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Entelligence: Whatever happened to SPOT?
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. A few years ago, Microsoft launched a new initiative to create a set of connected, digital devices that could display information simply and in a highly glanceable format. The initiative was called SPOT (Smart Personal Object Technology) and the goal was to integrate core information and extend the function of everyday items like watches, pens and badges.Sadly, the first SPOT watches from companies like Fossil and Suunto never really caught on and are no longer available, and although SPOT's core connection technology still lives in some GPS devices as MSN Direct, it seems Microsoft has largely abandoned the effort. That's a shame: even though the first implementations were less than stellar, there's much Microsoft could have done to have ultimately made this a success.
