Its About Time

I have read several of Microsoft’s new SPOT (an acronym for Smart-Personal-Objects-Technology). In this particular incarnation, it takes the form of a watch. However, instead of just telling time, it would also be be linked to the ‘net. So you could receive alerts about e-mail or news, synchronize it with the atomic clock, etc. The watch wasn’t all the expensive and the wireless connection runs about 99$ per year. Another reviewer talking about the same watch liked the idea, so much so that when Seiko came out with it two years ago he had bought one. Unfortunately Seiko’s wireless service was unprofitable and eventually discontinued. While a neat idea I wouldn’t pay all that much for it. Originally I thought of posting this article because it is a rant about the fact that none of clocks in the guys house tell the same time. It is a point which irks me as well, one I would love to see fixed by this type of technology, but not if it means an introduction of any kind of problem (i.e., yeah I would love it if my stove and VCR had the same time, but I’m not going to buy one’s which sync if there is any chance the stove is going to blue screen while I’m cooking dinner).