Smart Watches for MSN® Direct are now shipping for broad retail availability, as announced by Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates during his keynote address at the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Smart Watches and MSN Direct service, part of Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) initiative, allow people to conveniently and discreetly receive the information that matters most to them, with just the flick of a wrist. Smart Watches, manufactured by Fossil Inc. and Suunto, utilize MSN Direct to receive personalized content including news, weather, personal messages, calendar appointment reminders and stock quotes. The watches also feature multiple watch faces and automatic time-zone adjustment based on location. People can personalize their watch through an interactive Web site (http://www.msndirect.com/) where they choose the specific information and services they want to receive. The MSN Direct service is now available in more than 100 of the largest population centers in the United States and Canada.