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Linux on a Wrist Watch?
OnlyNou writes "IBM Develops Prototype of
Wrist Watch Running Linux only a prototype, but it shows big blue has a lot of time on it's hands." The article is pretty vapourous: Its just a press release saying that they've done it. No pictures of linkage, so if anyone finds something informative, please post it. Update by HUNQ: Here is the picture of the watch, and it's DAMN CUTE! (credits goes to Linux Weekly News)
Some of us have realized that it is even more productive to not wear a watch at all. Why carry a clock with you everywhere you go when there are clocks everywhere, and you are surrounded by people who wear them as fashion statements.
By not wearing a watch, I actually manage my time better, and I have no temptation to glipse at the time over and over when I am anxious.
I have not worn a watch since about 1989, and I have never been in a situation where I wished I had one. The need for a timepiece on your wrist is a complete illusion.
Watches are shackles, dude. Loose it and you will be happier.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
Casual Passerby: "Do you know what time it is?"
Person wearing Linux Watch: "Absolutely not, but I run linux on it."
nerdfarm.org
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
The Palm succeeded because it has an interface more suited for a PDA. A wristwatch is going to need something even more stripped down than that. Strangely enough, a GUI is not what is needed for a watch like this. Pure alphanumeric with a few graphical characters is probably what is needed here. Something for the user interface researchers to work on here. As cute as it is to see the command line on a watch, its not very practical.
To be blunt, a watch is a data display device only. Merging the watch with the pager makes perfect sense and putting your address and appointment book in it. Not sure I'd want to try reading some of my email with it. Maybe just a summary of what is in my PDA through wireless. That is what I really want. A wireless interface between my PDA and my watch to keep the data between them in sync and so I can use my PDA as the data entry device for my watch.
This falls into the Convergence thread we had elsewhere, about ergonomics and why you don't want a device for doing everything. A watch is good for displaying small amounts of text instantly and with minimal controls for wading through it. It also has a convenience factor to it that is unmatched by any other consumer device. You don't want to load too much gadgetry into it and try to make it do too much. You really just want it to be a specialist device among many. Its not there to replace a PDA any more than a PDA replaces a laptop or a laptop replaces a workstation.
IBM is two years behind on this one, playing catchup to the Open/Free Source community again.
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Multi-tasking: "Look honey! I'm telling the hours AND the minutes simultaneously!"
Journaling Filesystem: If my watch goes down, I won't lose my other timezone settings.
Scriptability: No more trying to figure out what watch band hole to use. Just setup a cron job to periodically ioctl(IOTIGHTEN, "/dev/band").
Multi-user: My friend can tell the time while I'm busy using the stopwatch.
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Linux MAPI Server!
http://www.openone.com/software/MailOne/
(Exchange Migration HOWTO coming soon)
"No problem, hold a a sec" (types in the following):
[root@localhost]$ date
[root@localhost]$ Mon Aug 7 10:44:49 EDT 2000
"It's 10:44"
"Thanks"
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"We're sorry, but the website you're trying to reach has been disconnected."
http://lwn.net/daily/linuxwatch_pen.php3
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Infuriate left and right
Redmond, WA - Microsoft today announced the release of Microsoft Time 2000. This updated version of their popular package incorporates 6 all new hours into the day.
The US DoJ slammed microsofts innovation claiming it was an attempt to force their competitors 24 hour system out of use. MS would not speak to us directly but did issue the following statement:
We are not trying to force anyone out of business but are merely trying to cater for customer demand. Our users wanted more time in the day to surf the internet and drink beer so understandably we have built this into our product.
Industry Analysts fear customers will be taken in by the microsoft hype and are warning that unless you clock is sufficiently powerful then you will find that time runs too slowly to be useful.