X

Wrist-wearable PC may not suit the couture-minded

Erica Ogg Former Staff writer, CNET News
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur.
See full bio
Erica Ogg

I've heard chunky watches are very "now," but this is a little extreme.

The by Parvus came to the States last week by way of the Armed Forces Communication Electronics Association's 2006 TechNet International Conference in Washington D.C. This week, the military-grade device is on a fashion tour, mingling with the couture crowd at a Milan fashion show.

Parvus Zypad WL 1000
Credit: Parvus

Though it only appears to come with a basic black wrist strap, the wearable gadget lets you choose between a Linux or Windows CE operating system, is completely wireless and has built-in GPS tracking, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so you're always connected to something. Additionally, it sports a 3.5-inch touch screen, which adjusts the contrast automatically, and it includes a stylus and a headphone jack.

Parvus, the U.S. arm of the Eurotech Group, designed the device with very practical (and unfashionable) applications in mind: military, medical personnel, and search and rescue, and says the Zypad WL 1000 can be used continuously for eight hours, conserving power when your hand is by your side.

Though the device may catch on in the defense and medical worlds, at $2,500 apiece, I'm not expecting it to become the next trend to hit the pages of InStyle.