Swatch CEO Nick Hayek Does Not Believe That The Rumoured iWatch is The Next Tech Wonder

Investors and tech observers are abuzz about the possibilities of a so-called Apple "iWatch," but the CEO of Swatch is skeptical about just how much such a device could replace Apple's iPhone, saying he doesn't believe such a device would be the next smart device revolution.

Speaking at a press conference on annual results in Grenchen, Switzerland, Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek said that the primary difficulty in having a watch replace a smartphone would be display size.

"Personally, I don't believe it's the next revolution," the head of the largest Swiss watchmaker said, according to Bloomberg . "Replacing an iPhone with an interactive terminal on your wrist is difficult. You can't have an immense display."

Hayek also noted that watch consumers often buy the items as jewelry items and often like to change them. Such behavior could represent an obstacle for Apple, as the physical style of any potential iWatch would not likely be readily changeable, though the visual possibilities enabled by a flexible display could mitigate that problem to an extent.

Swatch has had dealings with both Apple and Microsoft, consulting with the former on energy-harvesting technology and with the latter on bringing more interactive features to Swatch's watches. Bloomberg notes that Swatch, like Apple, has licensed Liquidmetal Technologies' alloys for use potential products.

The rumored iWatch is believed to consist of a flexible display that would wrap around a user's wrist, displaying information from the user's iPhone. Apple is said to have a team of about 100 product designers working on the device. [AppleInsider]

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Introducing The MYO Armband. This Gadget Allows You to Control a PC or Mac With Gestures in a Kinect-Like Manner [Video]

Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral has only been on the market a couple of years, but its phenomenal sales in that short space of time is testament to how much we love that kind of interaction with our consoles. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, though, if that same ethos was applied to PC or Mac? The MYO, a peripheral created by Thalmic Labs, makes this a reality by allowing simple gestures to be used in controlling a computer or notebook.

It is strapped around the arm, just below the elbow, and offers a deluge of different controls. One can, for example, slip through pages on a document by swiping in the air with two fingers, pause something by making a clenching gesture, or even play a favorite FPS title by pretending to lift a gun from over one’s shoulder.

But, how does it work? Well, whenever you make any kind of movement, electrical signals pass through your arms, and the MYO’s sensors pick up on these and translate them into commands. So if, as demonstrated in the below video, you’re in the kitchen preparing a meal, and like to use your MacBook to catch up on a TV show you’ve missed but don’t want your greasy, sticky hands to touch those keys, you can – using the MYO, simply apply a gesture. It’s as if by magic:

It is claimed the MYO works out of the box for those on both Windows and OS X, while APIs for both iOS and Android are also in the works. If you want to get your hands on the MYO, it is available to pre-order right now, and each unit costs $149. Head over to: GetMyo.com/Preorder

They are in limited supply, so don’t wait around if you would like to take the gesture’s you’ve learned on the various consoles and apply them to your computer. Shipping is expected to begin later this year.

Of course, while the demo looks good, it’s hard to tell just how efficiently the sensors are at accurately picking up the signals, so it’s something you may want to consider before parting with such a significant amount of money. On the face of it, though, it looks good, and if you want a new gadget this year but cannot afford the price of Google Glass, this may just be the one. [RedmondPie]

You can follow me on Twitter, add me to your circles on Google+ or Subscribe to me on facebook or YouTube. You can also check my website and blog to keep yourself updated with what is happening in the ever changing world of technology