booth may not seem to say much, but it's certainly showing the future. The silver cylinder at the top is actually a small power generating device that converts micro-vibrations into usable energy, so stick one of these on, say, a ventilation duct and you should just about get enough juice to power a calculator or even an LED. In fact, Mitsumi says these can be integrated into the RF sensor network of large air conditioning facilities, as an RF transmitter can run on very little power these days -- even less than a calculator. Alas, a company rep said this product won't be available until 2014.
Speaking of RF, Mitsumi does have something even more awesome that will be launched sooner. You see that black stick on the left? Embedded inside it is a batteryless RF switch, and the way it works is that upon the release of the spring mechanism inside, a tiny bit of power is generated for the 2.4GHz RF transmission (ZigBee compatible), and whatever device is connected to the RF control outlet on the other end will receive the on or off signal. So yes, you basically get a switch that requires no wiring nor power (except for the receiving end)! Expect this to hit the shelves in March 2013. For now, we have a hands-on video after the break.
Continue reading Mitsumi exhibits micro-vibration power generator and batteryless RF switch (video)
Filed under: Misc
Mitsumi exhibits micro-vibration power generator and batteryless RF switch (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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