The "community-supported" BeagleBoard project includes a new member, BeagleBoard-xM that uses a new Sitara ARM Cortex-A8 processor from Texas Instruments. TI also offers its own boards and kits, but at about 10 times the cost. The Cortex-A8 processor looks like a good one for high-end applications, so I dare not call it a microcontroller. Find out more about TI's latest Sitara chips and the new BeagleBoard-xM.

Many parents face ordeals related to their children wandering around the house at night.  A young mother in Tennessee recently experienced a harrowing night when she woke up to find her 4-year-old son missing only to learn that the boy had stolen a beer, gotten drunk, ransacked a neighbor’s Christmas presents (donning one which was a little brown dress), and was brought home by police.  Luckily, most parents don’t have to worry about more than a living room covered in soap after their child’s wanderings, but it’s still a scary issue nonetheless.