Dick Tracy comparisons are inevitable. And there's nothing wrong with that. Until — and if — NTT Do Como ever makes its Seiko Wristomo phone for the United States, your best chance of imitating the square-jawed cartoon cop is to get yourself a WristLinx 2-Way Wristwatch Communicator by XACT Communications
Two-way radios are drawing a lot interest these days. They're not just kids' toys. They are becoming a cell-phone alternative for certain private uses, from keeping the family together on outings and connecting friends while hiking, skiing or biking to functioning as a backup means of communication in an emergency. You can take them to the mall or even to stay connected while shopping at big box stores.
XACT Communications targets the youth, family and extreme sports markets. The downside of purchasing from XACT appears to be its customer service. A call to the company for help is an exercise in frustration. Dialing the number gets you into phone-mail hell. In addition, purchasers posting to product review sites give the WristLinx points off for being bulky. Otherwise, though, they report that they generally like it.
The advantages of the XACT wrist walkie-talkie are immediately apparent. When you want to keep the kids within shouting distance, the WristLinx has the double benefit of being so cool that the kids may actually want to use it, and being voice-activated, so you get to keep your hands free for carrying things more important than a walkie-talkie. Besides all that, it's also a digital wristwatch. At $29.88 on Amazon.com, it's cheap enough for everyone in the family to get one.
The voice-activated WristLinx has an advertised range of up to 1.5 miles. It 5.2-megahertz bandwidth supports 22 channels (14 FRS and eight GMRS). However, you'll need an FCC license to use the GMRS frequencies. The wrist communicator has a backlit LCD display. Its 300-megawatt output is powered by replaceable, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. An AC battery charger and user manual are included.
A warning: When you are sporting your WristLinx, just don't go thinking you're too smart. Dick Tracy got his two-way wrist radio in 1946, and he traded it in 1964 for a two-way wrist TV. In 1986, he swapped the TV for a two-way wrist computer.