FASHION STATEMENT OR GADGET THE I WATCH

With the expected launch next month of the Apple Watch, the company’s first new product in five years, Apple will be stepping into new territory.

To conquer the marketplace, the watch will have to appeal not only as a gadget but as a fashion statement, a fact tacitly acknowledged by Apple's decision to launch its advertising campaign with a 12-page insert in the March issue of Vogue.

The company isn’t talking about plans for marketing the Apple Watch in advance of its much-touted "Spring Forward" event on Monday, but it clearly intends to keep a tight grip on initial sales and distribution, leaving many retailers guessing about when - or if - they'll be able to sell it.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter said that Best Buy Co Inc, one of the largest sellers of Apple products, may not get the watch at launch time, though the company wouldn't comment on the situation.

SWATCH FALLS POORLY INTO THE SMART WATCH MARKET

My first glance at it , the Touch Zero One just looks like a new version of the Swatch Touch, a watch with minimal touch functionality that has been around for four years or so. But the Touch Zero One does indeed have enough features to qualify it as "smart." The curved screen and backlighting of the original Touch are combined with the touchscreen accuracy that we expect today, and there will even be an accompanying smartphone app, although Swatch hasn't said if that means iOS, Android, or both.

The short story is that the Touch Zero One is aiming to fit more in the fitness tracker category than the full-fledged, do everything wearable. That means no email, text, or phone call notifications, nor does it control any media playback on your smartphone. What makes it a tad odd is that instead of focusing on general activity or sports tracking, it has several features specific for volleyball.