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Mutewatch wrists-on: stay on-task with good vibrations (video)
No, the picture above isn't some modernized Power Ranger's wrist communicator. This is the Mutewatch, and we've been intrigued since we first laid eyes on it over a year ago. At a glance, it looks akin to a rubber fashion bracelet, which could make its $260 price tag a shocker. But with the right touch or flick it reveals itself to be much more. The Stockholm-based start-up behind it, dubbed Mutewatch AB, envisions the device serving as "time management tool" for setting quick wrist-felt vibrating reminders during the course of the day. Think Growl, but on your wrist. The wristwatch lacks a dial and crystal, and instead has an angled, touch-sensitive section for a face with hidden LEDs, an ambient light sensor, a motion sensor and a vibrating motor for alarms. We've spent some time using a near-final unit seeing what it would be like silently manage our days, and it's all laid out just past the break. %Gallery-134989%
A DIY Arduino watch that's actually wearable, still won't win you points with the ladies
Here's a little fashion secret: it's all about the details. Wear cheap square-toe shoes with that $5,000 custom-made suit and people will notice. The same is true of a watch. Your timepiece can say a lot about you, including: "I'm a big nerd, please beat me up and take my lunch money." So, what does an Arduino watch tell your peers? Well, for one, that you have way too much time on your hands. And two, that you're crafty person capable of putting your brain meats to work building actual things. Of course, telling time with a series of brightly glowing LEDs on an exposed PCB also sends the message that being fashionable is not your primary concern. If you're looking to earn some geek cred, and can live with the fact that wearing this will probably cost you that cute girl's number at the bar, hit up the source for instructions. At least this wearable Arduino timepiece is a slightly less conspicuous than the Steampunk version we saw last summer. One more pic after the break.
Eole concept watch has turbine bezel, shows time when you blow (video)
Traditional electronic watches may be practical, but there's nothing elegant about battery power. With the Eole watch concept, designer Julien Moise envisioned a device that's powered by blown air, displaying the time only when you want to see it. Sure, compulsively blowing on your watch in a meeting is less discreet than sneaking a peek under the table, but you'll still have your BlackBerry around for when you need to count down the minutes until freedom. There's also a weather indicator and alarm function, so we assume there's a battery in there that's doing more than keeping time -- an alarm that only sounds when you blow wouldn't work too well if you're asleep.
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%
Seiko's 'active matrix' E Ink watch now up for pre-order
Does the time you spend at work away from your e-reader leave you crippled with the E Ink shakes? Well the good news is that Seiko's gorgeous atomic clock-syncing 'active matrix' E Ink watch we covered a while back is now available for pre-order via Amazon Japan. The bad news is that it's priced at ￥84,000 (on sale) -- which equates to roughly $1,022 based on current exchange rates. That's about five times more than Phosphor's latest 24 hour time zone mastering E Ink watch, or nearly enough cheddar to a buy one of Amazon's latest Kindles for everyday of the work week. Really, though, the price isn't too surprising coming from a respected watch company like Seiko, especially when you take into account its schmancy 180 degree viewing angle, geek-chic looks, and radio-controlled movement. Don't be misled by the 'active matrix' terminology however, because a matching leather trench coat isn't part of this deal. [Thanks, P-A]
Tokyoflash Wasted watch offers a safe, legal high that's much more expensive (and much less effective) than street drugs
Just when a Tokyoflash watch has reached the pinnacle of unreadability, it looks like the company has scaled things back slightly -- very, very, very slightly. Kisai's Wasted watch makes "your senses [come] alive" by turning the time display into a sort of psychedelic light show, one that it would take a modern day Timothy Leary to decode. It's apparently supposed to simulate some sort of hallucinatory state, although we're guessing that it's much more likely to give you a migraine. Rechargeable via USB, and available now for $85 plus shipping. Turn on, tune in, and click the source link to get started -- or peep the video after the break if you're uncertain, man.
Zero watch concept perfects the minimal timepiece
Unless you're a fan of high-tech jewelry, few things are as irksome as an overblown wristwatch design (we're looking at you Tokyoflash). While a binary timepiece will certainly up your geek cred, it's not very useful for providing at-a-glance information. Robert Dabi's Zero concept above, however, remains simple, beautiful, and amazingly enough, useful, all that same time. Practical too if he can coax a batch of round LCD displays into a production run. More pics and video after the break.
Adafruit's Monochron retro clock now on sale, changes time with every match point
You might have the vaguest of memories seeing this piece before -- it made a cameo in an Engadget Show segment -- but here we are with a much clearer picture of Adafruit Industries' Monochron clock, now also on sale! As is its modus operandi, the timepiece is open source... but should you plan on sticking to default, you'll be gifted with a great retro-style Table Tennis for two. The best part? The time changes whenever the clock "loses" -- something tells us that gives one side at least a 59-to-1 advantage. See for yourself after the break.
Tokyoflash's Heko watch: the perfect gift for fashionable cryptologists
We've always been a fan of watches with unconventional ways of telling time, and Tokyoflash's Heko is no exception. The top and bottom rows each have four LEDs aligned for their analogous analog positions -- 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 -- and two lights in between to indicate one-hour / 15-minute intervals, respectively. The four diodes in the middle are used when the minutes aren't a multiple of five. For example, in the picture above we've got (from left to right) 1:37, 1:43, and 10:13. More instructions are available on the product page. Made from solid stainless steel and weighing in at 140 grams, it's available for 9,800 yen ($109) and comes with white, blue or multi-colored LEDs. %Gallery-43722%
Artsy Citrus Clock turns lemons into time of day
We know, the last thing you want to hear of right now is more food, but we just couldn't resist. Anna Gram's artsy Citrus Clock combines the magic of stellar design with basic science in order to create a timepiece that's powered by lemons (or the citrus fruit of your choosing, presumably). Reportedly, a single juicy lemon will keep the seconds ticking for a fortnight (or two weeks, if you've got an inexplicable problem with said synonym), which ain't half bad if we should say so ourselves.[Via Unplggd]
