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Casio unveils GPR-100, smallest GPS-enabled watch
Maybe there's some mass conspiracy to tackle an overweight epidemic among humans, or maybe folks these days are running just for the fun it, but regardless of the real agenda, Casio is cashing in on the statistically-driven-jogger craze by unveiling the GPR-100. Hailed as the "world's smallest GPS-enabled watch," the unit combines all the goodness found in your average wristwatch with the swank abilities of GPS in order to better analyze your exercise. Similar to other arm-dominating contraptions we've seen, this waterproof wristwatch syncs up with GPS satellites to calculate the time, speed, distance, pace, and averages of your run, while keeping track of your route should you deviate from the beaten path. You also get a "fully automatic" calendar, stopwatch, alarm, and even a backlight for those late night excursions. The biggest dig on this otherwise fanciful little timepiece is the battery life; the rechargeable LiOn apparently lasts just 2 hours in "normal operation," while legging out 4.3 hours in "low power mode." While this GPS watch will certainly attract less negative attention compared to earlier efforts, the compactness comes at a price -- at a whopping ¥54,000 ($476), you might be better off evading the GPR-100 entirely this September, and redirecting your energy (and cashflow) towards that tried and true Nike+iPod setup.[Via Engadget Japanese]
Aigo's F209 MP3 / video playing wristwatch
In case you don't already own one of the bajillion DAPs on the market, or if your cellphone doesn't sport some sort of musical playback function, Aigo figures it could interest you in wrapping those capabilities around your wrist. Clearly another example of consolidation in action, this watch / DAP / movie viewer is yet another Chinese all-in-one-style gadget that probably doesn't perform exceptionally well at any of its claimed tasks. Although the F209 sports a relatively unfashionable black plastic band, and a color scheme on the faceplate reminiscent of the early 90s, it manages to include a very respectable 160 x 128 resolution OLED display for viewing MPEG-4, XviD, and AVI movie clips. When not watching a flick or determining just how late you're running for that ever-important meeting, there's always the built-in MP3 / WMA / WMA-DRM player to pass the time (ahem). Two models will reportedly be available, with the only difference being the internal storage space (512MB or 1GB), and both will rock a headphone jack, playback controls, and a mini-USB port for PC-to-watch transfers. While the design of this timepiece isn't likely to attract any new friends, it appears to be a fairly decent way to carry a few tunes / video clips without adding even more weight to your knapsack -- but with prices ranging from 799 CNY ($100) for the 512MB model to 1,099 CNY ($125) for the 1GB version, this less-than-stylish wristwatch conglomerate may not be worth your time (nor money).[Via DAPreview]
Chronotech's Bluevoice combines wristwatch, headset
Anyone can own both an unattractive watch and an equally homely Bluetooth accessory, but when they come together as one, it's something very special. That's exactly what Chronotech has done with their Bluevoice device, offering digital and analog models whose faces double as detachable headsets. When a call comes in, you just pop the face off the wrist strap and put 'er on -- a creative way to stow your headset that you'd otherwise have to put around your neck, in your pocket, or simply wear all day -- but this is a case where we'd have liked to see Chronotech put a bit more effort into the industrial design side of their operation. For what it's worth, the Bluevoice can be yours in colors like "white sparkle" for $119.95 in digital and $127.95 in analog configurations; a little steep for an average headset plus a wristwatch you might find in a box of Crackerjack, we think, but the ability to offer the current time to passers-by who happen to be looking at your head is admittedly priceless.[Via BlueTomorrow]
Citizen readies VIRT Bluetooth watch for release
Ever since we saw Seiko's CPC TR-006 prototype watch with built-in Bluetooth, we've been anxiously waiting for a piece of stylish wristwear that also makes a fuss when we get a phone call, and displays Caller ID info so our smartphone never has to leave its belt holster. Well our long wait will finally be over on July 7th, but in a cruel twist of fate, instead of that not-unfashionable Seiko, the first Bluetooth watch to market will be a rather hideous looking model from Citizen with a tiny screen and gaudy blue buttons marring the face. Besides sporting that disaster of a design, though, the W700 VIRT Bluetooth watch doesn't sound like it's all that uncomfortable to wear, with its sub-two-ounce weight paling in comparison to the those G-Shock shackles some people weigh down their arms with. Plus, you get a pretty decent five-day battery life, SPOT-like charging dock, and best of all-- at least for cellphone addicts -- an optional alert for notifying you if your phone ever travels a potentially-traumatizing distance from your person. Only 5,000 of these pieces will be sold during the initial rollout, but even if they're offered at a very reasonable price (which we highly doubt), sales will probably be limited to only the geekiest most hardcore early-adopters.[Via Wrist Dreams]