Microsoft watches are Spot on

Microsoft has announced plans to move beyond PCs with next-generation software that will run on devices from wristwatches to fridge magnets.

The software giant's Smart Personal Objects Technology (Spot) platform will allow information including appointments, calendar, contact phone numbers and weather forecasts to be beamed to small personal devices over FM radio.

The radio spectrum that the company leases, known as DirectBand, will allow devices such as watches, media players and even fridge magnets to receive data.

Microsoft predicted that its first Spot-enabled watches will cost around $150 (£93) and contain data features including automatic time synchronisation from an atomic clock.

"The only screen you carry around with you which you can just glance at is a wrist-sized screen," Microsoft chairman and founder Bill Gates told Reuters.

"If we get five or 10 per cent of the people who have watches, it's a huge, huge number."

Watchmakers including Citizen and Fossil have been involved in the Spot-enabled watch project, and announced that they would be producing the first commercial offerings.

The devices will use chips from National Semiconductor.

No details about the cost of subscriptions to the next-generation services were given.