Yes, that’s the worst title I’ve ever had the guts to publish, but HOT Watch is one of the more audacious Kickstarter projects we’ve written about.
Purportedly a smartwatch, HOT Watch is attempting to raise $150,000 on Kickstarter to be all things to all people; not only can you receive calls and texts from the device, but there is a specially-placed speaker on the bottom of the unit that, when your hand is cupped to your ear, facilitates private phone calls just like, well, a phone.
Like Pebble, which was released earlier this year after raising $10 million on Kickstarter in in April 2012, HOT Watch boasts a high-contrast e-paper display, but this one has a touch layer that eschews the large plastic buttons for swipes, gestures and hand waving.
HOT Watch promises everything you’d want from a Bluetooth-connected smartwatch, but throws in the kitchen sink, and four designs, for your perusal. There are literally too many features to list here, which leads me to believe either some of them will get cut, or they won’t be implemented with the panache of a larger company. But the campaign is off to a tremendous start, having raised half the desired funds in under 10 hours.
Developers should be able to get in on the action, too, though a watchface SDK hasn’t been explicitly mentioned like the one available for Pebble.
A pedometer and gyroscope purport to track your steps and calories burned, too, making the HOT Watch a potential replacement (or accompaniment) to your lifetracking wristband.
Update: HOT has raised its funding goal within the first 30-hours. According to their Kickstarter page they are now at $173,911, which is well above the $150,000 they were seeking. “We are excited about reaching our initial Kickstarter goal,” said PH Technical Labs President Shariq Hamid, “but we are even more excited about seeing our vision come to life and what’s in store for the future of HOT Watch.”
Check out HOT Watch, if you dare.
