Miscelleneous by stefan @ 2013-02-12
COOKOO started as a project on Kickstarter and one of the available products is the Connected watch. When paired with the COOKOO CONNECTED APP from our iOS device, we’ll get different visual alerts on the LCD screen for incoming calls, missed calls, Facebook messages and more. The manufacturer promises continuous support and enhancements of the CONNECTED APP, but also a build for Android devices.
At first I would like to thank ConnecteDevice Ltd for sending a sample of the COOKOO Watch for testing and reviewing.
“ConnecteDevice Ltd is a global business specializing in the manufacture, design and development of technology-driven, visionary products and services in the appcessories field (i.e. smartphone accessories working together with an app). With engineers in the USA and Hong Kong, industrial designers in Europe, and a strong manufacturing team in China, ConnecteDevice develops cutting-edge technologies to create intelligent, intuitive, and fashion-forward products.
The company’s newly released COOKOO™ connected watch provides intuitive connectedness to users who want to stay upwardly mobile, connected, and in control, without the hassle of media overload. The COOKOO watch exemplifies ConnecteDevice’s commitment to high quality, functionality, and exceptional design. The creative packaging featuring a birdhouse can be repurposed for various uses.
Other brands under the umbrella of ConnecteDevice include the soon to be released OSUNGO™ FlowerPower energy-efficient chargers, Bluetrek - an award-winning designer and manufacturer of wireless mobile phone accessories and Bob, the LostDog™, the breeder of the artistic and eco-friendly phone accessories”
• Display Type : Analog for the clock. Digital for Connected Display.
• Watch Movement : Japanese analog movement
• Watch Material : Plastic casing, aluminium bezel, anti-scratch mineral glass with soft silicon band
• Case Diameter : 44mm
• Case Thickness : 16.3mm
• Bluetooth : Bluetooth® 4.0, Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth Low Energy
• Water Resistant : 5 ATM
• Warranty : 1 year
• Color : Blue, Pink, Silver, Black and White
Compatible with the latest Bluetooth SMART READY devices such as iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad mini, iPad (4th & 3rd generation), iPod touch (5th generation) on either iOS 6 or iOS 5. More devices will be announced in the near future.
The COOKOO watch from ConnecteDevice is shipped inside a very original packaging, which resembles a small birdhouse. The birdhouse is made from plastic and comes covered with a rubber finish of different colors:
In the front we have a transparent plastic window, through which we can see how the COOKOO watch looks like:
The main product highlights are explained on some small cardboard documents attached to the box:
On the birdhouse we can also find a circular reminder attached, that lets us know of the current, working watch features and also the upcoming functionalities:
The back side of the box lets us know of the available app for iOS devices and the fact that an Android application will be also available later; ConnecteDevice also tells us that the box can be reused as a small birdhouse and that the watch is using the latest Bluetooth Smart technology:
The bottom side of the birdhouse will let us know of the product code name and we will get also to see the authenticity number:
To remove the watch from the casing, we will have to break the seal from the bottom of the box:
Besides the watch, we will also get a small envelope with documentation:
The installation guide of the watch is also accompanied with information regarding the warranty:
ConnecteDevice was nice to include a separate sticker resembling a bird for resealing the box:
Inside the guide, which is written in multiple languages, we will learn of the main watch components, but also how to proceed with the battery replacement:
To remove the watch from the enclosure, we will have to rotate it in the indicated way for removing it from the holder; for an easier removal, we should also remove the sticker from the bottom of the box:
The Connected Watch comes in multiple variants like black, blue, pink, silver, white or green. The white variant also comes with a white body and the green one is a limited edition, much more expensive; the variant that we have received is the one with a blue strap:
The silicone strap has a smooth, soft finish and is comfortable during use; however, compared with a stainless steel strap, it will accumulate more sweat during hot summer times; on multiple areas we will find the COOKOO brand logo:
The soft silicone band is fully adjustable for all wrist sizes:
The watch body comes with an aluminum bezel and an anti-scratch mineral glass, which is initially covered by a transparent plastic film, for illustrating the functionality of the digital display in the back:
With the film removed, we will see the small blue lines on the hour and minute hand, as well on each of the lines representing the hours:
On the right side of the mouse, we will find one Mode button for setting the watch in silent or alert mode, the crown and also the Command button, which is programmable for different functions:
The left side comes with the Light button, for operating the screen backlight along with the Connect button, for turning on the Bluetooth interface and for pairing:
The watch body is not very thin since it is powered by not one, but two batteries; one of the batteries is in charge of the analog mechanism (SR626SW) and the larger battery holds the Bluetooth interface, backlight and LCD display (CR2032); this area is also covered initially with a transparent plastic film:
COOKOO watch is using Bluetooth 4.0 technology, which introduces support for collecting data from devices which generate data at a very low rate. The main feature, called LE (Low Energy), allows aggregating data from various sensors like thermometers, heart rate monitors and devices which have generally low power consumption. What would be the drawback you may ask? Well, the watch will not be compatible with smartphones and tablets sporting Bluetooth 3.x or lower. After installing the COOKOO app on our iPhone/iPad, we can pair it with the watch by keeping the Connect button pressed for about 6 seconds. The display will flash with all the notification icons and if the pairing is successful, the following screen will be active which means that the phone is connected, beeps are active and the vibration is in effect:
Depending on the alert type, other icons will be active on the screen:
The watch can also receive notifications for calendar reminders, if the device is out of range, low battery on iPhone/iPad, Timer alert. COOKOO also alerts us through vibrations, which would save us from missing phone calls or other notifications while walking outside, running or performing other activities in loud environments, where we cannot hear the phone ringtones.
The COOKOO – Time to Connect application can be downloaded from the App Store for free:
With the Bluetooth connection active on our Apple tablet/smartphone, we must open the application and afterwards we should apply the pairing procedure with the COOKOO watch:
The device should be detected successfully and it will be added to the list:
The product can be registered right away, from inside the application:
The app will prompt us to also login on Facebook for getting the registration information automatically; FB will ask permission for access:
We can further customize the information afterwards if we do not agree with the auto-fill:
A background can be set for the app itself; from the interface we can access multiple functions of the watch:
The COOKOO watch alerts can be set to be active immediately or after a small delay:
With the app we can also set pins on our current location:
The command button can be also used as a trigger when we use the Camera option in the app:
The watch is also equipped with an alarm/stopwatch function which can be customized from the app:
From the Options wheel, we can adjust the background photo, the device name, find more info regarding the watch internals and more:
The COOKOO watch can be renamed easily:
Here is the extra hardware information that we can find out regarding the product:
Further, we can adjust more options from the Settings menu, like the battery alert levels, we can enable or disable specific alert types or we can set a specific function for the Command button:
The COOKOO watch from ConnecteDevice sports and interesting concept and is at battle with products that offer similar functions from other manufacturers. Not one time we felt the need of having a product that would alert us when getting a call, receiving a message on Facebook or more, because we did not hear the phone ringtone or felt the vibration. The watch has arrived to complement the smartphone functions and the alerts are simple and discrete, on the central LCD display. The LCD display also comes with a backlight, which can be turned on when we have low visibility, but the hour and minute hands do not light up, which could make viewing the hour a little difficult during night time.
Some may say that the watch is a bit bulky, but we did not find this to be a real issue; the soft silicone strap can be also replaced with one of a different color, by acquiring a watch band multipack, containing a total of 4 straps, which is currently on backorder.
Currently, the team at ConnecteDevice is working to further improve the software functions by adding more and more functions. Android support is not ready yet and one of the downsides is that the watch currently works only with Bluetooth 4.0 compatible devices. The latest app update also brings the ability to control our music playback from the watch by pressing the COMMAND button to play/pause, skip or stop the music.
The COOKOO watch comes in a few regular versions, which cost about $129.99 and one limited version for $249.99.
I would like to thank again to ConnecteDevice Ltd for making this review possible!