Mirosoft Moonraker is what a Nokia-made wearable would have looked like

A leaked picture from famed leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks in Twitter) posted Microsoft Moonraker, a Nokia-designed Windows Phone wearable which never quite made it to production, likely because Microsoft chose to focus on the Microsoft Band.

While the Moonraker carries the familiar look and feel of Nokia Windows Phone devices , it seems like a sporty and fun wearable which features as pretty high-res display. A second image shows some of the UX and apps that were expected to run on the device. The images do look quite polished and cohesive for a mockup device.

Source: Evan Blass via Twitter

Montblanc unveils e-Strap watchband for traditional watches

The watch industry regards the burgeoning smartwatch segment with much suspicion. But it would seem one of the traditional watchmakers want to get in on the game somehow. Montblanc unveiled a new e-Strap watchband that adds a 4-centimer widget to the inside of a watchband. It has a screen and a notification system that is connected to a smartphone app. It isn’t as advanced as other fitness trackers or smartwatches but it will give you standard notifications and accelerometer data to track your steps.

Since this is a luxury brand, it is made out of Florentine leather and the device is made from a carbon material they call “diamond-like carbon.” Yes, terms like will turn things into expensive, luxury items. Montblanc is making the e-Strap an add-on for its watches but they will sell it as a standalone product for about US$300.

Source: TechCrunch | Via: The Verge

First Impressions: Neptune's 'Pine' Smartwatch

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that, just short of a year ago, I was smitten by Montreal-based Neptune's 'Pine' Kickstarter campaign. Besides smashing past its fundraising goal, this visibly ostentatious, Dick Tracy wannabe, had all the features every other 'smart' watch just didn’t, while only adding a 'bit' of bulk to the overall feel on your wrist.

This bad boy was sold as your answer to everything: phone calls, emails, photos, video calls, full QWERTY, browsing, etc and had a very compelling sales video. It managed to allure 2839 people into funding it; all believed in the dream and decided to fork the money up to make it a reality.

Fast-forward to almost a year later and the campaign is rapidly becoming reality, with first round backer products set to ship in a matter of weeks. I was lucky enough to get an early demo unit and I wanted to put some two cents down after 48-hours with it.

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Samsung patent shows smartwatch with circular display

Patents aren't usually turned into actual products. But if this defies that convention, then we might get a new smartwatch with a circular display. A Samsung patent filed last August shows a circular display with gesture-based navigation and an optical sensor. It isn't a standalone device though, meaning it needs a tablet or smartphone to view notifications. We're guessing the device will run on Samsung's custom Tizen operating system. Again, there is no word if this device will be brought to market. But it would become an alternative to the Moto 360 for those looking for a smartwatch with a circular display.

Source: Android Central