Calling all cars, calling all cars… be on the look out for the SMS M500 GSM Watchfone. That’s right, the first shipments of the M300 followup are said to be leaving Hong Kong as of tomorrow, May 30th. Now we can all get a little Dick Tracy with “the world’s smallest mobile phone” — or so says SMS Technology Australia. Unlike Dick’s 2-way Wrist Radio which emerged in 1949, this pup goes quad-band GSM while packing a 1.5-inch touchscreen with itty bitty, built-in stylus; Bluetooth 2.0; and all the 120 x 160 pixel MP4 video (or MP3/AAC audio) you can pack into its 128MB of storage. The watch weights just 60-grams and should hold-up to about 200 minutes of talk or 80 hours standby before needing a USB recharge. Now if someone could just hook us up with a jetpack we can get to living in the future promised to us by Uncle Walt (no, the other one) in those free lovin’ 70s.

Gallery: The SMS M500 GSM Watchfone: the 58 year wait is over

    

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While we’re not going to fault manufacturers for trying to innovate, previous attempts at featurewatches have been, well, less than attractive. Looks like Epoq sent some of their designers to a watch shop, because their new EMP-CVWC-2/4 “MP4″ watch finally lets you keep that mashup of your favorite Battlestar Galactica scenes at the ready and still blend into polite company. Well, maybe — that’s still a lot of chunk to wear on your wrist, but we can’t see how anything smaller than a 1.5-inch screen would be useful. We’re assuming this is just a metal-and-leather reworking of the Shenzhen piece we saw a while back, since the basic specs are the same (apart from a bump in capacities to 2 / 4GB): 128 x 128 res OLED screen, MP3 / WMA / JPG support, voice recorder, FM radio, and a 2.5mm headphone jack. As with that Shenzhen, the dealbreaker is video support, which is limited to the goofy NXV format. The six people still interested should be able to find a 2GB model a couple weeks from now for about $170.

[Via I4U]
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It’s no secret that FM transmitters are dodgy at times, but if you were wading through the endless supply of MP3 watches on the market in an effort to find one a notch below hideous, having that feature built-in certainly wouldn’t hurt. The king of all things USB has upped the collective ante once more, as its FMP3 Watch not only musters a bearable design scheme, but it also offers up a nice laundry list of specifications to boot. Aside from telling you the time and day of the week, it also boasts 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB of internal memory for MP3 / WMA playback, headphone out, an integrated voice recorder, USB connectivity, volume controls, eight-hours of battery life (three if beaming over FM), and the obligatory FM transmitter to stream your tunes to one of several FM options. If you’re anxious to get your wrist into one of these suckas, all three flavors are available right now, and can be had for Â¥12,800 ($108), Â¥16,800 ($142), and Â¥19,800 ($167) from least capacious to most.

[Via EverythingUSB]
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For those who take comfort in wearing a GPS module wherever they go, or for runners and athletes who incorporate GPS technology to fine tune their workout, Globalsat is expanding its GPS lineup by tossing out the GH-615 wristwatch. Although details are a bit scarce, the black timepiece houses a SiRF Star III GPS antenna, supports WAAS / EGNOS, and offers up tracking, positioning, and time alert functions. Furthermore, the watch can be connected via USB to double as a GPS receiver for laptops and other mapping applications, and it’s pre-programmed to record the user’s route by marking and saving tracking points as you go. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but if you’re in a rush get GPS on your wrist, there’s a plethora of worthwhile alternatives just waiting to get strapped on.

[Via GPSGazette, thanks Dimitris]
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Do you like USB bracelets? Would you wear when them on a train? Would you wear then in the rain? No? Try them, try them with the S10 we say, now packing Bluetooth, mkay? See… you like them, you like MP3 bracelets, eh?

[Via dapreview]
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Considering your mind is probably more focused on that upcoming trip to the slopes than your thoroughly frozen outdoor pool, you probably aren’t in any dire need of a floating iPod speaker system in the midst of January, but nevertheless, Atlantic’s bringing it to you. Aside from always staying on the sunny side of whatever liquid it’s in, the plastic shell also touts a pair of (presumably weak) stereo speakers and the ability to house your dock-connecting iPod. Reportedly, the device is waterproof enough to withstand pool parties and showers, and can supposedly operate for 30 hours on just four AA batteries. While the EGO has been floating around (ahem) briefly, the firm plans to officially launch it during next week’s CES, but those eager to get their swim trunks on in the middle of winter can find one now for around $115.

[Via TGDaily]
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Although glitzy, stat-filled jerseys are certainly sufficient ways to get information off your chest (ahem), a new vibrating vest could give “body language” an entirely new meaning. Joining the air-conditioned and insulating renditions, this snazzy vest features a “tactile display” on the back, which is created by 16 small vibrating motors that are connected to an internal wireless control unit. The jacket “writes symbols and messages on its wearer’s back,” and while the actual writing resembles Braille more than text, it can supposedly be used to “send important commands to soldiers or firefighters, warning them of imminent danger when ordinary radios cannot be used.” Commands are beamed to the vests via a wirelessly-enabled computer, and can stealthily inform platoons to stop, look in a specific direction, run, or slow down. The US Army is partially funding the research, as it hopes to investigate different ways to communicate when hand signals and / or radio transmissions aren’t effective. During initial testing, results have shown nearly flawless interpretation by participants, and while we’re not exactly sure when we can expect rumble-equipped gear to grace our armed forces, the problem of “excess noise from the motors” has to be quelled before hitting the battlefield.

[Via BoingBoing]
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