wristwatch
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Timex's iPod-controlling i-Control watch hits the FCC
Chalk another one up to the rumor mill, as it looks like the leaked PowerPoint slide we saw just last month was indeed referring to an actual product. Thanks to an FCC filing, we now know that Timex is actually cranking out a Made for iPod timepiece in its Ironman series. The i-Control isn't the most handsome of watches, but it will be available in a water-resistant casing, sport Indiglo backlighting, and play nice with your dock connecting iPod. According to the documentation, users will clip an included RF transmitter into their Pod, which will allow the watch to control the volume, track, and play / pause function so long as the it's within "about ten feet" of your wrist. Of course, it still sports the same alarm, chrono, recall, and interval timer modes as the rest of its siblings, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like you'll see any scrolling track tags on this one. As expected, there's no word on price just yet, but click on through for a more detailed shot of it all sprawled out.
E Ink watch giveaway reminder
We know, there's hardly a chance you'd forget to toss your name in the hat for the last E Ink watch to ever be given away (or sold, for that matter), but in case it slipped your mind momentarily, the contest is only open until 11:59pm EDT on Friday, July 13th. Psst, that's just over three days from now for those sans a timepiece!
Tokyoflash's BPM watch: for DJs and runners alike
Cramming a heart rate monitor into a wristwatch isn't all that difficult, but Tokyoflash's BPM watch does the trick in style. This multipurpose timepiece dons a stainless steel face, spits out the time in digital fashion, keeps track of the date, and includes a "mini-torch" backlight to find your way to an empty seat when entering a theater seven minutes late. The standout feature, however, is the built-in beats-per-minute mode, which allows you to "tap the button to the rhythm of the beat" or monitor your current heart rate. Additionally, BPM mode brings out textual inspiration in the form of random DJ phrases that are presumably meant to get you even more amped up. Not too shabby for ¥7,900 ($65), eh? Check the closeups after the jump.[Via PlasticBamboo]
Sony Ericsson's announcement: three-pack of new watches?
So Sony Ericsson's really playing up the fact that they're announcing something tomorrow, but it's anybody's guess at this point just what it might be. There's no shortage of theories: the W999i, the Sofia -- but the rumor that's really picking up steam right now is that SE will drop three new Bluetooth wristwatch models. Really, it makes sense seeing how there's a big box on the teaser site that kinda looks like it could be holding a watch. Specifically, it's being said over on Esato that there will be three models announced, all of which will be smaller than the gargantuan original. One will be called the MBW-150, one will be Walkman branded, and two will have leather straps while the third will sport metal (starting to sound a little like a logic puzzle, isn't it?). Unlike the MBW-100, it sounds like all three will support AVRCP for music control. Thankfully, it's less than 24 hours until we get the official scoop.[Via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]
Garanti Bank issues PayPass-enabled wristwatch in Turkey
Apparently, even swipeless credit cards are too much of an inconvenience to carry around in Turkey, or else Garanti Bank and MasterCard are just doing a fine job of whispering PayPass into those ears that are now tuned in. Gimmick or not, the two firms have partnered up to dole out a few limited edition timepieces that not only sport embedded PayPass modules to skip the painful John Hancock procedure altogether on basic, low-dollar purchases, but also feature a flashy and surprisingly tawdry motif. The bright orange watch rocks a few soccer balls, er, footballs on the face, and also includes a handy date feature to keep you on track. No word on exactly how one would go about procuring one of these contactless payment watches, but if your Garanti account is pushing six or seven figures, we'd say you've got some leverage.[Via TechDigest]
"Widescreen" video watch touts 1.8-inch LCD
The video watch craze seems to be catching on, as what was once an oddity has now started to grow us just a bit, and while we can't deny the arguably appalling nature of rocking an LCD screen on your wrist, the latest option most definitely goes for broke. Hey, if you're going to go, you might as well go all out, and by slapping a wristwatch on your arm with a prominent 1.8-inch "widescreen" display front and center, you'll certainly be catching a few eyes for better or worse. This Chinavision timepiece boasts 2GB of internal memory, supports MP3, WMA, and WAV music formats, handles MTV video files care of a software conversion, a JPEG photo / text viewer, internal speaker, USB 2.0 connectivity, FM radio, voice recorder, six equalizer settings, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack to boot. Of course, glancing back at the less-than-sexy design can quickly wipe away the pros that this thing surely has going for it, but for just over $56, the CVESG-S818-2 still looks mighty tempting.[Via CNET]
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]
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]
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.
Biohazard watch detects aliens, consumers of gimmicky timepieces
We've seen our fair share of questionably designed watches (and extraterrestrial detection devices, too), but the Biohazard timepiece takes this alien watchdog stuff to another level. Sure, the solid stainless steel design and squared motif isn't the hippest thing to fly out of Japan, but the overall aesthetics still top some wrist adornments out there, and its functionality isn't half bad either. The company makes no bones about informing you that the "red and white DNA helix bars" are actually not registering levels of alien activity around you, but rather spell out the time via colored blocks, and the date via an "alien DNA percentage" meter. Aside from fooling your friends into believing that ET resides in your guest room, this thing actually performs the single most important duty a watch is supposed to accomplish, and it can be yours for (an admittedly steep) ¥15,900 ($138).[Via BoingBoing]
Quadtec unveils pricey digital wristwatch
While we've got no qualms with implausibly priced gizmos, nor with timepieces sporting integrated Bluetooth, drum machines, GPS, or breathalyzer functionalities, Quadtec seems to be asking a bit much for a watch that does little besides alternate the way you tell the time. For those who might actually enjoy learning a new way to read time, Quadtec's digital watch can be "set to show the number of minutes to the full hour," so you can have the presumable pleasure of "reading the time on a digital display as you would on an analog one." Aside from also displaying the current day / date, it only sports a simple backlight and alarm, while coming in a stealthy briefcase that packs orange, black, and stainless steel bands. Although it bears striking resemblance to a top-notch gumball toy, this uninspiring wristwatch demands a whopping 1,960 quarters (or $490, whichever you prefer).[Via I4U]
Shenzhen Adragon Digitek offers up MP4-playing watch
If you're more interested in keeping a certain amount of full motion video strapped on your wrist than an actual clock (or breathalyzer, even), Shenzhen Adragon Digitek's MP4 watch provides the diversion you've been looking for. Similar in utility to Aigo's F209, Shenzhen's rendition provides a slightly less repulsive color scheme, and promises a very respectable nine hours of playback time. Reportedly sporting a snazzy color display, MP4 support, line-in capabilities, five EQ settings, and USB 2.0 connectivity, the timepiece can presumably provide a bit of underwater entertainment as well as it touts a "water / shockproof" enclosure. While details concerning the storage capacity, screen resolution, and pricing are MIA, the company is currently seeking firms to OEM the watch (any VCs in attendance?), so you might want to look elsewhere if you don't have time (ahem) to wait around.
Solar-powered wristwatch, necklace for the blind
While there's definitely no shortage of watches that serve a greater purpose than merely telling time, Jeonjun Cho, a sophomore at Kyungki University in Korea, has developed a timepiece that does nothing more than display the current time to the blind. His braille clock collection has both aesthetes and utilitiarians covered, as the sleek silver finish makes for a snazzy piece of 2001-esque jewelry, and the solar-powered braille ticker allows the blind to check the time without consulting their RFID-enabled robot tagalong. The necklace and watch each share the same readout, which is composed of simple "dots, lines, and planes," all basic factors of creating braille numbers. So if you've got a visually impaired pal who hasn't picked up a talking cellphone to keep him / her on schedule, these fashionable timepieces could be just the thing to keep things on track.