MetaWatch
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Smartwatch pioneer Meta returns with a premium alternative to Pebble
Back in the days when Pebble just made a BlackBerry accessory called the inPulse, the biggest name in wearables was MetaWatch, the smartwatch firm that spun out of Fossil. After a few years of seeing other people's devices hog the limelight, the company has shortened its name and is now ready to make a comeback. The Meta M1, designed by Nokia and Vertu legend Frank Nuovo is launching this September, but pre-orders for the unit are opening today. It's the same piece of hardware that we saw back at CES but -- unsurprisingly for a company with a background in watchmaking -- with a wider variety of cases and straps for fashion-conscious consumers including rose gold. For instance, the base model comes with a natural black rubber band, setting you back $250, but those with fancier-pants can slam down $450 for an all stainless steel variant. Either way, we're looking forward to getting this piece of gear in for review.
Meta Watch announces new dev kit with added iOS support, Bluetooth 4.0
Can't wait for the Pebble E-Paper Watch to ship this fall? The Meta Watch developer system that we first saw last year just got a major upgrade, and could serve as an acceptable stand-in for now, with the arrival of both iOS support and Bluetooth 4.0 to the $199 connected wearable. The device includes a 96 x 96-pixel sunlight-viewable LCD, six programmable buttons, an accelerometer, vibrating motor, ambient light sensor and a black or white strap. The developer platform Meta Watch is available through Texas Instruments now for $199. Hit up the source link after the break to make it your own.
MetaWatch offers iPhone compatibility in new developer kit
So, you didn't get signed up to get one of the first Pebble watches on Kickstarter? Well, you have a fallback plan now. MetaWatch, a spinoff of watchmaker Fossil, has released a new version of its self-named watch in developer kit format that specifically uses Bluetooth 4.0 (found in the iPhone 4S and iPad) to communicate to your device without being a drain on the watch or phone battery. This isn't exactly a mainstream smartwatch ... yet. It's really targeted to developers who can write their own apps to take information from the iPhone and display it on the watch, but hopefully if enough devs get excited about MetaWatch you'll be able to purchase one without the need to be a programming genius. The watch is available immediately from TI's eStore (it uses a low-power microcontroller from TI) and MetaWatch's store page for US$199.
Fossil's Meta Watch passes the FCC, your magic wristwatch fantasies are about to come true
Fossil's Meta Watch has been beset with delays and defective parts but finally there's good news -- the watches have passed the FCC. The two models (analog and digital) can sync with your Android smartphone or tablet via a Texas Instruments CC2560 Bluetooth controller and are being sold as a "development platform" until enough apps are built to take advantage of the technology. T.I.'s website lists the watches as being available since August 22nd, although we're not entirely sure what to make of that -- it still looks like a pre-order situation to us. In any case, the devices should hopefully start reaching app developers pretty soon. Hey, how about using the internal gyroscopes to bring some genuine wrist-flapping action to Angry Birds? Update: TI's website is now listing the watch with a September 29th availability date. [Thanks, Imdad]
Fossil's Meta Watch delayed once again, clearly has trouble keeping time
If you were planning on outfitting your arm with a new Meta Watch this month, you're out of luck, because Fossil has just announced that the wristpieces won't start shipping until September. The watches, which use Texas Instruments' CC2560 Bluetooth controller to sync with smartphones, tablets or desktops, were originally scheduled for a July launch, but that timeline was eventually pushed back to August, due to part delays. Now, manufacturers have discovered a new batch of issues with the devices' programming clips (used for micro USB connections) and the analog-digital version's steel case, meaning that the pair won't reach Hong Kong distributors until the beginning of next month, after which they may take another one to two weeks before shipping to consumers. The countdown clock continues to tick away, but you can still pre-order a Meta Watch for $200, at the links below. [Thanks, Glen]
Fossil won't ship the Meta Watch until August, Dick Tracy wannabes get antsy
Some of you with a James Bond complex might have been waiting on Fossil's Meta Watches, a duo of wristpieces that use Texas Instrument's CC2560 Bluetooth radio to pull in emails, Facebook updates, weather forecasts, and more -- depending on what else developers cook up for it, that is. On top of that, the SDK allows Android smartphones and tablets to register button presses and receive sensor data from the watches, and then respond by sending text or triggering the vibration motor. If you already set aside $200 when they went up for pre-order two months back, you're going to have to twiddle your thumbs a bit longer. In response to a tweet from a curious customer, Bill Geiser, vice president of Fossil Watch Technology, said that thanks to some part delays, the two are now on track to ship in August, not July. If this is all new to you, that means you've got some time to ponder whether you'd rather have the analog / digital version or the fully digital one with a larger memory-in-pixel LCD. Decisions, decisions, folks. [Thanks, Alex]
Fossil Meta Watch wrists-on at Google I/O (video)
Today at Google I/O we got a chance to play with Meta Watch, Fossil's wearable development platform, which allows developers to extend the interfaces of devices and applications to the wrist. Both watches -- one analog / digital with a traditional dial plus two small OLED displays, the other digital with a larger memory-in-pixel LCD (a highly reflective, always-on, ultra low-power screen) -- feature Bluetooth for communication, along with a vibration motor, three-axis accelerometer, and ambient light sensor. The devices are built around Texas Instrument's super efficient MSP430TM microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth radio and will run seven days on a charge. A set of contacts in the back allow the watches to interface with a debugging clip for charging and JTAG programming. The hardware is paired with an SDK which allows a tablet or smartphone running Android to register button presses and receive sensor data from the watches, and then respond by sending text or triggering the vibration motor. It's also possible to design custom embedded wearable applications running directly on your wrist, and it will be up to developers to truly unleash the magical possibilities here. Speaking of which, the Meta Watch is currently available to pre-order for $199 (see our source link), with availability pegged for June 30th. Based on what we heard today at Google I/O, the watch is being hawked to developers only, but it's obvious that DIY-minded folks will be able to buy one as well. For now, just two of the models shown here will be sold, but there's no telling what will happen once the platform builds up enough of a backbone to support an influx of actual customers. The company isn't handing out a timeframe as to when it will be ready for the mass market, but we'd be shocked if it was still floundering around this time next year. Interested in having an early peek? Take a look at our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break. %Gallery-123275%
Fossil Meta Watch shows you where you can put your fifth screen
When he first showed off the original iPad, Steve Jobs talked up the "fourth screen." But is four really enough? We mean, really? Could the fifth screen really have been on our wrists all along? Sure, we've seen plenty fall flat with smartwatches, including big names like Microsoft and Sony Ericsson, but that hasn't stopped companies from trying. The Meta Watch certainly isn't Fossil's first connected wristwatch -- nor is it the first watch SDK -- but it does have a lot going for it, including a thumbs up from HP. The two models are built on Texas Instruments' CC2560 Bluetooth platform, which allow them to receive push notifications from smartphones and tablets, so you can read e-mail, tweets, or Facebook updates -- assuming the right developers get onboard. And since none of the apps actually live on the watches, they get solid battery life -- seven full days on a charge, according to the company. You can pre-order the watches now, or wait until they officially go on sale in July for $200 a pop -- make sure to set a reminder on your nano. Press release after the break.
HP shows off MetaWatch concept (video)
Give yourself a cookie if you can still remember as far back as August 29th of last year. That was the day when HP's Phil McKinney teased the world with images of three new prototypes being developed in his company's labs -- there was a tablet, now known as the HP TouchPad, a smartphone that's since taken on the name of Pre 3, and something snaked around his wrist that looked suspiciously like a watch. Today, we learn more about this MetaWatch, as HP calls. It's a continuation of the company's overarching theme of mobile interconnectedness, however unlike its webOS devices, this connected watch is nowhere near ready for prime time (or maybe it's just like them since none are actually shipping yet!). The new Meta fella is still a research project as much as anything else, but it's seen as a key part of our future, acting as an easy-to-use information aggregator. It looks just like any old watch to us, but why not jump past the break and let HP's CTO enlighten you on what makes it special? [Thanks, Obstacle-Man] Update: Turns out this concept device is actually called MetaWatch, not Metal Watch. We've updated the post accordingly, but hey, Metal Watch doesn't sound too bad, either.
