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Handhelds Hardware

Toshiba's Wristwatch PDA 140

Posted by CmdrTaco from the get-your-lust-on dept.
pdawerks says "Toshiba has previewed what it calls a Wristwatch PDA, which it considers to be very popular in future. According to MobileMag and BBC News, the device will provide the functionality of a high-end PDA in a comparatively small and handy form factor. It features a wide hi-definition display, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking and is perfectly suited for videophone conferences. The concept also sports voice recognition, which allows you to simply talk to your Wristwatch PDA."
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Toshiba's Wristwatch PDA

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  • My question is this (Score:5, Interesting)

    by revolvement ( 742502 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:19AM (#8626980)
    When is enough, enough?(When it comes to size factor) With PDAs, how small can you have them until they're no longer functionable?
    • as long as you can read the screen, i guess.
    • We were talking about this the other day, and it really seems like some kind of alternative interface is necessary.

      Consider a device which can project images onto your retina and also track the movements of your hands. Something like that would have no trouble taking input from a "virtual" projected keyboard...

      To be honest, my phone is pretty much as small as it can get, and I wouldn't want to do any serious data entry on it. There needs to be some kind of interface revolution before we can do anything
    • . --- this big

      and even then, they could store files, which you retrieve by bluetooth. think about the espionage value!
    • In this case they've addresssed the issue by combining a large (for a "wristwatch") form factor, with nonexistant technologies: working voice recognition and a screen with the resolution of paper (in fact the "screen" appears to be a cutout of an AtoZ [a-zmaps.co.uk] map).

      If and when speech recognition and speech production do work, I don't see why you couldn't have a pda the size of a normal wristwatch. After all you can interface with a real, human assistant effectively using only speech.

    • They could be smaller.

      Using an audio interface you could nearly have no limit on how small it is. Especially if you off processing power to a remote location.

      Some people can be terminally forgetful you know, such as me. I'd sacrifice my pride for help remembering things.

      Key things:

      - INTERFACE is still the problem. Really you need something that interfaces directly with the brain conciousness - a proper memory expansion. HUD glasses and handwriting recignition as good as M$ Windows would be a jump forwar
    • I'm waiting for the first ribosome based turing machine...
    • I held my Ipaq 1945 [pdabuyersguide.com] up to my wrist and it looks a lot like the photos of that Toshiba "Wristwatch" (when are they going to stop calling them watches? that's more like a arm band) except the 1945 has a longer display.

      I'm not really concerned with input, PDA users have used styluses with great success for years now. My concern: battery life. How long would it last with that huge display? 3 hours tops? My 1945 would die in 3 hours if I left it on, and being a watch I'm guessing that Toshiba display wou

  • Contradiction? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:21AM (#8626988)
    Anyobody else thinks "small and handy form factor." and "a wide hi-definition display" contradict each other? What use is a high resolution display if it's so small?
    • well, they are probably talking about high dpi displays, so you can cram enough pixels into it, for it to pose as a usable display
    • Not really a contradiction. It's similar to running your 21" monitor at 640x480 as compared to 1600x1200. The size of the monitor didn't change, but the images it puts out are higher resolution.

    • Re:Contradiction? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by PhotoBoy ( 684898 )
      It does look a bit bulky, then again I still wear my "bulky" Casio Databank watch, I'd be lost without it. Although in comparison it's a tiny watch. If everyone is wearing something that big I might be persuaded but it looks delicate too, one clumsy swing of the arm could result in a broken screen...

      I've looked for possible replacesments to my Casio Databank lots of times, but things like the (now cancelled) Fossil PDA watch and this can't seem to match the battery life of my trusty Casio (currently 5 year
      • Timex had a line of watches called the DataLink. I think they only have one model now. They used to have a whole line of them. You can download data from a PC to the watch. It was like a mini-PDA. I switched from a Casio Databank to Timex DataLink a few years ago. I still wear the both my DataBank and DataLink but I don't load them data anymore because I now carry around a real PDA.
    • Imagine all those people hunched over their wrists and getting eye strain... could be kind of like the iPod's effect on hearing :)

    • Re:Contradiction? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by torpor ( 458 )
      I saw the Motorola Linux phone at CeBIT, and I thought the same thing until I saw video's and TV shows being played on it ... I'd quite happily carry around a high-definition capable player in my pocket, if it doubles as a cell phone, media player, and PDA.

      Seems thats the direction its going ... and btw, the Mot phone ws -superb- ... soon as its available in my market, I'll get one.

    • Re:Contradiction? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by ceeam ( 39911 )
      That's not _too_ small (you clicked the link, did you?).
      FYI: the screen size on 7650/3650/3660 Nokias is 43x37mm (IIRC). Looks ok to be used in watches (bar other problems, like power consumption and stuff). And those smartphones are considered pretty useful by many.

  • Point of diminishing returns? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Zathras26 ( 763537 ) <pianodwarf AT gmail DOT com> on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:22AM (#8626990)
    Smaller and lighter is usually a good thing with mobile devices, but doesn't there come a point when you've gone too far? In particular, with a wristwatch PDA, I'd be concerned that the screen is too small to be useful -- even on a regular-size PDA, I sometimes feel "cramped".
    • I totally agree. I'm a PocketPC user, and that is just about the right form factor for me (it makes an excellent chess companion ;-)...

      For basic contact/appointment stuff, I usually rely on my mobile phone.

      If anything I'd probably prefer something slightly larger than the PocketPC form factor for the roles I use it for - a 640x480 screen (as on the new Zaurus) would be nice for digital photo browsing - and a built-in ethernet port would be great (I already have a foldable keyboard). It would make the

    • I'm not sure how small it really is. If the picture is any indication of how it would fit on an arm....it looks way too bulky. I don't even like wearing a wristwatch because it bugs me while typing. I'm a bit clumsy too and this thing would last about a week on my arm before it was slammed gently into a doorjam/desk/coffee table. I like the idea, but maybe we should wait for virtual displays on glasses or better audio interfaces. On the flip side, it does look like a chick magnet......if you happen to

  • But, but, but... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Blahbbs ( 587167 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:22AM (#8626991)
    But, It's HUGE! No one wants a monstrosity like that on their wrist.

    • Re:But, but, but... (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:35AM (#8627052)
      I think this product would sell more if they marketed it as a form of reliable birth control.
    • much I'd buy this, me? early adopter? hell yes

      the appropriate name is 'data cuff' and yes, I'd buy one, and utilize it, in public...
      some of the stuff (crap) I've purchased and mostly still have include
      Sony Glasstrons
      Logitech cyberman 1 and 2
      Archos 340
      nintendo game glove
      Kyocera 6035 and now 7135
      TRS-80 mdl 100 (2) and 102(1)
      stuntmaster hmd
      at least 4 different lcd shutterglasses

      some people don't care about appearance, but enhanced ability/capabilities .. this potentially would allow-

  • ironic (Score:5, Insightful)

    by tobes ( 302057 ) <(tobypadilla) (at) (gmail.com)> on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:23AM (#8626995) Homepage
    I don't wear my watch anymore since I find it more discrete to just keep a cell phone/pda in my pocket and whip it out when I need to know what time it is.

    I think the watch form factor was just fine when time was the only portable function. Once you start adding other features it really pays to have more interface options.

    • Re:ironic (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:26AM (#8627012)
      When I reach in my pocket and whip it out you know what time it is...

    • Re:ironic (Score:2, Insightful)

      by slash_fossils ( 698785 )
      Same here. There was a time when I was in a gadget war of sorts with my buddies, to see whose watch could do more things (early 80's). But once it reached the full blown scientific calculator stage, we just stopped. I did try the TV remote thing but ended up bringing the thing back.

      Now I don't even wear a watch. My phone/pda can tell me the time or I just look at the computer screen in front of me.

      The plastic wristband of my watch would get me all uncomfortably sweaty. By the looks of that chunk

    • Re:ironic (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Ugmo ( 36922 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @11:19AM (#8627236)
      I don't wear my watch anymore since I find it more discrete to just keep a cell phone/pda in my pocket and whip it out when I need to know what time it is.

      I really think that a good form factor for a PDA or some kind of electronic device is the old Pocket Watch on a chain.

      Make the case out of some light weight metal or gold at the high end and have a mall screen in one end of the clamshell and a key pad at the other. With bluetooth you could also have a headset seperate from the PDA/phone. The pcoket chain could double as an antenna and the phob (the hunk of metal at the end of the chain that stays in your pocket) could be the battery/power supply.

      I wish some jewerly designer/watch company would team up with a PDA/Cell Phone company and make one.
  • About two days, before you smash your wrist into desk or corner as you're walking, and little pieces of LCD dribble down your arm.

    "No, the screen is not warrantied against accidental damage."

    And the device is not suit-compatible. Great for t-shirts, lousy with long sleeves.

    Needs more work.
    • I'd say it is suit compatible but not t-shirt compatible. It looks pretty ugly; I think most people would prefer to have it hidden and just pull up their sleeve to use it.
    • you are also missing one other important point.. if it is not WATERPROOF then it is an absolute piece of crud.

      The human body is a very hostile place to be for electronics, if it lives on your arm, it had better be waterproof, almost bulletproof, scratchproof (why do you think that a good watch crystal is made out of a super hard scratch resistan material?) and breathe easily where it touches the human. I wont grab my cellphone in the middle of a downpour, but I wont think of covering my arm.. also what a
      • Yeah, my requirements for a watch were very simple:

        1. Shockproof enough to withstand everyday abuse like catching my wrist on doors.

        2. Waterproof to any depth I might reasonably swim to without special equipment.

        3. Accurate to a few seconds a month or better.

        4. Doesn't need batteries changing or other regular maintenance.

        5. Time, date.

        It's surprisingly hard to fulfil those basic requirements.

  • Doubles as a wrist brace (Score:5, Funny)

    by chia_monkey ( 593501 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:24AM (#8627000) Journal
    Did you see how big that thing was? I don't expect it to be tiny, but it doesn't look like you'd be able to move your wrist at all with that thing. It stretches from your wrist to your elbow! Soon we'll see all the skaters wearing it as wrist protection.

  • Torpedo (Score:2, Funny)

    by compbrain ( 625174 )
    All those in favor of wearing a grey and blue torpedo on their wrists and calling it a PDA, say I. In other news you can buy a nice pocket sized device that wont make you look so odd when you check the time....
  • The article has a picture of the "watch" displaying a map in such a small screen. They don't mention about any real specs... I sure hope the resolution is high in fact for this to be useful at all.

    On the other hand, I would certainly have a PDA/Calculator/Cell Phone/Digital camera all in one and in a PDA size (with a decent screen size and definition) and a regular watch. When such a device will come out AND be quite reliable for ALL the functions, I will consider the investment.

  • strappinga PDA to your wrist does not a Watch make (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    is a "watch" now defined by strapping anything to your wrist that can tell the time ?

    this sure doesnt look like in the same category as Rolex,Cartier or even a Casio i would argue this is a wrist mount for a PDA not a Watch

  • Hmmzz.. night rider? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Core-Dump ( 148342 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:33AM (#8627044)
    Kit!!

    Yes Michael?

    Come and get me...

  • Pics (Score:3, Informative)

    by amembleton ( 411990 ) <aembleton@bigfoo ... minus physicist> on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:38AM (#8627067) Homepage
    The BBC have some nice pics [bbc.co.uk] of this device.

    One big problem I can see is that it will affect your wrist movements making it uncomfortable to wear in every day use. A mobile phone (they're becoming more and more like PDAs) is a discreet device that you can hide in your pocket and doesn't look so 'weird'. I don't think this will take off. I don't think there will be a market for such a thing because people want to look good. Also this thing will be prone to getting scratched and damaged with everyday wear.

  • Battery life.. (Score:2, Insightful)

    by toesate ( 652111 )
    Battery life is the important question, imho.

    You don't want a waist PDA spec-ed out so good to be true that you have to carry the spare power source in your other pocket.

  • Progressing to wearable (Score:3, Interesting)

    by stecoop ( 759508 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:41AM (#8627077) Journal
    A few have written about diminishing returns in terms of size, but these are the future.

    Soon as Bluetooth can stream video and sunglasses have video monitor then theses devices will show a logical step towards the future. PDA will become wrist computers; later fully wearable computers with sunglasses to rival plasma screens. After that, who knows (only progress will tell)?

    By the way; I put on a 3d simulation helmet the other day - not quite fashionable but a step in the direction of wearable.

  • God, No! (Score:4, Informative)

    by dnaboy ( 569188 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:45AM (#8627086)
    I, personally have had a love hate affair with PDAs for years. The thing that finally broke me was a BlackBerry. I lived and died by that thing, but what made me realize I had problems was when I couldn't use it, such as in airplanes and, still to this day, often hospitals (where I spend a decent amount of time for work). I would find myself, perhaps not so covertly huddled up in a window seat trying to time when we'd be above chicago to try to get signal (which I'm absolutely serious does work, if only long enough to get a message in or out between dropping connections).

    I was an addict.

    Anyway, long story short, went cold turkey. Cancelled my service, gave the blackberry to a friend, and have gone au natural for the last couple years. I'm finally happy and unbound from the tethers of wireless email (ironic, eh...).

    The thought of something hanging on my wrist to give me email, web, and IM anywhere anytime scares the crap out of me.

    Never in a million years!

    OK- I'm done...

  • All is revealed... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Stopmotioncleaverman ( 628352 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @10:53AM (#8627112)
    So THAT'S what Leela had on her wrist all the way through Futurama...:)
  • The article says:

    Toshiba has previewed what it calls a Wristwatch PDA, which it considers to be very popular in future

    Considers? Maybe it's my lack of understanding of English, but wouldn't "forecasts" or "guesses" be a better word? The only way you can consider something to be popular in the future is if you believe in multiple futures so that there will always be a future in which Toshiba can consider its wristwatch to be very popular. Like every company has the right to its own Future Reality (tm).

    "

  • it's too darned big. what sort of professional is going to be taken seriously walking around with a tv sitting on his or her wrist?
    it's damned cool, don't get me wrong, but i don't think that items like these are going to take off until they're able to project a holographic image and allow the user to interact with that.
    • remember when pocket protectors, mended thick-frame glasses and slide rules were uncool and people got swirlies for having them? i personally have seen the inside of a few too many toilet bowls. we geeks had to OWN those things before they became cool. the same goes for having home entertainment systems strapped awkwardly to our wrists. objectively speaking, they aren't any more absurd than a necktie, but provide much more utility. once Arnold Schwartzennegger unloads his klutzy Hummer and gets one of
  • That wrist PDA is a nice idea, but it's not quite there as far as I'm concerned. First, like a lot of people, I don't wear a wristwatch anymore. I have a cellphone most of the time, and it has a nice external LCD display with a clock. When I'm not carrying my phone, I prefer a pocket watch to a wrist watch. Basically, I just don't like bulky shit on my wrists, as it gets unfortable when you are typing on a keyboard (something I do a lot of).

    So if someone wants to introduce a wrist PDA that I would bu
  • Videophone conferences? But do you see the video camera anywhere convenient placed? Can it really get so tiny?

    Only 4 buttons shown - a little too few, imho. A simple digital watch have 4 buttons. Compromised usability?

    The screen texture looks too curvy and silk-ed, which will prove irritating for pen based input. Maybe voice input all around? Have fun!

    As a conceptual device, it looks good, but I'll bet its unpopularity if this device is ever actually put on store shelf.

    Somehow, I feel that Dick Trac
  • It really looks impressive, but how long will this PDA run before the batteries go flat?
    Having to remove the watch in order to recharge the battery is going to rapidly lose the coolness factor.

  • Pluses and minuses (Score:3, Informative)

    by Mycroft_514 ( 701676 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @11:10AM (#8627194) Journal
    I looked at the device, and like and computer, what will make or break is "killer" aps.

    For the PDA I have now, the killer ap is the blood meter add-on module. Combine this sucker with the sweat based blood meter device I read about a year ago or so, and you might have a rela interesting device.

    Make the casing waterproof to 300 feet, and add a sensor and it might replace several radio dive computers (Like the Aladin Air Z O2 that I already have). (www.uwatec.com)

    At the very least, it would almost surely need a screen protector, to protect it from getting clobbered.

    I think I'll reserve judgement until I get more data on it.

  • And this is why device convergence is bad... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by hacker ( 14635 ) <hacker@gnu-designs.com> on Sunday March 21, 2004 @11:19AM (#8627239)
    And this, my dear friends, is why device convergence is, and has always been, a bad idea.

    Not only do you get coupled to one device, vendor, or service (think Treo600 + Sprint cell service), but you can't decouple parts of the hardware to improve it as technology advances.

    • Built-in 802.11b WiFi. Oops, now 802.11g is the standard, and your device is no longer current.
    • USB 1.1 capable. Oops, now USB 2.0 and later is the standard, and your device is no longer current.
    • Want to get another Bluetooth headset to use with your PDA? Sorry, this one is built-in, and you can't connect any others. You can buy a new device though...

    Device convergence is a bad, bad bad idea. The technology (Bluetooth for example) was originally proposed to "connect devices together". It does nothing of the sort, when your devices are converged.

    I'd love to see a PDA, with a Bluetooth attachment, talking to a cellphone (bluetooth enabled, either internally or via attachment), talking to a bluetooth-enabled laptop/desktop, and so on. If you decide to upgrade your phone, the rest of the devices still keep working perfectly. It is the Unix philosophy. Replace one small part, and the process keeps working. You don't have to rip everything out and replace it all, because one small part merits an upgrade.

    What do you do when you want to upgrade a portion of this watch's capabilities? Throw it out and get a new one? Unacceptable.

    This goes for PDAs with phones, or phones with PDAs built into them. Either you get:

    • A "big" phone, capable of holding a useful PDA screen and keyboard, which can no longer be comforatably worn on a belt or in a pocket, or..
    • A "tiny" PDA, with an equally "tiny" keyboard to tap on to type in messages, with a screen you have to squint at to read.

    Building a PDA into a wristwatch, while at first seems "cool", in the real world of practical devices and people who use this technology, is an incredibly bad idea.. especially at this size.

    ...and I hope most of the technology in it is buit around some sort of updatable firmware, so you can update the OS, apps, and other software bits to help it remain compatible with other technology.

    I want my existing, bought-this-year devices to work with current technology. I don't want to have to throw them all away and replace every part, just to get a new connectivity option.

    Hrmph!

    • This goes for PDAs with phones, or phones with PDAs built into them. Either you get:

      • A "big" phone, capable of holding a useful PDA screen and keyboard, which can no longer be comforatably worn on a belt or in a pocket, or..
      • A "tiny" PDA, with an equally "tiny" keyboard to tap on to type in messages, with a screen you have to squint at to read.

      I have neither of those problems with the Kyocera 7135 [kyocera-wireless.com]. I compared it to the smallest color, clamshell phone Verizon (for example) offers: the Audiovox CDM-860

      • "Now if you were carrying both a seperate cellphone and a PDA, their sum would be much larger than the 7135."

        Now show me how you can use the PDA, say to type some notes into a document or memo, while you're actively talking on the phone, or checking your voice mail at the same time.

        • Now show me how you can use the PDA, say to type some notes into a document or memo, while you're actively talking on the phone, or checking your voice mail at the same time.
          One of two ways: (1) speakerphone, or (2) headset. The "PDA part" is fully usable while using the "phone part."
        • Now show me how you can use the PDA, say to type some notes into a document or memo, while you're actively talking on the phone, or checking your voice mail at the same time.

          Like he said... use a headset or temporarily flip the phone into speakerphone mode (even the old 6035 was able to do this).

          I'm trying to picture someone juggling a modern-day cell phone on their shoulder while using both hands to enter something on a PDA. Maybe if you're agile enough it would work, but I'd bet you'd flip your cell

          • "I'm trying to picture someone juggling a modern-day cell phone on their shoulder while using both hands to enter something on a PDA. Maybe if you're agile enough it would work, but I'd bet you'd flip your cell phone to speaker mode or hook up a headset anyway."

            That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid by staying away from converged devices.

            I'd rather have my cellphone (ANY cellphone, or multiple cellphones) on my hip, wireless bluetooth headset, and my PDA, linked to the phone(s) over Bluetooth, so I ca

    • Device convergence is only a bad idea when the devices are expensive. And for all the good reasons you point out.

      Now, let's imagine that the "universal gadget" costs $49.95.

      Ooops, technical standards improve next year? What! Just buy a new gadget every year or so.

      Once upon a time, ball point pens, cigarette lighters, and even hair combs were not considered disposable due to cost. High cost drives design and construction to NOT be disposable. Low cost drives design and construction towards dispo

      • "Ooops, technical standards improve next year? What! Just buy a new gadget every year or so."

        Don't fall into this trap. This is exactly what these vendors want you to do.

        Remember when CDs used to last 50-100 years? Do you know why they don't last that long now? Because vendors decided to reduce their production costs by not adding the additional layer of plastic on the CD, preventing oxidation. Now CDs last 5-10 years, and cost 1/2 as much. Hence, you just go out and buy a new CD, rip your old one to t

    • First off, I completely agree with your "convergance is bad" philosophy...and the unix philosophy yada yada yada...

      but one nitpick with your examples, as well as a counterpoint:

      Backwards compatability is absolutely nessesary in a converged environment...

      "Built-in 802.11b WiFi. Oops, now 802.11g is the standard, and your device is no longer current."

      sure, but 802.11g APs are 802.11b compatable, and your device still has the same capability as when you bought it.

      "USB 1.1 capable. Oops, now U

  • Think about it. It's WAY too big to be a wristwatch (Comminicator is too big to be a phone, IMHO) and it probably costs quite a pretty penny, too. Probably in a similar fashion there'll be that small group of people who will want one and who think they just couldn't live without one.... and then they smash it against a sharp corner or something ;)

    Seriously, PDA screens are fragile things and wrists constantly bumb into stuff. I don't think there would be any way for someone to convince me to buy one of the

  • Time Travelers (Score:3, Funny)

    by banzai75 ( 310300 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @11:24AM (#8627263)
    ...which it considers to be very popular in future.

    This is what happens when a marketer gets hold of a time machine. They don't travel to the future to find the cure for cancer or aids, they travel to the future to see if their latest line of watches are popular. Bastards.
  • Five seconds later, the Knight Industries 2000 turbo-boosts through a wall...

    (Hmm. Wonder if any of the designers at Toshiba ever owned a Nintendo Power Glove?)

  • It's too bulky, I wouldn't use something like that. My Palm V PDA is okay for size and has everything I need in a PDA, although the dafult calculator sucks. Handspring's is better. Yes I know Palm bought Handspring.
  • "considers popular in the future" What?.. they have a time machine now?

    These things remind me a bit of the old show from the 70's: 'ark 2'...
  • My watch is small, and tells time, and has a light - that's all I want it to do. My cell phone is small and let's me make phone calls. My PDA is small, and let's me use it as a PDA. All these combining of technology is getting out of hand. The form factor is too big on many of them and honestly many people (myself included) don't really want their cell phones/watches to do a million things at once.
  • That thing looks real big and clunky.

    I've worked in the wireless / PDA space for a while. And the same issues keep coming up: power and antenna. Army guys say that on pound on your feet equals five pounds on your back. I'd say that goes double for your arms.

    Why not have a huge battery integrated into a belt, designed to be flat and unobtrusive, along with the antenna. Then have your cell phone, screen/keyboard, digital camera, earpiece, etc mount on the belt, with capacitors charged by induction.

    Thi

  • Total vaporware (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Shoten ( 260439 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @12:30PM (#8627614)
    This doesn't even show a picture of a solid object,instead just giving an artist's rendition...based on that we could just as easily say that Toshiba is coming out with an X-Wing fighter. There wasn't any indication that there's any software written yet either; the original article note that they used a screenshot from PalmOS. I'd me a lot more impressed if they had ANYTHING besides a "gee, wouldn't it be nice if..." concept.
  • The Toshiba stuff is obviously vaporware that will never be released. Microsoft has watches that are available now though:

    http://www.microsoft.com/resources/spot/product. ms px

  • It doesn't matter anymore (Score:3, Insightful)

    by michaelmalak ( 91262 ) <michael@michaelmalak.com> on Sunday March 21, 2004 @12:50PM (#8627721) Homepage
    The world of high-tech wristwatches is mostly vapor [linuxjournal.com], vapor [com.com], vapor [amazon.com]. It took 16 years after the 1983 Casio CFX-200 [pocketcalculatorshow.com] Scientific Watch (that could do trig and parentheses) until a more advanced watch became actually available, the 1999 On-Hand PC [pconhand.com], which runs a variant of DOS.

    Will the Toshiba actually reach the wrist of Slashdot user? It doesn't matter anymore, because of the invention of a little piece of plastic: the cell-phone belt clip. While wearing a PalmPilot makes one a first-class geek, even women now wear cell phones on their belts. The cell phone is the new standard for socially acceptable portable computing, not the Dick Tracy wristwatch.

    All thanks to a little piece of plastic.

  • Talk to your wrist? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Cloud K ( 125581 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @12:51PM (#8627725)
    "Down and Safe, Liberator. I expect one of the villains to conveniently steal my bracelet in around 15 minutes."

    Seriously though, would this ever take off? I think it'd fail due to looking goofy, somewhat like VR headsets did.

    However, it's feasible through other input methods like say... a finger. I remember looking a little daft in the 80s operating a calculator watch, but at least it's not as bad as talking to it... :)
  • I'm still waiting for the one I used in a 1977 science fiction story. Don't laugh too loudly at my version of the internet. http://www.io.com/~hmelton/stories/opus18.html [io.com]
  • wearing it causes your skin to turn blue, with a mottling of random binary code...

    ~m

  • I was just wondering if this is finally the device Leela [hans-maulwurf.de] is wearing in Futurama? I knew this series was prophetic. Can't wait until they start installing these tubes in my city...

  • "integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking"

    .. and in other news, wrist cancer rates are on the rise, but scientists are not sure of the cause.

  • Personally, I think the device looks pretty cool. I think many posters are concentrating too much on the mass consumer market when they say the thing is too big and clunky or that you'll look like a dork wearing one.

    This could be a very useful device for people who do need some access to information constantly. I could see a UPS or FedEx driver with one of these things instead of the huge tablet they carry around now. I could also maybe see a taxi driver (maybe) have the address of his next few pickups
  • Your choice between a flashing "Loser!" and a scrolling "Even I don't want to have sex with me."
  • PDA phones make a lot more sense. Now when they can only improve battery life and include a more efficient input method (don't forget price), then I'm getting one.
  • Now we just need to combine the watch/PDA with this [defensereview.com]:

    The Ultimate Defense Band: Turn Your Wristwatch into a Defensive Weapon

    Posted on Friday, March 19 @ 13:59:58 PST
    by David Crane

    It's pretty much common knowledge that we're primarily gun guys here at DefRev. However, this one's a nifty little item. It was just brought to our attention by Chuck Habermehl [www.cqb.cc]. Chuck runs Close Quarters Battle (CQB), Inc. [www.cqb.cc] (the name is self explanatory), and he is an expert in both armed and unarmed (hand-to-hand/hand-to-weap


  • Now imagine trying to bend your wrist.

    OTOH, if you take it off and hold it in your first, looks like it would make a nice set of "brass knuckles".

  • You show up late to work because you were too busy playing with your watch to notice the time.
  • (1) Obviously, the electronics/display portion needs to be rigid, this is unavoidable (at least until OLED/OLEP tech comes down in price enough to make a wraparound screen).

    (2) Flexible circuitry and flexible rubber or silicone keyboards have been available for years. Why not make it part of the wristband?

    (3) Logically, what they should do is have as small as possible a "CPU", a hinged screen that can flip up and/or be plugged in, so you could flip the screen up when typing on the bottom of your wrist, an
  • It was discontinued before it reached market I believe.
  • Seriously... click'n'tap PDAs are very hard to use for entering data, even if you use the onscreen chiclet keyboard "simulations." I don't see a PDA as a _primary_ data entry device, mind you. I just find it so annoying to use the stylus for entering even small amounts of data like the description for an appointment.

    My old HP 200LX "palmtop" is eminently typable, either in two-thumbs mode, or six-finger mode (while device is resting on a flat surface). The device continues to run flawlessly five years a

  • stupid. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by senatorpjt ( 709879 ) on Sunday March 21, 2004 @11:16PM (#8630912)
    Maybe it's just me, but I feel incredibly stupid trying to use voice-recognition in public.

    The need for all this stuff would vanish if it somehow became socially acceptable for men to carry purses...

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