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Brand: Fossil EAN: 0796483963962 Label: Fossil Manufacturer: Fossil Model: FX3002 MPN: FX3002 Publisher: Fossil Studio: Fossil Variation Description: Dick Tracy Features:
Accessories:
Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: It's a great idea, and, for the most part a great product: a watch that keeps time with atomic clock accuracy and displays useful, timely information. The Smart Watch gives you stock prices, news, and weather, and personal messages, all right on your watch face. You get all that stuff on your cell phone already, right? But the idea of the Smart Watch though is that it offers this information in glanceable form, and on a device that is always at hand. Simplicity and unobtrusiveness are key--you can rapidly navigate through all the different types of information quickly, and immediately read your text messages the moment they arrive with a discreet little beep. MSN Direct is the subscription service that broadcasts data to the Smart Watch via an FM signal. The first thing you have to do when you get your watch is set up an account and customize your information channels. It's a fairly quick process, though you have to jump through a few Microsoft hoops (like getting a .NET Passport). Immediate gratification junkies should be warned, however, that you most likely won't start getting any data until about 12 or more hours after set up. Also, the channels are very much a work in progress--the news I was getting initially had a random quality to it, but more recently the watch's timeliness has compared favorably with CNN.com in breaking major stories. Information delivered to your watch includes:
The need to recharge frequently--a single charge will last two to seven days, depending on usage--has some users unhappy, but for me it is a non-issue. You charge the watch by simply placing it on its cradle, so if you set the cradle up wherever you stash the watch at night, the watch will always be charged. There are a few real drawbacks, however, most prominent (literally) being the size of the watch, which is on the humongous side of fashionably chunky. Another downer is the strap which is hard to close and, since it contains the watch's antenna, tends to spring open. The most serious complaint however is that reception can be sporadic--there were entire days that I got no new data at all. When MSN Direct improves service--and it has shown signs of doing so since the watch launched--they will have a truly revolutionary product on their hands (and the nation's wrists). --David Stoesz Pros
Cons
Amazon.com Product Description: The Wrist Net watch with MSN Direct receives information wirelessly, so you're in the know while on the go. Find everything from stock quotes to the latest news, all at a glance. Along with a glanceable, seamless connection to your world, there are tons of watch faces to choose from, for just the look you want. Set-up is easy: simply charge up, activate your watch online, and set up the content channels you want. A subscription to MSN Direct--available in top cities across the U.S. and Canada--is required to take full advantage of all watch features. FAQWhat's included? Wrist Net Smart Watch, Reference Guide, Quick Start Guide, Charger, and AC Adapter. What is MSN Direct?  MSN Direct is a new, specialized wireless service that delivers personalized information through an FM network. Watches with MSN Direct provide you timely, glanceable information conveniently available at the flick of a wrist. Stay connected to the information that matters to you most, including news, weather, stocks, personal messages, appointment reminders, and more. Find the latest info and get a subscription at www.msndirect.com. How do I set the time on my watch? MSN Direct uses an atomic clock (an extremely precise timekeeping device that uses atomic measurement for absolute accuracy) as its time standard, and broadcasts this time to your watch over local FM radio waves. You do not need to set the time your watch will automatically receive the time and remain accurate. If you travel to another time zone, your watch will update to the correct local time, as long as you are within an MSN Direct coverage area. If you are outside an MSN Direct coverage area, you may need to manually set the time on your watch. How will I know when my watch is activated? To activate your watch with the MSN Direct service, go to the MSN Direct Web site -- www.msndirect.com -- and click Activate. Follow the instructions on your screen to activate MSN Direct and personalize the content you want to receive. Once you complete this process, the service will send a Welcome message to your watch. When you receive the Welcome message, your watch has been activated. After the message arrives, your watch will continue to receive other configuration information to complete its initial setup. The activation and configuration process is complete when the channels on your watch match those you have selected on the Web site. This initial process may take several hours to complete. To see the available channels on your watch, press the Channel button repeatedly. How do I replace or recharge the battery in my watch? The battery in your watch is rechargeable, not replaceable. To recharge your watch, simply place it on the charger supplied by your watch manufacturer. For more information, see the user manual that came with your watch. Recharging your watch may take up to 2 hours. For best results, we recommended that you recharge your watch daily. How often do I need to recharge my watch? Your watch battery will run 3-7 days on a single charge, depending on usage. For best results, we recommend that you recharge your watch daily. You can recharge your watch at any time. There is no need to wait for the battery to drain completely. For more information about your watch battery capacity and recharging your watch, see the user manual that came with your watch. What happens when I leave an MSN Direct coverage area? When you travel to a different MSN Direct coverage area, your watch is automatically updated to the new time zone and information such as local news and weather are updated for your new location. And no matter what, your watch will always work as a watch, continuing to tell time. Information you already received will remain on your watch. How do I view more information on a news story? On the MSN Direct Web site, click the Channels tab, click News, and then click View Latest News. To view an entire article, click Read Full Article for the article you are interested in. To sort alphabetically by headline, click Headline at the top of the list. To sort by date, click Date. To sort alphabetically by news category, click Category. Note: You may see articles on the MSN Direct Web site that you never saw on your watch. These articles may have cycled through your watch before you had a chance to read them. If you want to increase the number of news articles stored on your watch, go to the News Settings mode of the News channel. Does my watch automatically adjust for time zones and daylight savings time? Yes. MSN Direct references an atomic clock (an extremely precise timekeeping device that uses atomic measurement for absolute accuracy) as its time standard, and broadcasts this time to your watch over local FM radio waves. Your watch should automatically receive the time and remain accurate, without needing to be set by you. If you travel to another time zone, your watch should update itself automatically with the correct local time, as long as you are within an MSN Direct coverage area. |
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- Great watch for the big kid in you! But dont depend on it!The Dick Tracy watch is the coolest big kid toy around. If you always wanted a Dick Tracy watch well here is the first generation Dick Tracy watch. Its cool but not perfect. Text messaging takes 7-10 minutes to receive. Some messages NEVER arrive and are lost in transit. So for the business man that needs to depend on text messages...maybe not the best choice. The calender on watch is very limited. This to me is a big disappointment. It only holds limited info for yesterday, today and the ... Read More
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- Cool looking - but Timex Internet Messenger watch betterThese watches are cool looking - but having to recharge your watch every 3 to 7 days seems like a pain. Timex has has the Internet Messenger Watch for a couple of years. Does all the same things - stock quotes, weather, your horoscope, sports, very customizable. Also - can send reminders. Does basically all the same things - the battery lasts a lot longer. Unfortunately they have been discontinued. When you bought the watch for $100 you also got a free year of nationwide service that worked pretty ... Read More
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- The first computer-data watch I will actually keep usingFirst, I have to admit I am an incurable early adopter and gadget lover. But, regardless of that bias, I have to say this watch reaches a new level of usefulness (and coolness). (And no, I don't work for Microsoft or Fossil.) I have tried several other watches in the past that offered data storage and synching with PC data, either through a cable or through an infrared connection. I gave them up within days as clunky and impractical. With this watch, though, I can put it on, and (once the MSN Direct ... Read More
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- Hey, its definately cool, but lets not consider it a watch!You may want to know why such a great looking, gee whiz product gets such a low rating from me. I looked at the watch in a store locally, and was impressed until I heard the punch line. MSN subscription! I'm not going to go into detail that MS has more money than God does. I will say, they're very clever in keeping continued money streams flowing. The subscription service costs, are roughly equivalent to a low cost Internet dial-up connection. Unless you really have a strong need for this, I don't ... Read More
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- outlook calendar sync rocks!I got the Dick Tracey version of the watch a week ago. As the other reviewers pointed out it is little bulky. But well, the bulkiness is kinda coolness factor too. The news, stock, weather updates are cool, but the outlook calendar reminders is the killer app. I dont need to write down in which room my next meeting is, even if I forget my pocket PC /PDA. I agree the price is little steep, but I got it through the msft employee discount, so it isn't bad for me, considering that its a Fossil watch.