Sun Microsystems has unveiled a special version of its Java programming language, called SPOT (Small Programmable Object Technology), geared specifically for wireless sensor applications. A development kit with two wireless sensors, a base station, and JavaBeans development software is scheduled for release this month for $499. Chairman and CEO Scott McNealy showcased the technology in a keynote address at Sun's Worldwide Education and Research Conference. During the address McNealy introduced Dr. Barbara (Bobbi) Kurshan, new executive director of the non-profit Global Education and Learning Community, created to offer free, open standards-based curriculum to increase the reach of educational tools.
 Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy |
Second, the newest version of OpenBSD—a freely available Unix-like computer operating system—promises to assist systems monitoring through a new sensor interface framework. OpenBSD 3.9, scheduled for release on May 1, includes support for the sensors and the sensor management tools used on a number of architectures. OpenBSD, known for portability, standardization, and security, addresses the problem of monitoring servers' environmental conditions in a heterogeneous architecture. (http://sun.com/, www.openbsd.org/39.html)