Processors Toolkit

Cash prize offered for DIY Wi-Fi kit

Richard Thurston ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 07 Aug 2007 10:16 BST

Lantronix has launched a competition to find the world's best Wi-Fi-enabled piece of equipment capable of being monitored or controlled over the internet.

The competition is open to engineers and enthusiasts alike, and promises prizes of up to $6,000 (£3,000), plus a complimentary trip to San Jose in the heart of California's Silicon Valley.

Entrants are challenged to build a Wi-Fi-enabled device based on Lantronix's embedded 802.11 wireless server module.

Entries will be judged on considerations such as technical merit, design, business value and cost effectiveness.

The competition has been run twice before. Previous prize winners include the designer of a Wi-Fi clock that retrieves news, weather and email from the web and a "Wi-Aquarium" — a remotely controlled fish tank.

The deadline for entries is 3 March 2008 and entries should be submitted through Lantronix's website. Shortlisted candidates will later be asked to send in a working prototype.