Traditional Casio F-91W Will get a Fashionable Makeover with Ollee Watch, Full with Video games

For practically 40 years, the Casio F-91W has been a worldwide normal, with its boxy resin case and seven phase LCD show representing easy reliability. It prices round $20 and tells the time, counts seconds and glows at nighttime. However in a world of smartwatches that buzz with notifications and health knowledge, the F-91W can really feel historical. Enter the Ollee Watch One, a superb hack that replaces the F-91W’s authentic circuit board with one full of recent options.

Swapping the mainboard sounds scary, however Ollee makes it simple. You unscrew the again of an F-91W, come out the outdated board and slide within the new one – no soldering, no electrical engineering diploma required. It takes about 6 minutes and the board matches not simply the F-91W but in addition different Casio fashions just like the A158W, F-84W, A159W, A171W and W-59. If you happen to’re not into tinkering Ollee affords pre-upgraded F-91W and A158W fashions for $99.99 (these are at present bought out) or the DIY package for $54.99 – a small worth to breathe new life right into a watch you in all probability already personal.

What does the brand new motherboard deliver to the desk? Bluetooth connectivity, as an illustration, permits the watch to sync along with your telephone utilizing free iOS and Android apps. No extra twiddling with tiny buttons to reset after altering time zones. An accelerometer tracks your steps and the app permits you to set each day targets, with a loud buzzer alerting you while you hit them. The backlight which was beforehand a faint inexperienced now glows in programmable RGB colors and is a 3 mode flashlight. You additionally get world time zones, 5 preset timers and alarms which might be extra superior than the F-91W’s single loud beep.

The Ollee Watch is open-source so modders can take a look at its limits. Neighborhood builders have already created a easy Blackjack sport and Ping, a Pong type sport the place you bounce a pixelated ball throughout the display. These gained’t exchange your telephone’s gaming library however are a pleasant nod to what could be executed with a 7 phase show. Customized watch faces and new options are rising because the group digs deeper into the firmware, making the watch really feel like a residing undertaking that evolves over time.

Battery life is down from the F-91W’s 7 12 months run on a single CR2016 coin cell. With the brand new board and Bluetooth Low Power and all the additional options you may count on round 10 months or as much as 3 years in energy save mode. That’s nonetheless spectacular for a tool that may accomplish that rather more than simply inform time. One quirk: the center price function isn’t what you count on. There isn’t any sensor, as an alternative you manually depend 20 heartbeats because the watch instances you and it calculates your beats per minute.

In contrast to bulkier smartwatches, the Ollee Watch retains the F-91W’s slim and modest design. The resin casing, waterproof development and acquainted button structure are the identical so it nonetheless matches below a cuff or with any outfit. This isn’t an Apple Watch competitor, it gained’t present your telephone’s notifications or run a full app retailer. The segmented show is restricted to textual content based mostly information and easy photos. However that’s the purpose: it’s a Casio F-91W with simply sufficient smarts to really feel trendy whereas staying true to its roots.
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