Microsoft SPOT Watches Hit Stores: Wristwatches With Wireless Connectivity Coming Next Month

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,113897,tk,dn121703X,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article...n121703X,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"Wristwatches and wireless services based on Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology won't be on sale in time for the holidays, but they are coming soon. The devices will be available in January, the software giant confirms. Microsoft will use next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to announce the availability of the devices, which were announced there last year. The software maker also plans to launch updates to its MSN Internet Software, and is expected to outline planned improvements to the Media Center Edition of Windows XP at the show.<br /><br />Smart Personal Objects Technology, or SPOT, uses a portion of the FM broadcast radio networks to deliver snippets of information about weather, news, stock prices, and sports scores to wristwatches equipped with the technology."

[David Prahl]

:drool:

Egad! I think I'll be buying one...

[Terry]

Egad! I think I'll be buying one...

Me too if:
-there isn't a monthly fee
-someone makes a style that isn't too geeky
-I can get local weather and traffic
-it has a good backlight (Indiglo-ish)
-I can read it without my reading glasses
-it will show seconds, pefereably analog-style (to take a pulse)
0X
(I just put the alien here because I like it.)

UPDATE: Nevermind...it's going to cost $9.95 a month...humm...SPOT on top of Cable TV, Tivo, Cell Phone, Wireless Data Plan, XM, Blackberry, Pager, Web site subscriptions...I need a second job just to pay monthly fees.

[David Prahl]

How can they really regulate the subscriptions if the data is being sent over the FM band? Some sort of DSS decoder?

[bdegroodt]

Can the launch of spotthoughts.com be far off now? :wink:

[Janak Parekh]

Can the launch of spotthoughts.com be far off now? :wink:
$ whois spotthoughts.com
...
Domain Name: SPOTTHOUGHTS.COM
Registrar: TUCOWS, INC.
Whois Server: whois.opensrs.net
Referral URL: http://www.opensrs.org
Name Server: NS1.WWWROOT10.NET
Name Server: NS2.WWWROOT10.NET
Status: ACTIVE
Updated Date: 09-oct-2003
Creation Date: 09-oct-2003
Expiration Date: 09-oct-2005
...
Dunn, J. {email address removed}
:lol: Seriously, I doubt it will be happening soon, though. Jason's busily working on DMT...

--janak

[Xianfox]

I don't want to have to reboot my watch twice a day. :?

That and I just bought a LaCrosse Tech (http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/) watch that set's itself to atomic time every night.

[Janak Parekh]

I don't want to have to reboot my watch twice a day. :?
Do you install tons of software on your watch? ;) Before drawing such conclusions, why don't we wait and see what reviews of the SPOT devices turn up. I suspect battery life will be a relatively bigger issue than stability. Oh, and I can't remember the last time I rebooted my i700.

That and I just bought a LaCrosse Tech (http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/) watch that set's itself to atomic time every night.
I have a Casio Wave Ceptor that does the same thing, and it's great, but I wouldn't mind getting a "smarter" watch if the price and wearability are right...

--janak

[Xianfox]

Do you install tons of software on your watch? ;)


We'll see. Sorry, but 20+ years of experience, many of them with MS products has made me a bit cynical. If it comes out of Redmond, I believe it only when I see it.

[Janak Parekh]

We'll see. Sorry, but 20+ years of experience, many of them with MS products has made me a bit cynical. If it comes out of Redmond, I believe it only when I see it.
You're not the only one with 20+ years of experience. :razzing: I've seen both good and bad on nearly every platform...

--janak

[mattchapin]

Sounds interesting. A Microsoft watch.

I wonder if they can get the alarm feature right on this one.

(Though I suppose they could be excused if they don't. An alarm is no more a central function of a watch than it is a central function of a PDA. I mean, alarms are what clocks are for...)

Matt

[Tye]

$60 per year and 2-4 days per charge. Count me out.

http://direct.msn.com/about/faq.aspx

[Terry]

I wonder if they can get the alarm feature right on this one. Matt

Good one...I guess M$ is more interested in new revenue streams than making old stuff work...(BTW...this is first time in my 20-year experience with MS stuff that I've used "$" instead of the "S").
0X
Of course if MS can't get it right there's always Palm:
http://www.fossil.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=8

P.S. These watches also fail because of sheer geekness. They remind me of 80's calculator watches. Where are cool designs? A far cry from what Fossil can come up with and even more boring when compared with Seiko, Swiss Army, Luminox, Tag Heuer...but nearly the same price!!

[tsb_hcy]

Can the launch of spotthoughts.com be far off now? :wink:
$ whois spotthoughts.com
...
Domain Name: SPOTTHOUGHTS.COM
Registrar: TUCOWS, INC.
Whois Server: whois.opensrs.net
Referral URL: http://www.opensrs.org
Name Server: NS1.WWWROOT10.NET
Name Server: NS2.WWWROOT10.NET
Status: ACTIVE
Updated Date: 09-oct-2003
Creation Date: 09-oct-2003
Expiration Date: 09-oct-2005
...
Dunn, J. {email address removed}
:lol: Seriously, I doubt it will be happening soon, though. Jason's busily working on DMT...

--janak


Working on DMT???? Anyone who can maintain themselves enough to work while on this powerful hallucinogen is awesome! 0X

[ricksfiona]

Don't forget about the advertising that WILL be included in those 'snipets' of information.

[Bajan Cherry]

I am with you buddy! I would wait until version 3 is out :).

I don't want to have to reboot my watch twice a day. :?

That and I just bought a LaCrosse Tech (http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/) watch that set's itself to atomic time every night.

[possmann]

I think it's a neat start - I don't care much for the monthly fee though... it would be neat if this could double as a pager... I'll wait for the next release and for a color screen - THEN I'll go for it m :lol:

[mobilemail]

My wife recently bought a watch from the Timex website that receives short messages, stock reports, etc. Basically, a little alpha-numeric pager that works through Skytel. (The watch was on sale for $35, with a year of unlimited, full pager service with 800 number, voice mail and everything! :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: ) I want to know what the functional difference is between the new watch and the existing pager model; and how microsoft is going to talk enough broadcasters into installing the equipment for signal insertion so this new product will have coverage as ubiquitious as pager coverage. :?:

[Jon Westfall]

Gee, if Microsoft builds a wristwatch, I wonder if you'll have to input a 65 digit code to activate it. Besides, its bad enough when my PPCPE crashes and I have to explain to someone that my cell phone crashed.... how would it be to tell someone "Hold on, my watch needs to reboot". What's next? A wallet that holds you up at the cash register while it reboots so you can open it?

MS-Wallet... oh wait... doesn't that already exist?

Not that I'm agains MS, I just think its a safe bet to stay away from SPOT for a few years until the bugs are worked out.

[jlp]

I wonder if they can get the alarm feature right on this one. MattOf course if MS can't get it right there's always Palm:
http://www.fossil.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=8

it reads "We are sorry, but this product is no longer available." on Fossil's page

[Take1]

My wife recently bought a watch from the Timex website that receives short messages, stock reports, etc. Basically, a little alpha-numeric pager that works through Skytel. (The watch was on sale for $35, with a year of unlimited, full pager service with 800 number, voice mail and everything!

I've got that watch myself -- the Ironman internet watch. It can even send you appended e-mail (100 characters via Yahoo!). I wish they would make the unit out of metal instead of plastic, but otherwise it works fantastic. The button battery lasts about 2 months receiving about 10 - 12 e-messages/pages per day. Don't know how they got it so efficient! The nice thing is that the time is set automatically (there isn't a way to manually set the time! simply put batteries in it and it sets itself!).

The Spot watch is butt-ugly and service costs way too much when compared to the alteratives. 2-way communication would make it much more attractive.

[Steven Cedrone]

Not to dig up an old thread, but...

pt (http://www.flashenabled.com/) has in his possesion, two spot watches. Check out what he has done with them. Also, he has added a little "how to" for you to send him a message on his Spot watch...

Wonder if the 'Thoughts effect works with watches as well??? :wink:

Steve

[bdegroodt]

i'm really looking for a reason to want one of these things. I'm a little curious about the high price of the device (some as high as $200) and why I would pay for this service when I get 90% of it from my mobile provider already. Anyone have a real good reason to justify buying a SPOT watch beyond W?BIC!? I'm assuming MSFT took the mobile providers into consideration when they rolled this out and feel like they have something unique to offer.

[David Prahl]

He talks about a camera pen farther down the page - anyone have any info about it?