Los Altos-based WIMM Labs has unveiled its WIMM Wearable Platform, an Android-powered computing system designed to provide a basis for a variety of portable touchscreen portable such as smartphone-connectible watches, bike computers, or digital assistants.
Developed in collaboration with Foxconn, the platform is a scalable system integrating hardware and software components that's designed to enable customization and integration into other products. "It can quickly take you from product incubation and testing to full-scale manufacturing and sales," WIMM Labs says.
Initially, a prototype module device has been unveiled, which comes with a 1.4-inch 160x160 pixels capacitive touchscreen, up to 32GB memory, accelerometer and magnetometer. It's also WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled, and water resistant. Future devices built on the basic module may either work standalone, or as an extension of other products. While running an Android OS, WIMM-based devices will be reportedly compatible with iOS and BlackBerry as well.
The company plans to launch an application store for WIMM-powered devices, thus a Software Development Kit (SDK) will be made publicly available in Q3 2011, enabling to develop WIMM-tailored Android apps called "Micro Apps." Initially, the company has worked with "handpicked set of developers," and there's a limited number of Developer Preview Kits that now can be applied for. The module device comes pre-loaded with a number of apps including Caller ID, SMS Preview, Lost
WIMM Labs says potential devices utilizing its turnkey Wearable Platform could find applications in such fields as health and sport performance monitoring, mobile payments, enterprise use, travel assistance, entertainment or communications. While none of the above is something completely new, WIMM Wearable Platform hopes to earn its success by making things simpler for developers and manufacturers.
The following promo presentation outlines where WIMM is going with the idea
