watches
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Garmin's Forerunner 910XT sport watch begs to become your new swimming buddy
After introducing the Forerunner 610 alongside its lineup of runner-friendly watches, Garmin has introduced a new high tech gadget that's targeted to hardcore swimmers and triathletes: enter the Forerunner 910XT. With a price tag of $400, it's certainly intended for the most dedicated (or affluent) jocks, but for the outlay of cash, you'll find it provides detailed metrics such as swim distance, pool lengths, along with stroke identification and count. It even goes so far as to report one's SWOLF score, which is a measure of a swimmer's efficiency (calculated as the number of strokes to swim a lap, plus the time to travel said distance). The Forerunner 910XT is water resistant to 50 meters, but it's certainly apt for use on dry land, too. For instance, it provides stats about one's elevation, heart rate and speed, and offers built-in GPS. The battery life is limited to 20 hours, although we'd imagine your endurance will give out long before that time. If you've found your new obsession, you'll find the full PR after the break.
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.
Fossil's Meta Watch passes the FCC, your magic wristwatch fantasies are about to come true
Fossil's Meta Watch has been beset with delays and defective parts but finally there's good news -- the watches have passed the FCC. The two models (analog and digital) can sync with your Android smartphone or tablet via a Texas Instruments CC2560 Bluetooth controller and are being sold as a "development platform" until enough apps are built to take advantage of the technology. T.I.'s website lists the watches as being available since August 22nd, although we're not entirely sure what to make of that -- it still looks like a pre-order situation to us. In any case, the devices should hopefully start reaching app developers pretty soon. Hey, how about using the internal gyroscopes to bring some genuine wrist-flapping action to Angry Birds? Update: TI's website is now listing the watch with a September 29th availability date. [Thanks, Imdad]
Fossil's Meta Watch delayed once again, clearly has trouble keeping time
If you were planning on outfitting your arm with a new Meta Watch this month, you're out of luck, because Fossil has just announced that the wristpieces won't start shipping until September. The watches, which use Texas Instruments' CC2560 Bluetooth controller to sync with smartphones, tablets or desktops, were originally scheduled for a July launch, but that timeline was eventually pushed back to August, due to part delays. Now, manufacturers have discovered a new batch of issues with the devices' programming clips (used for micro USB connections) and the analog-digital version's steel case, meaning that the pair won't reach Hong Kong distributors until the beginning of next month, after which they may take another one to two weeks before shipping to consumers. The countdown clock continues to tick away, but you can still pre-order a Meta Watch for $200, at the links below. [Thanks, Glen]
Crapgadget: 'after school special' edition
School can be tough, especially when you're different. So what better way to keep the bullies at bay than to get your craptastic accessory freak on. In this special back to school bonanza of creeper tech, Hong Kong-based watchmaker o.d.m. mashes E.T. with a gummy bunny for a wrist-rocking return to infancy, Strapya World takes you by the baby's hand for iPhone 4 case comfort, while Dane-Elec's E-Razor USB stick goes undercover in a block full of erasing rubber. And if you're looking for a soundtrack throwback to match the solar-powered butterfly you've stuck in your Jansport, Brando's got you covered with its USB Cassette Capture & Player. Take a gander at the roundup below and make sure to vote for the crapgadget most likely to not succeed.
WIMM Labs introduces tiny wearable computer platform, we go hands-on
Tablets and smartphones might rule the present, but if you ask the folks at WIMM Labs, the future of data consumption is a one-inch by one-inch square. The Los Altos startup just revealed its new, wearable computing platform, developed, in part, through a partnership with Foxconn, that it hopes will change the way we look at computers. Currently known as the WIMM wearable platform, this new modular device packs a full-color 160 x 160 touchscreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, an accelerometer and magnetometer, and runs on good old Android. What's more, it's waterproof. Basically, it's a tiny, multifunctional computer, packed with "micro apps" that can make it anything from a smart watch to a health monitor, from a mobile payment device to an all-in-one remote. As of now, the company doesn't have plans to market it direct to consumers, but says it has a few partnerships in the works that could bring a WIMM-powered something to market by year's end; a developer kit will go on sale in the next few weeks for an undisclosed price. If you're itching to ditch that tired old diamond-encrusted nano watch, check out the galleries below and hop on past the break for our first impressions, video, and full PR. %Gallery-129730%%Gallery-129731%
Fossil won't ship the Meta Watch until August, Dick Tracy wannabes get antsy
Some of you with a James Bond complex might have been waiting on Fossil's Meta Watches, a duo of wristpieces that use Texas Instrument's CC2560 Bluetooth radio to pull in emails, Facebook updates, weather forecasts, and more -- depending on what else developers cook up for it, that is. On top of that, the SDK allows Android smartphones and tablets to register button presses and receive sensor data from the watches, and then respond by sending text or triggering the vibration motor. If you already set aside $200 when they went up for pre-order two months back, you're going to have to twiddle your thumbs a bit longer. In response to a tweet from a curious customer, Bill Geiser, vice president of Fossil Watch Technology, said that thanks to some part delays, the two are now on track to ship in August, not July. If this is all new to you, that means you've got some time to ponder whether you'd rather have the analog / digital version or the fully digital one with a larger memory-in-pixel LCD. Decisions, decisions, folks. [Thanks, Alex]
VEA's Sportive mobile watch is for those with money, calories to burn
When you go for a run, the less you've got to carry on your person, the better. Think of VEA's new Sportive mobile watch as something of a digital fannypack: it looks goofy, but it'll help you consolidate some of that extra baggage. The device has some basic phone functionality, a camera, and an MP3 player -- oh, and it apparently does the time as well. It's got a nano-sized 1.5-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, 8GB of storage, and an SOS button that sends out your location and other vital info, should anything happen to you on your run. It'll start shipping on July 14th for €399 ($578). Run, don't walk, because the price bumps up to an even more lofty €499 ($722) in September.
Ziiiro Aurora and Orbit watches tell time with color, orbs of wonder
Time: how does it work? Well, the physicists are still trying to figure that out. And while they're tinkering with bosons and quarks and dark matter, the designers at Ziiiro are working on an equally important task: how to represent time, preferably in wrist-compatible form. Now they've got two new attempts, dubbed "Aurora" and "Orbit," that show time as a mix of colors or as a pair of circling orbs, respectively. They have about the same learning curve as earlier Ziiiro watches, and the company's website helpfully walks you through how to read them – "It's no rocket science at all!" If the designs are too minimalist for you, you can always treat yourself to Harry Winston's Opus Eleven. Otherwise, these will ship in late May and set you back €129 (about $184).
Ziiiro Gravity and Mercury watches coming soon to a wrist near you
They're here, well, almost. Two attractive and legible alternatives to the over designed watch, Ziiiro's Gravity and Mercury, are now available for pre-order. No, they can't tell you if it's snowing out like Fossil's Connected, and they won't bump your 2010 year in review playlist like an iPod nano watch, but they do tell time like no other -- quite literally. The Gravity and Mercury have taken Ziiiro's lofty goal of stylish utilitarianism from concept to reality. The watches function without any of the markings of standard analog timepieces, instead using a continuously rotating combination of two rings to make temporal distinctions. The tip of the inner ring represents the hour, while the tip of the outer ring denotes minutes, and a fading gradient tracks the passage of time. Ziiiro doesn't let form override function, but it doesn't skimp on aesthetics, either: Mercury, which touts a stainless steel band, comes in four different color schemes, while Gravity boasts a patent pending bracelet strap (a silicone-metal combo), available in six colors. Both watches also feature pop-out faces, allowing for a variety of Swatch watch-style face-band pairings. However, while they're both readable and fashionable, these low frills watches don't come cheap: prices range from €100 to €143, or about $130 to $175.
Swap Rebel watch phone laughs at your wrist-mounted iPod nano
Apple's iPod nano and the Sony Ericsson LiveView may have disappointed as wrist computers, but our Dick Tracy dream soldiers on, to the point where we found ourselves taking another look at that most dubious of converged devices: the watch phone. There, we discovered the Rebel, the latest creation from UK manufacturer Swap, a quad-band GSM wrist unit with a 1.46-inch color touchscreen and a built-in camera for both video and stills. It may look like a sterile medical wristband, but that silicone strap actually hides a USB port on one end, the better to let you transfer your MP3s and MP4 video to its paltry 2GB of expandable microSD storage. The watch also does FM radio, beams audio to your Bluetooth headset and comes with the typical smattering of basic apps. Still, there's not a lot for the asking price of £189 (about $300) so you'd best be head over heels in love with the design. PR after the break, more images at our source link.
TikTok and LunaTik iPod nano watch kits look awesome, despite Ke$ha naming convention
We know it seems like everyone and their mom is turning Apple's latest iPod nano into a watch, but the TikTok and LunaTik concepts by Scott Wilson of Minimal Studios are definitely the best looking "iWatch" accessories we've seen to date. We say concept, because technically the products are still pipe dreams flowing through the funding platform Kickstarter.com -- but seeing as it has already doubled its requested funding goal, there's a very good chance these concepts will actually ship out. The TikTok features a simple snap-in design for quick wrist-mounting and is tentatively priced at $35. The LunaTik, on the other hand, is marketed as a "premium conversion kit" that secures the Nano in a two-piece CNC-machined aluminum case held together with stainless steel bolts, and should ship for $70. As with many Kickstarter projects, pledging some funding to the cause can score you either model at a cheaper pre-order price. Now if only the iPod nano was actually a good watch... Video after the break.%Gallery-107739%
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]
Casio's solar-powered Pathfinder watch plays the green card twice
Plotting their latest spread of watches this spring, Casio executives decided it was time to "go green." Some poor schmuck in R&D took them at their word. Thankfully for mother nature, the Casio Pathfinder PRG110C-3 is more than meets the eye; the watch -- suited for argonauts needing an altimeter, barometer, thermometer and digital compass -- also has a miniature solar cell built into its face to automatically recharge the battery. Though Casio's claim that this last will cut down on the three billion batteries Americans trash each year seems a little reaching -- watch batteries last a lot longer than a AA -- the timepiece does help the planet some merely by being packaged in recyclables. The $250 device will be available exclusively from Amazon, and yeah, the color you see here is the color you'll get.
4N wristwatch delivers digital time in a mechanical fashion
Given how simple we've made timekeeping over the years, it was inevitable that luxury watches would have to move into more esoteric lands in order to exude the appropriate sense of wonder when witnessed by those who can't afford them. You might call that the Xperia Pureness effect. Ergo, quite aside from its platinum or 18-carat gold construction options, the 4N watch tries to grab the spotlight with its quirky disc-based mechanism, which rotates numbers (four numbers, hence 4N) into position to display a digital readout of the time. The fact that all three discs -- built out of aluminum or a titanium alloy -- and the MVT01 movement are exposed to the eye earns geek cred from us, while the limited run of only 16 units should ensure the desired exclusivity for the watches' future owners. As the old saying about price goes, if you have to ask, you can't afford one.
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%
Seiko's Spring Drive Spacewalk watch for earthbound and spacelings alike
One of the few dozen active-duty astronauts in the US space program? Inquire within about Seiko's Spring Drive Spacewalk watch, custom-designed for game god and soon-to-be ISS resident Richard Garriott. Not a member of NASA? Who cares, just how many watches do you own that could withstand direct exposure to the heatless vacuum that is space (should you ever find yourself in it)? Exactly. Only a hundred are being made though, so be ready to spring when Seiko tags this series with a price and puts it on sale.[Via Watch Report]
Digital Photo Frame Watch, it's a watch and a photo frame
Finally, you can throw out that slide carousel you've kept strapped to your wrist for the last two decades and replace it with the absolute latest in cutting edge digital photo frame technology. Introducing the aptly titled Digital Photo Frame Watch, whose packaging promises "It's a real watch." But wait, it gets better. This "real watch" stores 140 pictures in its copious 2MB of internal memory, all for playback on its no doubt gorgeous OLED color display. This is the future, folks. It's here. We've seen it. And it shows pictures.On your wrist.
Garmin's new Forerunner 405 puts the 'watch' back in 'GPS watch'
Starting with the Forerunner 305, Garmin finally started producing GPS-enabled watches that didn't make you look like a total goof while tracking your pace and vitals, but these still weren't timepieces you'd be comfortable wearing to the office or even a bar. Then came the Forerunner 50, which had the perfect watch-like form factor, but unfortunately, no GPS. So fans of this line will be pleased to learn that Garmin has somehow been able to shoehorn a satellite receiver into a casing not much bigger than the 50's and dubbed it the Forerunner 405. Besides monitoring and logging speed, distance, heart rate and location, the 405 also features a touch-sensitive bezel for controlling its various functions, as well as the same proprietary ANT+Sport wireless syncing technology as the GPS-less 50. Available in either black (pictured above) or green (pictured after the break, along with a video walkthrough), the Forerunner 405 will start at $299.
Casio booth tour
How did Casio, arguably best known for its calculators and watches (and those cool little programmable synths that to this day no church choir goes without), hold its own against its more massive booth brethren? One word for you: bull. Click on for more action from the Casio rodeo tour.