Gadget Lab Notes: Crystal-Studded Phosphor Wristwatches

The Reveal line from Phosphor displays time with Swarovski crystals

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

Phosphor Reveal Wristwatches Ditch E Ink for Swarovski Crystals

Phosphor, a wristwatch maker that normally sticks with minimalist E Ink clock faces, has taken a turn for the shiny with their latest line. Using a low power ?proprietary Micro-Magnetic Mechanical Digital technology?, colored Swarovski crystals are rotated around to display the time. There are six styles to choose from (two for guys, and four for the ladies) which start at $199.

Phosphor’s Reveal Wristwatch Uses Swarovski Crystals to Tell Time [Engadget]

Samsung?s Galaxy Pro Is Aimed At The BlackBerry Crowd

Samsung?s latest handset reveal is the Galaxy Pro, which features a 2.8-inch touchscreen with a four-row QWERTY keyboard underneath. Designed for business types, the “Think Free” Office Document Editor is included for viewing and editing Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint docs on the go. Other known specs are pretty standard and include an 800MHz processor, a 3-megapixel camera, and that it will run Android Froyo.

Samsung Galaxy Pro [Samsung Hub via Engadget]

Goodbye Paper Charts: Delta Pilots May Be Testing iPads in the Cockpit Soon

The FAA began granting approval for professional iPad use in the cockpit in February, and now Delta Air Lines, the world?s second largest carrier, is looking for approval to try them out next quarter. Over the past ten years, pilots have gotten approval to use bulky ?electronic flight bags,? which are computers for aviation use. The iPad would be a much lighter option. iPad flight navigation software is already in development at the request of pilots.

Apple iPads in Cockpits [Bloomberg via Apple Insider]

Western Digital Gobbles Up Competitor Hitachi GST

Hitachi?s hard drive unit was recently purchased by Western Digital in a $4.3 billion deal. Western Digital, currently the largest manufacturer in the hard drive industry, attempted to buy another competitor (Seagate) earlier this year. That plan failed due to antitrust concerns.

Western Digital Acquires Hitachi Hard Drive Unit [All Things D]

DIY Apple-Style Speakers Look Great Next to Your iMac

Since Apple doesn?t manufacture speakers that match their brushed aluminum devices, one DIY-er decided to use a CNC machine to make some of his own. A Dayton Audio amp powers the 2.1 speaker system and a subwoofer is hidden below the table. The gold-finish of the speaker cones does deviate from the color scheme a bit, though.

Apple-Inspired Speakers [Hackaday via Slashgear]

Vague Clock Only Tells The Time When Its Squishy Surface Is Pressed

Created under the principal that time is often the cause of stress, the Vague Clock has a soft white surface that only reveals the time when it?s pressed. Unfortunately, the time is still displayed on your monitor, your smartphone, the oven, the microwave?

Vague Clock [Yanko Design]