Sony Ericsson's

                                

         Sony Ericsson's LiveView Android watch

Sony Ericsson has released their new LiveView Android companion device for the lower-than-expected price of €50 (US$67.50). The 1.3-inch touchscreen device can either be clipped onto your clothing, or you can wear it as a watch with the included wristband. While Sony Ericsson hasn't released the full list of compatible devices, expect it to work with most Android 2.0+ devices.

In an earlier time, before everyone had a calculator on their phone, the true nerds wore calculator watches. While LiveView looks like the second coming of that long-forgotten accessory, we expect it to appeal to a much wider audience. LiveView is stylish, relatively thin (11mm), and can be customized with the background picture of your choosing.

The device is controlled with four touch-sensitive areas on the front of the device and two physical buttons on the upper corners, and connects via Bluetooth 2.1. Some might debate the usefulness of such a device, when your phone is usually pretty accessible. We see it as a great way to discreetly check messages and read RSS feeds while appearing to be checking the time. You can also use LiveView to locate your phone when lost.

Unfortunately for U.S. customers, the device is only currently available in Europe, but that won't stop you from getting one shipped by a third party, or you can wait patiently for its inevitable U.S. release.

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