Skip to main content

Microsoft smartwatch in R&D tip supply sources


microsoft_smartwatch_windows_phone_mockup
Count Microsoft among those on the smartwatch bandwagon, supply chain sources claim, with the company supposedly working on potential smart-timepiece designs as it weighs their market potential. The in-development watch, which follows Kickstarter success Pebble and ongoing chatter of an Apple “iWatch”, would be built around a 1.5-inch screen, component sources tell the WSJ, with Microsoft apparently tinkering with possible designs alongside an in-house Windows Phone handset. Other hardware
specifications are unknown, though Microsoft is said to have sourced multiple parts from several component manufacturers in the course of its R&D efforts. A 1.5-inch display would make Microsoft’s prototype bigger – at least in screen real-estate – than Pebble, which has a 1.26-inch panel, and the older Sony SmartWatch, which uses a 1.3-inch panel.
Neither device – phone or watch – will necessarily reach the market, however, with Microsoft potentially shelving one or both of the projects. Nonetheless, the company does have a recent track-record in developing its own-brand hardware, with the Surface tablets probably the best known Windows 8 slates on sale.
A smartwatch, then, could slot relatively neatly into that hardware range, offering at-a-glance updates from either Windows Phone or Windows 8. So far, smart watches released commercially have generally topped out at call and message notifications, calendar reminders, and basic integration with apps, though Apple’s rumored project may also bring Siri voice-control functionality to the wrist, some sources have claimed.
It’s not the first time Windows Phone has been linked with wearable devices, at least in theory. Back at Mobile World Congress, Nokia described its “head up” concept, where function-specific devices – such as smartwatches – would help pry users’ attention away from their smartphone display. The company would not specifically confirm any in-development projects, but did suggest that it had done R&D on different wearable possibilities.
Meanwhile, Microsoft itself has some old history with timepieces. The company pushed out a range of early smartwatches under the SPOT brand back in 2004, though the models were retired by 2008. The so-called “Smart Personal Object Technology” devices accessed data distributed over FM radio frequencies in certain North American cities, but Microsoft shut down its MSN Direct broadcasts.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out

LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company’s VP of mobile has confirmed, though it’s unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hyun, the WSJ  reports, with the proposed device set to launch sometime in Q4. LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for

Bing Apps for Windows 8 get major updates

Late least year, Microsoft rolled out a half dozen Bing Apps for Windows 8 users, each one focused on a specific category, such as travel and sports. The apps were designed to offer “immersive vertical experiences,” and now, about six months later, a big line of updates for them is being pushed out. Users can grab the updates now by heading into the Windows Store and selecting the updates notification.
Flexible displays are the Future of IT Industry! A part from 4k and smart home appliances, the CES 2013 saw a lot of attention being drawn towards bendable, flexible displays. The elasticised display idea isn’t something new as we have seen hoards of device concepts being crafted around flexible, bendable and even foldable displays. These concept devices give us a futuristic feel, be it a flexible phone to be worn around the wrist or a phone that opens up to turn into a tablet or PSP-like device. But how far is this future? Nokia has been toying with the idea ever since we remember. The technology sounds very fascinating and the possibilities and the extent to which bendable displays could be used are vast and leave us spellbound. However, these have always been concepts and we haven’t seen any device materialise in the real world. There have been several technologies that were conceived in these years and all have been put to their practical use. But the bendable d