wristwatch
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The iWatch mockups from yesteryear
Old smartwatches don't die, they just need new batteries. I was going through some old bookmarks last night and I ran across a site called Wrist Dreams, which had a sad but funny list of smartwatches from 7 or more years ago. Listed among the fish finder watch and "thinking" watches, there's a link to a bunch of crazy Apple concept devices. On that list: some Apple watches, before THE Apple Watch was announced. Look at the watches on Wrist Dreams, however. They remind me of those clunky tablets before the iPad, or even more of the slide Steve Jobs put up showing what state-of-the-art smartphones from 2007 looked like. Full of buttons, a real hot mess. Then again, we didn't have 7 years of iPhone design language, so it's not surprising how dorky these old things look.
Samsung expected to unveil a call-making smartwatch in June
Unlike cellphone-tethered models like the Pebble or Galaxy Gear 2, "Dick Tracy" watches that make calls haven't set the world on fire -- probably because they're still clunky as hell. The WSJ, though, has added fuel to a previous rumor that Samsung will try to crack that market soon with its own watchphone. The Tizen-based device will reportedly make calls, send messages and take photos, while packing a GPS, heart-rate monitor and other whiz-bang tech. The Korean company is said to have spoken to US and Asian carriers about such a device, and may announce it in June or July. We're quite sure Samsung has the technical chops to pull it off, but such a device would need a very appealing design -- and its savvy there is questionable.
Martian Passport Watch mixes Bluetooth and class, ships by March for $299 (hands-on)
The world of Bluetooth watches is getting immensely crowded. After years of trying, it seems as if Bluetooth watch makers finally have a captive audience. The Pebble smartwatch seems to be leading the charge in the here and now, but for those looking for something a bit less Jetsons and a bit more Dick Tracy, there's the Martian Passport. At a glance, the unit itself looks very much like a classic wristwatch, replete with analog hand dials, a knob to change the time, and a metallic casing. Look a little closer, however, and you'll spot a 96 x 16 pixel OLED display, capable of displaying contact names for incoming calls and scrolling new text messages. It's a bit thick (0.52 inches), but it houses a battery that can survive a full two hours of yapping, or seven days in standby. Those needing to juice it back up can do so in a couple of hours via the side-mounted micro-USB port. Internally, there's a Bluetooth 4.0 chip (which supports classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth low energy), a vibrating motor for notifications, a three-axis accelerometer, magnetometer, noise-cancellation microphone, and a couple of menu / select buttons on the left. The whole thing is shockingly well built, oozing quality from every possible pore. It'll play nice with iOS and Android devices, and there's an incoming iOS app that'll add even more functionality in the near future. In our testing here at CES 2013, we found the watch to pick up calls and notifications from an iPhone 4S immediately, and the OLED panel was remarkably easy to see even from a few feet away. Chatting into the watch was predictably awkward, but undercover agents should feel right at home. In all seriousness, audio quality was crisp, and folks on the other end had no issues hearing us. And, of course, there's the ability to control the thing via voice. Is it worth the $299 asking price? That's hard to say. The famed Pebble will begin shipping in just over a week for a measly $149, so you'd have to really prefer the look of this guy to pay double. If that's you, you can get your order in through the source link below. %Gallery-175796%
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.
Tokyoflash Kisai Zone watch tells time in hexagons
Tokyoflash omits function-based bells and whistles on its timepieces in favor of style, and if none of its previous designs have left you smitten, maybe the Kisai Zone will. The hook on this particular model is its hexagonal number display, which is surprisingly easy to read, given some of the company's other offerings. The stainless steel strap and body comes in silver and black, with blue, green, purple or black options for the always-on LCD face completing the custom look. The watch is available now for a two-day introductory price of $99, which then jumps to $139. If your bare wrist is in need of further persuasion, then check out the video walkthrough below.%Gallery-164179%
Garmin Forerunner 10 is a GPS watch designed for outdoor fitness, we go hands-on
Having a svelte design is paramount to the success of any fitness accessory -- a desire to avoid hassle often prompts those of us who opt for purging calories without the convenience of a climate-controlled gym to leave smartphones, and even watches at home. That means nifty contraptions like Garmin's new Fenix all-in-one wearable don't make it to the jogging path, making a compact dedicated running watch a more desirable pick instead. That's the idea behind the Forerunner 10, which Garmin is pushing as a dead-simple GPS-equipped wristwatch for runners, joggers and walkers. Water resistant to 50 meters (for ocean-floor sprints?), the gadget tracks essentials like pace and calories burned, while also keeping tabs on your coordinates, letting you download stats like distance and speed through a USB adapter and Garmin Connect. We weren't able to go for a jog, sadly, though we did spend some time with the Forerunner 10 in an office setting. The watch seemed very straightforward, which you'll find to be quite helpful as you push to match a pre-set pace, without worrying about distractions. It comes in black, green or pink, and while the company suggests that you can wear the watch for non-exercise purposes as well, both colored designs seemed a bit too bright and flashy for regular use. The Forerunner 10 is rated for up to five hours of battery life in training mode, or five weeks in power-save mode (for regular time-keeping purposes), and is available to purchase for $130. You can check one out for yourself at Garmin's Chicago retail location, or you can take a peek in our hands-on photos just below.%Gallery-163499%
Sony SmartWatch torn down and dissected, wishes it were a Pebble
Wondering how the innards of Sony's SmartWatch compared to the Motorola's MotoACTV? Wonder no more. One cmw has dissected the aforesaid timepiece, noting that most of what's inside doesn't live up to the superior hardware found in Moto's unit. Aside from finding a 110mAh battery (compared to 258mAh in the MotoACTV), there's also a Micrium uC/OS-II. For those just here for the eye candy, there's a bit of that down in the source link, too. When asked for comment, Pebble simply quipped: "Everyday I'm Shufflin'." [Thanks, John]
Biegert & Funk bring the literal time to your wristwatch with QLOCKTWO W
It's a common desire among everyday folk: we often say we'd like to read more, if only we had the time. While it's unlikely to fill your noggin with the prose of Hemingway or the poetry of Whitman, a new wristwatch from Biegert & Funk promises to quench your thirst for words and literally provide you with the time. Known as the QLOCKTWO W, the timepiece is a portable revision of the company's original wall clock, both of which display the current time in everyday language. Priced at €550, the watch is scheduled for arrival this autumn and will be available in black or stainless steel variations, with either rubber or leather bands. As another option, those who find English far too mundane may spring for the Deutsch version. Curious shoppers will find the full PR after the break.
Hands-on with Smart Monitor's SmartWatch, the seizure sensing wristwatch
Millions of people suffer from epileptic seizures, and the threat of such episodes is a constant concern for those with the condition, their families and caretakers. Smart Monitor knows that the freedom of folks with epilepsy is curtailed by trepidation caused by the unpredictability of seizures, so it's created the SmartWatch. The device is a wristwatch, roughly the size of a WIMM One, that has a GPS module and a proprietary accelerometer/gyroscopic sensor inside to detect the excessive and repeated motions that occur during grand mal seizures. It then records the time, duration and location of the occurrences and sends that information via Bluetooth to the accompanying app on your Android smartphone (an iOS version is in the works). The app tracks and stores the info and automatically calls your designated caretakers to alert them of the seizure, thusly ensuring the safety of the watch wearer. The watch also has physical buttons on the side that allow users to cancel a false alert or manually send one out with a single press.Aside from the real-time safety net that comes with wearing the watch, it also provides valuable information to neurologists over the long term. When and where seizures take place is data that those who study and treat epilepsy find useful, and it can be quite difficult for folks to recall such info after a seizure. SmartWatch can give doctors an accurate long term look at a patient's episodic history that they wouldn't be able to obtain otherwise. Because it's a motion detection unit, the device is only for those who suffer from tonic clonic, or grand mal seizures, so it's not a universal seizure detector. However, the company's clinical trials with the device are ongoing, and Smart Monitor will submit it for FDA approval as a tonic clonic seizure sensor later this year.
Garmin's Forerunner 910XT sport watch begs to become your new swimming buddy
After introducing the Forerunner 610 alongside its lineup of runner-friendly watches, Garmin has introduced a new high tech gadget that's targeted to hardcore swimmers and triathletes: enter the Forerunner 910XT. With a price tag of $400, it's certainly intended for the most dedicated (or affluent) jocks, but for the outlay of cash, you'll find it provides detailed metrics such as swim distance, pool lengths, along with stroke identification and count. It even goes so far as to report one's SWOLF score, which is a measure of a swimmer's efficiency (calculated as the number of strokes to swim a lap, plus the time to travel said distance). The Forerunner 910XT is water resistant to 50 meters, but it's certainly apt for use on dry land, too. For instance, it provides stats about one's elevation, heart rate and speed, and offers built-in GPS. The battery life is limited to 20 hours, although we'd imagine your endurance will give out long before that time. If you've found your new obsession, you'll find the full PR after the break.
Swatch Touch watch reacts to your, well, you know
Admit it, you've either owned or lusted after some sort of quirky Swatch in your lifetime. If not, its new Touch watch may be the one to finally give you a case of GAS. According to T3, the timepiece sports a convex LCD touchscreen, used for swiping or tapping through settings. Aside from displaying the time and date in an eye-caching (nearly unreadable) manner, it features an alarm, a timer, chronograph functionality and keeps track of two timezones. The Swatch Touch is said to hit the UK scene on October 1st, in a choice of six colors for £100 (roughly $157). Looks like Tokyoflash just got itself a worthy foe.
Tokyoflash reveals Kisai Night Vision wristwatch, makes telling time fun again
Tokyoflash is on the loose once more, and this time it's introducing a concept that has been in the works for months on end. The Kisai Night Vision -- which was made official moments ago, first appeared on the company's blog as a mockup in August of 2010 -- and as they say, "what a difference a year makes." As of today, the LED wristwatch is up for grabs, constructed with black stainless steel, sub-surface LEDs, a hexagonal form factor and support for USB recharging. Despite your initial assumptions, it's actually capable of displaying both time and date, and there's even a built-in alarm with a "light-up animation." Fancy! It's available in black with blue, green or red LEDs, and if you order soon, you'll be able to snag one for $129 / £79 / €89; procrastinators will face a sticker of $149 / £91 / €103. Take a shufti in the gallery below. %Gallery-133304%
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]
WIMM Labs introduces tiny wearable computer platform, we go hands-on
Tablets and smartphones might rule the present, but if you ask the folks at WIMM Labs, the future of data consumption is a one-inch by one-inch square. The Los Altos startup just revealed its new, wearable computing platform, developed, in part, through a partnership with Foxconn, that it hopes will change the way we look at computers. Currently known as the WIMM wearable platform, this new modular device packs a full-color 160 x 160 touchscreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, an accelerometer and magnetometer, and runs on good old Android. What's more, it's waterproof. Basically, it's a tiny, multifunctional computer, packed with "micro apps" that can make it anything from a smart watch to a health monitor, from a mobile payment device to an all-in-one remote. As of now, the company doesn't have plans to market it direct to consumers, but says it has a few partnerships in the works that could bring a WIMM-powered something to market by year's end; a developer kit will go on sale in the next few weeks for an undisclosed price. If you're itching to ditch that tired old diamond-encrusted nano watch, check out the galleries below and hop on past the break for our first impressions, video, and full PR. %Gallery-129730%%Gallery-129731%
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.
Cadence's 4-Bit Chrono Watch lets you do business, disguises your inner geek
Glance above and you'll notice a normal, elegant chronograph watch, correct? Not exactly... See, that jet-black dial is rocking 4-bit binary hour-bars in place of numbers, and looking very geek-chic doing so. Announced today, Cadence's 4-Bit Chronograph Watch is the chrono revision of its $80 4-Bit Watch, sporting a larger casing, darker dial, greater water resistance, and most notably, a UTC display to help you stay on schedule while globetrotting. The luminescent hands -- perfect for late-night hacking -- are kept in motion by an automatic Miyota quartz movement wedged inside of a 42mm stainless steel case, which is rated water-resistant to five atmospheres (165 feet). The watch is further protected by a sapphire-coated glass crystal, and topped off with a black leather band to keep things extra classy. When the 4-Bit Chrono ships come July, getting one around your wrist will set you back $195, but slyly wearing your geek cred is only $119 if you reserve one now -- a full press release is after the break to help you decide.
Nike+ GPS data becomes art, exercise still exhausting
Need a new use for that Nike+ SportWatch GPS you dropped 200 clams on? Interactive media collective YesYesNo has transformed the SportWatch data -- you know, that pristine numerical representation of all your huffing, sweating, and hurting -- into something like art. Working at Nike's Innovation Labs, the group first sent runners out across the company's campus wearing the watches. Then, custom software combined GPS maps of their workouts with information about speed, distance, and acceleration to create an initial 3-D rendering. Finally, each runner could tweak textures and colors to create a customized print; some even had their designs laser etched on a custom shoe box. The software powering all this creativity is long way from commercialization, but is built on openFrameworks, so feel free to start hacking your data into beautiful, life-giving artwork. Or you could, you know, go for a jog.
Ziiiro Aurora and Orbit watches tell time with color, orbs of wonder
Time: how does it work? Well, the physicists are still trying to figure that out. And while they're tinkering with bosons and quarks and dark matter, the designers at Ziiiro are working on an equally important task: how to represent time, preferably in wrist-compatible form. Now they've got two new attempts, dubbed "Aurora" and "Orbit," that show time as a mix of colors or as a pair of circling orbs, respectively. They have about the same learning curve as earlier Ziiiro watches, and the company's website helpfully walks you through how to read them – "It's no rocket science at all!" If the designs are too minimalist for you, you can always treat yourself to Harry Winston's Opus Eleven. Otherwise, these will ship in late May and set you back €129 (about $184).
Nike+ SportWatch GPS now on sale, $199 adds geek cred to your workout routine
Wrist-mounted iPod nano not quite the running companion of which you'd originally dreamed? This Nike+ SportsWatch GPS will be happy to take its place. We spotted the TomTom-branded fitness watch at CES this year, and now it's formally on sale -- though unfortunately for a price far steeper than those of its immediate ancestors. Of course, the $199 band isn't just a replacement for the Nike+ iPod system, it also uses that onboard GPS to keep track of where you run, much like the Nike+ GPS app but without the necessity for an iPhone 4 bouncing around your person. Did we mention it's also a watch? [Thanks, John S.]