Hasta La Gadget!

Kempler & Strauss has launched the W PhoneWatch, which it claims is the world’s smallest GSM quad-band cell phone watch, along with the Communicator, a Bluetooth hands-free device.

Like just about everything these days, Kempler & Strauss bills the W PhoneWatch “ideal for individuals with an active lifestyle.” In K&S speak, that means a 1.5-inch, 128-by-128-pixel touch screen, a camera, a video recorder, an MP3 player, Bluetooth, and a microSD slot that works with 4GB cards.

The W PhoneWatch also includes a bevy of PIM apps, including a calendar, address book, a calculator, and stopwatch, plus the usual SMS, voice mail, speed dial, and a vibration mode that must feel great on your arm.

The Communicator, meanwhile, sports a suspiciously short range of 16 feet (most Bluetooth devices list 33 feet these days). It also works with MP3 files–could be great for wireless podcast listening–and features a noise-canceling mic and internal windscreen. The W PhoneWatch lists for $199 and is available via K&S dealers nationwide; no word yet on a release date or a price for the Communicator.

Looking to simultaneously trick your employees into thinking you love them and keep better tabs on their whereabouts? If so, you should definitely look into handing out Winwatch-approved timepieces as “performance incentives,” which should be sporting an oh-so-telling RFID tag in the near future. The Switzerland-based outfit has just announced plans to patent an RFID-enabled crystal gasket that would be placed in luxury wristwatches, and while they’re pushing it as a way for companies to weed out counterfeit products, we’re sure the privacy advocates in attendance can think of far darker applications. Samples are slated to start shipping out later this autumn, which means your window to snag a non-voyeuristic watch is hastily closing.

[Via ABlogToRead]

Filed under: Wearables, Wireless

Winwatch wants RFID tags in your next wristwatch — what could possibly go wrong? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The LG wristphone has already experienced quite a bit of exposure ahead of its August UK release, but the diligent team at Orange just couldn’t leave us without some extra titillation in the shape of a demo video. If you’ll excuse the marketing inanity from the two reps, there’s a pretty good exhibition of the GD910’s video chat capabilities to be seen. Disappointingly, the audio sounds somewhat tinny, there was one glitch in the video stream, and a particularly uncharitable conclusion might be that LG is bringing 90s-era webcam technology to your 21st century wrist. Of course, this is still the phone to use for playing out latent James Bond fantasies, so we’re willing to overlook a few foibles if LG is willing to price this device at a point somewhere south of “stratospheric.” Mosey on past the break to see the long-awaited hand-mounted communicator in action.

[Via Slashgear]

Continue reading LG GD910 used for cringe-worthy demo video call

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

LG GD910 used for cringe-worthy demo video call originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Rolex watchphone is neither a Rolex nor a watchphone — unless your definition includes handsets with a watch face embedded on the outside (and ours doesn’t). But either way, it’s probably safe to say that this bad boy does not sport a precision-made Swiss timepiece. Features include a 2.6-inch display, dual SIM, an FM radio, and presumably some sort of camera. Unlike the Swiss Rolex, the Shanzhai Rolex can be yours for the low, low price of 690 yuan (that’s about $101). More mouth-watering KIRFness after the break.

[Via Cloned In China]

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXVII: Rolex watchphone is, in fact, neither

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXVII: Rolex watchphone is, in fact, neither originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Remember the LG watch phone, a slim touchscreen gizmo that switches between being a digital watch and a communication device? The phone created quite a stir at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year.

Now reports suggest it is ready to make its debut in U.K. in August. The phone will be exclusive to telecom carrier Orange and could cost £1,000, says T3, a gadgets news and reviews site. The LG watch phone is likely to be priced with a ‘pay as you go scheme,” says the site. No word yet on if the watch phone will ever be available in North America with telecom carrier support.

The LG watch phone has a camera that can take photos and do short videos. It also has 3G and Bluetooth capabilities. But with its quirky design and hefty price tag, we think this device is likely to be in the hands of just a few.

Photo: LG watch phone at CES 2009/Priya Ganapati