Wristwatch: Flashlight and Magnifier Included
"For the over 50+ crowd." That was the line in the press release that caught my eye.
The pitch was that older people are still wearing wristwatches. I can't imagine not wearing one, yet I've seen youngsters, some into their 30s, pulling out a cell phone when asked the time. (Some of them even seem to have the phone surgically implanted in their ears.) I know, if you are over 50, it's a crazy idea.
So someone smart--and probably facing the plus in "50+" -- created the iBeam, a watch that looks ordinary and has an old-fashioned analog dial (which suits me just fine). The gimmick is a round magnifying glass that pops up from the crystal--along with a built-in LED flashlight.
At $100 for a watch without extra gizmos--glow-in-the-dark faceplate, USB connections, digital displays--it's kind of expensive. But if you're in a dark restaurant reading a small-print menu, the iBeam may be just what you need.
PC World's Marketplace
PC World's Free Whitepapers
tech news tech blogs community & forums laptop prices software reviews downloads
Not a crazy idea at all. I stopped wearing a wristwatch 30 years ago, replacing it with a pocket watch which was stolen in the early '80s. Since then, I have depended on the kindness of public timepieces and a very good internal clock. Then came the cellphone, which I use rarely for its intended purpose, and more often as a "watch." And yes, I'm over 50.
Pocketwatch? Man, you really *are* old!
What, no drinking water test kit? I wear a watch, keep a mini led flashlight on my keychain (thanks to a previous Bass tip), and glasses abound. My backup watch (ie. cellphone) is buried in my purse. But I prefer to --and do --lose/break/replace each of these items one at a time.