[3GScottishUser]

from theledger.com (02/10/2006):

RICHARDSON, Texas -- How's this for discretion?

Next time someone rings your cell phone, just glance at your watch to see if it's worth picking up. No more digging the phone out of your pocket or purse and possibly send a message to those around you that they're not as important.

In a partnership with Sony Ericsson, Fossil Inc. is introducing a line of watches that will show you who's calling. The system uses the Bluetooth wireless standard to beam a phone's caller ID information to the watch.

The watch vibrates to alert users to an incoming call, and a quick press of a button can send the call to voicemail.

You can't answer a call with the watch, but it will be compatible with Bluetooth headsets.

The watches will be available by the end of October under Fossil's "Mobile Wear by Abacus" brand, the regular Fossil brand and the Sony Ericsson brand. Prices will range from $200 to $250.

The technology is compatible only with some phones from London-based Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Japan's Sony Corp. and Sweden's LM Ericsson.

Richardson-based Fossil plans to ultimately add support for additional handsets that use the Symbian operating system.

It's not clear what the demand will be. Fossil has failed before in attempts to add high-tech features to the simple watch. Failures include a hefty "Wrist Net" watches that received news headlines via Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Direct subscription service. A model that tried to add PDA functions has been discontinued.

Bill Geiser, Fossil's vice president of watch technology, said the company has learned from past mistakes: "We want the technology to be invisible."

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061001/NEWS/610010356/1001/BUSINESS

[miffed]

oo-er :eek:

Hope its a little better than Fossils PDA watch effort - they are the laughing stock of the PDA world !

[Alio]

Cant see the point myself.......what next vibrating boxer shorts that print out text messages from your fly:p

[maxspank]

I think its a great idea. Great for people who are not allowed to use phones at work, they can check who's calling them. I'd buy one.

[Hands0n]

$250 for a "mobile watch" with limited BT compatibility across hansets? Nah! I don't like it. Anything that messes with or waters down standards and interoperability is an aberration and should fade and die quietly.

What I would like is for the handset/headset spec to be beefed up so you could have the phone audibly announce who's calling from the contacts file, or recite the unknown number. Done discretely, there is no need for anyone to get upset with ringtone - a button push on the headset to answer as normal.

But above all, whatever these people come up with they simply must stick with the standards and not make bespoke customisations that introduce incompatibilities or lock-ins.

[Ben]

What I would like is for the handset/headset spec to be beefed up so you could have the phone audibly announce who's calling from the contacts file, or recite the unknown number. Done discretely, there is no need for anyone to get upset with ringtone - a button push on the headset to answer as normal.
Introducing the Nokia N80! Ok, it doesn't do the unknown number bit, but the name announcing is pretty entertaining at the least.

[miffed]

Windows mobile / PPC / WM5 has been dong this for yonks via voice command
This also works wih in tandem with the best voice Voice recognition system I have ever encountered (no training required ) - and youcan ask the phone quesions like "when is my next appointment" and hear the audible reply

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/_assets/video/downloads/voicecommand/voiceCommand.swf

OK so you have to perform a few registry hacks to get it to work via your headset - but it works nonetheless