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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.
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It's OK, do that in public and you won't need either of your nuts.
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.
The IBM Wearable Computing web site has a bit more info and a bunch of pix.
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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?
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
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...
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
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?
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
... 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.
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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
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Je t'aime Stéphanie
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...
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.
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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!
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Starsucks
...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.
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.
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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.
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
Wind-OS?
Rolix?
Whatever...
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
I guess I'll just have to settle for being a nerd.
-Keslin, the naked nerd girl
-Keslin, the naked nerd girl