Slashdot Mirror
IBM Linux Watch v2.0
sdamberger writes "IBM has created an even smaller second-generation Linux wristwatch. They have been modifying Linux to make the battery last even longer." Still oh-so-useless, but an oh so neat proof of concept.
← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)
Is that on C:\ or D:\?
It's OK, do that in public and you won't need either of your nuts.
It really is only missing some type of wireless access before becoming actually "practical." Suddenly a silly little watch that runs Linux becomes a usefull device to keep you informed of anything happening while your at work/school.
In the article it says that the first-gen had 4 hours battery life and this, the second-gen has 6 hours battery life.
Inconceivable!
Not exactly.
The second generation watch lasts for 2 hours.
"The watch battery lasts about two hours, Narayanaswami said."
What you saw was this:
" For example, through tuning Linux, IBM has increased the battery life of the original Linux watch from about 4 hours to 6, he said. "
The first generation watch used to last 4 hours, but they were able to improve the first generation watch to last for 6.
> I would give my left nut to do that in public. Must be the geek in me. :)
Hell, I'd give up my left nut if it'd be replaced with a processor, my right butt cheek for the battery pack, a twiddler hanging from my neck (instead of the tie I haven't worn in ten years), stereoscopic display build into my prescription glasses and that plate in my skull replaced with a wireless ethernet/cell phone combo.
and every year, upgrade to a smaller but faster and cooler running testicle...
Picture of the watch
--
The IBM Wearable Computing web site has a bit more info and a bunch of pix.
In addition to the Axis page, I've tried to gather together as many links regarding Bluetooth running on Linux here. So far, there isn't a lot of material out there, but it's growing fast.
World Beach List, my latest project.
We feel for you too....
"IBM is a major backer of Linux, a clone of Unix that's become popular with most major computing companies."
;)
I would of thought it should say IBM is a major hacker of linux rather than just a backer, cause this is certainly one big hack job, considering it only lasts 2 hours
meridian at tha.net
--
who thinks the real nifty part of this is the 640 X 480 display??
If IBM adds power management to the kernel for this watch project, it sure wouldn't help with your Thinkpad's battery life.
The watch uses a Cirrus EP7311, which is an ARM720T based system-on-chip. The 7311 has numerous power saving features, none of which are really supported by the kernel. It can be put into an idle state much like the APM idle mode on PCs. It can also be downclocked to 18MHz or so (from 74MHz), though there are no provisions in the kernel yet for doing so and not hiccuping.
Portable devices like cell phones, MP3 players, and even digital watches rely on power saving tricks like these to get any sort of decent battery life. If you turned off all of the power saving features on your Palm, you'd probably get about two hours off of fresh AAAs.
No matter how small they make them, I just can't bring myself to wear a computer-watch... I just totally hated the "calculator" watches. It looks too bulky on the wrist!
Besides... Its batteries only last TWO HOURS!!
"Excuse me sir, what time is it?"
Nah.
The link to Nabisco, for the "Smaller than an OREO cookie" statement? I understand that, as a tech news site, they link to stories on their own website... But to a cookie maker?
You might be able to find some info on the Bluetooth on Linux homepage pages from Axis.
127.0.0.1remotead.cnet.com
But then again, when we think of interfacing with a computer, we picture a keyboard, mouse and a monitor able to display 32 bit color in 1024x768 or at the very least text in 80x25 columns. This type of interface is infeasible for a watch.
However, consider that we simply won't be doing the same things with a watch that we do with the monster on your desk. We won't be writing reports on it, we won't be spending 20 hour stretches kernel hacking on it, nor will we be playing the latest incarnation of Quake. It probably won't even make a remarkably good websurfer. It would appear quite useless from typical computer standards.
But thats exactly the point. Its not going to be used as a typical computer. I can think of quite a few novelty uses for it besides keeping time. Certainly many of the PDA functions could be replicated on a device as small as a watch. But the true power of a such a device is the capability that a dynamic operating system provides. I don't know what it could be used for tomorrow, but knowing the device runs linux, I have a good shot at being able to implement a useful feature should the opportunity arise, and I won't necessarily have to do a hardware upgrade to accomplish it.
As for battery power, two hours might not seem like a lot of time, but think of how long cell phones used to last with MUCH larger batteries. It will require a combination of more efficient batteries and more efficient electronics, along with an easy method of recharging. Since this is still very much a prototype stage, I fail to see the issue.
-Restil
Play with my webcams and lights here
There are high-resolutions of the second generation device at http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/graphics/library/screens hot/0103ibm/linuxwatch.html?chkpt=0103ibm. (This time, no flash ads.)
I really like that clock face -- anyone know the name of the program?
"...America's great minds of today, teaching America's great minds of tomorrow. Poor bastards." -- A Beautiful Min
The point of this is to develop new technology. Ok, a linux watch may not be the most useful thing, but there are probably a million other uses for computers that small. Imagine how light a head-mounted computer with an OLED screen suspended in front of your eye would be. And if you can't think of a good use for that, get back to unloading the potato truck.
-aiabx
Just this guy, you know?
The article mentions that they tuned the kernel to do better power management. I wonder if they'll share that interesting bit of code.
I'd assume they would since it would make their Thinkpads (and any other laptop possibly) that much more of an attractive platform.
If this is an indicator of how good OLED devices are going to be in the end, then the display market is going to get a lot more interesting within the next couple of years.
I know that the technology process used to make the watch probably wouldn't scale to screen sizes over an inch square at the moment, but 640x480 at 800dpi - that can create 16-shade "yellow"-scale at 200dpi, and 256-shade "yellow"-scale at 100dpi. I would love to see this screen in a mobile phone as soon as possible. Even a downmarket 400dpi version :-)
That clock program looks great as well. I want a clock on my desk that looks like that (but bigger). With the built-in PIM functions as well - it could talk to the computer via Bluetooth and show me my appointments and do things like alarms as stuff. And glow yellow at night for free.
Stranger things (WWF buying WCW) have happened...
the first one ran a bt stack. i wonder if they'll put out their whole linux-bt stack implementation to the open source community? I could use it.
Speak for yourself.
No, A linux powered Pulse Riffle.
Ok putting aside the fact that this thing only last 2 hours. WHat purpose does this serve? I mean sure it could be tied into the internet to report back temperature and weather of certain areas...but we already have that in watches without operating systems (to the capacity of Linux)....and they last years.
I think thatthe fact that we're throughing internet connectivity into everything is just bringing us one step closer to unifiying everything.
Watches, Phones and PDAs will all merge into one powerful little unit.
"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality." -Jules de Gautier
Naww, I want a Linux computer on my Swiss Army Knife, along with a Photon Light LED, a garage door opener, an X10 tranmitter, a 3G phone, GPS receiver, and a Portasol soldering iron.
Then, I'd be set.
www.eFax.com are spammers
Of course, it's not Linux, so some people may decide it's worthless. However, you may want to check out the Matsucom OnHand PC.
A friend of mine has developed a couple little applets for it, has worn it for a year now.
[
And you guys thought IBM wasn't cool...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
I saw one of these recently at the IBM sponsored ACM International Programming Contest in Vancouver, BC; they really are cool. The four coolest things about them have to be the new organic LED displays they're putting on them, the built in GPS chip (which is about the size of your pinky fingernail), the built in BlueTooth chips (which is about 3/4" x 1/4"), and the fact that it's running X11.
It may not be a trol but it is pretty short sighted and judgemental. Slashdot to me has always been about the technology and what people are doing with it. These people may be "engineers" but to me they are artists. What they have done, while it may not currently be a usefull product still has great merit in the technical community. And now that I think of it not being able to see that for the 2 hour battery life probably does make it a troll post.
One of the feature is a touch sensitive display at least on the first one.
a ct sheet.html
http://www.research.ibm.com/WearableComputing/f
http://www.research.ibm.com/WearableComputing/fact sheet.html
Check the specs of the first one it did have wireless conectivity as well as IrDa.
16 MB of total memory, a processor, display stuff in a watch! Why I'm I sitting here with this huge thing?
Imagine coding some Perl or something hehe :), seriously though this is the direction computing is headed. I want one of these, too bad its not for sale
"One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad
The Anti-Blog
That is just too cool, wonder if it'd run quake?
___
It was me, I did it, I moved your cheese
First of all I'm really impressed by the display in particular. I would like to be able to have a watch that could use lcd4linux. Cross that and a timex pager watch and then we'd have something. While I don't see XWindows or a command line shell real practical for a watch, I do think it would be great to customize what is displayed. It would be hella nicer than using pagercodes and errorcodes to do the same thing. By the way, anyone using the timex care to share thier experiences? I really want to toss the old soapbar.
ok, a lot of folks have mentioned that the thing is too small to use with even a modicum of comfort but alot of our new devices are getting smaller and smaller and they will continue to do so. I was thinking an easy way to input info into these small devices is to free yourself from the device. bear with me. I don't remember who makes it but there is a wireless mouse that i believe uses a gyro to determine location that you just hold in your hand and move your hand around to change directions. what about a pen that linked wirelessly to the small device of your choice (palm, watch, nokia) that used a gyro to determine orientation. I can see you sitting at a desk with pen in one hand and watch on opposite wrist and writing on the desk while affecting the watch. see what I'm saying? I'm not too bright so somebody else build it.
-
I got to see one of the developers demo the first generation watch at the IBM sponsored ACM programming competition a few weeks ago. Even that was pretty dang cool. It does not look any more bulky on a man's arm than most sports watches. The guy had pictures of the new watch and explained how the Organic LED display works, illuminating only those pixels that are needed as opposed to gating those that aren't. He also had a prop watch that was in pieces, showing the ARM processor (which is really 100MHz clocked down to around 12) and the Bluetooth circuitry. He said they had a full Bluetooth stack implemented. Cool stuff.
--
47% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
demonstrating the viability of the operating system across all platforms, from large enterprise servers, to medium-sized and small servers, workstations, desktop systems, laptops and now the smallest intelligent devices.
a ct sheet.html
.oO0Oo.
http://www.research.ibm.com/WearableComputing/f
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
yah, but hopefully your wristwatch is a single-user system... ;-)
--
News for geeks in Austin: www.geekaustin.org
News for Geeks in Austin, TX
... like the one that's always advertised in LJ. Of course I don't know how easy it would be to hack a ps/2 port onto the watch or if it already has some form of KB adaptor...
I think I found the web site for it here (1/2 way down the page). Phoenix Group International is the manufacturer's name.
--
News for geeks in Austin: www.geekaustin.org
News for Geeks in Austin, TX
a watch that gives me the number of seconds since the Epoch
--
Je t'aime Stéphanie
This thing was definately not meant to ever be a consumer product, or even a prototype. Instead, the fine folks at IBM built this thing to show off the flexibility of the linux kernel. Either that or they have way too much time on their hands.
People have been claiming this for years, but it has yet to happen. And I don't think it would. The forces of capitalism want us to buy more and more boxes. If we had one box that did it all, someone would have to come up with a new box that did something else, and that most people found succesful.
Also, most combined units aren't really that succesful. Even the obvious example, a combined PDA and cellphone doesn't even work that well. If it looks like a cellphone, it is too small as a PDA, and if it looks and feels like a PDA, don't try using it in a car (using the stylus to answer your calls...).
Still, I would like to see the combined watch, cellphone, computer, flashlight, leatherman tool and wallet all in one easy to carry affordable unit. Perhaps something akin to the "trapper keeper" from South Park, although a bit less violent.
A kitchen sink would definitely come in handy...
yup, that's right no one needs linux ... remember that after the 10th time you reboot your windows box for the day. Oh ya, and when you have to pay thousands of dollars in software licenses to run a network, remember that free software is worthless.
And what is so unattractive about a DB-25 connector? I understand that a DB-15 may be considered more appealing than a DB-25, but at least it isn't a DB-9!
It was a joke. Read it as such.
Feed The Need[goatse.cx]
Q: Excuse me sir, but do you have the time?
:)
A: Sure, one sec....
> Login: root
> Password: xxxxxxx
> Timex# date
> Fri Mar 23 14:37:59 PST 2001
> Timex#
A: Its Two Thirty seven PM.
I would give my left nut to do that in public. Must be the geek in me.
Feed The Need[goatse.cx]
__
Well, it would keep your arm warm, at the rate these watches drain their battery.
;-)
Wonder if they require an external fan?
On a slightly more useful note, if you connected up to IP (in the UK you can use GSM phones) you could have VOIP, Dick Tracy style. Then again you could just use the phone, but this is slashdot, news for Nerds, Dammit!
Where DO you plug the sound card in anyway?
-WolfWithoutAClause
"Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"Maybe there should be a "Stupid *nix Tricks" category for the watches, putting NetBSD on a Dreamcast, etc.
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
For Gods sake - It puts cookies all over your hard-drive! Do you know how hard crumbs are on a motherboard? Jeez.
-
Starsucks
I just got a discontinued virgin webplayer - I'm gonna put linux on it and strap it to my wrist. 640x480? please. I'm gonna have 800x600 in glorious 256 colour, 64 megs of ram & what with the three car batteries strapped to my back, I'll be able to tell the time all day long!
-
Starsucks
Whoever modded you as flamebait is spot on. If we all had your attitude we'd all still be sitting in ditches poking berries up our noses.
--
no sig.
They say its lasts 2 hours, which is fine, its a super early prototype. But they see the end result as a product with a battery that lasts a WEEK. Come on, my current watch battery will probably last longer than my watch (the manual said something like 5 years, and judging by my last watch I'd agree). I think they need to set their goals a little higher than just a week, maybe a 3-6 month minimum.
...pretty pointless to put it on a wristwatch. I mean, what benefits could Linux possibly provide to a WRISTWATCH!?!?
Since it is not x86 architecture, it wouldn't be vulnerable to x86-specifc exploits in BIND, nor to x86 specific rootkits.
There. How's that?
I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
And you can keep track of them for up to six hours at a time!
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Vices - what I lack in originality, I make up for in volume.
Just an Idea - I was thinking a similar thought - Its just too small.. but.. What if you didn't need a keyboard? Stick with me here, I'm not talking about stylus input, I'm talking about some way for the watch to sense your fingers moving on a flat surface. With a bunch of storage this could make an excellent tool for taking notes, writing, etc - granted the display is too tiny to do much with, but if you could type on a non-existent keyboard and sync the info with a desktop computer, this might actually be kind of cool.
So you'd look like a geek sitting there in a cafe with your boxy watch typing on an empty table-top, thats the price you pay for being an early adopter.
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Vices - what I lack in originality, I make up for in volume.
My gosh! My watch is full of worms! Of course, I should have been running Trippwire on it.
a beow... aww, forget it.
It's great that IBM are improving Linux in the Power Management division, I bet this will be pretty good for us notebook users.
.sig: Open Source, Open Mind
You need something powerful like Linux on a wristwatch because the future is in multifunction wearable devices. The future versions of this "watch" will actually be more like the Dick Tracy "two-way wrist tv" than a watch. Too many people are distracted by the word "watch" which should really have been "wearable computer".
Let's see, what things do we need to make this watch work?
1. A battery that would last an entire day and that could be recharged overnight.
2. Natural speech processing technology and a microphone.
3. Significant storage
4. For the truly cool, wireless display piece
5. Wireless networking
Can anyone think of anything else to include to make this worth using. I know storage is a major problem, but aren't people working on crystal storage that would be able to hold more volume in a smaller place. I could see wearing this as opposed to crap on my belt.
Tired of sitting at that karma cap? Start a flame war today! See just how low you can go!
Wind-OS?
Rolix?
Whatever...
IBM foresees a day when such a watch would have a week's worth of battery power. Like a handheld computer, it could be recharged in a cradle during the night, where it would receive fresh updates such as traffic reports for its owner.
I don't know about everyone else, but I have a hard enough time keeping my cell charged and fresh batteries in my Visor--I can't imagine having to charge my watch once a week... nor can I afford to be late to class more often than I already am just because my watch has its own microprocessor....
reech bee-yond ur clip-0n
If you ever teased apart some applications like bios upgrade disks, boot managers, diagonostic disks &c, you will find that they are simply a hacked from of DOS. I mean, the Windows install system is a hacked version of the standard mode Win 3.1 system.
If we're going to push Linux or OS/2 or DOS around for embedded systems - well - you got to start somewhere.
{flame note="look at nick"}But for the life of me, I can't see why they don't just stick with OS/2 and not fiddle around with DOS or Linux. OS/2 is as stable as Linux and as nimble as DOS.{/flame}
Think different. Think OS/2.
OS/2 - because choice is a terrible thing to waste.
"Even Palm Pilots are too cramped for "real" use (both screen and input)"
I beg to differ. My Palm IIIx is used daily for text input (notes, appointments, et al) and for reading. I download news into it and have several books in it. Makes the subway ride go faster.
And while flying to Las Vegas last year for Defcon last year, I spent most of the flight writing on the Palm.
As for the Linux watch, it is a concept device, just like the 'Cars of the Future" that Detroit would showcase every year. They'll never go into production (for the most part) but are intended to show off new technologies and techniques.
The Linux watch is the same thing.
Myself, I'm more interested in the OLED display than the OS.
Guaranteed! This comment 100% Anthrax free!
I'm gonna hold out for the model where the clock arms are penguin wings.
Hey wait, I can just write a script to do that! :P
--
--
Unscrample my email, win a prize.
Palm Keyboards :P
You'd be surprised..
I'm a big retard who forgot to log out of Slashdot on Mike's computer! LOOK AT ME.
Next thing you know they will have calculator watches and watches that transform into robots, and watches that can keep time in more than one time zone. I love science!
I believe the aforementioned link is to IBM's first stab at the watch, not the one mentioned in the article.
Just keep it simple.
I think this is even more proof that linux is a great embedded computing platform.
http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT9330943155. html
t os.html
:-))
and: http://www.research.ibm.com/WearableComputing/pho
I like the technical one better
--sn0w
OK, as much as I like Linux, I think that it's pretty pointless to put it on a wristwatch. I mean, what benefits could Linux possibly provide to a WRISTWATCH!?!? Pre-emptive multitasking? The screen is too small to show ONE application, let alone two or more! Emacs? XFree? Apache? No current Linux applications will be useable on a wristwatch, requiring the programming of special software for the watch. While you're programming special watch software, why not make your own very small OS with only the features needed by a watch. You could probably do away with some hardware that Linux requires by doing this, and long battery life would be a design goal from the beginning, not something that has to be patched in later.
I'm not denying the coolness factor here, and it certainly is a great achievement in hardware and software hacking, but the simple fact is that there is no convievable use for Linux on a wristwatch. A custom solution would do the job much better.
main(c,r){for(r=32;r;) printf(++c>31?c=!r--,"\n":c<r?" ":~c&r?" `":" #");}
'Bob thought he would be cool.. hehe.. he bought one of those linux wrist watches.. *chuckle* One day, when he acidently left it on his desk we logged on and added "*/1 * * * echo ^G >/dev/console" to his crontab! *laugh* now every so often he asks me where the setting is to change the watch back to beeping ONLY on the half hour!! *LOL* '
(Office pranks of the future I guess =)
I guess I'll just have to settle for being a nerd.
-Keslin, the naked nerd girl
-Keslin, the naked nerd girl
No, the only thing this would be good for is bragging rights, and showing off to friends. I'm a big fan of PDA's and such, but this is just TOO small to be useful.
Slashdot: Open Source, Closed Minds.
But then again...geeks do like their porn, so it just might work.
Slashdot: Open Source, Closed Minds.
You're losing your touch, Taco.. Better get some rest.
--
$ chown -R us:us yourbase
Even Palm Pilots are too cramped for "real" use (both screen and input), so this one is definetly out... But what about a laser diode that can write to any handy surface? Like a laser pointer/LCD projector? That way you could leave the lcd for more reasonable things like, displaying the time, and serving as an input surface (touch sensitive, but only when after certain conditions are met, like button combo)... By the power vested in me, I now declare this text string and this bit string 'name' and 'key'. What RSA has joined, let no man put asunder. -- Bob Blakley
Would you like fries with that?
What I would like to see is power management good enough to run this on a kinetics style watch. Linux, powered by your body motions.
Then, when they get a wireless lan card for this baby...
Vornzog
Who can decide a priori? Nobody.
-V-
Who can decide a priori? Nobody.
-Sartre
What they need is to put it together with other things... picture this. 1. The watch - provides processing power, onboard temp and barometer sensors, tracks rate of movement, heartbeat, glucose level, body temperature, time till next urination, time, date, GPS receiver, wireless transmitter, various apps. 2. Prescription Glasses - Has onboard camera, with either right or left or both lenses acting as the monitor, electronic tinting, vga screen 1024x768, night vision, zoom, targeting mode, forward looking radar, laser sighting, microphone. 3. Wallet - Contains "floppy" zip drive(or a jaz drive if you wear a purse), small "Palm" like screen, a small atm/printer(once again floppy), so you won't need ATM no more, small magnetic strip(to replace the atm/credit card), a more cellular like wireless transmitter, and a thumb print reader. 4. Shows - Contain electricity generators. Water cooled. 5. Earpiece - for listening 6. Certified TechnoWarrior stamp on your butt.