Dave:

Ignace:

Chrisreunion:

If I read correctly, you need to press the remote at least 5 times to turn on a source, and 6 times to turn it off??In that case, why is it more expensive than Beo4?

Using a controller, performing multiple actions to reach a certain item in the menu...
....., reminds me of the 1st version of BMW´s  iDrive !

 

 

 

Why are you smiling?? The 1st version of the iDrive was a disaster!

Because it still liked it, even though controlling it wasn't very practical !

 

 

Here is the text beside the picture from the B&O leaflet, it will give you all some information about the concept and the design[er] :

 

 

 

 

 

BeoTime

 

 

 

- << £XX.00 >>

start your day the Bang & Olufsen way

If you’re considering investing in a Bang & Olufsen

television or audio system, you could also be

among the first to experience this new and unique

product, which adds another dimension to

home entertainment.

BeoTime is an elegant, battery-powered alarm

clock that does so much more than simply wake

you. A built-in motion sensor means that the

display backlight is activated just by touching

BeoTime – perfect if you want to know the time

in the middle of the night but don’t want a bright

display that is permanently on.

It can wake you to the sound of a gentle chime or

the sound of your favourite TV programme, radio

station or piece of music on a Bang & Olufsen

television or music system.. That’s so much more

civilised than a bell or beeper! You can also use the

sleep timer function to switch a Bang & Olufsen

television or music player to standby as you nod off.

The beautifully anodised and polished aluminium

tube includes tactile buttons and separate displays

for the present time, alarm time and wake-up

source. Two rubber feet give BeoTime a steady

footing when it’s lying on the table and an almost

invisible magnetic wall bracket is included for

those who like everything in its place.

BeoTime makes waking up a dream.

 

 

Pre-order

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you know that...

the shape of BeoTime was inspired

by Mozart’s The Magic Flute?

Designer Steffen Schmelling

wanted BeoTime to be detached

from technology: simple and

unpretentious and yet still

beautiful, mysterious and magical.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm intrigued. Is this an 'Authorised Leak' approved by B&O to gauge reactions?

The product looks good: there's potential to sell one or more to everyone who owns modern B&O equipment (Beo4 controlled.) How many Beo4's have been produced in total? Say B&O sell Beotime to 50% of Beo4 users, at say £50 wholesale profit per unit. Does this save the company? Should we rush out and buy shares???

Graham

IF the Beotime is worth the money we should rush out and buy Beotimes :-)

But only if it's worth the money ... we will see after inspecting it in person :)

If yes, I'm gonna buy 2! 

From the Danish patent office. (Does not translate easily via online translators!)

(111) Reg.nr.: VR 2009 00506 (151) Reg.dato: 2009-02-13
(210) Ans.nr.: VA 2008 04368 (220) Ans.dato: 2008-11-06
BeoTime
(730) Indehaver: Bang & Olufsen A/S, Peter Bangsvej 15, 7600 Struer, Danmark
(740/750) Fuldmægtig: Sandel, Løje & Wallberg, Frederiksgade 7, 1265 København
K, Danmark
(511) Klasse 09: Apparater, herunder elektroniske apparater og elektriske
apparater til optagelse, transmission og gengivelse af lyd eller billede; audiovisuelle
apparater og instrumenter indeholdende vækkeure; enheder og anordninger
til fjernstyring, herunder til fjernstyring af audiovisuelle apparater og
instrymenter, multifunktionelle fjernstyringsenheder; databehandlingsudstyr og
computere; optaget eller downloadable software til de førnævnte varer.
(511) Klasse 14: Ædle metaller og legeringer heraf samt varer af ædle metaller
eller varer overtrukket hermed (ikke indeholdt i andre klasser); ure og kronometriske
instrumenter, vækkeure, elektroniske vækkeure.

From the B&O investors report:

BeoTime
Bang & Olufsen is about to roll out a watch as part of the Group’s range of gift articles. The Management
believes that the design differs from everything else on the market. The watch can also be used as a remote
control for other Bang & Olufsen products and comprises a built-in movement sensor which enables the in-built
display to be revolved so that it suits left-hand use.

Ends

As remarked elsewhere, maybe the reference to a watch is a translation limitation and should read something like clock or timer.

Graham

Talking about the price, if it does so much less than a Beo4, I don't see how B&O could market it at a higher price..

To me it should be at the same price level as a keyring.

If you can't see it in the dark until you touch it, I imagine a lot of people will drop all they have on the bedside table before they can find & shake the BeoTime in the middle of the night..

Chrisreunion:

Talking about the price, if it does so much less than a Beo4, I don't see how B&O could market it at a higher price..

I was just thinking the same thing this morning when my Beo 4 woke me up with a chime. What do we even need the BeoTime for?

TripEnglish:

I was just thinking the same thing this morning when my Beo 4 woke me up with a chime. What do we even need the BeoTime for?

I do like it.

Any other requirements needed to buy it? :)

Trip, any idea when it will be available here in the USA and price?

TripEnglish:

I was just thinking the same thing this morning when my Beo 4 woke me up with a chime. What do we even need the BeoTime for?

A digial timer for 4.99 Dollar wake me also up every morning with a gently chime .

Well I think it looks fantastic! That and a BV10 are my most likely next purchases!

What could you do with a colour display ? Showing a red text and a blue background ? These display is very stylish !

I would not have used a color display for such a thing, but a backlit e-paper display, which consumes marginally less power but offer a better contrast and would have been better for giving a "non technological feel" as the designer says... (and it would have been more 2009 for the technophiles here instead of 1990...)

Perhaps it is OLED... 

I agree though, no need for any color...

Odd looking thing... but hey, there will probably be one on my nightstand!

mbee:

I would not have used a color display for such a thing, but a backlit e-paper display, which consumes marginally less power but offer a better contrast and would have been better for giving a "non technological feel" as the designer says... (and it would have been more 2009 for the technophiles here instead of 1990...)

Backlit e-paper is acutally NOT available from manufactures. The new Sony PRS-700 ebook reader has an integrated frontlight(!).

It is a good choice in my opinion, that B&O choosed a modern monochrome LCD. It is not 1990 as todays LCDs  have great contrast, low power AND they are durable! e-paper displays actually are a very new technology and nobody knows how long they last.

The only thing I hope is that B&O integrated a good backlight and not those scary attempt like on the Beo 4 cinema display or the Beosound 3000  display!



Does anybody know about the real pricing for the Beotime?

Question about the chime: Does it have a buzzer (which would make a gentle chime nearly impossible) or a real mini speaker like a mobile phone?

 

 

I've been told about 375 euro's.

Alex:

TripEnglish:

I was just thinking the same thing this morning when my Beo 4 woke me up with a chime. What do we even need the BeoTime for?

A digial timer for 4.99 Dollar wake me also up every morning with a gently chime .

 

OK - so you don't like it Alex (judging by your constant knocking of it) - that's fine but I bet there are plenty who will buy it including me.

Oh & btw how you reached the conclusion that it is a Beolab 8000 rip off is beyond me, even if it showed the slightest resemblance I cannot see how B&O can be accused of ripping themselves off

 

Chris.

the rip off posting was more a joke ! I wrote from the top view it looks like bl8000 from the top - joke !  

Very cool! Instant buy ;-)

Definitely "out of the box" but I wonder if I can read it without glasses- the display looks small, but clarity and backlighting can make a big difference. Surely they must have thought about that...

If the price is reasonable (which, IMO, is somewhere between the £100 and 300 euros that have been mentioned so far), this might be the first B&O I will buy myself new! For more than 10 years, my alarm clocks have all been branded Nokia and doubled as cellular phones, but this could be finally something more useful as an alarm clock...

We seem to be coming up to an exciting time for B&O. A lot of very desirable and important products are coming this year. The BeoTime and iPod dock are little sweetners - the BV10 and bigger BV7 would seem to be the bread and butter models along with the BeoCom 5.

Hopefully the Beocom 5 is NOT like an opened or unfold Serene :-( 
I need a simple to use phone and not s.th. where they forced to say "Hey, it's a piece of design!" but nothing more like they did on the catastrophic Serenata or Serene.


Back to topic:

- Usermanual?
- release date? (I can't wait to see it in person!)
- official price? (Seems to be no clarity here; somebody tolds 700 Euro, somebody 400, 300 ...!?)


If it is worth the money (after inspecting it in the store) I think I'm gonna make up a review for the forum.