TOKYO January 6 (Reuters) - Japanese
watch-maker Casio has come up with a new gadget for the outdoors
enthusiast who has everything but a sense of direction -- a wristwatch
that pinpoints your position by satellite.
Casio said Wednesday it had developed
the wristwatch, equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS)
function, as a useful navigation aid for people who pursue a
variety of outdoor activities, including mountaineering, skiing,
boating, fishing, and cycling.
The built-in GPS works by using
information from 27 satellites around the globe to pinpoint the
wearer's current position. |
"If you wear this wristwatch,
you will never get lost when you go mountaineering,'' a Casio
spokesman said. "The new gadget has a function to guide
you if you set the destination beforehand.''
The prototype GPS wrist watch
also has 60 percent less in weight and cubic volume than conventional
hand-held navigation systems, the company said.
Casio expects the watch to retail
at around 55,000 yen ($490) when it goes on sale worldwide in
June and is aiming for sales of 30,000 units in the first year,
the spokesman said.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. |