Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Amazing SPOT Mock-up Designs
Posted by Jason Dunn in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 12:00 PM
I was contacted by a fellow named Rob a few days ago, and he had a link that made my eyes pop out of my head 8O - read Rob's story below, then click on the link, and you'll see why. I don't actually wear a watch day to day, but this might get me to start!
"Back on a steamy day in July 2001, when I received an email entitled "Job Opportunity", I almost dismissed it as spam. But I read it anyway. Turns out it was from a fellow wristwatch fan who lurks at Timezone.com, a site I write for. It's not unlike Pocket PC Thoughts, but it's dedicated to wristwatches. He said he had liked my work at Timezone and his "group" was looking for a graphic designer for an upcoming project. His email address was @microsoft.com. Hmm. I called him. We hit it off. By the end of that week, I was on a plane to Redmond to discuss the project. I made a little presentation and found myself hired. Then I signed a huge stack of papers that basically said I was sworn to secrecy regarding any and all aspects of the project, under penalty of death.
So I spent the next two years working on this top secret project, out of my home office, unable to tell a soul what I was doing.
In February 2003, the cat was let out of the bag. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Bill Gates unveiled some examples of
Microsoft's newest venture, Smart Personal Objects Technology, or 'SPOT'. As many now know, SPOT is the technology behind an upcoming wave of new devices, from key chains to alarm clocks to refrigerator magnets and more, that receive data via radio signal.
I was mostly hired to work on the digital wristwatches...more specifically, brainstorming, mostly via graphics, on how the watches should operate, what the screens might look like, what advertising and merchandising for the watches might look like, what the watches themselves might look like, etc.
As with Pocket PCs, Microsoft is designing the tech and letting other folks make the thing. So far, Fossil, Citizen, and Suunto have signed on and will be producing watches using the SPOT technology. The first offerings should be on the shelves by fall.
So what does this watch do anyhow? Well, for instance, if it knows your daily commuting route, it can analyze the traffic conditions on that route and alert you to problem areas. If there's a tractor trailer jack knifed on Main St., you'll know right when you wake up by looking at your watch, instead of having to hang around the radio or TV for the traffic report. You'll even have the option to have an alarm automatically set itself earlier based on traffic delays or poor weather conditions...i.e. if you went to bed with the watch set to wake you up at 7am, but there was an accident on your route at 5:30am, the watch could wake you up at 6am instead, so you have time to find an alternate route to work.
It can also provide info on airline schedules, stocks, weather, news, sports etc. You'll be able to customize what content you receive on the watch. The content will change depending on where you are. If you fly to California, you'll get local California weather updates on your watch when you land. Your watch will also automatically display the local time wherever you are.
The variety of content is virtually endless...everything from movie times to restaurant reviews, short text messages from friends and family, upcoming meeting details, directions to a local store.
Thanks to Bill & Co. for a great gig!"
"Back on a steamy day in July 2001, when I received an email entitled "Job Opportunity", I almost dismissed it as spam. But I read it anyway. Turns out it was from a fellow wristwatch fan who lurks at Timezone.com, a site I write for. It's not unlike Pocket PC Thoughts, but it's dedicated to wristwatches. He said he had liked my work at Timezone and his "group" was looking for a graphic designer for an upcoming project. His email address was @microsoft.com. Hmm. I called him. We hit it off. By the end of that week, I was on a plane to Redmond to discuss the project. I made a little presentation and found myself hired. Then I signed a huge stack of papers that basically said I was sworn to secrecy regarding any and all aspects of the project, under penalty of death.
So I spent the next two years working on this top secret project, out of my home office, unable to tell a soul what I was doing.
In February 2003, the cat was let out of the bag. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Bill Gates unveiled some examples of
Microsoft's newest venture, Smart Personal Objects Technology, or 'SPOT'. As many now know, SPOT is the technology behind an upcoming wave of new devices, from key chains to alarm clocks to refrigerator magnets and more, that receive data via radio signal.
I was mostly hired to work on the digital wristwatches...more specifically, brainstorming, mostly via graphics, on how the watches should operate, what the screens might look like, what advertising and merchandising for the watches might look like, what the watches themselves might look like, etc.
As with Pocket PCs, Microsoft is designing the tech and letting other folks make the thing. So far, Fossil, Citizen, and Suunto have signed on and will be producing watches using the SPOT technology. The first offerings should be on the shelves by fall.
So what does this watch do anyhow? Well, for instance, if it knows your daily commuting route, it can analyze the traffic conditions on that route and alert you to problem areas. If there's a tractor trailer jack knifed on Main St., you'll know right when you wake up by looking at your watch, instead of having to hang around the radio or TV for the traffic report. You'll even have the option to have an alarm automatically set itself earlier based on traffic delays or poor weather conditions...i.e. if you went to bed with the watch set to wake you up at 7am, but there was an accident on your route at 5:30am, the watch could wake you up at 6am instead, so you have time to find an alternate route to work.
It can also provide info on airline schedules, stocks, weather, news, sports etc. You'll be able to customize what content you receive on the watch. The content will change depending on where you are. If you fly to California, you'll get local California weather updates on your watch when you land. Your watch will also automatically display the local time wherever you are.
The variety of content is virtually endless...everything from movie times to restaurant reviews, short text messages from friends and family, upcoming meeting details, directions to a local store.
Thanks to Bill & Co. for a great gig!"
