Other improvements include an LED light that indicates the status of your sent message, a separate tracking button, an extra message button, universal communications symbols and a stylish new silver finish option. Pricing for the new unit will most likely be revealed in the fall when the new SPOT is scheduled to hit shelves. It probably won't be cheap, and the tracking service already costs at least $100 per year, but that is a small price to pay for peace of mind when you are stuck on some godforsaken corner of the Earth. [SPOT via GearJunkie via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Waterproof, floating, alititude-proof to 21,000 feet and freeze-proof to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, its bright orange case is about the same size as a BlackBerry, and it's powered by two lithium AA batteries.

Its simplicity rests on an annual service charge and front-end website: through this you can send an unlimited number of GPS position updates to a list of buddies for $100 a year, though you have to pre-arrange the messages since all SPOT itself has is those three controls. If you do need to call in assistance, it prioritizes that alert and repeats the message until its battery is dry (about seven days). But since there's no way for a message to get back to you, it might be a long, hard wait.

SPOT will cost you $170 for the unit, and $100 a year for the support, with an optional $50 automated 10-minute position update service. [Findmespot via Allthingsd]

There's no setup, subscription or Internet connection required—it's all broadcast to you via the FM band. Plus, the coffeemaker automatically grinds and brews that java for you, so you can load it up with beans and water the night before and be greeted with a steamy carafe of that jitter-inducing manna from heaven.

What a great idea, to have a live weather display on a coffeemaker. That's exactly the place you're standing when you're wondering what kind of day it's going to be outside. Spot-on use of SPOT, but you'll pay dearly at $199 when it's available November 15. – Charlie White

Melitta ME1MSB Smart Brew Coffeemaker With MSN Direct [SpotStop]

That has changed, thanks to Microsoft's decision to create a SPOT watch that anyone—from jock to dork to nerd to alternakid—would wear. I know that sounds like a shallow assessment, but it's the truth. The one thing holding back SPOT was mass acceptance and understanding of the concepts behind this FM-radio based data transfer system. Now that Microsoft will have to explain the SPOT concepts to the rest of the free world, we're might just be ready for a blossoming of the service into something ubiquitous and useful.

The latest models are designed to be fashion watches rather than geek watches. The LCD screen is much brighter, the brushed steel case is heavy and attractive, and the whole movement is 3mm thinner and has a more accurate antenna. Best of all, each new $179 comes with a 12-month subscription to Microsoft Direct, a considerable improvement over the old "Open the box and pay lots of money" scheme.

The watch also has double the memory of the previous versions which lets you download just about everything on the MSN Direct service has to offer including sports scores, lottery numbers, and traffic information. The general, yearly subscription costs $39. Outlook Sync and MSN Direct messaging services cost an extra $20 a year.

The styling is much improved over the previous models. Band is very easy to resize. All it requires is a small screwdriver and a paper clip. Plastic covers keep the bracelet pins in place and simply slip out. Overall, the metal version we test looks more like a bracelet than a watch, but that's fine. Fossil also offers leather and cloth bands in various colors.

Another excellent improvement is the charging system. The watch comes with a USB cable that can plug into a wall adapter or USB port. The watch connects to the cable with magnets. No ugly stand, no strange prongy thing—the charger snaps into place.

These Abacus watches will be available online on June 10. While this won't mean the end of our constant wariness towards the technology—these models certainly improve our opinion of the platform on the whole and make us look forward to a SPOT-filled future.

Product Page [MSNDirect]

You can currently pick up Abacus watches for about $44 on Amazon, et al.

Fossil Stopped Selling Technology Wristwatches [Wristdreams]

Fossil Abacus watches and accessories [Amazon]

Oregon Scientific Complete Regional Weather Station Review [SpotStop]

Specs and pricing for Oregon Scientific weather stations [Shopping.com]

Fossil to Exit SPOT Market, MSN Direct Update [SPOTStop]

Most of the HOW-TO involves downloading a bunch of software but the fact that you can control your own content on these watches makes the entire "pay to use your watch" proposition quite a bit saner. There are even tips on how to get POP mail sent over.

HOW TO get MSN Filter news (or any RSS) on a SPOT watch [Make]