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AirPod-holstering Apple Watch band is equal parts obnoxious and useful
Just when you thought goofy AirPod shirt-collar pockets were bad, another company comes along to prove you wrong. Elago (not to be confused with Elgato) has come out with an AirPod-holding wristband accessory for the Apple Watch, as spotted by Macrumors. The $14.99 silicone Wrist Fit band is an add-on that slides on to your wristband (apparently it'll fit on "most" 38mm and 42mm bands), and holds your AirPods. It's pretty simple and potentially useful -- if a little expensive -- for times when you don't have pockets. Just don't expect to win any fashion contests with the Wrist Fit and AirPods on your arm. Hey, maybe we're being too harsh though. After all, fanny packs are ugly as sin and they're somehow making a comeback.
Google's Mode Android Wear bands snap on for easy changes
If you want to change the band on your Android wear device, it takes a few minutes. Thanks to a new line of accessories Google, though, swapping out that wrist strap can be done in a matter of seconds. Google revealed its new Mode "snap-and-swap" bands today in 10 shades of leather and 6 different silicone hues. Each material is available in four widths, with the former starting at $60 while pricing on the latter starts at $50.
Apple Watch bands will cost between $49 and $449
An Apple Watch won't do you a ton of good without a band to hold it to your wrist and Cupertino has plenty of options to choose from. Let's start from the bottom: A 38mm sport band runs $49, and a 42mm one is the same price. It starts getting more expensive from there, though. The 38mm Milanese Loop (which looks an awful lot like chainmail if you ask me) is $149. Same goes for the 42mm large leather Loop. The smaller, 38mm Modern Buckle costs $249. The Link Bracelet will set you back the most, however, at $449 for a 42mm band (just over the price of two Pebble Time watches). Of course, none of them are available to ship at the moment despite how much you might want one -- you'll have to wait a few weeks for that.
Montblanc has an 'e-Strap' to make its luxury watches smarter
Smartwatches continue to grow in popularity, but if you prefer a high-end mechanical timepiece instead, Montblanc has a way to still get the tech, too. A Blog to Watch reports the luxury watchmaker announced an optional e-Strap that'll equip its Timewalker Urban Speed Collection. The add-on brings the usual activity tracking, notifications, music controls, remote camera trigger and more that we've become accustomed to with wrist-worn wearables. The module and its 0.9-inch monochromatic OLED touchscreen resides on the underside of your wrist, secured by a leather strap, connecting to your trusty iOS or Android device via Bluetooth. Speaking of phones, there's a companion app to tally all of the data, and Montblanc says wearers can expect five days of use before needed to recharge. No word on when it'll arrive, but the watch itself ranges from €2,990 up to €4,690 (about $3,319 to $5,675), that bit of tech on the band is said to add another €250 (around $300).
Hex Vision Classic Leather Watch Band for 6G iPod nano: Good-looking, reasonably priced
When the first watch bands started appearing for iPod nanos, I really thought the idea was ludicrous. After all, what kind of person would spend a minimum of US$129 on a touchscreen watch when they have a really good clock in their pocket -- an iPhone -- already? I felt that way until a friend of mine gave me a 6G iPod nano a few weeks ago and I coincidentally received a Hex Vision Classic Leather Watch Band (US$49.95) to review. Now I'm hooked on the idea of the 6G iPod nano as a watch, and this classy and inexpensive watch band has had a lot to do with my change of heart. Design There's not much to say about watch bands. Basically, they're what hold the mechanical or electrical gadgetry onto your wrist. In the case of the watch bands that have been designed for the sixth-generation iPod nano, they hold the nano into place either using the clip on the back of the device or through some other mechanical means. Some of the designs I've seen so far have been bulky affairs that encase the entire nano. More often, the watch bands use a mechanism that is like that of the Vision Classic -- a stainless steel (or other material) plate that the nano clips onto. I like this more open design, as the nano doesn't need to be removed from the band for syncing or charging. %Gallery-149242% The Vision Classic is indeed a take on the classic leather watch band. The stainless steel clip makes it easy to add or remove the nano while being unobtrusive. The leather band is comfortable and topstitched for added flair, and comes in four different colors: black, white, British tan, and grey. Functionality The Vision Classic does what it's designed to do: hold an iPod nano to your wrist while looking good. It feels great, it's easy to get the nano in and out of the watch band, and -- most importantly in my opinion -- it's inexpensive for a non-plastic nano band. Yeah, you can get crappy-looking polycarbonate watch bands from a number of manufacturers (including Hex) for less money, but when it comes to nice looking bands that don't cost an arm and a leg, the Vision Classic Leather Watch Band is a winner. Be sure to check out the gallery of photos to see the Vision Classic and my mighty arm in action.
Deckster Re:Class iPod nano watchband is really nice, really expensive
The sixth-generation iPod nano has spawned a host of watchbands, all designed to turn the diminutive music player into a cool watch. Up until now, though, I haven't seen one that would make me shell out $129 to $149 for a nano just to have a watch. The Deckster Re:Class watchband from N-Product (CAD$165) would have changed all of that, but that price tag is the downfall of this otherwise very nice band. N-Product makes all of the Re:Class bands from recycled materials. The review watchband, for example, uses bicycle tire inner tubes and treads to make a comfortable, stylish, and tough band. The company partnered with Mountain Equipment Co-op to take leftover materials from backpacks for some of the other bands, and uses 99.9% recycled aluminum for the unique casing that holds the iPod nano in place. %Gallery-142632% The name Deckster comes from that casing. When the entrepreneurs at N-Product were thinking about a way to hold an iPod nano in place but make it easy to insert and remove, they thought about old cassette tape decks. Many cassette tape decks had a "door" that folded out; you open the door, placed the cassette into the door, then closed it. The Deckster design works the same way. There's a button that releases a latch when pressed, and the top of the casing opens up. A nano slides into the casing easily, at which point you close the door until it clicks securely into place. N-Product emblazons the inside of the case with a painting of a cassette to honor the memory of that ancient media format. I personally don't own an iPod nano, so I lent the review unit to a friend who has one. He commented that the Deckster did a much better job of holding the iPod nano in place than most of the other wristbands. Several of those (the iWatchz Q, for example) use the clip on the back of the nano to hold it in place. The Hex Icon uses a bulky box-like structure to hold the nano, while the LunaTik is designed for permanently encasing your nano. My friend liked the way the Deckster case worked to make inserting and removing the nano a snap. So, my buddy was impressed with the Deckster, until I told him the price. Yes, it's in Canadian dollars, but the website's conversion tools shows that still makes the Re:Class band US$160.58. Considering that's over twice the price of the HEX Vision stainless steel band (US$69.95) and double what many of the LunaTik cases run (US$79.95), the pricing is completely out of line. Sure, the convenience of being able to pop your 6G nano in and out of the Deckster is nice, but is paying more than the cost of the nano itself for a watchband a really smart idea? You decide.
Motorola considering Nike+ SportWatch contender?
It looks like Motorola might be prepping to give the Nike+ SportWatch a run for its money. An intrepid tipster sent along a screenshot from a recent survey showing off what looks like a tricked out nano watch. Described as an "all-in-one fitness and music personal fitness device" (redundant much?) that packs a GPS for "accurate performance tracking," the as of yet unnamed gadget also sports a "smart music player" that compiles a list of songs based on the tunes that help you sweat your best. It also lets you wirelessly sync to your PC for workout analysis, and apparently does the same for Android devices. Among the possible names listed in the survey is the MotoActive, hinting at, but certainly not pinning down, Motorola branding. Of course this is just an online survey, so we wouldn't get too excited about your new running mate just yet. [Thanks, Anon]
HEX debuts iPod nano watch band compatible with Nike+
Sure, you can get a Nike+ SportsWatch, or a simply pair an iPod nano with Nike+, but those looking to use their iPod nano as a watch with Nike+ have so far been left with few options beyond the DIY route. Watch band-maker HEX now looks set to change that, however, with its new Sports Watch Band that's set to debut in April. As you can see above, there's not a whole lot too it -- just a reasonably stylish wristband with a "port" that's able to accommodate the Nike+ attachment. No word on a price just yet, nor is there any indication that it will come in colors other than white -- though that seems a safe bet if the company's previous watch band is any indication.
