Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Microsoft's elusive first smartwatch looms closer and closer

A working prototype of Microsoft’s oft-rumored rookie wearable effort may have recently shown up on film, in an “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” episode, and a mysterious FCC certification lends even more credence to the purported imminence of said smartwatch.



Didn’t pay much attention to the latest report suggesting a cross-platform-supporting Microsoft-made intelligent timepiece is decidedly on the way, with the holiday season targeted as a launch due date? Figured the gossip was just that, unsubstantiated hearsay, and would fade away like so many previous stories did?

Think again, as the signs pointing to the health-centric gizmo being in the pipeline continue to pile up. Granted, we still have merely circumstantial evidence, at best, to attest to the reality of the… Surface Watch(?), but it feels like too big of a coincidence for these bits and pieces to come to light so closer to one another.

Unless an MS higher-up is behind the multiple information spills, orchestrating a grand conspiracy meant to throw us off the track of whatever else Redmond may be prepping for a holiday release. A top-shelf Lumia phone, maybe the delayed Surface mini?



Let’s put aside conspiracy theories for a minute though, and see what the proof tells us. First and foremost, we’ve got an FCC approval of a cryptic Microsoft “mobile wireless device” designed in “small, medium and large sizes”.

The federal regulatory docs don’t spell out the identity or category the 1619-numbered gadget is a part of, but the sole radio found inside it is a Bluetooth LE. No Wi-Fi support, no 3G or LTE, no NFC, no nothing. Clearly, this ain’t a smartphone or tablet, so that only leaves us with a wearable or some kind of basic accessory.

Meanwhile, a recent episode of the ABC TV show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” may have offered us a grainy first glance at the smartwatch no one’s been able to capture in the flesh so far. The Marvel Cinematic Universe-set series is known for occasionally plugging Windows devices, so it’s safe to assume that whatever wearable contraption starred in it has something to do with Microsoft.



Unless we’re reading too much into a sci-fi prop. Either way, one additional reputable source that claims to know a thing or two about the elusive timepiece is Pascal Koenig, the Smartwatch Group’s Managing Director.

He believes the Microsoft watch “will be deeply integrated with MS Outlook and services such as Lync”, although he also says “the product may only be a showcase to get other hardware partners on board”.

Now that would be quite the massive disappointment, given how long we’ve waited for Redmond to gather the courage and debut a wearable piece capable of synching to Windows Phones, as well as iPhones and Androids.

Sources: Windows Central , FCC, Eye on Windows, Venture Beat



Read More: http://ift.tt/12aEfD5






via VRForums | Singapore Technology Lifestyle Forums - News around the web! http://ift.tt/1w8EAT6

No comments:

Post a Comment