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Thanko's FMP3 Watch touts an FM transmitter
It's no secret that FM transmitters are dodgy at times, but if you were wading through the endless supply of MP3 watches on the market in an effort to find one a notch below hideous, having that feature built-in certainly wouldn't hurt. The king of all things USB has upped the collective ante once more, as its FMP3 Watch not only musters a bearable design scheme, but it also offers up a nice laundry list of specifications to boot. Aside from telling you the time and day of the week, it also boasts 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB of internal memory for MP3 / WMA playback, headphone out, an integrated voice recorder, USB connectivity, volume controls, eight-hours of battery life (three if beaming over FM), and the obligatory FM transmitter to stream your tunes to one of several FM options. If you're anxious to get your wrist into one of these suckas, all three flavors are available right now, and can be had for ¥12,800 ($108), ¥16,800 ($142), and ¥19,800 ($167) from least capacious to most.[Via EverythingUSB]
What is this Alcatel phone watch?
Before you say "it's an OT-E220A or OT-E225A, clearly," take a closer look. Apart from this image on the first page of the user's manual, we can't find any reference to this rather curious looking watch; instead, the external photos, internal photos, ID label, and contents of the manual all point to a rather ordinary, garden-variety clamshell from Alcatel that's looking to navigate its way through the FCC. So is this watch nothing more than a concept placed on the cover of the manuals of boring phones to drive interest, or did someone in Alcatel's tech writing department make a huge mistake while pasting in photos? We wish we knew, because the mystery shrouding this timepiece is driving us nuts. If you look closely, you can make out some status lights on the band below the face, and it seems that the slot above the digits could be a speakerphone -- more practical than the Sony Ericsson MBW-100, and arguably more fashionable (though barely) than the so-called m300 Mobile Watch. Does someone from Alcatel care to clear up the confusion here?
Pelagic recalls dive watches due to decompression hazard
Pelagic Pressure Systems is recalling some 2,800 of its Oceanic and AERIS digital dive computer watches, citing a possible decompression hazard for divers relying on them (the exact models affected are listed on the CPSC page linked below). The problem occurs when switching from one gas to another during a dive, which apparently has the dangerous side effect of locking up the watch's display, leaving the diver uncertain of his or her dive time. That could either cause them to enter decompression unknowingly or ascend prematurely, resulting in the serious problem of decompression sickness. While there's been two reports of defective watches, they apparently haven't resulted in any injuries. Those with the watches won't have to do without them for long, however, with a trip to an authorized Oceanic or AERIES dealer for a software upgrade the only fix needed.
Gotta wear 'em all [update 1]
We don't advise buying gifts for anyone who won't show you their Pokemans, but for anyone willing to show you them, you might want to look into these cute little Poke-watches. They've got a bright, retro look that's sure to catch the eye of other Pikachu devotees in the area. Looks like they're available in both red and blue, and while we're big fans of the color blue in general, red just seems a little more evocative of all things Pokemon.[Thanks to Kefka for inspiring this image way back when.][Update 1: A terrible typo.]
Citizen's VIRT W700 gets a facelift, remains ugly as sin
We applaud the effort, we truly do, but the masterminds behind Citizen's VIRT W700 Bluetooth watch should seriously consider a sabbatical to think about just how ugly their creations really are. Sure, we've seen worse in terms of brutal fashion miscues, but for a watch that sports such an elegant feature list, the unsightliness is almost unforgivable. Nevertheless, for those who aren't out to garner new friends with their wrist attire, the revamped W700 does smooth a few of the awkward lines found in the original rendition, and aside from syncing with your Bluetooth handset, it offers up on-screen caller ID, an OLED display, a vibration feature to alert you of an incoming call, lockable contact list, and a privacy feature to set your outgoing information to unavailable. The backlit display also flips out if you wander too far from your mobile, essentially doubling as a nifty cellphone finder after a long night of partying, and considering that a full charge will last you around five days, you can survive a week off without your AC adapter. Slated to hit the Japanese market next month for a currently undisclosed price, Citizen's latest VIRTs will be landing in blue, black, and the female favorite, pink.[Via MinistryOfTech]
Citizen's VIRT W700 Bluetooth watch gets a facelift, remains ugly as sin
We applaud the effort, we truly do, but the masterminds behind Citizen's VIRT W700 Bluetooth watch should seriously consider a sabbatical to think about just how ugly their creations really are. Sure, we've seen worse in terms of brutal fashion miscues, but for a watch that sports such an elegant feature list, the unsightliness is almost unforgivable. Nevertheless, for those who aren't out to garner new friends with their wrist attire, the revamped W700 does smooth a few of the awkward lines found in the original rendition, and aside from syncing with your Bluetooth handset, it offers up on-screen caller ID, an OLED display, a vibration feature to alert you of an incoming call, lockable contact list, and a privacy feature to set your outgoing information to unavailable. The backlit display also flips out if you wander too far from your mobile, essentially doubling as a nifty cellphone finder after a long night of partying, and considering that a full charge will last you around five days, you can survive a week off without your AC adapter. Slated to hit the Japanese market next month for a currently undisclosed price, Citizen's latest VIRTs will be landing in blue, black, and the female favorite, pink.[Via MinistryOfTech]
Shenzhen Adragon Digitek's MP4 watch gets reviewed
Shenzhen Adragon Digitek's MP4 watch was met with quite a bit of fanfare from folks who fell suddenly in love with the idea of having movies on their wrist to pass the time during class or on subways trips, and considering that Thanko brought this intriguing piece of kit to market, it's only right that we show you a hands-on review to help you with your potential purchasing decision. The folks at GearDiary landed a black rendition of the video-playing timepiece, and noted that although video files have to be converted from their current format to .NVX, software (in English, too) was included to "remove the guesswork" and make the process painless. Judging by the photos, it looks like the rubberized band provided for a comfortable fit, and although the 1.5- x 1.5-inch face doesn't look nearly as gaudy as some watch faces we've seen, it still screams geek whilst resting on your arm. Sadly, a proprietary USB cable coupled with an always-discouraging 2.5-millimeter headphone jack do warrant a few understandable digs, but the "all day" battery life, intuitive menu system, and respectable display all go in the watch's favor. On the musical front, it was said that playback was "on par" with other DAPs they tested, and while watching a movie back on such a diminutive screen wasn't apt to replace his PVP anytime soon, it was deemed a nifty feature that will "definitely garner geek points among those that are impressed by such things." So if you're interested in seeing just how long your retinas can stand to watch (ahem) a major motion picture on a 128 x 128 display, be sure and hit the read link for up close snapshots before coughing up the required dough.
EleeNo's Art 8 Elite watch boasts resin inlays
Although it may be perceived that folks purchase watches in order to simply tell the time, we've learned that this misconception is often proved wrong by the watchmaker itself. The Art 8 Elite by EleeNo follows the company's tradition of busting out slick looking timepieces that aren't exactly user-friendly when it comes to quickly portraying the current time, and while we certainly appreciate the handsfree approach and futuristic appeal, telling time based on resin inlays could take some getting used to. Regardless, this stainless steel wristwatch boasts a butterfly clasp, Super 2035 movement from Citizen Japan, four years of battery life, water resistance, and is available with "coffee" or "marble" colored faces. So if you've always desired a moving dartboard on your wrist, and just weren't satisfied with all the other options unveiled this week, you can snag this piece right now for $138.84.[Via Uber-Review]
Mainnav kicks out Bluetooth-enabled MW-705 GPS watch
GPS watches certainly aren't new 'round these parts, but a timepiece that sticks up around 1.1-inches off your arm has to set some sort of unwanted record. Hot on the heels of the company's MG-920 Bluetooth GPS receiver, Mainnav is offering up a GPS wristwatch with built-in Bluetooth and a SiRF Star III LP chip that could probably double as a weapon in a fistfight. Aside from sporting an unnaturally large design, the Taiwanese device can track your current position, operate as a standalone GPS receiver, and also handle heart-rate monitoring, speed and distance tracking, and sense the temperature whilst frolicking in the great outdoors. Unsurprisingly, this beast can handle underwater excursions without a hitch, and the built-in Li-ion cell should keep things humming along for a good bit before needing a recharge. As of now, it doesn't look like Europe nor the US will ever see the behemoth on their shelves, which seems fairly smart considering the fashion sense most of western civilization holds dear.[Via GPSGazette, thanks Dimitris]
Martin Frey's interaction projects make your senior thesis look lame
Sure, it might be a little bulky, and could probably use a few months / years of polish before it's ready for market, but we want one now. Martin Frey's prototype Just In Time Watch (pictured) is designed to eliminate to difficult and time consuming mental processes that usually go on when you look at a watch: what time is it, when's that next appointment, how long will it take to get there, when should I leave, etc. The watch can communicate with your cellphone to leech the internets and a GPS position. It then looks up your next appointment, and maps where you are in relation to the next place you need to be, along with how long it'll take you to get there, then displays the amount of time you have left to draw shaving cream smiley faces in the mirror before you actually need to take off. Another project by Martin Frey, titled "SnOil" is decidedly less functional, but makes up for it with extra sexy. The device is basically a low-resolution display made out of Ferrofluid -- you know, that weird magnetic-ish liquid stuff -- which lets you play a simple game of Snake on its few pixels, including a "GAME OVER" message when you screw up. Finally, Martin's CabBoots are a bit more conceptual, but are designed to steer the user by tilting the sole of the shoe to guide the wearer based on GPS data. Soon, in the Frey-designed future, we will always be on time to appointments (for our Ferrofluid massage, naturally) which we will arrive at after blindly following our shoes. We can't wait. Peep shots of this other stuff after the break.Read - Just In Time WatchRead - SnOilRead - CabBoots
Up close with the m300 Mobile Watch
Was the first batch of shots of SMS Technology's m300 watch phone simply not enough to hold you over until its late March release? Well, we come bearing good news: Round Two of m300 pics is now in the house, and this time around we're seeing the device (we can't exactly call it a "handset," now can we?) in action. The OLED looks bright and reasonably contrasty; hopefully useful life is up to snuff, too. On to the gallery! m300 Mobile Watch in action
m300 Mobile Watch get finalized for March release
We've been tracking this one for a while, and it turns out there's a great reason the m300 phone watch took this long to come around: it underwent a massive, much-needed redesign for the better since we last peeped it. The final version should be hitting stores on or around March 25 (yes, of this year!) in your choice of pastel blue / pink, baby blue / pink, navy blue, electric blue, red, yellow, and black / gray. The production spec sheet for the 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz device promises Bluetooth, a music player, USB connectivity, and a 1 inch OLED display; heck, it even rocks dial-up networking, though the GPRS data speeds could have us weeping quietly to ourselves after a few minutes of use. Hit up the gallery for all the live shots you can handle! m300 Mobile Watch gallery
Game & Watch gets a makeover
Available from ThinkGeek for the small price of $8.99 USD, these exact recreations of their 80's counterparts look to be worth every penny. Obviously the Donkey Kong game has Mario leaping over barrels to rescue his damsel in distress, whilst Link must navigate complex dungeons in Legend of Zelda. These also keep excellent time!So who else plans on picking this up with us?
Slew of new Nike+ gear leaked
Nike's not doing the best of jobs keeping a lid on their expanding Nike+ CE line (get it, Jobs? Nevermind.), which is why we've got some leaked shots of upcoming gear, including the Nike Speed+ Watch Kit (which displays distance, pace, elapsted time, and calories), and three iPod controlling watch systems including the Amp+, and the so-similar-they-may-be-the-same-product Flight+ and Aero+ (which features voice feedback and a rocking bezel for music control). All are launching launching May 1st for varying prices: $130 (Speed Watch and Aero+) and $80 (Amp+).%Gallery-1270%
Nike Speed+ watch details leaked
There's nothing official yet, but a fast-acting visitor to Nike's just-launched Nike Store Europe website looks to have gotten the scoop on the company's latest exercise-related gadget, snapping the above screenshot of the product page for the hereto unheard of Nike Speed+ watch. Not surprisingly, the page was taken down soon after, although the screenshot we're left with manages to capture most of the key details. Basically taking the place of the iPod in the Nike+iPod equation, the watch will wirelessly receive distance, pace, and other data from the Nike+ sensor on your shoe and display it on its backlit LCD screen, also giving you the option to offload that data for uploading to the nikeplus.com website. In another sure sign that the page wasn't quite ready for prime time, it unfortunately doesn't give any indication of price or availability, although from the looks of it, it would seem that it's coming sooner rather than later.
Globalsat kicks out GH-615 GPS watch / receiver
For those who take comfort in wearing a GPS module wherever they go, or for runners and athletes who incorporate GPS technology to fine tune their workout, Globalsat is expanding its GPS lineup by tossing out the GH-615 wristwatch. Although details are a bit scarce, the black timepiece houses a SiRF Star III GPS antenna, supports WAAS / EGNOS, and offers up tracking, positioning, and time alert functions. Furthermore, the watch can be connected via USB to double as a GPS receiver for laptops and other mapping applications, and it's pre-programmed to record the user's route by marking and saving tracking points as you go. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but if you're in a rush get GPS on your wrist, there's a plethora of worthwhile alternatives just waiting to get strapped on.[Via GPSGazette, thanks Dimitris]
DIY wristwatch touts OLED display, plays Pong
There's not a whole lot of things we'd consider more worthy of technolust than a Pong clock, but a Pong clock that fits on your wrist is most certainly one of them. Although the build process looks far from easy, this beautiful piece of retro nirvana sports an all black motif, 96 x 64 resolution OLED display, 33-hours of battery life, and the ability to mesmerize even the boldest of the bold. By utilizing a good bit of handyman skills, a great bit of circuitry knowledge, and an awful lot of patience, John has created a surefire "hit at his office," and while no one has paid him a compliment just yet out on the streets, we know some hearts have been filled with envy nonetheless. Although the amount of detail required to craft such a device far exceeds what we can describe here, be sure to hit the read link for an elaborate build log complimented with snapshots, and click on through for the live action video.[Via MAKE]
TAG Heuer to partner with ModeLabs on luxury handset?
It looks like the competition in the luxury phone market is heating up, as folks still trying to choose between Gresso, Vertu, GoldVish, the D&G RAZR, or the ridiculously pricey Black Diamond could see one more alternative in addition to the recently-unveiled LG Prada. According to Sybarites, TAG Heuer -- the folks responsible for Jeff Gordon and Tiger Woods' sumptuous wristwatches -- is teaming up with ModeLabs to introduce "a completely new phone" for deep-pocketed talkers. While details (including a sneak peek) are scant, the phone is "expected to be made of stainless steel and have many similarities to TAG watches," but it seems we'll just have to wait this one out before making any other far-reaching predictions.[Thanks, James]
Casio Magic Watch
Just when we were beginning to think that the well of watch innovation had run dry, Casio comes along and renews our faith in multi-use timepieces, with a watch that not only tells time, but does magic! The appropriately-named Casio Magic Watch was created with the assistance of close-up magician Tomohiro Maeda, who may or may not be responsible for the totally 80s-inspired design, but most definitely is the man behind the five tricks the watch can help you perform, including guessing the number or card that a person is thinking of or roping your friends into a little con game. For some old school magic, each watch also comes bundled with an exclusive set of Tomohiro Maeda playing cards from Tally-Ho, though you'll have to decide if that's enough to justify the $80 price tag.
Sony Ericsson MBW-100 unboxing
Yeah, early reviews seem to indicate that Sony Ericsson's MBW-100 Bluetooth (along with its Fossil and Abacus cousins) watch isn't all that, mainly on account of its bulk, its price, and the fact that it only seems to work with Sony Ericsson phones -- but that doesn't mean it isn't still cool. Reader Gareth was kind enough to send us some comprehensive eye candy of his MBW-100's unboxing, and he reports a pretty positive experience with it so far. In pairing it with his P990i, he found that setup was super easy and the controls / caller ID were quick to operate, but the crown jewel might be the "out of range" functionality that notified him quickly when he left his abode sans phone. Click on for the rest of the pictures![Thanks, Gareth M.]
