page_title: Timex Datalink
section_title: Space
hierarchical_section_title: Timex Datalink / Space
caption_attribution_description: English: Cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko, Expedition One Soyuz commander, stands near the hatch leading from the Unity node into the newly attached Destiny laboratory aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The picture was recorded with a digital still camera on the day the hatch was initially opened.
context_page_description: Timex Datalink or Timex Data Link is a line of early smartwatches manufactured by Timex and is considered a wristwatch computer. It is the first watch capable of downloading information wirelessly from a computer. As the name implies, datalink watches are capable of data transfer through linking with a computer. The Datalink line was introduced in 1994 and it was co-developed with Microsoft as a wearable alternative to mainstream PDAs with additional attributes such as water resistance, that PDAs lacked, and easy programmability. The watch was demonstrated by Bill Gates on 21 June 1994 in a presentation where he downloaded information from a computer monitor using bars of light and then showed to the audience the downloaded appointments and other data. The early models included models 50, 70, 150 and model 150s. The model numbers indicated the approximate number of phone numbers that could be stored in the watch memory. These early models were, at the time of their introduction, the only watches to bear the Microsoft logo. The watches have been certified by NASA for space travel and have been used by astronauts and cosmonauts in space missions.
context_section_description: Timex Datalink is flight certified by NASA for space missions and is one of four watches qualified by NASA for space travel. The various Datalink models are used both by cosmonauts and astronauts. For instance during Expedition 1 the crew log for January mentions:
  We have been working with the Timex software. Many thanks to the folks who got this up to us. It seems we each have a different version of the datalink watch, and of course, the software is different with each. Yuri and Sergei are able to load up a day's worth of alarms, but Shep has the Datalink 150, and this has a 5 alarm limit. So 2/3 of the crew are now happy. All this is a pretty good argument for training like you are going to fly-we should have caught this one ourselves in our training work on the ground.
   
  In another part of the January log it is mentioned:
  
  Missed a whole comm. pass over White Sands . We need to get the timex watches working so we don't overlook these calls.
  while in another segment of the same log:
  
  As 5A is now delayed, we would like to request the "timex" watch software if it is available on the ground-a file that can be uplinked to us. This will help us manage our day as we can load comm. passes into the watches.
  and from the February and March crew log of Expedition 1:
  
  We copy the request from Houston on the timex watches. We will keep using the ones we have onboard-there are some workarounds we can apply that will help the limited "alarm" situation. We don't request any more watches be sent up on 5A, but thanks to all the crew equipment folks for asking. As a heads-up to Exp 2, any plans to use the timex download capability should include more laptop IR transmitters. We have 1 onboard, but more will be required if the next crew wants to fully use this capability.
  The laptop IR transmitter mentioned in the February and March crew log is the Timex notebook adapter. "Exp 2" refers to Expedition 2, and the log mentions they may need more notebook adapters for the upcoming expedition.
caption: Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko, Expedition One Soyuz commander wearing Datalink 150 model 69931
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