An inexpensive, low-powered wireless network aimed at providing communications for small auxiliary devices. Sound familiar? Bluetooth has changed the way devices communicate without cables, and now Zigbee promises to build on Bluetooth's success with a wireless topology that can link as many as 65.526 devices into a network using electronics that can add as little as $1 to the cost of each connected device. Zigbee has begun to make marks in the building-automation field, but is poised to expand into general device communications. While it's not the only alternative [1] to Bluetooth, Zigbee has great industry support. Get ready to Zigbee your wireless devices.

For more on Zigbee:
- read the technology update [2] at Network World