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XBee grows up, delivers WiFi to DIYers and Arduino enthusiasts
Good news DIYers, XBee now comes in WiFi flavors. The favorite wireless module of Arduino tinkerers everywhere is growing up and adding 802.11n to its normal compliment of RF and ZigBee options. Development kits are available now starting at $149 per board, with add-on modules like embedded or wire antennas and RF connectors clocking in at $49. It might not seem like a big deal to some of you out there, but anyone who's contemplated building a Tweet-a-Watt or a Yarn Monster will appreciate being able skip adding a ZigBee adapter to their PC. Check out the PR after the break.
Mosaid gets into WiFi patent game, sues 17 companies including Dell, Canon, Asus, and RIM
Whether or not you agree with their tactics, lots of companies are finding it quite lucrative business to spend more time in the courts than in the research labs. CSIRO got some tasty settlements back in 2009, while just a few months ago Wi-LAN received "a significant amount" in a settlement from Intel. Now it's Mosaid's turn, a Kanata, Ontario-based company that bills itself as "one of the world's leading intellectual property (IP) companies, focused on the licensing and development of semiconductor and communications technologies." Indeed it just licensed some of those properties to LG on the 15th, but the very next day it filed suit against a 17 defendants for infringing on six of the company's patents, relating to network discovery, multiplexing, and other wireless techniques. Among those companies is RIM; which has its Torch, Style, Curve, Pearl, Bold, Storm handsets called out; and Asus, which has a long line of motherboards, routers, and other products said to be in jeopardy. As ever it's hard to draw the line between the patent trolls and the legitimately infringed, but that the lawsuit was filed in litigation-friendly Marshall, Texas doesn't leave us with a particularly good feeling.
Digi Connect WAN 3G: yet another portable HSDPA / EV-DO router
Yeah, we're starting to feel slightly bombarded with portable cellular routers, but we can't help but crack a smile each time one of these wonderful creations rolls into the commercial realm. Today, we've got Digi unveiling its new Digi Connect WAN 3G, which is hailed as an upgradeable 3G WWAN router for "primary and backup connectivity to remote sites and devices." Besides supporting both EV-DO and HSDPA standards, it also aims to provide "a fast and easy Ethernet-to-3G wireless connection" and even includes a built-in VPN. Sadly, no price is mentioned, but we're sure the folks at Digi wouldn't mind coughing up that information if you called up with the right tone of voice.
