NYC Resistor is offering our Wireless Wearables class again on May 3rd. The last one sold out pretty quickly, so  if you want to join us for an intensive afternoon of sew-on radio fun, it’s a good idea to beat the ninjas and sign up early.

The LilyPad XBee a sew-in wearable radio is now available from SparkFun Electronics! It can be paired with LilyPad wearable sensors, custom built sensors and a variety of output devices to create a complete wireless wearable system. The board is $14.95 (XBee sold separately). Wow, from 7-in-7 exercise to commercially produced item in five months. I’m still working on nailing down a funder for that clam-flavored gum…

Artists Alex Reeder and Amy Khoshbin both invested in early prototypes so they’ll be producing the pioneering LilyPad XBee projects. Check their sites for upcoming work.

LilyPad XBee $14.95 plus shipping (XBee sold separately)

Kate Hartman and I will be teaching a hot new class in Wireless Wearables using the LilyPad XBee. It is offered through downtown Brooklyn’s hacker space, NYC Resistor on Sunday, December 14th from 2-6 p.m. The price of the class includes your own brand-new LilyPad XBee board, an XBee radio and all needed soft circuit materials. The class description explains all:

Get ready to explore the delights of mutual connectivity with the soon-to-be released XBee LilyPad! This class will introduce the communication and construction techniques necessary to create wireless wearables. We’ll start by learning how to communicate using XBee radios, including digital, analog, input and output modes along with an overview of other useful features. Once we’ve made contact, we’ll translate our circuits onto fabric, learning how to make flexible, durable, and attractive connections between components using conductive textiles and threads. By the end of the class, we’ll have our soft circuits conversing wirelessly and you’ll be ready to create your own clothing, toy or tapestry that talks!

The price is great and space is limited. Sign up here!

Wearable radios are coming for your clothes! The LilyPad XBee sew-on ZigBee boards just headed out for manufacture. We finished testing the final green prototype version, nudged in a few improvements and about four weeks from now they’ll be commercially available.

Pricing and source to be announced when the boards go live. For now, we can tell you they’ll definitely be purple.