Fossil revamps MS Spot watch line

Watch maker Fossil has relaunched its range of timepieces based on Microsoft's Smart Personal Object Technology (Spot).

The arrival of the updated line-up comes after it was revealed earlier this month that the system's debut has been put back until next year.

Fossil announced last January it would offer a set of Spot watches this autumn, with one model offered across the company's three main brands: Fossil, Abacus and Philippe Stark.

The new line-up, dubbed the Wrist Net series, will comprise three Fossil-branded models: the Round, the Square and the Dick Tracy, priced at $179, $179 and $199, respectively. The Dick Tracy version offers the same functionality as the cheaper models, but is styled after the famous 'tec's wrist phone.

Each Wrist Net watch will display news, weather, stock prices, SMS messages and other information broadcast by Microsoft's upcoming MSN Direct FM radio service, to which owners must take out a $59 annual or $10 per month subscription.

The reason for the delay to the MSN Direct roll-out the appears to be the radio infrastructure, which may be too weakly powered to allow subscribers to get up-to-date information exactly when they want it. The delay has been instigated to provide time for further testing and tweaking, it is believed. ®

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