The Thread Group has announced that certification for its 802.15.4-based low-power mesh network protocol has begun. The smart-home focused group has seen 30 devices put forward so far, and Freescale Semiconductor has told us that its stack and hardware are powering over half of them. Qualifying products will receive clearance to use the Thread logo, in an attempt to create a brand that consumers will recognize and adopt. Stacks from ARM, Freescale and Silicon Labs will be available at the end of the month, with Freescale, NXP and Silicon Labs all launching Thread-compatible chips for sale. At the alliance governance level, lighting company OSRAM has also come on board as a board member, joining ARM, Big Ass Fans, Freescale, Nest…