Opensource @programming.dev cm0002 @lemmy.world 3d ago

Pebble OS is already running on new hardware following source code drop

9to5google.com Pebble OS is already running on new hardware following source code drop

Just a week after source code was released, Pebble OS is already up and running on new hardware as efforts are under way for new devices.

49 comments

I've mentioned this before, but I want pebble Smart Glasses. Just a few lines of texts as a heads up display. No cameras, no AR or AI BS, just notifications and text.

Please.
- Well well well...
  Even Realities G1: The Pebble of Smart Glasses by MrMobile
  
  $750 w/ prescription lenses is just outside the range of "impulse purchase", but still doable...
  
  Now I've gotta take a harder look at this!
- zack freedman on youtube created his own, and i seem to remember went through the build process if you’re interested
  
  it’s not something you’d necessarily wear out, but apparently the utility value is very high
  
  Just watched a video; he sawed an Epson headset in half & did some hardware mods so it doesn't know it was sawed in half.
  
  Also, it's full video, I just need a little LCD/e-ink display...
Pebble was peak smartwatch. It's only been downhill since.
- have you actually used other smartwatches? i have a xiaomi smart band 8 and it's honestly really damn good, especially for costing 80 bucks. Even without a fancy display it has longer battery life than a pebble.
  Only things i miss is physical buttons and more openness in the software, but honestly the only one that actually bothers me is no physical buttons.
  
  I'm not buying anything Xiaomi.
Aight I might bite, loved the pebble 2 with rebble
Still using my Pebble Time today, I'd love to get a refreshed version with an active store again. It's still my favorite smartwatch by far, nothing comes even close for me, I kept on thinking maybe I was alone in this.
I would love a round watch that uses an analog face but can still buzz me with notifications and do Apple Pay (or Google Pay). I’ve found ones that meet the first two but not the last one. I use my watch to pay way too much.
- I think Garmin has some watches that fit.
- Skagen had these kinds of watches with their Hagen line. Ran on a standard battery for nearly half a month. You could set up notification groups so that the watch would buzz and the watch's hands point to a specific hour.
  
  hang on, standard button cell? if so then half a month is less than stellar, that could get expensive fast!
Also used to be a Pebble enjoyer. I think realistically though, the world has moved on. There are other projects that carry the spirit of it too. I have a Pinetime, which is not nearly as good admittedly. Then there's the Bangle.js which I've heard is really good. I will probably get one of these in the future because it does seem to be the best candidate as a Pebble successor.

Then if you have the right smartwatch, and a bit of tech skill, you can outright put Linux on your wrist with Asteroid OS.
I really don't understand the significance of this. If there were really a market for epaper watches, why did no one make them for the last 10 years? Was PebbleOS really so amazing that no one could replicate anything similar?
- At the time it made way more sense because the "traditional" smart watches were way worse. Not even one day battery life. I would say Pebble still wins on size though - actually normal watch sized.
  
  As for why they didn't catch on.. Probably a little bit ahead of their time, and also less shiny.
  
  Not asking why they didn't catch on. I'm asking why it would catch on today when it hasn't since the Pebble died. And why, even if a very small user-base exists for this type of product, no one has made them since.
- it's a niche market, like not enough people wanting to buy a compact sub-5" flagship phone, so i'll never get one. let people enjoy it :)
  
  Oh, don't me wrong, I will likely buy one. I am the target audience.
  
  But either it's a niche market with not enough customers or it isn't. The OS doesn't change that.
- I would drop my Galaxy Watch in a second if I could get a brand new pebble on better hardware with more sensors.
- Because companies can make more money with flashy watches that steal your privacy
  
  Right. That's my point. What's changed?
- Fitbit bought them out after they mismanaged their expansion. My pebble kept working, but I lost the charging cable as I recall and couldn't get a replacement.
  
  ...ok?
- The Pebble platform doesn't make it super easy to monetize itself beyond hardware sales. There's no reason to make a watch like this from a business perspective. Plenty probably could, but no one with the resources to do it properly wanted to make something similar.
  
  Well, if you're not more greed than man, hardware sales might be enough for you.
  
  Except the creator said he will be selling a new one...
- Was PebbleOS really so amazing that no one could replicate anything similar?
  
  Probably no-one just took the responsibility to start doing it for free. Foss projects usually start from one or couple bored people just really wanting something so bad they'll start putting big hours to make it real
  
  Who said anything about free?
I'm so happy this is back! can't wait to build a watch
Fuck. Yes.
Kind of a misleading headline. They have a working prototype. Nothing even close to ready to ship.
- I disagree, they have it working on the nRF52840 (which is new and supports new things like NFC and Thread/Zigbee). This means people can start developing features against that chipset.
  
  Hardware doesn't mean "production-ready model".

49 comments