Simple networks will free many sensors from wires; with a suitable protocol such a ZigBee, sensors that don't have a lot to say or hear needn't consume much energy to keep in touch. Sometimes, an alkaline cell can provide all the power they need for as long as a decade

The folks at the ZigBee Alliance, the industry organization driving ZigBee WPAN (wireless-personal-area-networking) technology, mean it when they say that they've learned valuable lessons from the miscues of the proponents [...]