CES 2006 Profile: MSN Direct

Microsoft's SPOT division announces new Fossil Abacus watches as well as news about a previously unveiled Oregon Scientific weather station.

Though most news regarding Microsoft at CES 2006 was focused on Windows Vista, other news related items were coming out as well from the software giant’s huge booth. One item in particular was the announcement of upcoming and recently released products which support Microsoft’s MSN Direct (SPOT) service, a multi-channel information network which delivers content via FM radio waves.

The first new product announced for 2006 is an updated line of Fossil Abacus branded Smart Watches. Set to be available this spring, these new Abacus watches feature double the storage capacity, better battery life and improved speed over their first generation brethren. The new watch will feature a metal bezel, metal wrist band or interchangeable leather or cloth bands to provide more design choices.

A more recently released item which drew some attention for its use of MSN Direct’s weather broadcasting is Oregon Scientific’s Complete Regional Weather Station with MSN Direct. This indoor weather console device, which has received a strong response since it was launched in time for the 2005 holiday season, delivers professional-level weather station information across a wide swath of different measurable items.