Arduino announced a new board today, the MKR1000, meant for Internet of Things development.
The new board “offers the ideal solution for Makers seeking to add Wi-Fi connectivity with minimal previous experience in networking,” wrote Arduino’s Zoe Romano in a post announcing the new board.
The device, which will be marketed as the Arduino MKR1000 in the United States and as the Genuino MKR1000 elsewhere, is based on the Atmel ATSAMW25 and incorporates on-board Wi-Fi and a Cryptochip. A product page for the new unit does not list pricing information.
To promote the new board, Arduino will team up with Microsoft to give away 1,000 units to Makers who submit project ideas based on the new board.
“We want to celebrate the Maker community so we thought there’s no better way to do that than encourage inventors, artists, Makers, hobbyists or professionals and developers to create on Arduino,” Romano wrote.
The contest guidelines are flexible. Romano listed environmental sensors, gaming, augmented reality, and robotics as acceptable projects. Presumably because of Microsoft’s involvement, the rules specify that projects need to be written as Universal Windows Apps.
The contest organizers will select three finalists to win trips to Maker Faire Shenzhen, New York, or Rome, and a $500 gift certificate to Adafruit.
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