JAPAN: WORLD'S SMALLEST DIGITAL CAMERA/WATCH UNVEILED

(29 Feb 2000) Japanese/Nat

On Tuesday the Tokyo-based company Casio launched the smallest digital camera and the smallest audio player in the world.

They are so small and light that they are worn on the wrist like a watch.

This may look like a man fiddling with his wrist-watch.

But this tiny thing on his wrist is more than just an ordinary watch.

It is the world's smallest digital camera unveiled on Tuesday by Japan's Casio Computer Company in Tokyo.

As he clicks the button, the black and white photographic image appears on the face of the wrist-watch.

The new watch, named V-Q-V-1, can take and store up to 100 images in its 1 megabyte memory chip.

The images can be entered and erased repeatedly.

They can also be transmitted to personal computers by connecting to special kits made by the company.

Measuring about two inches long (5 centimetres), 1.5 inches (3.8 centimetres) wide and a half-inch deep (1.3 centimetres), the V-Q-V-1 weighs about 1.12 ounces (31 grams), almost the same as other wrist-watches of similar size.

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)
"There are lots of ways to enjoy this device. For instance, you can store the photographs of your family and kids on this so that you can look at it from time to time and feel relaxed. It's the same idea as carrying the photo around in a locket."
SUPER CAPTION: Yasuo Kuroki, Section Chief, Development Department, Timepiece Division, Casio Computer Co Ltd

Casio will sell four models of the watches at prices ranging from 210 to 240 U-S dollars.

It will be available globally from May.

If you are more interested in music than photography, the W-M-P-1-V is a must.

This is Casio's wrist audio player which is set on this adaptor and applicable to M-P-3 format plans.

It will be on the market from the end of March at a price of 370 U-S dollars.

The player can store up to 33 minutes of music data and replay four hours when fully charged.

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)
"This MP3 player is the world's smallest audio player and the wristwatch style means portability of music wherever and whenever."
SUPER CAPTION: Akira Nakazawa, Strategic Product Planning, Development Department, Timepiece Division, Casio Computer Co Ltd

Casio is optimistic about projected sales.

They expect initial monthly sales of 50,000 for the digital camera watch and 30,000 monthly sales for the wrist audio player.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...