Has Casio Perfected the Digital Watch?

MSNDirect watches --watches from manufacturers like Swatch, Tissot, Suunto and Fossil which can receiveand display data broadcast via FM radio waves -- solve this problem with rechargeablebatteries. Though effective, in my experience, taking 'm all fora cashless society (in fact, I'm constantly cashless myself), though I'm happyusing a card or perhaps some other type of device that I can keep on my key chain.I realize the advantage of integrating phones and payment systems into watchesis that you always have them with you and you won't lose or drop them, and havingbroken several phones myself, I can appreciate that. However, a *** wrist tetherthat Sony seems to be attaching to many of their devices now fixes that problem,and I can't remember the last time I left the house having forgotten my wallet.That's not to say there isn't room for improvement and innovation in world ofdigital watches. Quite the opposite, in fact. I believe Casio makes some of thebest and certainly most accessible and affordable digital watches in the world,though I can think of all kinds of ways to improve them. For instance:High contrast displays. Analog watches are stillusually easier to read than digital since the physical separation of the dialfrom the hands creates depth and more contrast than LCD readouts produce. I'dlove to see very bright, high resolution miniature screens embedded in digitalwatches like we are becoming accustomed to on all our other devices like cell phones,MP3 players, digital cameras, laptops, handheld gaming systems, etc. your watch off and pluggingit into the wall once a week is not the most convenient solution.Mr. Kashio says his company is working on fuel cell technology to address the powerproblem, though he does not indicate whether he is referring to hydrogen fuel cellslike the ones car manufacturers are pursuing, or some new technology of their own.Either way, more power definitely means more potential.Frankly, though, I'm not sure I'd be interested in a mobile phone watch. Sure,I'll get one when they are finally available, howeverthe reality is that I demand a pretty feature rich phone (SMS, keyboard,speakerphone, bluetooth, instant messaging, email, etc.). Additionally, I liketo have the freedom to pick my watch based on what I'm doing, what I'm wearing,where I'm going, and who I'm going with, which would mean I'd only have my phonewith me whenever I felt like wearing my phone watch. And I think I have even lessinterest in using my watch to conduct financial transactions. The last thingI need is for someone to make it even easier for me to spend money. I New ways of telling time. Rather than trying find new things for a watch to do, I'd like to see designers put some thought into new ways of doing what watches are meant to do. The YES Watch, for instance, is an amazing digital watch that not only tells you the time, but, among several other things, also graphically indicates exactly when sunrise and sunset occurs wherever you happen to be in the world. Innovations like these add new dimensions to watches, and potentially to our lives, as well. (Review forthcoming, by the way.) Vibrating alarms.