Low Data Info At A High Data Rate

Health Data Management

Link: Health Data Management.

Another standard for tracking applications In 2005, Vassar Brothers Medical Center began deploying technology to manage various types of wireless signals over a single infrastructure. When the implementation was complete last summer, executives at Health Quest-the I.T. parent company of the Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based provider organization-wanted to test asset tracking software over the network. However, instead of selecting a system that uses active RFID or RFID-over-Wi-Fi technology, they chose to pilot one that runs over the 802.15.4 ZigBee, wireless network standard. The application-called Spot, from Richardson, Texas-based InnerWireless Inc.-operates on signals transmitted over unlicensed bands in the radio frequency spectrum instead of those reserved for RFID or Wi-Fi applications. The vendor's tracking application is the only system running on the 802.15.4 signal standard at Vassar Brothers. The provider organization runs hardware, including voice communication badges from Vocera Communications, Cupertino, Calif., and various clinical applications over 802.11b Wi-Fi signals managed by its Horizon wireless utility from InnerWireless. Vassar Brothers decided to pilot the 802.15.4 technology because it already had invested in network architecture that could support the types of wireless signals it uses, says Nick Christiano, vice president and CIO at Health Quest. "The system fit wit

New ZigBee Product - Review: 'George' iPod Docking Station Well Worth Steep Price

Review: 'George' iPod Docking Station Well Worth Steep Price

"The George, Chestnut Hill Sound's new, curiously named audio system for fourth-generation Apple iPods and later, costs $549 (direct), and that's if you choose not to accessorize it. Sure, it's expensive, but this iPod dock is super-capable and puts out unbelievably good sound."

"Another major draw of the George is its advanced remote control. Basically, the system is the remote: the entire control panel just clicks into the front of the dock to recharge. There is an optional ($50) remote charger if you wish to, say, keep the controller on a bedside table, as well as an optional cover for the vacant space left when the remote is off the dock. All of the George's functions, excluding the subwoofer knob on the back panel, can be operated via the buttons on the remote. Its range is listed as up to 25 feet, but I had some luck using the control almost 40 feet away from the dock, though lag time seemed to increase the farther I got. Anything you could possibly control — volume, EQ settings, surfing the radio, skipping songs, setting the alarm time, or hitting the snooze button — can be done from afar, without even pointing the remote in the direction of the speakers (though the manual recommends a same-room setup).

The wireless protocol used for this system is called ZigBee, and it operates on one of 26 channels. You may have to experiment to find the channel with the least amount of interference, but I had very few issues in our labs, where there's quite a bit of wireless competition. Four small circles, like the bars on a cell phone, indicate the strength of the signal at any given moment. The remote's display alternately shows the song/artist that is playing on your iPod and the time of day down to the second, day, and date."

By Tim Gideon

Link: FOXNews.com - Review: 'George' iPod Docking Station Well Worth Steep Price - Technology News | News On Technology.

Keeping Cool With ZigBee - 2/5/2007 - Design News

Jennic's Customer 'Quiet Cool Fans' is shipping.

"Engineers who think the ZigBee wireless network is cool now have support for that view. Quiet Cool Fans is shipping a whole house ventilation system that gives homeowners indoor and outdoor temperature sensors, relative humidity sensors and relays along with a Linux controller. These electronics can be located anywhere and can be moved at will, since they don't require wiring. Quiet Cool teamed up with z-Point Products, a controller developer, and ZigBee chip manufacturer Jennic to come up with a wireless system it says is cheaper than existing wireless solutions."

Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor -- Design News, February 5, 2007

Link: Keeping Cool With ZigBee - 2/5/2007 - Design News.