ZigbeePro
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XStreamHD adds advanced RF remote next to satellite beamed 1080p on its list of promises
It's been a while since we'd heard from XStreamHD, but with yet another CES bearing down the company is ready to talk about its advanced RF One Remote Control. In case you haven't been paying attention over the last two years, it's promising all manner of satellite-delivered 1080p movies with lossless audio, that beam into its media server and then stream to any of its receivers or other DLNA compatible clients in the home. Jennic's microcontroller powers the remote, and it uses Zigbee Pro wireless tech so it will control all the connected devices, even without line of sight. We've added "peek at the media closet" to our list of things to look for at the XStreamHD booth in January, but really we're still waiting to find out when beta testers will get a crack at the service.
ZigBee Alliances developing Green Power standards for energy harvesting devices
Home automation industry folks, heads up: the ZigBee Alliance has announced the development of a Green Power feature set, which is the first step in creating a global standard technology for energy harvesting devices. When it becomes available sometime at the end of 2009, you and your fellow ZigBee Alliance members will finally be able to create and market self-powered whatsits that communicate on ZigBee and ZigBee PRO networks. Here's hoping that NEC takes full advantage of this for the next iteration of its award-winning Carbon Ball game! Full PR after the break.
ZigBee Alliance clears the way for new ZigBee PRO standard
The ZigBee wireless standard has already proven to be fairly successful in its current state, but it now looks like it'll soon be getting a boost, with the new and improved ZigBee PRO standard now apparently getting the all clear from the all-important ZigBee Alliance. Among other things, it supposedly improves the wireless technology's flexibility and ease of use, and adds a number of "advanced features," including support for larger wireless networks. While it appears to be all but a sure thing, the standard still has to go through the so-called "Golden Node" testing procedure, which focuses on interoperability between devices from different manufacturers. According Bob Gohn from Ember Corporation (a leading ZigBee firm), assuming all that goes as planned, the new platform should be ready for an official launch sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, although it's not clear when there might actually be some devices that take advantage of it.
