Monday, June 4, 2012

Silicon Labs Powers Flashing Wristbands For Coldplay

Austin-based Silicon Laboratories, which makes analog and mixed signal integrated circuits, has gained an unlikely showcase for its technology: the flashing, synchronized wristbands seen at concerts for the band Coldplay, including on its video for the song Charlie Brown. Silicon Labs said this morning that its wireless ICs and ultra-low-power microcontrollers are the core of Xylobands, the LED wristbands which light up in sync with the music and stage at Coldplay concerts. Silicon Laboratories said its hardware enabled the delivery of "hundreds of thousands" of the wristbands to Coldplay audiences around the world at the band's concerts. Silicon Laboratories integrated circuits are usually not so visible, and are usually quietly embedded into a myriad of more mundane electronics items.