Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3000/Square Face)

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Product Details

Supplementary Guide [3.75mb PDF]

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Product Manual [773kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000153MWM
• Item model number: FX3000
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,795 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 6, 2004

Product Description

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:

	Stock quotes: Get updates on the stocks you care about, as well as information on the major high-volume stocks and indices.		News: Get headlines and the full text of local, national, international, business, entertainment, sports, health, and travel news stories.
	Time: Wrist Net watches display the current time, automatically updated for different time zones, and include a chronometer, an alarm, and a timer. You can choose from a wide variety of watch faces for just the right look.		Weather: Get the latest reports for cities all over the world. Local city weather information includes current conditions, a three-day forecast, sunrise and sunset information, humidity, barometric pressure, and ultraviolet (UV) index.
	Text messages: Receive messages from friends and family through MSN Messenger version 6.0 or later.		Sports: Continuous sports updates keep consumers current on game times, scores, pre- and post-game stories, and standings for their favorite collegiate and professional sports teams.
	Daily Diversions: Currently, consumers can select from Word of the Day, Quote of the Day, Born on This Day, and This Day in History.		Horoscope: Consumers can receive a personalized horoscope based on their specific time and place of birth.

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

• Geek factor is through the roof
• Intuitive navigation
• Recharging is a snap

Cons

• It's HUGE
• Coverage can be sporadic
• Strap is unwieldy

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.

FAQ

What'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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not ready for prime-time or any time., January 13, 2004

By A Customer

Do yourself a favor - wait on this technology!

I live in suburban Chicago - clearly within the published coverage area of MSN Direct service. I was unable to receive any signal with the watch. $179 is a lot to pay for a bulky digital watch. Be aware - it is quite a bit larger that it appears in the pictures and the strap is very cheap for a watch of this price. Also, it must be charged on a stand at least once per week (the stand is well made and has a great cool factor though)

Technical support a Microsoft was simply no help. In one call they told me they were giving my case to a upper-level support tech who would work on it and call me. In my follow-up call (I initiated after not receiving a call), they stated that it must be the watch. They could not tell whether the network was up or down, or what an upper-level tech support person could do - maybe they are flying someone out to look at the watch.

In conclusion - Unless you live in the HEART of a coverage area, do not count on the product working. If you have trouble, do not count on MS technical support. If you want to know what time it is, do not count on this watch.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A LOT more than the time..., February 4, 2004

By	Adam T. Craniotes (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Given all the negative words written about these watches, I thought I'd chime in with a positive review (and no, I do not work for Fossil or Microsoft).

I love it. Period. After wearing my Wrist Net Square for the past couple of weeks I can't imagine wearing a simple "watch" anymore. Being able to glance at my wrist and have access to news, stocks, weather, IMs, and my Outlook calendar appointments is nothing short of amazing. And yes, I do own a wireless-enabled PDA and cellphone, but there are plenty of times when using them is inappropriate or inconvienient. Mind you, keeping your expectations grounded in reality is helpful. You're not going to be receiving the entire NY Times on these watches, nor will they serve double duty as dedicated Bloomberg Stock feeds. If, however, you're looking for quick updates and news alerts, SPOT can't be beat. The display is crisp and clear, the backlight can double as a flashlight in a pinch, and the ability to change watch faces depending on mood/situations is a nice touch. Of course, it also functions quite nicely as a watch, with all the usual features present: dual alarms, stopwatch/lap timer, countdown timer, dual time...

True, the band can be a bit of a pain to adjust, but it certainly doesn't require a trip to your local jeweler. Just use a thumbtack to push the pin in, and you're good to go. Now that mine is sized correctly, it's actually quite comfortable - and I have thin wrists for a guy, in spite of the fact that I'm six feet tall and weigh 170lbs.

My advice to potential buyers: Don't cheap out, get a Fossil Square, Round, Dick Tracy, or Suunto. They won't crap out on you, and at least in the case of the Square, it actually looks cool (I've never received so many compliments on a watch - and that's before people see what it does). Also, be sure that you live in a supported area, and do not sign up for the yearly plan. You get a free month's service, so use it. See if the watch is useful to you before you commit to longer contract.

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nice idea, HUGE watch, HORRIBLE service agreement, November 13, 2004

By	Technology Freak ((Seattle, WA, USA)) - See all my reviews

OK, I did my homework... researched extensively in as many web sites as I could, for reviews and ratings, and finally decided to go for it and get the watch with the most favorable reviews (Fossil, Square Face). What a DISAPPOINTMENT!!

Seriously, the watch is scaringly ENORMOUS!! As in UNWEARABLY BIG (over 1/2 and inch thick!! 2 inches long!! 1.5 inches wide!! WOW!!!)... my wife and I actually laughed when I took it out of the box! It looks like some kind of weapon or wearable instrument (sci-fi movie like), but definitely not like a watch. G-Shocks are considerably smaller than these!!! I do not know how big the other reviewers--with favorable ratings--are, but I can tell you that on a 5'7" person like me (average height of the population in the planet, and the one used in ergonomics designs), it looks like a bad joke. Good luck if you wear long sleeved shirts!

But, since the gargantuan thing had arrived, I decided to, at least, test its functionality. After all, that is why I got the watch on the first place.

My funcitonality test endeded when reading the MSN Direct service agreement's "fine print". There are so many provisions AGAINST the user, that it is actually fun to read: they take no responsibility, whatsoever, for any service disruption or if the service does not work at all (and will charge you anyways)... they limit the number of instant messages and calendar notes AND will charge you MORE MONEY for receiving more than the limit (which is not stipulated ANYWHERE in the agreement--scary!)... there are no refunds WHATSOEVER, for any reason... there is no clarification if the "first month free" is the same "trial period" mentioned in the contract or not, so I could not tell if after testing the service for less than a month and cancelling it, I would still be charged the yearly fee (as in other services, "first month free" could mean that the yearly service cost is for 11 months + 1 "free" month... where the latter is NOT a trial period, but a package deal)... and it goes on and on... NO WAY I AM SPENDING AN EXTRA SIXTY BUCKS FOR A SERVICE I WILL POSSIBLY NEVER GET!!!

This puppy is going back to the store, I'll just wait a few more years till the technology matures and someone other than MSN, with a true concept of "service", offers and alternative solution. On the meantime, back to my old, faithful Tissot and my cell phone... which together, do more than these watches ever could.