PC Unite Brings Geek, Computer, and Palm Pilot
Kevin Martin | Staff Writer

Casio, one of the world's largest watch and consumer electronic manufacturers, has released what has got to be one of its more useful products to date. Remember in Jr high and high school the geek who wore a calculator watch that stored his addresses, appointments, and could tell you the time around the world? Well that Geek has grown up, and along with him, Casio has upgraded his watch.

The new PC-Unite watch from Casio has all of the useful features of the still available Databank series geeks of yore wore. The PC Unite carries a person's schedule, contacts, to-do list, and can even be used to carry instructions for a task, as needed. Until recently, if there was a contact that I needed to keep up with I had to go through a long tedious process of punching in the information letter by letter, using that tiny calculator pad. Super geeks loved having "must have" information on their wrists, but constantly complained that there has to be an easier way to download all the information.

Casio picked up on the potential of a "databank" watch, which talked to a computer or palm pilot to get its information. Their solution was infrared. Infrared (IR) has long been available to laptops, printers and some desktop machines as a way of communicating with each other, as well as to transfer data to be printed. Typically though, its use has been limited to laptops and special printers with IR ports so that Laptop users don't have to carry wires to print with. Now this same technology is in use to wirelessly synchronize a palm pc with a laptop, the laptop or palm pc either can then synchronize via IR with the PC Unite watch, essentially putting all the same data on each device.

Previously I've been in situations where I did not need the entire power of my laptop computer, so I happily left it behind at home, while I took on the challenge at hand with my trusty palm pilot. With my large clue left home, I still carry my portable clue in my Pilot. But now, with the PC Unite, my clue goes with me all the time, even exercising. PC Unite simplifies my life.

If I'm caught by someone while exercising, who needs some various clue that I have, instead of saying, "wait until I'm home with my pilot," I can say, "yeah, hold on for a minute." Right there on my wrist is my contacts, schedule, to do list, and lots of other information useful in daily life. Need Whim's phone number? I can give it to you in 10 seconds. Don't know the number for Papa John's? I will have the number in less than 10 seconds.

The index system Casio uses is a little slow, but the watch is still a miracle. If you would like a full demo of the PC Unite's capabilities, you can see the casio website, and search for "Wrist Technology," or arrange a personal demonstration by e-mailing whim@radford.edu.

Kevin Martin is one of Whim's adjunct content providers. He specializes in electronic toys and gadgets. Watch for coming articles on more Casio watches, and laptop hardware.