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Sony's smart watch strap is now available in the UK
Sony first proposed the Wena Wrist, the curious smart watch with a dumb face, in a crowdfunding campaign back in 2015. Now, after years of availability in Japan, the wearable is hitting the international market and can be pre-ordered in the UK (no word yet on a US release). But it's not a watch -- nor even a smart watch -- in the traditional sense. Instead, the Wena Wrist is a smart strap designed to be worn with existing mechanical watch faces. You can use it to turn any classic or fashion watch into a smart bit of kit.
Olympic-themed Apple Watch bands are only available in Rio
To celebrate the Olympic games, the Apple Watch is getting a series of commemorative straps that match the flags of 14 participating countries. GQ got the exclusive, saying that each model will set you back $49, and match the colors of the respective flags, such as the USA, Great Britain and New Zealand. Sprinter Trayvon Bromell (pictured) got his Team USA band a little earlier than everyone else, but it won't be that easy to imitate him. That's because the straps are only going to be sold in one Apple Store -- the Barra da Tijuca location in West Rio de Janeiro through the month of August. Yeah.
Smart strap brings payments to your Pebble smartwatch
Right now, you have slim pickings if you want to pay for things from your wrist: there's the Apple Watch, an upcoming Swatch model, eventual Samsung Gear S2 support and... that's about it. However, Fit Pay might just widen the field a bit. It's crowdfunding the Pagaré smart strap, which brings NFC-based tap-to-pay support to any Pebble Time smartwatch -- yes, including the Round. It should work at most shops that accept Apple Pay or Android Pay (it uses a similar, token-based system), and it shares familiar security measures, such as disabling access when you remove your timepiece. You don't even need to bring your phone once you've set things up.
Withings Blood Pressure Monitor for iOS hands-on (video)
Withings users not satisfied with only being able to share their weight with the world can now add blood pressure and heart rate to the mix. This iPhone-connected blood pressure monitor made its first appearance at CES, but you'll finally be able to order one of your own today. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, the $129 accessory costs three to four times as much as off-the-shelf blood pressure monitors, but integrates well if you're looking to pair it with your Withings scale for a complete vitals management solution. Results can be sent to health sites like Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault, or directly to your doctor. Care to see how it works? Join us past the break for a hands-on look at the monitor, including a video comparison with the in-store vitals machine at our neighborhood Kmart. Update: Withings wrote in to let us know that the blood pressure readings in the video below were likely inflated because we were talking, though we do appreciate the concern you've already expressed in the comments.%Gallery-126616%
Withings fittingly debuts iPhone-connected blood pressure monitor at CES
Trust us -- no one on the Engadget staff wants to know what their blood pressure is right about now. For those trapped in the hurricane that is CES, there's probably no better product to have laying around than this... but only if you're looking to confirm your suspicions about being in a high-stress career. Withings, the company best known for its connected scales, has just revealed the planet's first iPhone-connected blood pressure monitor, with an aim to make measuring vitals as easy as pie for iOS users. The idea is fairly simple: just plug the arm band into your iPad, iPod touch or iPhone, dial up the gratis app and start the process. All of the data is logged on the user's secure online space, and there's even a secure sharing feature that'll beam your abnormally high rates right to your frightened physician. It'll go on sale tomorrow around the globe, with the asking price set at $129 / €129. Update: Looks like iHealth beat these guys by a dozen hours or so. Splitting hairs, but there it is. %Gallery-112205%
HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video)
It's highly improbable that you actually need yet another option when looking for a watch band to house your iPod nano 6G, but if that first-run version you sprung for is already in tatters, HEX has a little something worth considering. The company has just started shipping its HEX Watch Band in the US of A, with $29.95 netting you a soft, flexible band that requires no complicated plug-and-play action whatsoever. Just pop your nano into the face, strap it on your arm, and roll. It's designed to be remarkably rugged (as seen in a torture video just past the break), and the headphone socket is arranged in a way that nicely runs the cable up your arm towards your cranium. The only problem? Choosing which of the nine hues fits your personality best. %Gallery-112168%
Frontal Concepts' Infuse iPod nano watch strap wins imaginary design award, our hearts
By now, you've decided if you're going to use Apple's iPod nano 6G as a watch. We obviously have our own feelings on the matter, but those who can't be bothered with actual functionality should definitely be looking in the direction of Frontal Concepts. This Australian outfit has just released its first product, and it's far and away the most sensibly designed iPod nano watch strap to date. Rather than just looping a band through the device's rear clip, the Infuse strap actually has a simple, one-click locking mechanism to keep your digital timepiece in position. It's also positioned to allow the audio cord to run upwards along the arm, and it's built from polycarbonate plastics and silicone -- plenty tough to withstand the occasional gym visit. Americans can get their pre-order in today for $24.95 (black, white and brown hues are available), with the first shipments expected to head out in around a fortnight. Time's ticking, Santa. %Gallery-109228%
How to: Turn your old watch into a nanowatch
Sure, you could just buy a "carrying solution" for the new square iPod nano, but where's the fun in that? Wired shows you how to turn your old wristwatch into a nanowatch -- just take the old strap off, and use the nano's clip to attach it all together. Of course, it depends on your old watch strap, but even if yours doesn't work quite as well as the one that Wired uses, I'm sure a weekend with some Crazy Glue and a few spare parts would probably do it right. Brian Chen is exactly right -- Apple should totally get behind this nanowatch thing. Add some apps and a camera to the nano's little square touchscreen, and that'd turn it into the real Dick Tracy product. I think it'll take a while (Apple likely doesn't want to fragment the iOS line too much too quickly), but I think that, as more applications pop up for a small touchscreen device like this, we might eventually see Apple unlock a little more possibility with it.
Incipio Linq keeps the iPod nano watch craze going with $25 'carrying solution'
Did you find the iLoveHandles iPod nano wrist strap a little bit too restrained? Never fear, Incipio has served up this new Linq case, which swells up the 6th-gen nano with an ostentatiously rugged shell, a velcro strap, and a couple of daring new color options. Whether you're a fan of baby pink or macho blue, there will be a Linq... just for you. Damn, you can build a whole advertising campaign around that. Anyhow, this new take on the iWatch concept will be available early next month for $25 with additional straps setting you back another $10. Or you can just buy a real watch -- the choice, as always, is yours.
iLoveHandles turns nano iPods into oversized watches
What happens when Apple introduces a square-shaped new iPod and adorns it with an analog watch face for a lock screen? A whole new cottage industry sprouts up, whereby entrepreneurial types dust off old and mostly worthless watch straps, cut out an iPod nano-shaped compartment in them, and charge you $19.99 for the privilege of turning your tiny PMP into a somewhat bulky wristwatch. The saddest part about this is that we've got a feeling they might be on to a winner here.
Solar camera strap concept really charges us up
Forget to charge your camera when you're on the go? Well, this solar camera strap concept could help you out -- it would require just a few of the sun's rays to give your cam the juice it needs -- and it's a pretty attractive design to boot. So far (like we said), it's just a concept, but it shouldn't be too hard to make this one a reality, so let's get on it!
NewerTech releases the iFolio luxury iPad case
With just a few days to go before we can actually get our hands on an iPad, Newer Technology Inc., better known to us as NewerTech, has introduced quite a fancy custom handcrafted Brazilian leather protective carrying case for the iPad. It's made in the US and comes in either black or red at an introductory price of US $99.99 (down from the MSRP of $129.99), for shipment on April 5th. It seems to be built like a battleship and is backed with a lifetime warranty. It comes with a double stitched leather handle and a shoulder strap that extends from 24" to 48". The left side, sports a 7" X 10" hard backed document sleeve and two taffeta lined pockets so you won't mar whatever you decide to put in them. The right side features 4 elastic, non-marring leather restraining straps which give you enough room to hold an iPad that's already in a silicone case. Belt and suspenders might be overkill, but can you really be too safe? Probably not, since there's also a hard shell sewn in, surrounded by soft padding and a heavy duty nylon zipper to keep it closed. The only online seller of the case so far seems to be our friends at Other World Computing. I can see one of these in my future.
Capcom rewards patient Okami buyers with Amaterasu phone strap
Someone in Japan has been waiting years for the Wii release of Okami, having let the PS2 release pass in 2006, and then watching the Wii port release everywhere but Japan in 2008. That hypothetical person's patience will be rewarded on October 15, when e-Capcom orders of the Japanese Wii version of Okami will ship with this Amaterasu phone (or DS) strap. It's totally worth the wait. It beats the "bonus" IGN watermark we got in North America, though the replacement art was certainly nice. In addition to the little porcelain Amaterasu, a limited number of Okami soundtrack discs will be handed out with the game.[Via Andriasang]
Street Fighter IV joystick phone straps push our buttons [update]
[Update: Strapya's US branch is taking pre-orders as well!]Japanese phone strap retailer StrapyaNext just started accepting pre-orders for the most awesome cell phone accessories ever (next to the Hello Kitty/Space Invaders charm, of course). These tiny joysticks, in Ryu, Ken, Dhalsim, and Chun Li versions, play Street Fighter IV voice clips in response to the correct button command. For example, if you input down, right, and punch on the Ryu Real Voice Action Cell Phone Strap, it will play "Hadouken!" The same movement on the Dhalsim charm will play "Yoga Fire!" And then you can tell the person you're talking to on the phone that you need to hang up because your close, personal friends Ryu and Dhalsim have arrived.These straps, limited to 1,000 each, will also be sold at the Ikebukuro Tokyu Hands shop, and at the Tokyo Game Show, for ¥1,260 ($13).[Via GAME Watch]
Nokia N79 Active to come with heart rate monitor, guilt
We knew something was up with these Bluetooth heart rate straps from Polar, and sure enough, Nokia has announced a partnership to get serious fitness monitoring integrated with its products. The first to take advantage will be a special version of the N79, creatively dubbed the N79 Active, which will include 4GB of onboard memory the requisite strap right in the box and sell for about €375 ($494) when it ships "soon" in "select territories." Of course, the new hardware isn't any good without new software, and it just so happens that the N79 Active will include a new version of Nokia's Sports Tracker app for keeping tabs on workouts. We'd heard that other Polar accessories like cadence sensors for biking fanatics were in the works, so this could end up developing into a whole franchise.[Via All About Symbian]
Australians: Look good while keeping your Wiimotes safely attached
Remember the 4-pack of colorful Wiimote straps released in Japan a few months ago? Well, if you're in Australia (which, experts agree, is not Japan), and you'd like to add a shot of zazz to your controllers, you can go to a shop nearby and grab your very own set! The tethers, which come in sets containing one each of green, blue, pink, and white, sell for AU $9.95 ($7).Sure, some slightly fancy Wiimote straps may not seem like a big deal, but it's always nice to have pretty much any official Nintendo product before other regions. And they're displayed so nicely in that box!
Nintendo adds a little color to the Wii, just when we thought it didn't care
Remember a million years ago when Nintendo first introduced the "Revolution," later to be known as the Wii? It wasn't white, and it seemed multiple colors were a shoe-in for the shiny plastic console. Since then, Nintendo has sung a very white, supply-limited song with the Wii, and we're ready for some change. This is not that change. But at least Nintendo is acknowledging that, indeed, other colors do exist, and look just smashing when waved around in the air, in the form of fancy new pastel-colored Wiimote straps for Japan. They cost a few bucks each, or you can get the whole pack for $10. No word if they'll be heading Stateside.[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Nintendo jazzing up Wiimote wrist straps
While we're still waiting for that leopard skin Wiimote wrist strap of our dreams, Nintendo will shortly release green, blue, pink, and white straps in Japan. Other than helping to distinguish Wiimotes between multiplayer sessions, we can't really think of a compelling need for these non-threatening, pastel accessories, but perhaps they're a sign that matching controllers are on the way? That's probably a long shot, but it would be nice.For those of you with an interest in importing, these are scheduled to appear next month for ¥300 ($2.80) each, or you can snag the four-pack above for ¥1,000 ($9.25). For those of you who are too cheap for even that, you can make your own for nada.
Gachapin-ize your DS, neck
The Gachapin/Mukku line of DS accessories from CYBER Gadget is one of our favorite accessory sets, because it is an extraordinarily distinctive way to decorate your DS (if you don't mind being that guy with the goofy green DS). To our delight, CYBER Gadget has introduced more accessories based on the fuzzy costumed characters from Hirake! Ponkiki.The Gachapin x Mukku Neck Strap is pretty much exactly as you would imagine a product by that name -- a strap designed to allow kids to hang their DS systems around their necks Flavor Flav-style, with a little fuzzy Gachapin (green) or Mukku (red) head attached. The head is a teensy little zipper pouch for games![Via Famitsu]
Straps and stands: More preorder bonuses in Korea
Koreans really love free stuff! Then again, who doesn't? This latest round of preorder incentives rewards gamers who've reserved Wii Sports with branded towels and Wii Remote cell phone straps. Unlike in the states, Wiis will not come bundled with Wii Sports when the console launches in South Korea on April 26th. EA is also throwing in what looks like Brando's Crystal Cooler with every preorder for FIFA 08. The replacement base features a cooling fan and electric blue LEDs -- not too useful, but it's free, which automatically makes it a hundred times more awesome. Bring five bucks past the post break to get a look at the stand offer.
