Usability Views Article Details  home | timeline | recent | popular | e-reports | userati | books | about  Watch this space (27 Sep 2005) Lucas Alexander Karl Scheybal, the head of the firm that bears his initials, believes this sort of watch has huge potential in e-commerce. Its latest twist on the memory watch, called SmartTransaction, integrates both the USB connector and a secure smart-card chip, like those used in credit cards, with a contactless interface developed by Philips, a Dutch electronics giant. By plugging the watch into a PC, funds or travel tickets can be downloaded to the chip without the need for a special smart-card reader. Being wrist-mounted, a watch is always close at hand, which makes it particularly convenient when operating contactless readers on public-transport systems (such as those used by London's Oyster system). A contactless chip inside a watch might also be the logical place to store e-cash, credit cards and personal medical records. Production of the new watches starts this month. Article URL: http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4368158 Read 80 more articles from Economist sorted by date, popularity, or title. Next Article: Websites of mass description          Books about Usability | Information Architecture | Information Visualisation | Technology History This site is a labour of love built by Chris McEvoy