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Easy does it. I'm batting 500 so far.
"Airbee has been awarded the certification on a hardware platform consisting of the TI Chipcon CC2420 radio and ultra low power MSP430F4618 microcontroller. Airbee is also the first company to achieve the ZigBee compliance platform (ZCP) certification using a TI microcontroller."
Now, here's a question for those that THINK they know what's going on between ABEW and Texas Instruments...
Since Airbee Wireless has announced that they have been certified with the new 1.1 spec using Texas Instruments new MSP430 F4618 chip, does that mean that TI's new chip actually NEEDS our software to function?
In other words, does TI have to use our software on each and every MSP430 F4618 chip to ensure that the MicroController functions with the radio?
Remember, this new chip was specially designed for ZigBee. It is TI's most technically advanced chip for their customers' wireless products using the new ZigBee 1.1 specification.
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Airbee Wireless Gains ZigBee 2006 Certification
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Last Update: 12:54 PM ET Jan 23, 2007
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan 23, 2007 (PrimeNewswire via COMTEX) -- The ZigBee(r) Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in residential, commercial and industrial applications, today announced that Airbee Wireless (Pink Sheets:ABEW) has achieved 2006 certification for the Airbee-ZNS 2006 protocol stack. Airbee's-ZNS 2006 is one of the first platforms to implement the latest version of the ZigBee standard and to pass independent testing by National Technical Systems (NTS), a ZigBee qualified testing lab. Airbee has been awarded the certification on a hardware platform consisting of the TI Chipcon CC2420 radio and ultra low power MSP430F4618 microcontroller. Airbee is also the first company to achieve the ZigBee compliance platform (ZCP) certification using a TI microcontroller The certification is significant for Airbee customers and partners and brings a host of benefits to the ZigBee marketplace. Airbee's ZNS-2006 incorporates enhancements for performance and reliability considerations, necessary for real world deployments and ease-of-use and is supported by best-in-class development tools.
"Gaining ZigBee certified status represents an important step in providing a solid commitment and validation of Airbee software expertise. This will provide a foundation for OEMs to develop a variety of ZigBee products now on multiple silicon platforms. Developers are no longer tied to the silicon vendors' software but can now provide a platform independent certified software solution from Airbee," said Raj Sundaresan, CEO of Airbee Wireless Inc. "Certification is something we have worked toward and have established a goal for ourselves in being a first mover in developing ZigBee standard protocol stacks," commented V. V. Sundaram, CEO of Airbee's development center in India.
Designers can now develop ZigBee 2006 certified products using the highly efficient Airbee software stack combined with an ultra low-power, low-cost platform. ZigBee 2006 uses mesh networking to communicate over the globally available 2.4 GHz and 868/915 MHz frequencies in select countries. The simplicity of design and operation ensures that users of all backgrounds can install products and maintain their network in minutes. ZigBee technology enables a typical low-power ZigBee device to operate on universally available batteries for years, eliminating the need for wiring to a power source and providing unparalleled convenience and flexibility.
This certification ensures interoperability with other ZigBee products. OEMs developing with the Airbee-ZNS protocol stack software can now be confident that their products are interoperable with other ZigBee certified platforms, thereby allowing a single, solid network for the monitoring and collection of data for all applications on the network.
About Airbee Wireless Inc.
Airbee is an innovator of intelligent software solutions for unwired voice and data networking. Products include embedded software, management platform, development tools and services. Airbee technology is licensed by OEMs, silicon providers and integrators. All products are designed and engineered to comply with ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 global standards. Airbee technology offers affordability, greater flexibility and shorter time to market, unlike anything else now available. To learn more about Life Unwired(tm) with Airbee technology inside, please visit www.airbeewireless.com, or call +1 (301) 517-1860.
ZigBee: Wireless Control That Simply Works
The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard. The ZigBee Alliance is a rapidly growing, non-profit industry consortium of leading semiconductor manufacturers, technology providers, OEMs, and end-users worldwide. Membership is open to all. Additional information can be found at www.zigbee.org.
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
"Forward-looking statements" may be included in this news release. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or events. Airbee Wireless, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. There are important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to risks associated with changes in general economic and business conditions (including in the information technology and financial information industry), actions of our competitors, the extent to which we are able to develop new services and markets for our services, the time and expense involved in such development activities, the level of demand and market acceptance of our services, and/or changes in our business strategies.
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/070123/112347.html
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Spider...Regarding ABEW's relationship with Texas Instruments:
I've listed what I believe are the MAIN REASONS WHY Texas Instruments needs our software...
First. I want to remind you that Texas Instruments has already contracted with us to perform several software application developments on their behalf. This begs the question...Why would T.I. contract with us to perform these services when they already own a software company called Figure8? Hmmmmmmmm
Second. Texas Instruments just paid approximately $200 million for a radio manufacturer called Chipcon. This was a HUGE acquisition for them. Unfortunately for Texas Instruments, Chipcon's radios were designed to operate on the Atmel chip...which is a competitor of Texas Instrument. Therefore, Texas Instruments had to find a software company with enough competence, experience, and professionalism to configure the software on Chipcon's radios so that they would operate on their chip.
Enter Airbee Wireless...
Now, realizing that ABEW's software is hardware agnostic, Texas Instruments made a very important (and savvy!) business decision to hire ABEW to perform the above-metioned services. In one fell swoop, ABEW was able to configure our software onto Chipcon's radios allowing them to operate NOT ONLY on Texas Instruments chips, but also on anyone elses chips!!!
This means that Texas Instruments has opened up a whole new market for their radios. Because our software is hardware agnostic, those (Chipcon) radios can now operate on ANYONES hardware platform. (Whereas before, they were limited to only an Atmel platform.) Now you see why I said that Texas Instruments made a very savvy decision to go with us.
What does that mean for future revenues for Airbee Wireless? It boggles the mind because we will get a royalty for every chip produced with our software on it!!!
The bottom line is this...
If you are a chipmaker in business to sell chips (which is a muti-billion dollar business), wouldn't you want your chips to operate on as many hardware platforms as possible? Of course you would!!!
Folks, there is only ONE software company in the whole world that can do this for the chipmakers...and that's Airbee Wireless. And, because ABEW is not bound to an exclusive relationship to anyone, we've been able to attract some of the biggest names in the industry...Infineon, Jennic, ZMD, etc...
Once these chip makers start producing chips with our software on them, we could be seeing some major profits ahead!!!
Have a great week!!!
abew4me
Disclaimer: All comments are just my opinion and should NOT be considered as factual.
spider58...I think you are on the right track with your observations between ABEW and TXN.
Currently, ABEW has a license agreement with Texas Instruments that will pay them a nice royalty for every MSP430 chip that has our software on it.
There is no doubt in my mind that ABEW has the potential to go through the roof once Texas Instruments starts getting orders for the new ZigBee chip.
I'll give you more info later on.
abew4me
From ABEW's web site...
Msg # 342 Posted By: cpe codder
19 January 2007 08:24 EST
Gene - congrats on the cert! This is a huge deal, but just step one. Are there any plans now (assuming we're off the pinks shortly) to have the analysts covering zigbee for the investment houses come in to the office for a fyi/promotion of abew? or are we planning on going on an investment promotional tour.... we are getting to the stage where zigbee firms will be looked at as the fund houses line up their 2007 investments..... thanks in advance.
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Msg # 343 Posted By: Gene Sharer
20 January 2007 08:47 EST
This message is reply to msg # 342 by cpe codder.
CPEcodder - All of the actions mentioned are in the works or planned. The OTCBB is the key and we expect to hear from NASD next week.
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(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Q's & A's regarding ABEW's current status...
1) "Now that we are certified for that TI chip, does that mean that ABEW will only be used in some TI products, or do they sell their chips to a wide variety of mfgs?"
ANSWER: The chip market is a multi-billion dollar industry. Nowadays, most electronic devices you buy contains at least one chip inside to help it function. Most likely your coffee pot, your alarm clock, your refrigerator, your thermostat, your smoke alarms, even your toaster has a MCU (micro control unit) inside of it. (And that list doesn't include the Medical Industry, the Industrial Industry, the Auto Industry, the Defense Industry, etc.)
A "chip" can be one of the the following:
1) a microprocessor
2) a radio antennae
3) a microcontroller
As stated before, Texas Instruments has cornered more than 50% of this multi-billion dollar chip market. There are HUNDREDS of manufacturers that buy chips from Texas Instruments to develop their products.
2) "Since the Alliance is so sticky about their certifications each step of the way, will we be constantly facing new cert requirements as new products come out? My concern is that 1.0 got obsolete before it even got off the ground and I'm hoping that the same doesn't happen with 1.1."
ANSWER: The 1.0 spec was not conducive for large scale applications and the Alliance decided to revise it with the 1.1 spec that has a much better acrchitecture and is geared towards the Home Automation Industry. (The 1.1 spec is also called the Home Automation spec.) The Alliance plans on coming out with new specs every three months to address a certain type of Industry. Each new spec that comes out will be 100% compatible to communicate with the previous specs before them (with the exception of the 1.0 spec of course).
The next spec to be announced will be called "ZigBee Pro" and is designed to focus on the Industrial Industry. Although it will be 100% compatible to communicate with products from the 1.1 spec (Home Automation), all ZigBee participants (including ABEW) will need to be recertified with that new spec. because it involves a whole new application. Incidentally, ABEW has been chosen to be a "Golden Unit" for the upcoming new spec, the ZigBee Pro!!!
3) "Does this cert mean that the co can start signing up a bunch of licensing agreements with cos that may have been waiting in the wings? If so, wouldn't that mean that the co can generate an almost instant revenue stream that being on the OBB wouldn't affect one way or the other? I know that the OBB will have an effect on our pps, but I'm very interested in the co's ability to generate revenue based on it's product."
ANSWER: Yes. I believe there are a great number of companies that have been "waiting in the wings" for ABEW's software to be certifed. However, I don't expect a flood of License Agreements to come in until Texas Instruments makes an official announcement that their new MSP430 F4618 chip has indeed been certified with ABEW's software.
Furthermore, those manufacturers that are interested will most likely need a "sample kit" to test ABEW's software and TI's new MSP430 chip with their specific products. The good news is that TI has already sent out over 500 sample kits to many of their customers that have requested them.
Lastly, the main importance of getting onto the OTCBB is to attract more investors and get our long term financing from the Investment Bank that we have contracted with.
Regarding our revenues. Here is some quotes taken directly from Gene on ABEW's web site. Read them closely...
Msg # 244 Posted By: Gene Sharer
21 November 2006 04:00 EST
This message is reply to msg # 241 by Dan.
WE do not expect any further revenues derived from the 1.0 spec. We will not be waiting until mid 2007 to see any revenues either. The significant revenues will begin in mid 2007.
[Once again, let me repeat the SECOND sentence for you: "We will not be waiting until mid 2007 to see any revenues either."]
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Msg # 247 Posted By: Ken Olinick
22 November 2006 08:12 EST
This message is reply to msg # 244 by Gene Sharer.
Gene, does that mean you expect revenues in the 1st quarter or are we are recieving them now? Ken
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Msg # 248 Posted By: Gene Sharer
22 November 2006 10:42 EST
This message is reply to msg # 247 by Ken Olinick.
Begin in the first quarter after certification if the ZigBee Alliance holds their schedule. Will not ramp up until mid year 2007.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Metaldragon...Hope this answers all of your questions.
abew4me
Disclaimer: All comments are just my opinion and should NOT be considered as factual.
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
From ABEW's web site...
Msg # 340 Posted By: Gene Sharer
19 January 2007 03:00 EST
We believe that our certification, listing on the OTCBB and additional licensing agreements should generate interest in the company and our stock. Achievement of technical and business milestones are the things which generate interest. The OTCBB is the next milestone we anticipate which will create interest by the investment community.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Well, eventually the buyers will come. In the meantime, this is my take on the recent certification.
1) This announcement was made on ABEW's web site. It was not a PR to the public yet. I'm sure that will come later. Heck, based on my DD, I don't think TI has even announced that new MSP430 F4618 chip exists yet. Therefore, I'm willing to bet that there must be a joint PR in the works eventually.
2) The mere fact that ABEW is the ONLY COMPANY that is 1.1 certified on TI's MSP430 chip will open up many, many doors for us. Remember, Texas Instruments "...has cornered more than 50% of the market with its chips,". Why do you think they are the third largest chip maker in the world?
3) And don't forget, "Airbee becomes the first such certification following the "Golden Units" designation."
Whoever is selling obviously wants to try and steal our thunder. Perhaps they will even succeed in the short term. But eventually our revenues will kick in and attract the analysts who have been watching the ZigBee Industry closely.
First step is in place. Need to get our approval from the NASD and we should be well on our way.
abew4me
Disclaimer: All comments are just my opinion and should NOT be considered as factual.
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
"Airbee becomes the first such certification following the "Golden Units" designation. The hardware platform on which the certification was accomplished is the TI 2420 radio and TI's latest microcontroller, the MSP 430F4618. Airbee is also the first company to achieve certification on any TI microcontroller platform."
Yeah baby!!!
That's one prediction down...one more to go!!!
CERTIFIED!!!!!!
Msg # 338 Posted By: Gene Sharer
19 January 2007 01:52 EST
To All: 01/19/2006 Airbee Wireless today received the certification of its ZNS-2006 ZigBee software as noted in the letter below from the ZigBee Alliance. Airbee becomes the first such certification following the "Golden Units" designation. The hardware platform on which the certification was accomplished is the TI 2420 radio and TI's latest microcontroller, the MSP 430F4618. Airbee is also the first company to achieve certification on any TI microcontroller platform. January 19, 2007 Airbee Wireless, Inc. 9400 Key West Avenue Rockville, Maryland 20850 USA The ZigBee Alliance is pleased to congratulate Airbee Wireless, Inc. on the completion of the ZigBee Compliant Platform testing of the following product per the ZigBee Platform specification 2006: Type of Device ZigBee Platform Manufacturer Airbee Wireless, Inc. 9400 Key West Avenue Rockville, Maryland 20850 USA Model Identification Airbee-ZNS 2006 Firmware Version Stack: ZNS 2006 (MSP-CC) Version 2.1.2 MAC Version ZMAC (MSP-CC) Version 5.1.0 Test Date January 19, 2007 Applicable Program ZigBee Compliant Platform Program ZigBee 2006 Certification ID number ZIG07102ZCP28507-24 This letter serves to confirm that the above mentioned product has passed all relevant tests in conjunction with the listed ZigBee Program and is deemed compliant to it. The manufacturer has been granted the right to use the term: ZigBee Compliant Platform. The usage of this term is limited to the described device and does not encompass any changes,firmware upgrades or subsequent versions and models after the listed test date. Please note that all clauses of the ZigBee Certification Policy apply and retests might be required. All usage guidelines for the ZigBee Logo also apply to the term above. We congratulate you on the completion of the program! Sincerely, ZigBee Alliance _1/19/07
"As the need for real-time access to data for streamlining the healthcare decision-making process increases, such technologies as Zigbee, RFID, and wireless WANs are expected to grow exponentially, with Zigbee alone showing a CAGR of 75 percent during a five-year period. Wireless LANs, currently the dominant technology with a 36-percent market share, and Bluetooth will continue to be the most widely sought-after technologies, Kalorama says, but they will lose market share to Zigbee, RFID and wireless WANs, which swiftly are gaining a foothold in the healthcare arena."
Great article. Thanks!!!
A post on RB worth sharing over here...
By: sludad
18 Jan 2007, 09:29 PM EST
Msg. 21766 of 21771
(This msg. is a reply to 21764 by thepoolman82.)
Jump to msg. #
Some people are just incapable of finding the potential upsides in life and cannot see anything but the negative side. They make no allowance for the pleasant surprise that may be looming. They want only iron clad guarantees of success to take risk. The reward in taking risks is the ability to find excitement and satisfaction in overcoming the obstacles and potential failures that may lay ahead. Listening to other opinions that are optimistic and exciting tend to bother this type of person because he cannot bring himself to the same level. They call it reality. I call it sad because the energy that they could use for positive purposes are spent subconsciously trying to bring others down to support their negative outlook. It somehow helps them justify their position. Essentially it is called commiseration or misery loves company in effect. I too want as much reassurance as possible but I choose to stay focused on what led me here and have too much respect for everyone on this board to perpetrate negativity and doubt in what are individual decisions that are made uniquely by each one of us. So here is to the success of Airbee in a very challenging and difficult journey and may each of you profit in many ways and not let constant sad commentaries pollute your own thought processes......
GlobalSpec has I/PRO audited Web site traffic, and a global user base of more than 3,400,000 registered users; a user community that continues to grow by more than 80,000 new registrants each month. In addition, the company has acquired 2,500,000 opt-in, online readers of its suite of product-specific e-newsletters that cover the electrical and mechanical engineering products markets, as well as other segments of the electronics, scientific and manufacturing industries. GlobalSpec is increasingly becoming "the place" where the engineering community gathers and conducts business.
Incredible!!!
New pictures on ABEW's web site shows our engineering team in India.
Pretty cool!!!
http://www.airbeewireless.com/cms.aspx?PageId=4&FID=4
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Q & A's from ABEW's management...
Msg # 334 Posted By: glenn
18 January 2007 10:20 EST
Gene, in reference to post 307...Have the reports on the new spec been written and sent to the Zigbee Alliance or where we stand in the process?
Also, based on the 10 days turn around concerning the listing; we are in the six working day, will you be making a phone call or email to the examiner on his progress? Thank you.
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Msg # 336 Posted By: Gene Sharer
18 January 2007 11:24 EST
This message is reply to msg # 334 by glenn.
1. The process is underway as described in post 307 2. Yes, and yes.
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(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Wow. Thanks for the DD. Very impressive. em
Airbee Wireless Products now featured in Globalspec catalogue. A worldwide leader in supplying the electronics and engineering industry.
http://www.globalspec.com/Supplier/ProductAnnouncements/Airbee
http://www.globalspec.com/FeaturedProducts/Detail/Airbee/AirbeeZDKV1_/36627/0
“A year ago 10 percent of the development kits we sold were for ZigBee and 90 percent were for 802.15.4, which can only produce point-to-point and star networks,” Jennic CEO Jim Lindop told Electronics Weekly. “Today it is 90 percent ZigBee.”
Folks, we haven't seen anything yet. ZigBee is just starting to get RED HOT!!!
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Are ZigBee mesh networks the way ahead?
By Steve Bush -- Electronics Weekly, 1/12/2007
Industry interest in ZigBee mesh networks is building, according to Sheffield, England-based ZigBee chipmaker Jennic.
“A year ago 10 percent of the development kits we sold were for ZigBee and 90 percent were for 802.15.4, which can only produce point-to-point and star networks,” Jennic CEO Jim Lindop told Electronics Weekly. “Today it is 90 percent ZigBee.”
Both are for short range, low data rate, wireless communications and ZigBee is built on IEEE802.15.4 physical and MAC layers making the transceiver hardware common to both.
Complex protocol layers added with ZigBee allow mesh networks to be made simply by bringing transceivers into range.
It was originally conceived for home automation, with transceivers running for a year on two AA cells.
“A lot of this market is building upgrades. A wireless link is a lot cheaper than cutting holes in the wall,” said Lindop. “A lot of small U.K. companies could develop niche applications.”
He cites a wireless shower controller and a hotel restaurant waiter call system, both U.K.-designed and in production, as examples.
Nothing to hide...
Msg # 329 Posted By: mike
13 January 2007 05:59 EST
This message is reply to msg # 325 by Gene Sharer.
Good Morning,
Can you please explain how things [ABEW] are to receive another extension?
Was the deal meliorated [improved] from the initial one?
What was agreed upon to have Mindtree extend ABEW's obligation? Will we have to wait for the filing?
You in your address to the board did not give any of the specifics that you could have without violating any policies or whatever!!
Msg # 330 Posted By: Gene Sharer
13 January 2007 11:04 EST
This message is reply to msg # 329 by mike.
We met with Mindtree management, presented where we are in our product development, our customer base, upcoming milstones, etc. Mindtree presented their objectives which primarily are to get paid and to prepare for a public offering. The net affect was to arrive at a win/win position such that each party could realize its objective. An agreement was signed by the two companies to memorialize the agreement. A typical negotiation between two parties without acrimony and done in a professional manner. No consideration was given by either party and none was asked. There is no mystery here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In response to your question regarding any monies paid for the extension by Mindtree...
Msg # 325 Posted By: Gene Sharer
12 January 2007 11:26 EST
This message is reply to msg # 323 by Swauby.
No, no and no!!!!!!!!!!!!!Whomever asked must not understand how things are done. But thanks for clearing the matter up.
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By: abew4me
12 Jan 2007, 10:23 AM EST
Msg. 21682 of 21682
Jump to msg. #
It may not 'rain in S. California' but we have snow all over the place. Heck, you'd think me and riri have traded places in R.I. lol!!!
Dogs are bewildered. Kids are excited. Going to take some time out to enjoy this with my family. It will surely melt within a day or two.
Cheers!!!
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
oldboatfan...Your daughter would absolutely love this. No lift tickets necessary and fresh virgin hills to snowboard on!!!
Looks like someone has asked Gene that question on the company's web site.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Msg # 323 Posted By: Swauby
11 January 2007 06:49 EST
Someone on RB asked if we had to pay a fee for the extension by Mindtree. If so, how much did it cost? and how much, if any, have we paid for all of the previous extensions we've received? Thanks
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
You guys need to cool off. eom.
From the Airbee Message Board From G. sharer:
To All: As most of you shareholders are aware, we have an outstanding obligation to Mindtree Consulting Pvt. Ltd. I am pleased to report that we have substantially reduced the outstanding payable to Mindtree in the past year and have also negotiated a payment agreement extension with them. The extension date is through the end of the first quarter of 2007. Mindtree and Airbee management continue to have a cordial and supportive relationship.
oops...I forgot to add this sentence at the very end.
"The comments have been answered and the input sent to NASD today."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Update regarding our NASD approval.
Posted by Gene Sharer on ABEW's web site message board.
Msg # 319 Posted By: Gene Sharer
09 January 2007 06:50 EST
This message is reply to msg # 318 by Swauby.
We heard from NASD yesterday with yet a few comments, the most salient being the "why did you withdraw the SP-2".
----------------------------------------------------------------
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
HOLY SMOKE, THIS IS ALSO HUGE!!!
Taken from the latest comments by Gene Sharer from the ABEW web site.
"2. Airbee has a new Pro-Stack and is one of the Alliance selected participants for becoming a ZigBee-Pro Golden Unit. Official testing begins in a few weeks."
Can you imagine being selected to be one of the Golden Units for the next specification? Unbelieveable!!!
This is yet another confirmation of the professionalism that our engineers possess in India. Is it any wonder that our software is passing the certification tests by wider margins than the Golden Units were up against?
Regarding the work we're doing with Texas Instruments...
Taken from the latest comments by Gene Sharer on the ABEW web site.
"These are very good comments and are welcomed. We will announce the configuration of the certified TI platform when the certification testing is complete. TI will make the announcement with us. 1. Airbee-ZNS on the latest TI platform is undergoing certification as we speak. TI customers will have the ability to use certified Airbee-ZNS in a few weeks. TI's product announcement is not based on the latest TI technology."
That last sentence puts a smile on my face from ear to ear. Can't wait until Airbee announces their certification because we should also learn about TI's hardware platform AND their latest technology!!!
Disclaimer: All comments are just my opinion and should NOT be considered as factual.
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Gene Sharer's comments on the questions raised here and on the Airbee message board.
"These are very good comments and are welcomed. We will announce the configuration of the certified TI platform when the certification testing is complete. TI will make the announcement with us. 1. Airbee-ZNS on the latest TI platform is undergoing certification as we speak. TI customers will have the ability to use certified Airbee-ZNS in a few weeks. TI's product announcement is not based on the latest TI technology. 2. Airbee has a new Pro-Stack and is one of the Alliance selected participants for becoming a ZigBee-Pro Golden Unit. Official testing begins in a few weeks. The test cases for the Pro stack are not yet available. Ember's announcement is an internal or proprietary solution and NOT related to a CERTIFIED product. 3. Not the companies listed. 4. Most likely UEI is using a private profile based on ZigBee 1.0 which is outdated and obsolete at the moment. There is no public information on their stack supplier."
I hope that's not the chip we've been working on because TI's MSP430 chip should be much more advanced than the one featured in that PR.
It was stated at the shareholder's meeting AND on ABEW's web site that we've been contracted to bring one of TI's chips to certification. IMO, it would be kind of a bummer if that was the chip we've been working on. Besides, if that was the chip we've been working on, I would think that it would be a joint PR between us and TI.
Just my opinion, of course.
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Yes, it's a nice PR but did you notice that Jennic did not claim that their new JN513x chip is certified with the new 1.1 ZigBee spec?
I believe that all of the chip makers (besides the Golden Units) NEED software that is certified under the new 1.1 spec and ABEW is going to be one of the first to get it done.
Things are moving very, very fast now!!!
Those guys are not "newbies" by any means. They fit the profile of paid bashers to a "T". The question is "who" paid them to come onto our board?
After reading the article on bashers (post #21520), it seems to me that someone wants to take a big position with ABEW but doesn't want to send the stock higher. That person knows that ABEW's stock is thinly traded and everytime you buy about 10k shares the price goes up .01.
As an example, if I wanted to buy $50k of ABEW's stock (about 300k shares worth at current price), the first 10k shares would send the PPS to .18. The next 10k shares would send it to .19 etc, etc. That means a simple $50k purchase could send the stock to .47/share. That's why they hire these bashers to disrupt everyones confidence.
I think we're closer to OTCBB status than we think!!!
Just a hunch.
Steve...Have you noticed that those guys aren't over here? I truly think something big is about to happen with ABEW. I don't know what, but I find it too obvious that those guys would show up out of the blue. At first I thought "craven" was legitimate until "itsacrisis" showed up to supprt him. Neither of those guys have any history with any other stock!!!
Frankly, until I read the article on bashers I really didn't know how they operate. Those guys fit the profile PERFECTLY.
If they aren't paid bashers, then I've got to be the stupidest person in the world.
Buzzing about ZigBee: Wireless in 2007
[Thought I'd share part of this article with you since I never saw it posted here before]
New Standard, New Products
The standard, ratified in December 2004, will soon be updated. Early next year, the 200-member ZigBee Alliance plans to release an enhanced version that includes simplified maintenance and over-the-air setup. Honeywell, Philips, Siemens and Samsung are among the Alliance's major players.
“There are well over a thousand companies developing with ZigBee so we can expect a growing stream of products over the next 12 months,” he says. “There are products that address things like monitoring fire extinguishers to ensure they are charged and ready to go; automatic meter reading for utilities; and Zigbee-enabled SIM cards for mobile phones that allow the phone to act as a gateway, point of sale device and control unit for building systems. Pretty much anywhere you would find a sensor or control would benefit [from ZigBee].”
Wireless Integration
Anticipating that ZigBee networks will be melded into other parts of the enterprise, the ZigBee standard includes guidelines for gateways that allow ZigBee sensor and control networks to integrate with other wired and wireless networks.
“Data being collected or monitored by these sensor networks can be sent across to the IP network to the people responsible for facilities management,” DiGiovanni says.
Craig Mathias, principal at the Farpoint Group consultancy, says ZigBee will enable IT managers to expand their networks and bring critical information about the enterprise, such as climate control and security, into other enterprise applications.
He adds that ZigBee will peacefully coexist with other wireless networking technologies, such as RFID. “ZigBee is infrastructure-focused, while RFID is at the edge,” he says.
Mathias says ZigBee will be broadly influential in enterprise environments where telemetry, control and sensors are involved, such as a factory floor, logistics and transportation. “You can use ZigBee to help monitor the arrival of parts – it can be used in conjunction with RFID in that respect,” he says.
DiGiovanni says now is the time for IT managers to learn about this technology. “Get educated on the types of devices that can utilize ZigBee and how they can be integrated into your current infrastructure.”
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Not that I know of. I posted this article because someone had previously doubted the future of ZigBee's influence around the world. This article should releive their doubts.
Multibillion Dollar Toy Maker Embraces ZigBee
CYPRESS, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) (NASDAQ:UEIC) today announced that it has been selected to develop advanced remote controls for new Denon receivers and home entertainment systems to be distributed in the United States, Europe and Asia in early 2007. The new remote control solution will utilize a new innovative design with a built-in monochrome display and the ZigBee(TM) open standard for two-way wireless communication.
With its award-winning industrial design team, UEI will produce an advanced control platform in collaboration with Denon which offers users an intuitive way to control Denon's A/V receivers with unparalleled performance, customization and an ergonomic design.
A key feature of the two-way communication technology in these new remotes will be the ability for users to remotely view metadata information transmitted from Denon receivers. This enabling technology will allow song titles, artists and station information to be browsed on the LCD screen of the remote control from anywhere in the home within range of the A/V receiver's RF signal.
The Denon remote will incorporate many of UEI's patented features such as built-in IR learning, user-defined activity and favorite channel macros, a PC editor and new advanced features such as:
-- Universal A/V control of over 40 unique consumer electronics device types
-- Quick set-up of universal modes via ID search
-- Customizable LCD screen
-- EL backlight of display and hard keys
-- On-device editing of LCD text
-- 2.4GHz RF mesh network capability for transferring metadata
-- Support for Japanese and European fonts
-- Support for multi-zone A/V access and control
-- ZigBee RF receiver with built-in IR blasting for non line-of-sight A/V control
"UEI's unique innovations will allow our customers to enter a new era of interactive remote control technology," said Hirofumi Ichikawa, president, Denon Brand Company. "Denon continues to work together with UEI for new ideas and technologies to help empower our customers with remote technology that can be paired with our advanced receiver lines."
"This product marks the second collaboration between Denon and UEI in bringing new and exciting products to market. The technologies embodied in this advanced controller offer consumers a compelling feature benefit that make this solution stand out in the marketplace," said Paul Arling, chairman and CEO, Universal Electronics Inc. "Denon is a strong premium brand known for innovation, design and leading edge solutions in home entertainment."
The complete product solution is being demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at the Denon private booth at the Diamond Meeting Room in the Aladdin Resort and Casino Hotel.
About Universal Electronics
Founded in 1986, Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) is the global leader in wireless control technology for the connected home. UEI designs, develops, and delivers innovative solutions that enable consumers to control entertainment devices, digital media, and home systems.
The company's broad portfolio of patented technologies and database of infrared control software have been adopted by many Fortune 500 companies in the consumer electronics, subscription broadcast, and computing industries. UEI sells and licenses wireless control products through distributors and retailers under the One For All(R) brand name. UEI also delivers complete home control solutions in the professional custom installation market under the brand name Nevo(R), as well as software solutions for digital media control and enjoyment in the consumer and OEM markets under the brand SimpleCenter(TM).
About Denon
From its beginning in 1910 as a supplier of professional recording studio and broadcast equipment, Denon has become a world leader in the manufacture of highest quality home theater, audio and software products. Denon is recognized internationally for innovative and ground-breaking products and has a long history of technical innovations, including the development and first commercialization of PCM digital audio.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words and expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development, ordering, delivery and market acceptance of products and technologies identified in this release; the Company's continued ability to design products in a fashion that results in its technology being accepted by the companies customers and the end users; the continued importance of the Company's database of codes and other technologies; the continued growth in the markets identified in this release to occur as anticipated by management; and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligations to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- Long; ST Rating- Strong Buy; LT Rating- Strong Buy)
Great Article - even though it's from July of 2006.
ZigBee: Delivering Ubiquitous Computing at Last?
Ubiquitous computing has been talked about for many years. In some senses, with the sheer number of microcontrollers (MCUs) that exist in appliances around us, embedded computing is already pervasive. However, today the vast majority of MCUs are self-contained islands of automation that communicate only within the system they serve. For truly ubiquitous computing, MCUs must be able to talk to each other.
Viable Application Areas
But is there value in enabling this so-called ‘ambient microcontroller-class networking’? According to Metcalfe’s Law, the value of the network increases exponentially according to the number of connections. So much for the theory, what are the practical applications? Well, your digital alarm clock radio has an MCU, and possibly your coffee maker as well. If you change your wake-up time (or your alarm wakes you up early because it has received a severe weather warning), wouldn’t it be nice if your radio told your coffee maker about it?
And there is a strong economic argument for MCU networking besides the convenience it affords. For example, it makes no sense for your dishwasher to start a cycle if there’s no hot water. Your alarm clock radio could also predict when you need hot water, based on your wake up time. With more precise automated control of heating and lighting there is potential to enable significant energy savings. Power generation capacity is geared around satisfying peak demand – if small individual power savings could be made at peak times, hugely expensive capacity additions to electricity generation could be avoided. Security applications are also set to benefit from wireless MCU networking, both in terms of easier installation and their effectiveness.
In industrial situations where large, complex plant and manufacturing capabilities depend on a finely tuned process to improve productivity or save costs, it is seen as being more important that information is shared between microprocessors. Wireless reduces the cost of installation and allows much finer granularity of sensing. The wireless industrial networking alliance (WINA) is a coalition of companies interested in the advancement of wireless solutions for industry. One of the solutions being investigated, both for consumer and industrial control and sensor applications, is the low-cost and low-power standard, ZigBee.
Technology Options
The ZigBee wireless networking standard specifies a software stack for applications and security layers on top of the 2003 IEEE 802.15.4 wireless specification that defines the physical and MAC layers. ZigBee was published in late 2004, by the ZigBee Alliance. Primarily intended for control and monitoring tasks where low data throughput (up to 250 kbps) is required, ZigBee’s short-range reach is around 70 metres. However, ZigBee is not the only potential enabling technology for MCU networking.
Other standards vying for ZigBee’s application space, some of them unconstrained by governing standards bodies, are attempting to outpace ZigBee’s development. Zensys™ Z-Wave™ technology is a proprietary example which has garnered widespread industry support, which is being channeled through the Z-Wave Alliance.
Yet another initiative sees a group within the Internet Engineering Task Force investigating the possibility of implementing a ‘compressed’ version of the potentially heavyweight IPv6 (next-generation Internet Protocol), to reside on top of the 802.15.4 radio standard.
All these protocols provide the basic ‘plumbing’– much like TCP/IP on your laptop. Much of the value-add information services that run on top of these protocols have yet to be developed. The situation is much like the internet – just before the web was invented.
Operating systems are in development for this class of applications. TinyOS is an research-oriented open-source operating system designed for wireless embedded sensor networks. It has its origins in Smart Dust military project, which aims to demonstrate that a complete sensor/communication system can be integrated into a cubic millimeter package.
A Nascent Market
Growing interest shown by major chip manufacturers indicates that this nascent MCU networking market is set for rapid growth. Semiconductor vendors including TI, STMicroelectronics and Freescale have all acknowledged the volume potential for ZigBee products and have announced acquisitions, partnerships and OEM agreements to pursue this market. Oki has also announced its first ARM-based ZigBee solution in collaboration with Integration Associates.
Consequently, although current market predictions for ZigBee are divergent, most analysts are predicting significant growth for ZigBee silicon. A mid-range estimate is that this market will be worth a billion dollars between 2008 and 2010.
From an initial requirement that ZigBee should be a lightweight application that is easy (and cheap) to deploy, the specification for the ZigBee stack has grown to the point where it does begin to stress an 8-bit processor. In fact, the cheapest implementations will be those that integrate ZigBee within the applications processor, rather than separating the wireless functionality in a discrete device. Inevitably, actually doing something useful with the networking capability will demand further CPU cycles. Data has no value until converted into information that can be acted upon. This will drive lots of new and interesting processing. With telemetry-type bandwidth, much of the intelligence will be pushed to the end-node, driving performance requirements higher. Finally, connectivity always throws up security issues, which, depending on the application may require significant steps to be taken. All in all, a low-cost, low-power 32-bit processor is certainly appropriate as a platform for ZigBee-enabled applications. In fact, the primary drivers of cost in MCU cores are the memory arrays and peripherals, not the CPU word width.
Because ZigBee lends itself to integration within the application processor, the availability of good development support for the processor is also an important consideration. Development issues around ZigBee systems should not be underestimated. Complex reliability and security issues remain to be solved. As applications are predominantly deeply-embedded and distributed, debugging and system-level modeling capability is very important.
With the standards, technology and industry support now in place to enable microcontroller networking, a burgeoning market beckons. With most analysts believing it’s a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ this market takes off, the exact timing will depend on delivery of killer consumer and industrial automation applications.
http://www.arm.com/news/hottopics/13849.html