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Casio's iPhone-friendly G-Shock finally out, will adorn wrists for $180
It seems Casio's G-Shock GB6900 hasn't been mindful of its own raison d'être, turning up much later than expected. After making its first appearance way back in March 2011, rolling through FCC in July the same year, and then reportedly getting stalled by floods in Thailand, the Bluetooth 4.0-packing smart watch is finally available stateside for $180. Tardiness notwithstanding, the wearable gizmo is typically defiant of shock and water. However, its hero feature is hooking up with your iPhone (4S or newer) to sync time, throw up call / email alerts and letting you locate your misplaced smartphone. And while the timekeeper can't let you be mayor, reveal objects' secrets or serve up apps, at least it doesn't hurt your wallet as much as some of its rivals.
G-Shock prototype phone hides its craggy looks at CES, only fears your stares
Like your phones tough? Casio's apparently crafted another hardy device and this one appears to be running Android Gingerbread. The unnamed device can handle ten-foot drops and ten meters of water, while scaring small children at the same time. Hiding under a bridge somewhere in Las Vegas, it somehow avoided our patrols of the CES showfloor. The rubberized smartphone holds on to those G-Shock looks, with nubs mimicking the layout of Casio's ubiquitous digital watch. Aside from the super-tough credentials emblazoned on the back of the device, other specs remain unknown. MyNavi reports that the device remains a concept at the moment, although Casio still seems more than happy to show off the phone on its Facebook page. Interested in another option besides those smartphone-friendly G-Shocks? You can peruse the source for a full gallery of the hardware. [Thanks GreeKNastY]
Casio's smartphone-ready G-Shock watch set to hit Japan in March
Casio's G-Shock GB-6900 watch was originally set to roll out sometime this year (having even made an appearance at FCC way back in July) but, according to TechCrunch, the company was forced to delay its release to due to shortages resulting from the Thailand floods. Now it looks like you'll be able to finally pick one up on March 16th of next year -- at least in Japan, where it's set to run ¥18,000 (or about $230). Of course, we wouldn't be covering this if it was just an ordinary G-Shock watch. The key feature here is Bluetooth LE connectivity (part of the Bluetooth 4.0 spec), which consumes far less power than other Bluetooth variations, and allows the watch to communicate with your smartphone. As you might expect from that tiny display, that functionality is a bit more limited than something like Motorola's MOTOACTV, but it will let you see incoming calls, emails and text messages, and control some basic features like your phone's ringer or alarm.
NEC Medias PP N-01D knows what boys like: watch-based notifications
NTT DoCoMo's pantheon of remarkably similar smartphones is expanding again, with the release of NEC's Medias PP N-01D. The chunky 10.9mm blower packs a whopping 1,700 mAh battery that promises 630 hours of standby. Beneath the water-and-dust-proof shell is a Gingerbread phone with the usual array of features: 8.1 megapixel camera, mobile wallet, One-Seg TV reception, and cable-free sync. It's also squeezed in wireless charging and the ability to pair the phone via Bluetooth to the forthcoming Casio G-Shock GB-9600 watch, which will notify you of your incoming calls and emails. Ladyphone users who aren't interested in playing Dick Tracy can fire up the Medias Beauty App, which will offer "professional beauty advice" -- handy for those of us who can't find the time to keep our makeup all nice.
Casio's Bluetooth 4.0 G-Shock is water and shock-resistant, FCC-approved
The latest G-Shock watch from Casio boasts the usual array of shock and water-resistant claims, and now it can add FCC acceptance to the list, having passed through that government agency's approval process. So, why did this wristwatch hit the FCC in the first place? Well, the rugged little timekeeper is packing Bluetooth 4.0 in its bag of tricks, which lets the wearable gadget communicate with your smartphone. No word on a release date, but Casio did mention a fairly broad "some time in 2011" window when it was first announced back in March. Here's hoping that its FCC debut will speed the shock-filled process along.
