Hasta La Gadget!

If you were planning on outfitting your arm with a new Meta Watch this month, you’re out of luck, because Fossil has just announced that the wristpieces won’t start shipping until September. The watches, which use Texas Instruments’ CC2560 Bluetooth controller to sync with smartphones, tablets or desktops, were originally scheduled for a July launch, but that timeline was eventually pushed back to August, due to part delays. Now, manufacturers have discovered a new batch of issues with the devices’ programming clips (used for micro USB connections) and the analog-digital version’s steel case, meaning that the pair won’t reach Hong Kong distributors until the beginning of next month, after which they may take another one to two weeks before shipping to consumers. The countdown clock continues to tick away, but you can still pre-order a Meta Watch for $200, at the links below.

[Thanks, Glen]

Fossil’s Meta Watch delayed once again, clearly has trouble keeping time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Meta Watch (1)  | Email this | Comments

School can be tough, especially when you’re different. So what better way to keep the bullies at bay than to get your craptastic accessory freak on. In this special back to school bonanza of creeper tech, Hong Kong-based watchmaker o.d.m. mashes E.T. with a gummy bunny for a wrist-rocking return to infancy, Strapya World takes you by the baby’s hand for iPhone 4 case comfort, while Dane-Elec’s E-Razor USB stick goes undercover in a block full of erasing rubber. And if you’re looking for a soundtrack throwback to match the solar-powered butterfly you’ve stuck in your Jansport, Brando’s got you covered with its USB Cassette Capture & Player. Take a gander at the roundup below and make sure to vote for the crapgadget most likely to not succeed.

Continue reading Crapgadget: ‘after school special’ edition

Crapgadget: ‘after school special’ edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Tablets and smartphones might rule the present, but if you ask the folks at WIMM Labs, the future of data consumption is a one-inch by one-inch square. The Palo Alto startup just revealed its new, wearable computing platform, developed, in part, through a partnership with Foxconn, that it hopes will change the way we look at computers. Currently known as the WIMM wearable platform, this new modular device packs a full-color 160 x 160 touchscreen, WiFi and Blutetooth connectivity, an accelerometer and magnetometer, and runs on good old Android. What’s more, it’s waterproof. Basically, it’s a tiny, multifunctional computer, packed with “micro apps” that can make it anything from a smart watch to a health monitor, from a mobile payment device to an all-in-one remote. As of now, the company doesn’t have plans to market it direct to consumers, but says it has a few partnerships in the works that could bring a WIMM-powered something to market by year’s end; a developer kit will go on sale in the next few weeks for an undisclosed price. If you’re itching to ditch that tired old diamond-encrusted nano watch, check out the galleries below and hop on past the break for our first impressions, video, and full PR.

Continue reading WIMM Labs introduces tiny wearable computer platform, we go hands-on

WIMM Labs introduces tiny wearable computer platform, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

The latest G-Shock watch from Casio boasts the usual array of shock and water-resistant claims, and now it can add FCC acceptance to the list, having passed through that government agency’s approval process. So, why did this wristwatch hit the FCC in the first place? Well, the rugged little timekeeper is packing Bluetooth 4.0 in its bag of tricks, which lets the wearable gadget communicate with your smartphone. No word on a release date, but Casio did mention a fairly broad “some time in 2011” window when it was first announced back in March. Here’s hoping that its FCC debut will speed the shock-filled process along.

Casio’s Bluetooth 4.0 G-Shock is water and shock-resistant, FCC-approved originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  FCC  | Email this | Comments

[Thanks, Alex]

Fossil won’t ship the Meta Watch until August, Dick Tracy wannabes get antsy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Bill Geiser (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments