HP liked this Fossil Meta Watch “wrist computer” enough to include it in its future-gazing presentation a while back, but finally humble citizens of Earth can slam 200 notes down and grab one for themselves. Pre-orders begin on May 9th, but it won’t be sent out until July.
If you can wait that long, you’ll find yourself with a watch capable of connecting to phones and tablets over Bluetooth, and as it’s open source, the OLED screen can display pretty much any info you’d like it to. With components stolen from phones and tablets, such as a 3-axis accelerometer, vibration motor and ambient light sensor, it could be a good partner for your mobile devices. With a much better battery life, of seven days on a full charge. [Meta Watch via SlashGear]
Press Release:
Meta WatchTM offers developers freedom to start their own wrist revolution
Richardson, TX, May 3, 2011 – Meta WatchTM is proud to announce a wearable development system that enables rapid development of ‘connected-watch’ applications. With Meta Watch, developers can quickly and easily extend the interfaces of devices and applications to the wrist. The Meta Watch platforms utilise embedded Bluetooth® technology to connect to smartphones, tablets and other electronics devices. The Meta Watch SDK/API makes it easy for the watch to display information from mobile applications or Internet services. For complete information, visit www.metawatch.org.
Meta Watch platforms are available in analogue digital or digital versions, and include: a 3 ATM water resistant stainless steel case; leather strap; mineral glass crystal; vibrating motor; three-axis accelerometer, and ambient light sensor. optimised for low-power operation, both watch platforms are based on the MSP430TM ultra-low-power microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth host controller interface solution from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI).
“Meta Watch makes our everyday mobile experience much better by enabling us to view important mobile notifications at the right time with virtually no effort”, said Bill Geiser, Vice President Watch Technology, Fossil. “Of course, you can get this information today, but it requires many different steps. Meta Watch simply makes it more convenient and, in the process, it opens the door to new partnerships like we have with TI and a growing network of development partners.”
“TI welcomes the opportunity to work with the Meta Watch team on creating a new channel for the community, and to helping developers push the watch’s capabilities to the next level,” said Eran Sandhaus, Director of marketing, wireless connectivity solutions, TI. “TI’s MSP430 ultra-low-power microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth host controller interface provide a solid foundation for the next- generation, connected devices based on the Meta Watch’s sleek form factor. We look forward to seeing the Meta Watch community flourish with ideas for wearable technology that will spark new consumer experiences for years to come.”
See Meta Watch in action The Meta Watch platform will be showcased May 3 – 5 at TI’s booth, #1530, during the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley in San Jose, CA. On May 10 and 11, Meta Watch will also be part of the Developer Sandbox at Google I/O in Mountain View, CA.
Pricing, availability, and more
• Availability date: July 2011
• Where to buy: Pre-orders starting Monday, May 9, at https://estore.ti.com/
• Cost: USD $US200
• Regions shipped to: U.S. and Europe
• Latest information: www.metawatch.org
About Meta Watch
Meta Watch is an advanced development group exploring technology-based opportunities for watches. It is a division of Fossil.