Fossil Meta Watch wrists-on at Google IO (video)

Today at Google I/O we got a chance to play with Meta Watch, Fossil's wearable development platform, which allows developers to extend the interfaces of devices and applications to the wrist. Both watches -- one analog / digital with traditional dial plus two small OLED displays, the other digital with a larger memory-in-pixel LCD (a highly reflective, always-on, ultra low-power screen) -- feature Bluetooth for communication, along with a vibration motor, three-axis accelerometer, and ambient light sensor. The devices are built around Texas Instrument's super efficient MSP430TM microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth radio and will run seven days on a charge. A set of contacts in the back allow the watches to interface with a debugging clip for charging and JTAG programming. The hardware is paired with an SDK which allows a tablet or smartphone running Android to register button presses and receive sensor data from the watches, and then respond by sending text or triggering the vibration motor. It's also possible to develop custom embedded wearable applications running directly on your wrist, and it'll be up to developers to truly unleash the magical possibilities here.

Speaking of developers, the Meta Watch is currently available to pre-order for $199 (see our source link), with availability pegged for June 30th. Based on what we heard today at Google I/O, the watch is being hawked to devs only, but it's obvious that DIY-minded consumers could buy one as well. For now, just two of the models shown here will be sold, but there's no telling what'll happen once the platform has enough of a backbone to support an influx of consumer buying. The company's not handing out a timeframe as to when it'll be ready for the mass market, but we'd be shocked if it's still floundering around this time next year. Interested in having an early peek? Take a look at our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.