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Citizen readies VIRT Bluetooth watch for release
Ever since we saw Seiko's CPC TR-006 prototype watch with built-in Bluetooth, we've been anxiously waiting for a piece of stylish wristwear that also makes a fuss when we get a phone call, and displays Caller ID info so our smartphone never has to leave its belt holster. Well our long wait will finally be over on July 7th, but in a cruel twist of fate, instead of that not-unfashionable Seiko, the first Bluetooth watch to market will be a rather hideous looking model from Citizen with a tiny screen and gaudy blue buttons marring the face. Besides sporting that disaster of a design, though, the W700 VIRT Bluetooth watch doesn't sound like it's all that uncomfortable to wear, with its sub-two-ounce weight paling in comparison to the those G-Shock shackles some people weigh down their arms with. Plus, you get a pretty decent five-day battery life, SPOT-like charging dock, and best of all-- at least for cellphone addicts -- an optional alert for notifying you if your phone ever travels a potentially-traumatizing distance from your person. Only 5,000 of these pieces will be sold during the initial rollout, but even if they're offered at a very reasonable price (which we highly doubt), sales will probably be limited to only the geekiest most hardcore early-adopters.[Via Wrist Dreams]
"Asia-Pacific Mobile Alliance" to allow seamless roaming over seven countries
About one hundred million Asian mobile subscribers are about to experience a better roaming experience around the continent thanks to a new multi-carrier initiative to create a so-called "Virtual Home Environment." Seven wireless providers covering eight countries and regions -- NTT DoCoMo (Japan), FET (Taiwan), Hutchison Essar (India), Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong and Macau), KTF (South Korea), Indostat (Indonesia), and StarHub (Singapore) -- have formed the "Asia-Pacific Mobile Alliance," as it's tentatively known, to eventually enable seamless voice, video, and data roaming across their networks. According to the joint press release, when the initiative goes live in the latter half of the year, GSM/GPRS and W-CDMA customers will also enjoy access to the basic services they've become accustomed to, such as caller ID and quick access to voicemail and home carrier tech support via short-code service.
