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WIMM Labs shows app store, new WIMM One accessory designs at CES 2012 (hands-on)

WIMM Labs shows app store, new WIMM One accessory designs at CES 2012 (hands-on)

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We took a look at new design concepts WIMM Labs showed for its WIMM One module at CES 2012.

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WIMM One designs
WIMM One designs

After shipping its tiny Android-powered WIMM One module in November, upstart WIMM Labs was back at CES 2012 last week showing a selection of new accessories. They're not available for sale — nor will they be, directly — but they give a better look at the third-party ecosystem that WIMM is trying to foster.

We saw more variations of the standard watch band than we'd seen last August — ten in total, including a hip camouflage version. Though WIMM's focused on the modules and the SDK, I'd love to see the company offer these at the very least. There's no additional engineering over the black band that's already included in the developer kit (it's an identical design), and it seems like adding a little color to the package makes a huge difference in everyday wearability. Other baubles included a lanyard with a built-in clip, a handlebar mount for bicycles, and a portable charger designed to plug into your PC's USB port via a retractable plug — the model we were shown was a non-functional design concept, but you get the idea.

Next on WIMM's roadmap is a public beta of its app store, which will allow WIMM One owners to wirelessly select and download apps to the module. It's not instantaneous like the Android Market is, but it's still completely autonomous — the module automatically downloads your selections the next time it syncs over Wi-Fi. There's no support for paid apps yet (remember the Android Market back in the G1 days?), but it's in the works.

Is 2012 the year of the smart watch? For WIMM, that depends entirely on third-party uptake at this point — the company says that it's got about 2,600 registered developers right now, but stylish hardware is going to be just as important to making this work.

WIMM Labs designs at CES 2012 hands-on

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