Microsoft smart watch rumoured for October reveal, may interact with Xbox

There's been a buzz in the tech industry for quite some time over smart watches and wearables. There are some admirable attempts at the format floating around, getting disproportionate media coverage vs. sales. We have Galaxy Gear, Pebble, Nike Fuel Band for the wrist, all the way up to Google Glass and Oculus Rift for your head.

Then, why has there been little from Microsoft on this front?

There's been hints in job listings, patent filings and others in recent years, but some of the more recent rumours seem to paint a picture at what a Microsoft smart watch/band could be intended to do.

Many of us were disappointed to not see Microsoft's rumoured Xbox augmented reality glasses become erm, reality, at this year's E3. We had all the jigsaw puzzle pieces laid out, XboxAB domain, all the patent drawings and Sony's recent move into wearables with Project Morpheus, but not a peep from Redmond.

Tom's Hardware, a prominent tech blog reported via a "trusted source" that Microsoft's smart watch efforts will be laid bare before the end of the year. It's reported to come in the form of a wearable band, deliberately side stepping the chunky rectangle smart watches we've seen thus far. The interfacing on the band is reportedly on the inside wrist, rather than the outside, potentially a smart move as the band could be decorative, hiding the fact you are in-fact a huge early-adopting nerd who has more cash than better judgement (TAKE MY MONEY).

What the inferior Microsoft blogs has failed to comment on, is the possibilities this could hold for the Xbox One.

In May, Microsoft posted a patent relating to augmented reality glasses, along with some intriguing diagrams. Amongst the inventors are people from Microsoft's crack hardware team, also responsible for Kinect. The device reportedly has 11 different sensors, open API's, and if its anything like another patent filed by Microsoft, it could have an interchangeable hardware unit as well.

What does this have to do with the Xbox? Well, one particular diagram from this patent rose to the fore of my mind when reading these smart band rumours.



Note the wrist device interacting with the webcam on the TV? Look familiar? ... (I have no idea what the monkey dude is up to though.)

If the Microsoft smart band has infra-red sensors in it like the Xbox controller, the watches could be used to augment and improve Kinect tracking capabilities, in similar fashion to the sensors an actor wears when doing mo-cap for a video game. The Kinect motion for pushing zombies off you in Dead Rising is sharp and responsive, because it tracks the infra-red connection in the controller, not your beautiful self.

This is pure speculation, but it makes sense to me with Threshold potentially around the corner (Microsoft's reported code name for the unification of Windows, mobile and Xbox), more interactivity between Xbox and other Windows devices seems like a no brainer.

2+2=5? or am I on to something here?! or am I just PLAIN CRAZY?

http://www.xboxmad.net/x/microsoft-s...with-xbox.html

That Monkey dude looks a lot like The Creature from Monsters v. Aliens

Hoping they price this incline with the other smart watches out there. I have a windows phone and none of the watches sink with my phone.

gimme gimme gimme!

Hoping they price this incline with the other smart watches out there. I have a windows phone and none of the watches sink with my phone.

Originally Posted by SpectreSubZero

If you're lucky, this one might work with your Windows phone... I bet it has Android and IOS support though...

a watch with achievements, of course ill buy it

a watch with achievements, of course ill buy it

Originally Posted by Sith Rick

Now, I would buy it then... Of course not as many people wear watches with phones. But then they ask me what the time is since I wear a watch.... Maybe I'm part of the problem. Did you say achievements?