Before smartwatches, there was the gesture-controlled, touchscreen Casio AT-552 Janus. That’s right, the AT Janus models (AT-551 and AT-552) included an eight-digit touchscreen calculator where the entire display could be used to ‘write’ the number or calculator function. The watch would recognize what had been written by the user’s fingertip and perform the calculation.
Photo credit: Pocket-Lint
Apple Watch Series 3 refurbs are available today at a great discount, and if you don’t need the slightly larger display and electronic heart rate sensor, it could be the perfect smartwatch. The Series 3 sports a solid rectangular body with the Digital Crown and separate button on the right, along with a speaker and microphone on the left. It’s water-resistant up to 50-meters and it features ultra durable Ion-X glass on the display. Product page. Read more for another Series 3 vs. Series 4 video comparison and additional information.
The Citizen’s Men’s Eco-Drive Perpetual Chrono AT is a silver-tone dive watch featuring black tachymeter topring, round guilloche dial with three chronograph subdials, and a 42mm titanium case with antireflective sapphire dial window, all for $244 shipped, today only, originally $750. Other features include: automatic atomic timekeeping for perfect accuracy, one-second chronograph that measures up to 60 minutes, a perpetual calendar, radio-controlled five time zones, alarm, 12/24 hour time, power reserve indicator, and water resistance to 200 m (660 ft). Product page. Read more for another in-depth video review and additional information.
Fidget spinners are basically toys that consist of a ball bearing in the center of a multi-lobed flat structure made from metal or plastic designed to spin along its axis with little effort, and the fad started in 2017, although similar devices had been around as early as 1993. They reportedly help those who fidget to relieve nervous energy, anxiety, or psychological stress. The Fidget Smartwatch by Yunna Hwang is the evolution of these small handheld devices. It has notches on the face’s opposing sides that give you the ability to rotate them, thus making the design perfect for fidgeters. Read more for an animation, additional pictures and information.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is perfect for those who do not need the latest in hardware, but still want a smartwatch, and it’s being offered for just $229 shipped, Black Friday deals week only, originally $309. Featuring a dual-core Apple S3 processor that is 70% faster than its predecessor and enables Siri voice responses, with 18-hours of battery life to boot. It also boasts a built-in NFC chip which can be used for Apple Pay. Product page. Read More for a video showing fifteen different Apple Watch Series 3 tips and tricks.
Casio teamed up with toymaker Takara Tomy to create a special edition Transformers G-Shock watch to celebrate the 35th anniversary of G-Shock, and the 35th anniversary of the Transformers, in 2019. Available in two different models, the DW-6900TF-SET, which includes a transforming Optimus Prime figure, and G-Shock DW-6900TF-4. If you pick up the former, the chest area of Optimus can be used to house the watch. One more cool feature is that the Autobot emblem magically appears when the EL backlight is activated.
There’s Apple Watch stands, and then the Pod Case by Joyce Kang and the C.O Design Lab. Simply slide the Apple Watch Series 4 body into the silicone case and you have a miniature iPod of sorts. Unfortunately, the job wheel is just for aesthetics and doesn’t actually function, though we could see the designers integrating one that actually works via Bluetooth some time down the line, if this concept actually make it into production. Read more for additional images.
Photo credit: The Verge
Spotify is currently beta testing its Apple Watch app, and The Verge’s Tom Warren was able to get some hands-on time with it ahead of its official release. Currently, it only includes basic functions, and unfortunately, there’s no offline support for playing songs away from your iPhone, nor can you stream songs to an Apple Watch over LTE. Simply put, the current iteration is basically a Spotify Connect controller to let you change music on any device playing Spotify content and linked to your account. Continue reading for a short video and more information.
Finally, after 1.5-years of waiting, Spotify has revealed that it plans on releasing an official Apple Watch app, and is currently beta testing a version of the iOS client. For now, users are able to control playback from your phone, but an offline playlist function could be in the works, so you can workout smartphone free. Continue reading for hands-on pictures and more information.
NASA and Anicorn have partnered to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the space agency by releasing a limited edition watch. There will only be 60-units made, and each one features a unique metal plate, a Cerakote ceramic coating, and a NASA logo embroidered white textile strap. Other features include: a metal warranty plate and the GPS coordinates of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Unfortunately, you won’t get a piece of moon dust nor any other space goodies. Continue reading for more pictures and information.