Hasta La Gadget!

I think E-ink display watches are some of the most underrated timepieces out there. They have cool, modern and easy-on-the-eyes displays, with the only downside being their lack of self-illumination. While there aren’t a ton of E-ink watches on the market, I’d love to see this cool design concept get produced.

Conceived by UK designer Devindh, the Paper Blade watch would feature a unique geometric grid for its face, which creates a stencil for the E-ink display underneath. At first glance, the time seems a little tricky to read, but once you read the description of the display, it’s not too challenging: “The grid divides the paper into 4 ‘cells’. Upper and lower cells show the day, month, and year, and the central ‘cell’ shows the time in 24 hr format (the smaller digits showing minutes, and the larger digits showing hours).” So the watch above shows the time “23:53″ (or 11:53 pm). Make sense?

The day and date display mimics the geometric forms of the watch face, completing the look. Devindh envisions the watch coming in a variety of color combinations, but I have to say my favorite is the copper-cased design up top. You don’t frequently find watches in copper – at least not good looking, modern ones.

If you like its style, and would like to see the Paper Blade go from concept to reality, head on over to the TokyoFlash Design Blog and vote for the design.

You’ve probably seen people with rubber-band-like bracelets advocating one cause or another, but if you’re like me, you’d appreciate something a little more functional. The 1:Face Watch supports a variety of causes and lets you tell the time at the same time.

The 1:Face Watch was designed by Mirza Minds. It’s quite minimal, which I like. Each color supports a different cause. The white watch provides food for children, the pink watch provides a mammogram for someone in need.

All of these causes are backed by reputable charities, so you don’t have to worry about where your money is going to.

The 1:Face Watch was launched as an Indiegogo project, and you can get in on the action for as little as $40(USD). With 27 days left, the project has amassed over $100,000 in funding, with a goal of $25,000 so it will definitely go into production

If the Mass Effect Wikia is to be believed, the Omni-tool is a flashlight, a scanner, a camera, a media player, a gaming console, a hacking tool, a recycling machine, a medical device and of course a weapon. But apparently one thing it is not is a watch. Thankfully BioWare has the answer.

As you can see the watch is restrained in its geekiness. If you’re looking to outdork someone you’ll be better off with the Watch Boy. The strap and bezel of the N7 Ambassador watch are both made from stainless steel strap and bezel . It’s water resistant up to 300ft,  it has a carbon fiber dial, a laser etching of the N7 and Mass Effect logos as well as the individual number of the watch at the back and a Swiss movement – you won’t be stuck calibrating this machine.

Its retail price is $475 (USD), but you have to deposit $150 at BioWare’s store in order to guarantee your purchase. I highly recommend you do that ASAP if you want this watch, because the Reapers are coming N7 Ambassador watch is limited to only 500 units.

[via Geekologie]

When Swiss federal railway organization SBB and the Mondaine Group pointed out that the iOS 6 clock face looked remarkably like theirs, they weren’t so much upset as clearing their throat politely — it would be nice to get credit, if you don’t mind. That kindness has been met with some reciprocity, as SBB has confirmed a licensing deal with Apple that gives the iPad builder rights to use the iconic timepiece in its mobile OS. Exact terms aren’t forthcoming, although it’s likely not a princely sum when SBB is better known for punctuality than wheeling and dealing. All we know is that Apple can at last live with a good conscience when it checks the time in Geneva.

Continue reading Apple agrees to license for Swiss railway clock in iOS 6, knows what time it is

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Apple

Apple agrees to license for Swiss railway clock in iOS 6, knows what time it is originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In this world of Star Wars inspired gadgets, sometimes the same device gets rehashed. Yes, we’ve seen an R2-D2 alarm clock before, but that model simply projected the time on the ceiling. This new one actually has movements and sounds like the little droid when it wakes you.

A recent import from Japan, this R2-D2 Action Alarm clock is a precisely-detailed model of R2 (other than the part where there’s an LCD clock hiding out in his chest.) What’s cool about this droid is that you can set him on the floor, and he’ll drive around when the alarm goes off. His head even lights up, and the alarm sounds are based on samples from the films. Just be sure not to step on the 6.5 inch-tall droid on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

You can choose wake-up sounds from Princess Leia’s “Help me Obi Wan Kenobi” message, several R2-D2 beeps and bleeps, as well as the main title music from Star Wars and Cantina Band if you feel like dancing first thing in the morning. Sorry, no Yub Nub, though.

So scoot on over to Strapya World now, where you can grab the R2-D2 Action Alarm Clock for about $100(USD).