Dew Motion targets the technologically sophisticated extreme sports and fitness market with the iStick Playtime smartwatch, “The world’s first ultra performance smart watch for iPhone and Android.” While it may not technically be the first sports-oriented smartwatch to emerge in this burgeoning niche, it is the first with a unique form factor designed specifically to withstand the rigors of extreme sports and fitness.
Dew Motion’s iStick Playtime smartwatch will boast a scratch-resistant flexible e-ink display. This emerging technology will allow the screen to be positioned around the wrist as opposed to the traditional on top placement. This serves to enhance the viewing angle, giving the display a brighter appearance. The iStick Playtime will connect to your iPhone or Android based device via Bluetooth 4.0, relying on an embedded microphone and speaker to initiate Siri commands and receive audible spoken feedback. This is a significant feature as it prevents the need to expose your phone to the elements while skiing, kayaking, or cycling. Just tell Siri what you want and leave your smartphone safely tucked away in its elements-proof case. For tactile input, Dew Motion’s watch will possess a unique joystick controller. While this may sound like old tech, it allows operation of the device while wearing gloves, a necessity while engaged in extreme winter sports. Finally, what has proven itself to be the achilles heel of many smartwatch offerings … the power supply. Dew Motion claims their extreme sports accessory will be powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery that will operate for 7 days on a single charge. If the final product actually arrives with operational stamina anywhere near that range, the consuming public will be more than satisfied.
To secure funding for the iStick Playtime, Dew Motion has employed the popular crowd funding site Indiegogo. After the overwhelming success of smartwatch maker Pebble, this has become a popular financing method for start-up smartwatch developers. Hoping to raise $250,000 for this project, the iStick Playtime has achieved approximately 1% of its funding goals in the first 6 hours. With 35 days to go, we will continue to monitor the crowd’s financial enthusiasm for this full-speed smartwatch.
A flurry of smartwatches are hitting the market this year, with each claiming to be revolutionary in some regard. And, as the market stands in its infancy with but a few existing devices, to some extent, they all are. However, the particular failing that we see in present smartwatch offerings is that, while they all claim to be revolutionary in their application, they fail to define exactly what that application is. In the case of the iStick Playtime, that application has been specifically defined and the bar set for extreme sports and fitness. At this point, it is too early to hazard a guess as to whether Dew Motion’s smartwatch will be a commercial success, or if they will even reach their funding goal on Indiegogo. However, 2013 is The Year of The Smartwatch, the iStick Playtime is unique and has a specifically defined target market that likes to quantify their sports and fitness achievements, and it is reasonably priced. So, if you are interested, slide on over to Indiegogo and jump on one before the price heads north.
Source
Dew Motion iStick Playtime: [Company Website Not Reachable]
