A couple of days back we reported that Sony was working on a watch that would feature an electronic paper face and strap. In that post, we referenced the ‘FES Watch’ as to what the Sony e-paper watch might look like. At the time it was believed that the FES Watch was developed by an independent company looking to crowd sourcing to bring it to market.
Well it actually turns out that the FES Watch was developed by Sony all along under the name “Fashion Entertainments.” The five-person Sony engineering team wants to redefine e-paper as a fabric and looked to keep the project under wraps.
A person involved in the project said: “We hid Sony’s name because we wanted to test the real value of the product, whether there will be demand for our concept.” It has received support to the tune of 3.5 million yen ($30k) from over 150 supporters.
Sony’s CEO Kazuo Hirai is trying to reignite the company’s creative streak by encouraging employees to come up with new ideas. This small team was assisted by an outside agency to develop e-paper products including hat accessories, paper holders and even bow ties. This particular crowd-sourced product is due to launch in May 2015, according to those that have pre-ordered.
Via Wall Street Journal.
Thanks Chunhao!
