Another smart watch from Fossil designed by Philippe Starck.

Manufacturer’s Description
‘This clean and contemporary analogue time piece effortlessly combines modern and organic lines and textures to create a fresh new look. White genuine leather strap, white dial and complimentary polished stainless steel case and bezel. Comes in a Philippe Starck museum box’.

From the Fossil web site
‘S+arck again pushes the pursuit of changing the face of time with this piece that features a floating hour hand that magically circumnavigates the dial while the minute marker is represented by the Starck logo on a minute disc. The case is contoured to minimize it’s presence on the wrist. Continuing the attention to detail, this style incorporates the dish dial effect as well creating a seamless look from the dial to the case’.

Of course I like this watch because it’s white, understated, and pared down. Having just bought the Swatch ‘Icy White’ watch below (details here) I feel I should wait a few days before ordering another.

Designed by Masayuki Kurokawa, 2006

I love the simplicity of this watch that is available from the MOMA store.

“The translucent mineral crystal in this stunningly simple watch creates changes in its appearance when viewed in different light and at different angles. The watch has a stainless-steel case with quartz movement and the band is made of supple yet durable silicone in milky white”

This watch ticks all the right boxes;

• Simple
• White
• Elegant

[image from Gizmodo.com]

For America and Japan the next generation of consoles are available and by the end of 2006, in the UK, the transition will be 66% complete when the Wii from Nintendo and the Xbox 360 from Microsoft will be on sale.

Essentially each console/platform will be capable of delivering unique gaming experiences. By this fact alone an argument could be developed championing any one console over another. Some games will appear across all consoles and will allow for direct comparison of attributes like graphics.

In the area of aesthetics there can be a winner.

Visual Appeal – Style and Volume

In most cases these consoles will sit in constant view of the gamer [and to some extent other non-gamers for movie and music content]. Many installations will be in the main living area of the house. Therefore the exterior design of the console is of utmost importance.

In my opinion Nintendo has achieved the best packaging for its console although some would argue that this is because it doesn’t pack any significant technology.

Compared to the others the Wii is tiny being a little larger than three DVD cases [this is partially due to the fact that the power supply is external like the Xbox but unlike the Sony]. One benefit if this small size is a reduction in the packaging.

Interface

From what I have seen on YouTube the interface of the Nintendo Wii is much simpler than the others. This is because primarily it focuses on game play and not any other multimedia activities.

Summary: A console worthy of success.

Again Apple resets the bar in terms of product design and packaging. The new iPod shuffle is available for a low £55 incl.

Made from aluminium this player has 1Gb of storage for about 250 songs [or data].

The design of the player itself is pure function reduced to the absolute minimum needed to play portable music. Stop – start – forward – back – Vol up – Vol Down – Sequential – Random. In addition function and status are displayed in the most minimal way via two warning lights [with duplicate function on either side of the player]

The sync and charging functions have also been reduced to a single 3.5mm stlye phono jack integrated into a tiny USB dock.

Finaly the palyer has an integrated clip to attach it to clothes etc.

In summary : The ultimate accessory