It took a while but the first wireless data watches based on Microsoft SPOT (Smart Personal Objects Technology) technology is available from watchmaker Fossil. The Wrist Net information page has a link that lets you check if you live in one of the 100 metropoliton areas where the FM subcarrier data service for the watch is available.
Microsoft calls the service MSN Direct.You can pay either $9.95US monthly or $59US annually for the data service. Here are some links for more information:
- Fossil Wrist Net watch home page
- MSN Direct home page
- MSN Direct FAQ
- PC World article previewing the product and service
- Microsoft Monitor brief review by a beta-tester
- Microsoft Monitor second opinion
What do you think about this one-way wireless data watch?
erm.... phone?
Funnily enough, I can't think of anyone I know who still wears a watch (apart from our sales force). Looking round the office, everyone's wrists in here are bare (six software developers isn't a representative sample, I'll admit).
I gave them up 10 years ago, after having 3 straps in a row pulled apart by curious teething nephews. However I guess most of my colleagues, like me, use their mobile phone instead of a watch now. And all of the services listed for this watch are available to me now via SMS alerts, WAP, etc.
Ubiquitous computing is a nice idea, but as pdas, phones, gbas, and media players converge, people won't be so tolerant of carrying many devices that need recharged; unless recharging is made painless (by something like http://splashpower.com/?) I can only see the market for these watches being people who want the gadget for gadgets sake.
erm.... phone?
The only times I don't wear a watch is when I'm in the shower or swimming, and that only because it's not waterproof...
If I had a watch that could replace my cellphone and/or PDA comfortably (given that I have no PDA currently, but may get one again later this year) that would mean one less gadget to carry around in an age when Homo Siliconensis (the silicon man, aka the IT worker) needs an ever larger rucksack for his gadgets.