SPOT smart watch technology
Microsoft smart watches
The product: While Microsoft's smart watch concept isn't necessarily new--the technology was featured in Bill Gates's CES keynote two years ago--Microsoft announced several new partnerships that the company hopes will broaden the appeal of the devices. Based on Microsoft's MSN Direct technology, which pushes information to the devices, Smart Personal Object Technology (SPOT) devices enable their wearers to have access to everything from sports and news to personal messages and calendar data. Previously, Fossil was the only game in town, which limited the technology's appeal. Now, though, Microsoft has announced partnerships with Swatch, Tissot, and Suunto, offering consumers more variety in smart watch design. Other features to be found on smart watches are:

• Weather information
• Local traffic updates
• Entertainment information such as local movie listings

The prospects: As more SPOT smart watch styles are made available, the devices will no doubt increase in popularity. That said, it remains to be seen if consumers will be willing to pay a monthly bill to have information pushed to their watches. The watches range in price from $129 for the Fossil Abacus to $725 for a watch designed by Tissot.

By William O'Neal, senior editor, CNET Reviews