[From http://www.marketnews.ca/news_personale.cgi]
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SPOT Arrives In Canada
Web Posted: 06/15/2004 3:49 PM ET
Mississauga, ON, June 15, 2004: Microsoft has announced that its Smart Watches for MSN Direct, part of the previously announced Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT? initiative, are now shipping at retail in Canada.
SPOT, Microsoft explains, allows consumers to receive important information with just "the flick of a wrist? Manufactured by Fossil Inc. and Suunto, the watches utilize MSN Direct to receive personalized content including news, weather, sports, personal messages, horoscopes, daily diversions, calendar appointment reminders, and stock quotes.
Featuring multiple watch faces and automatic time-zone adjustment based on location, the watches can be further personalized through an interactive Website (www.msndirect.com), where the owner can choose the specific information and services they want to receive. The MSN Direct service is currently available in cities across Canada, including Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta; Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Ottawa, and Toronto, Ontario; Montreal and Quebec City, Quebec; and Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
Smart Watches for MSN Direct are a fun new way to receive the information you care about, delivered conveniently to your wrist,?stated Bill Mitchell, founder and Vice President of the SPOT initiative at Microsoft. ?e are thrilled to now have Smart Watches available in Canada. Our relationship with world-class watch manufacturers such as Fossil and Suunto, as well as a broad spectrum of Canadian retailers and content providers, has made this possible.?
Smart Watches with MSN Direct offer a glimpse into the possibilities of personal and wearable technology,?added Eddie Chan, Research Analyst, Mobile/Personal Computing and Technology for IDC Canada Ltd. ?he ability to receive customized and continuous content directly to your watch in an easily accessible and unobtrusive manner presents great appeal for people living the connected and mobile lifestyle.?
CBC/Radio-Canada will provide Canadian news and information through MSN Direct, and will transmit regional news feeds tailored for the greater Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton areas. MSN Direct also provides personalized information from Comstock Inc., Encarta, ESPN, MSNBC, MSN Astrology, weather.com, and The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com. Subscribers to MSN Direct can also receive personal messages via MSN Messenger and calendar appointment reminders from Microsoft Outlook.
MSN Direct subscriptions are available for CDN$14.95 per month with the first month free, or for an annual payment of CDN$99. The Smart Watches will soon be available for purchase in major retail channels.
For more information about retail availability and service options, visit www.msndirect.com.
Check this out!
SPOT Arrives In Canada
Web Posted: 06/15/2004 3:49 PM ET
Mississauga, ON, June 15, 2004: Microsoft has announced that its Smart Watches for MSN Direct, part of the previously announced Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT? initiative, are now shipping at retail in Canada.
SPOT, Microsoft explains, allows consumers to receive important information with just "the flick of a wrist? Manufactured by Fossil Inc. and Suunto, the watches utilize MSN Direct to receive personalized content including news, weather, sports, personal messages, horoscopes, daily diversions, calendar appointment reminders, and stock quotes.
Featuring multiple watch faces and automatic time-zone adjustment based on location, the watches can be further personalized through an interactive Website (www.msndirect.com), where the owner can choose the specific information and services they want to receive. The MSN Direct service is currently available in cities across Canada, including Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta; Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Ottawa, and Toronto, Ontario; Montreal and Quebec City, Quebec; and Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
Smart Watches for MSN Direct are a fun new way to receive the information you care about, delivered conveniently to your wrist,?stated Bill Mitchell, founder and Vice President of the SPOT initiative at Microsoft. ?e are thrilled to now have Smart Watches available in Canada. Our relationship with world-class watch manufacturers such as Fossil and Suunto, as well as a broad spectrum of Canadian retailers and content providers, has made this possible.?
Smart Watches with MSN Direct offer a glimpse into the possibilities of personal and wearable technology,?added Eddie Chan, Research Analyst, Mobile/Personal Computing and Technology for IDC Canada Ltd. ?he ability to receive customized and continuous content directly to your watch in an easily accessible and unobtrusive manner presents great appeal for people living the connected and mobile lifestyle.?
CBC/Radio-Canada will provide Canadian news and information through MSN Direct, and will transmit regional news feeds tailored for the greater Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton areas. MSN Direct also provides personalized information from Comstock Inc., Encarta, ESPN, MSNBC, MSN Astrology, weather.com, and The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com. Subscribers to MSN Direct can also receive personal messages via MSN Messenger and calendar appointment reminders from Microsoft Outlook.
MSN Direct subscriptions are available for CDN$14.95 per month with the first month free, or for an annual payment of CDN$99. The Smart Watches will soon be available for purchase in major retail channels.
For more information about retail availability and service options, visit www.msndirect.com.
