Spice Smart Pulse Smartwatch With Voice Calling Launched at Rs. 3,999

Spice Retail has launched its first smartwatch, the Spice Smart Pulse M 9010. The smartwatch features dual-SIM support along with voice calling. Priced at Rs. 4,999 (MRP), the Spice Smart Pulse M 9010 will be available with an MOP of Rs. 3,999 via HomeShop18 from July 11.

The Spice Smart Pulse M 9010 supports 2G dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) and runs the company's proprietary Java-based operating system. It can be paired with Android smartphones via BT notifier app (download apk) offered by Spice. Once paired with a smartphone, users will be able to see notifications, receive calls, view call logs, read and write SMS, remote camera capture and music streaming.

Spice Smart Pulse M 9010 smartwatch features a 1.5-inch touchscreen with a 240x320 pixels resolution. Spice has not specified the smartwatch's processor details.

The Spice Smart Pulse M 9010 smartwatch comes with one digital (1.3-megapixel) camera for taking pictures. It supports an additional 8GB of storage expansion via microSD card, while the built-in storage is not specified by the company.

Connectivity options on Smart Pulse M 9010 include 2G (GPRS/ EDGE), and Bluetooth. It also has audio video player, FM radio and supports Hindi along with English language. The Spice Smart Pulse M 9010 packs a 420mAh Li-Ion battery which is rated for up to 180 minutes of talk time and up to 2 days of standby time.

The smartwatch measures 41.7x53.7x13.6 mm and will be available in Black and Blue colour. Spice is also bundling a free Bluetooth headset and two different colour interchangeable wrist bands with Spice Smart Pulse M 9010.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. T M Ramakrishnan, CEO Devices, Spice Retail Limited said, "The Smart Pulse is innovative for its dual-SIM functionality, utilitarian for its Bluetooth pairability, and fashionable for the changeable wrist bands that come with it, a unique feature for this category."

Chumby's smart alarm clock relaunches with 1,000 apps

Remember Chumby? You probably haven't heard much about the snuggly tiny computer/smart alarm clock since its makers' company disbanded, but now it's back from its semi-retired state. Its current owner, Blue Octy LLC, just announced that it's relaunching Chumby's full service (it went offline in 2013), which comes with 1,000 apps and faster, more efficient performance. The device, for those who haven't heard of it before, first launched in mid-2000s, way before everyone has a smartphone to take the place of many other gadgets, and was meant as a high-tech alternative to the bedside clock radio. It's one of those things people used to call "internet-connected devices" and could display Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds, even video streams.

Unfortunately, the device needs to connect to the Chumby network to function. So, when its original creator (Chumby Industries Inc.) went out of business last year, Blue Octy launched a limited service that lets owners use the device as an alarm clock and a music player, at least. This development gives them the power to make the gadget more useful, though it obviously won't be free. It'll cost $3 per month to restore Chumby to its former glory -- after all, the company needs money to keep the service running.

Another key iWatch hire shows how Apple could put other smartwatches to shame

The smartwatch market has suddenly got very crowded over the last year, in good part thanks to the five different smartwatches Samsung has released in the last eight months alone. So how will Apple differentiate itself when the iWatch finally comes to market this fall? From what we’ve heard, it seems Apple is going to position the iWatch as the ultimate fitness tracking machine that will reportedly pack 10 different sensors you can use to check up on your health. And now Network World has spotted a recent Apple hire who could help make the iWatch even better than what we’ve been expecting.

Alex Hsieh, the former lead software engineer at Atlas Wearables, joined Apple this month and Network World points out that he spent his time at Atlas working on “a fitness tracker akin to other wearable devices, albeit on steroids.”

What made this device so special? Even though it hasn’t yet released, Network Worldsays that it “promises to measure a user’s calories burned, heart rate, and distance traveled during a particular workout” and can also “purportedly evaluate a user’s form during various exercises while also keeping track of reps and sets performed.” It seems that the device is also pre-programmed with popular exercises that it can teach you if you’re looking for new ways to work out.

Since Hsieh only recently came aboard, it’s tough to say whether we’ll see anything similar on the iWatch when it comes out. However, his hiring definitely an indication that Apple is looking at making this device much more of an all-purpose fitness tracker and not just a smartphone for your wrist.

Samsung Galaxy S5 to come in twovariants, ship alongside next GalaxyGear: Report

Samsung's next flagship smartphone, expected to be called the Galaxy S5, might still be far from confirmed, but a new report suggests that the device will hit mass production in January 2014. 

The report also expects the speculated successor of Samsung Galaxy Gear to be launched alongside the rumoured Galaxy S5. Korean publication, ET News reports that the South Korean manufacturer plans to release two versions of the alleged Galaxy S5. 
As per the report, there will be two variants of the Galaxy S5: a premium variant which will sport a metal chassis and a flexible OLED, and a variant which will come with the usual plastic body, as found on other Galaxy smartphones. Earlier this week, a new set of images purportedly revealing the supposed metal frames of the rumoured Galaxy S5 was spotted online. 

Further, the report speculates that Samsung will initially manufacture around 8,00,000 to 1 million units of the alleged Galaxy S5 in January, and will increase the number up to 6 million units in February. Samsung is likely to release the Galaxy S5 in March or April 2014, according to the report. Sammobile has revealed some of the specifications of the alleged Galaxy S5, with two variants expected to be powered by 64-bit Exynos chipset and Snapdragon chipset (no word on this would be the new Snapdragon 805 chipset .

Also expected on board is 3GB of RAM, a 16-megapixel camera, a 4000mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz UI on top. Earlier reports had suggested that Samsung's next-generation of high- end smartphones , including the rumoured Galaxy S5, would be equipped with a 16-megapixel camera, but didn't indicate the type of module. 

In addition, the ET News also claims that Samsung is also busy developing the successor to the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, and that it might launch along with the alleged Galaxy S5. The next generation Samsung Galaxy Gear is said to be 15 to 20 percent thinner than the current smartwatch. 

As of now, there is no word on specifications of the rumoured Galaxy Gear smartwatch. A recent report has suggested that sales figures Samsung's first wearable device, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, had been disappointing. However, Samsung countered the claim immediately after, and said that it sold 800,000 smartwatch units in 2 months.