How to write the introduction to a wireless sensor network research paper:

1. Choose from one of the following first phrases
   • Recent advances
   • Recent developments
   • Recent technological advances
   • Recent technological developments
2. Add one of the following
   • in integrated circuit technology
   • in micro-electo-mechanical systems (MEMS)
   • in embedded computing systems
   • in digital electronics, embedded systems, and wireless communications
3. Continue with one of the following:
   • have enabled
   • have fostered
   • makes possible
4. Finally complete the sentence with one of the following:
   • the construction/development of low-cost (multifunctional) sensor nodes.
   • the emergence of small, low-power devices that integrate microsensing and actuation with on-board processing and wireless communications capabilities.
   • the deployment of large-scale, low-power wireless sensors.

You are now on your way to a very successful sensor network publication!

It's the first day of ski season, my favorite time of year.

Prabal and I are now master tire chain installers and deinstallers.

Pics from Kirkwood (click for larger view):

Merry Christmas!

Just before Christmas, I sent an email to the TinyOS 2.0 working group about the involvement of the TinyOS community in the Zigbee Alliance. For those of you that don't know, there's a new version of TinyOS under development that changes almost all of the system interfaces. Part of this effort is to define an architecture to build sensor networking protocols. Zigbee is an industry-led alliance to standardize networking for wireless sensors.

My proposal had just one point:

Zigbee should be the first network protocol released for TinyOS 2.0

I detailed a few reasons why:

1. Zigbee is a standard.
2. TinyOS has received lukewarm, at best, recognition in the commercial sector. Embracing a standard protocol suite will bring attention to the project and interest from commercial users.
3. A standard protocol suite is valuable not just for commercial use, but also for academics.
4. A TinyOS-Zigbee implementation opens the door to improvements that the TinyOS community may propose to the Zigbee 2.0 technical working group.
5. Zigbee will help frame the design of TinyOS 2.0's networking architecture.
6. Think of the opportunities! "TinyOS inside" stickers for lightbulbs, thermostats, forklifts, trucks, toasters, microwaves, etc!

As of the writing of this post, there has not been a single response to my proposal. As per most of my suggestions, this very important proposal for saving TinyOS has been ignored and discarded by the infamous TinyOS "czars".

Read the full text of my manifesto in the TinyOS 2.0 working group archives

There are about 500,000 hits for "TinyOS" on Google compared to the almost 2 million hits for "Zigbee", yet there are only 9,000 hits for the combined search terms "TinyOS" and "Zigbee".