If you love jewelry, Intel has unveiled a sparkling bracelet that's also a stand-alone message display device.
Unveiled for New York Fashion Week, My Intelligent Communication Accessory, or MICA, has glamorous looks as well as 3G cellular connectivity, so it doesn't need to be tethered to a smartphone.
Designed by Humberto Leon and Carol Lim of fashion house Opening Ceremony, MICA is a cuff-style accessory covered with snakeskin as well as semiprecious stones such as obsidian and lapis. It will be available in two styles, one with white snakeskin and the other with black snakeskin, each with different stones.
The 1.6-inch sapphire-glass touchscreen can display SMS messages relayed through the bracelet's Intel XMM6321 3G cellular radio. It can also display calendar alerts.
The bracelet will be sold as an Opening Ceremony product. Its weight and price have not been revealed yet, but it will be sold through some Barneys and Opening Ceremony stores by the December holiday season.
The chipmaker has been emphasizing wearables sold through other companies as mobile technology has put PCs in the shadows in the recent years.
Intel announced the collaboration with Opening Ceremony at CES 2014, where it also showed off smart earbuds that can measure a runner's heart rate.
In August, SMS Audio announced biometric headphones based on Intel's technology.
The MICA bracelet also follows Intel's acquisition of health-tracking wristband maker Basis Science in March.
"This bracelet is a fruition of our efforts and we've been making progress in wearables for about a year now," Intel spokeswoman Ellen Healy said, noting that the company's New Devices Group is also working on 3D printing, drones as well as other wearables.
"We aren't limiting ourselves to fitness or health or fashion -- there's going to be more to come from us in the coming months," she added.