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Return of the TV Wristwatch
An anonymous reader writes "20 years after the Seiko TV watch, another Asian firm has given it another go. The Globe and Mail in Canada got their hands on the NHJ TV Watch and have posted a review. The writer thinks it's still just way too huge to be a watch but is still impressed."
The Seiko Wristwatch TV wasn't a watch and it wasn't just a "thing" on your wrist. It had a breakout box that carried audio and power that fit on your belt. The actual wrist part of the device was MUCH smaller than this device (at least as it appears in the picture)
I got one of the Seiko's off eBay as a novelty item not too long ago. I actually would like it if someone did the same with the breakout box also being an iPod like MP3 player. I'd rather have as small a device as possible on my wrist and have it tell time, if I want higher functions - connect the breakout box.
Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
Fabienne: Whose watch is this?
Butch: It's a TV, baby.
Fabienne: Whose TV is this?
Butch: It's Zed's.
Fabienne: Who's Zed?
Butch: Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.
it's not like those of us who are actually trying to walk anywhere aren't already constantly dodging distracted pedestrians who's eyes are glued to the adverts on the bus shelters, instead of looking where they're going
this is the sort of handy contraption that makes daily life for the rest of us that much more exciting!
I really don't understand what it is with geeks and these big ugly plastic watches! Personally I just like a very simple analog wristwatch.
"Madness is something rare in individuals - but in groups, parties, peoples, ages it is the rule." -- Nietzsche
Let me know when it's available as a pocket watch..
The Seiko thing is a pretty amazing piece of engineering for the time, IMO. But who would want to sit there staring at their wrist for more then a few seconds. I mean, after a couple minutes wouldn't your arm get tired?
Why not make some "eyephones", not to be so gibsonesq, but wouldn't a small monitor suspended a few inches from your face make a lot more sense for 'ultraportable' TV?
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
these have been available for a while now from Dynamism. they're cheaper than i would have thought at $219. probably the cheapest item dynamism carries...
TV on a watch is a waste of time. Shrink down a PDA and give me wireless access and then I'll give you a thought.
It looks just like their wristband gadgets
Cell phones have become the piece of technology that everyone wants to show their friends now. A lot of people even use them as a replacement for their watches. There may be a market for cell phone TV's, but I can't see anybody buying this.
Without broadcast TV, gadgets like this would be useless, and perhaps replaced by those same next-gen cell phones (with an expensive TV subscription plan of course).
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The writer of the review is quite the humorist. For instance:
Sacrificing my public image in the name of science, I wore it as a watch for about an hour at the local mall. If you're into female repellant, wearing it this way will give you better results than a wet spot on the front of your pants.
In light of this, I propose that slashdot's motto be changed to: News for Nerds. Stuff That Repels Females.
Hmmm ... maybe not. Don't see it catching on, somehow.
I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
How is a it a 'wrist watch' if it's around your neck?
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
WHY?
So you can have a convenient WebTV based interface with which to interact with your toaster remotely from the mall, silly.
KFG
Please note that you are not forced to purchase this TV watch. You can buy a watch that just tells time at any number of stores. In fact, I understand that they are rather common and have gotten less expensive over time.
As far as the cell phone goes, I want one that can receive calls as well, and find the fact that mine can store numbers to be very useful. Oddly enough each cell phone I have purchased it less expensive than the previous one and superior in every way.
I have an IBM Model M keyboard that just had its tenth birthday. Why pay a premium for a new keyboard when you can just keep using your existing keyboard? If you want one, head to your local thrift store.
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of this thing is pretty high IMHO, it's usefullness is almost zilch. First, when was the last time you watched broadcast TV? In my case, it's been years ago; then again, I rarely watch TV at all. The only good use I can think of for this thing is at sporting events when you want the camera's view. I grow tired of "gadgety" gadgets. I want smaller, lighter and multi-functional---the first thing that comes to mind is something like a Treo 600. A good, clear screen (OLED?) coupled with broadband wireless and a satellite tuner would REALLY set the world on fire, even if it looked like a geek's wet dream. I know, I know: we have to get past clunky and useless to get to cool and useable. But why did this thing ever leave the R&D Department?
Don't be a looter...and yes, I know that it's spelled with an "A" instead of an "E".
And with the cable constantly following you, you could always know how to get back home... now, it's a little riskier to go outside with no string leading you home... maybe you should invest in a wristwatch GPS too? ;-)
After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
- The Tao of Programming
tekgear sells 'em
In Asian countries there is a fashionable trend and social acceptance to wearing these newly looking watches.
Like the Casio G-shocks and other hi-tech watches, they sold like hot cakes in the mid 90s. It wasn't until the year 2000 before they start making an appearance in the U.S. This TV watch will probably be a super trend in Asia for years before people start buying it in U.S.
Um, so you can call it a watch.
They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
The usage bottleneck is still the battery... limited to one hour of tv in this instance.
In Berlin, they turned analog VHF/UHF off and switched to digital DVB-T this spring. The rest of good old Germany will follow suit in the next couple of years, which would make this the most expensive display of white noise around :-).
A DVB-T wristwatch with a USB port would be very cool though: watch TV while they send that 2gigabyte file to your Notebook...
Instead it's the "I want to hear (and kinda squint to watch) the broadcast while I'm at the game" niche. This has the same appeal as an old lug-it-to-the-game TV from 1980ish. The article's right: it's for the "news/sports junkie" and that's about it. Only, of course, news junkies want CNN and sports junkies want ESPN, neither of which'll come in.
What this article mainly does is impress me with the product Seiko made 20 years ago. The market for the new version isn't any better now -- if anything it's smaller, because people don't think of broadcast signals as the entire universe of TV any more. Eh (shrugs).
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
Phones with TV reception are far more likely to receive mass acceptance than these wrist monstrosities. Toshiba and NEC have working models in Japan, check this WSJ review, and SprintPCS is brining MobiTV to some of its models in the U.S.
I bought a new watch from Swatch, mechanical, autowinder, sweep second hand, aluminum band, skeleton front and back, 21 jewels, etc... awesome watch for $125.
I would rather have a nice watch that tells time and lives for more than 1 hour of use. This TV watch (both old and new, actually) seem to be for people with way too much disposable income.
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I used to have a Timex BeepWear Pro, and let me tell you - that thing wore out it's welcome real fast. It was 3 times the thickness of a normal watch, larger overall then a normal watch, and took 3 batteries which lasted about a month. I think I wore it for about 5-6 weeks before finally getting rid of it.
It just screamed "I'm a geek!" and was way to cumbersome to be useful.
From the looks of this TV watch, it would be the same way. Neat toy for a few hours/days, then relegated to the drawer of forgotten tech
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These attributes do not apply to watching television. Whatever video you watch will probably be of sufficient length that the time wasted fishing a larger, more useful device out of your pocket is negligible. This is why wristphones are stupid, too. If the device's use takes more than a split second and/or it doesn't need to be accessible on an instant whim, there is no reason to put it on your wrist. I'm all for video-enabled cell phones. I see no reason why my portable electronics need to reside somewhere other than my pockets. Hey, why not attach an ipod to a headband? The controls would be SUPER accessible!
Now can we please forget these stupid wristwatch gadgets and get on with the flying cars?
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The only thing that can makes geeks look geekier - waving their arms around like crazies to generate the larger image. I can see the ads now: Repel women, attract SWAT teams.
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We spoke for about a half an hour. I don't recall a thing we said. - Colorblind James Experience
If the TV moves with my hand, it'll be really difficult to focus
Gives new meaning to the concept of "geek with a beanie."
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
This invention will revolutionize the use of pornography. Think about it.
I was trying to get work done! And instead I am looking at naked chicks!
Can't compare to OLED screens. They still use too much power. The light emitter is always on therefore wasted energy. An Fed (field emitting display) is more efficient but is not mass produced by anyone.
Why do we need this? Seriously. What do you have to watch that is so time-critical that you MUST see it real-time? The News? What self-respecting geek watches TV news, when there's Google? Sports? Use a radio, check the scores online, or go to a sports bar.
If there's something on that I want to see, but will be out of the house for, I just TiVo it. If I wanted to be low-tech about it, I could use my trusty VCR to tape it. Either way, I can watch Good Eats when I get home. I see no reason to carry a postage-stamp-sized TV with me. Are y'all that addicted to Jerry Springer?