Mute Watch: capacitive, accelerometer-aware "blank" watch

Watchismo's latest watch is the Mute, a solid-cast red or grey timepiece whose featureless face lights up based on touch or movement. I love all the usability thinking that went into this -- feels like the first inkling of what new materials and commodity capacitance and accelerometers will do for all sorts of devices.

You set the time for your alarms by tapping directly on the digits – tap on the top of the digit for a higher number or on the bottom of the digit for a lower one. When you want to erase an alarm, simply pinch the touch screen.
The Mutewatch also features a built-in motion sensor. High levels of movement trigger an increase in the intensity of the vibrating alarm and a simple flick of your wrist activates the glowing display. So, whether you're sleeping, on stage giving a presentation or doing your work out, the Mutewatch will keep you updated on your next step.

Mutewatch - Glow Swipe Vibrate - Poppy Red

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robdobbs

Cute, but far too expensive.
- LinkMan
  
  Still not cheap, but it’s available for $150 from the New Museum.
Glen Able

accelerometers! Who needs another electronic device that knows about your porn habits?
Marius van Voorden

Nice. I only think they should have integrated the USB connector though. Now you always need a cable :/
ROSSINDETROIT

I don’t care if this is from a sponsor. I’m a watch guy and I heartily approve of the new ideas and interface.
http://daniel.friesen.name/ Daniel Friesen

Interesting advancement. However I have one issue with it. It’s charged via USB. If they go that far, why can’t they have the watch automatically set the time using the clock of the computer it’s plugged into.
In this decade with NTP and other protocols automatically handling the time on our computers, phones, tablets, game systems, set top boxes, and other devices connected to our TVs why are we STILL manually setting the time on devices.

Well, not that it matters to me. I can’t even wear a watch.
Plut0

There are two things watches have over mobile phones and big clocks for telling the time. You can look at them without people noticing. .. And that seems to me kind of impossible.

The other thing btw is that watches are awesome.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Ritzmann/1532420118 Jeff Ritzmann

I *love* the design, but here’s the flaw to me: I’m sure the damned thing is made of that hard rubber that Fossil, Spoon and other have used. I’ll give ya a clue, over the course of a year, it dries out or becomes rotted with the oils from your skin.

And for $250.00, I just can’t see it for what it is.
theophrastvs

when oh when will my dream be realized for a small corner transparent lcd stick-on for my glasses that allows me to furtively glance at the time?
http://www.neathings.com pomokey

Maybe it’s just me, but but I don’t stick my arm out perpendicular to my body when I look at my watch… That screen needs to be rotated 90 degrees to be useful.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XDXCHOC3MSV5MBEOPV76POG7EE Jonathan

I really enjoy this type of interface. I’ve no idea if they’re the first, but Liquivision’s line of diving computers have used accelerometers for their interface for a while now, eliminating the troubles that come from putting buttons in items that have to withstand hundreds of meters of water atop them. For example, you’d tap the top to move up through menus, the bottom to move down, etc.
miasm

waiting for the subcutaneous, hemoglobin-powered watch.
http://phys.org/news122819670.html
http://twitter.com/Beaverbeaver Steve Olsen

I own it. Pretty amazing. I have it set to vibrate every 20 minutes. Makes me so much more aware of my time. “Oh I started this 3 alarms ago” etc etc. Waking up is much more pleasant to a lil motor shaking on your wrist. Battery is shit and the sizing is terrible. No go for fat folk. I love it but the charge thing keeps me from using it all the time.
jimh

$260, yow!
nixiebunny

I make a two-digit Nixie tube watch with an accelerometer for activation. It is a very natural way to read a watch, and it gives a bit of theater every time you look at it.

But I oriented the tubes the correct way so that you can actually read the time without twisting your brain sideways.
http://profiles.google.com/westcarleton Ray Perkins

How retro. Remember the very first red LED watches, where you had to push a button to read the time, as they used too much power to be on all the time? Other than trendy, this is a step backwards.
Bob N Johnson

This is very cool, but I just bought a Pebble watch for $125 (paid more to choose a color). Pebble has an e-ink display, battery lasts for a week, runs various apps, and communicates with a smartphone via bluetooth.

So, yes, this is over priced and under featured. Still, very cool, but it’s not going to find a home here.

BTW Hello Ross!