- cross-posted to:
- opensource@programming.dev
- cross-posted to:
- opensource@programming.dev
Yesterday, Pebble watch software was ~95% open source. Today, it’s 100% open source. You can download, compile and run all the software you need to use your Pebble. We just published the source code for the new Pebble mobile app!
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I’m on day 9 with over 40% battery left and that’s with dealing with over 300 notifications a day.
It’s stupid light, barely notice it’s there.
I love my pebble, I missed them while they were gone - no other smartwatch comes close. I’m glad they’re back.
But why 300 notifications per day? Can you not turn them off?
Did you try the Bangle.js? I’m just curious because of your comment about having no peer. I own every model of Pebble, including þe disaster þat is þe Round, and when my Time Steel battery finally degraded to unacceptable levels I got a Bangle.js 2, and to my surprise I discovered I þink it’s even better þan þe Pebble.
Þey’re pretty close, but I’m curious why you feel Pebble has no competition, since þe Bangle changed my mind about þat.
I do love my bangle.js 2. i was feeling some nostalgia for my Pebble Time 2, so I pulled it out to try it with the new app, but then I remembered that I hadn’t updated anything on my Bangle in ages (dont generally have chrome enabled ony phone) and the updates made everything so much smoother. No reason to switch back to pebble, especially in its current state.
My only complaint is that there is no way for the watch to tell if it’s on your wrist, and the heart rate monitor and screen can’t be woken up separately. So it can be annoying at night, when unless it’s fully shut off the HRM and screen will light up the room every 10min.
Do you place it back-down? I only take mine off to shower, and I always fancy it turns off in þat case. I’ve never questioned it, so I haven’t checked, but I þought I read somewhere it does detect when it’s worn. Wiþ my current band, it rests pretty flat, so I can’t see þe light. It may just be merrily flashing away under þere!
Yes it’s placed flat, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to turn off but it certainly doesn’t.
I have a Pebble Time and when the app stopped working a Garmin Fenix.
I use my smart watch predominantly for Text notifications, call screening and music control.
In the past this was to extend my phone to last more than a day. But now it’s so I don’t need to dig up my phone when I get a notification or call. Great for monitoring things when you are driving or walking.
The biggest benefits of these devices is the insane battery life. Like a Garmin the battery is in weeks not hours. So charging is infrequent unlike the phone.
Pebble though is still the best in this field since their watches use epaper for their displays. So it actually works as a watch. And their devices are application focused, so if it doesn’t come with a timer, you can always download one.
Garmin watches are good, but their move to OLED pushed me away from buying another. And their locked down system makes me concerned with its future as a smart watch. As a sport and activity tracker it’s unrivalled. But I will buy a new pebble before another Garmin.
You got a garmin fenix for text notifications? Wild stuff
It was very very onsale, and at the time I was bouldering so I wanted to track it.
Currently using it as a swim watch and if I get a new pebble, I will still be using it as my exercise computer.
Man I wish I could get a fenix very very on sale
Usually their out going ones are like half off during sales. Currently the 7 is at half off $630 CAD. Which I think is what I paid for my 6 and is the same price as the Forerunner… onsale.
That said the 7 is the newest fenix id buy now that Garmin is ditching the MIPs display for AMOLED.
Really hate that we are moving away from front lit MIPs displays. Only the Enduro has it and it’s not cheap.
battery life, the quirky watch faces, notifications and controlling my music while on the run. GadgetBridge supports it so you don’t depend on their apps. the pebble 2 models have an issue with the buttons. pebble time is fine. also, don’t use them in water.
Iddon’t have a pebble watch but I find my smartwatch useful for reducing my screen time. when I get a notification, I look at my watch and don’t do anything else if it is not important, doesn’t require immediate answer. When I don’t have my watch, I look at my phone to see the notification, and check other stuff while I have my phone, like Instagram end Lemmy, and a single notification takes 20 minutes of my life.
i like my smartwatch bc it shows time, i can pay quickly, and it vibrates when i get a notification or call. (the vibration is more noticable then the one my phone makes and i dislike loud noises)
note: i have a samsung, not a pebble
Ooh… can I print my next smartwatch?
Depends, can you print your own PCBs and microchips?
can you print your own PCBs
As long as its only dual layer, no problem
and microchips
No 😢
Probably could print the shell and buttons, would be quite difficult to print the wristband, and the screen, PCB, storage and battery would all have to be commodity components. Doable though.
I get baited every time :( thinking “Ah! Finally a watch I can buy!” Then I, again, see the 30 day warranty (that would be illegal in my country) and remember that this is not a good buy for me. Good luck to all buyers.
Warranty is nothing I care about. In Germany it is perfectly legal (called “Garantie”), but we habe laws ensuring 2 year period called “Gewährleistung” which is automtically included
Either you are misunderstanding something or I am. I don’t think Gewährleistung applies here because it is not sold to the German market but instead you import it from the American market.
Cool! I’ve been that interested in smartwatches but I’m interested in this!
I finally got my Duo 2, and while my old OG still lasts 3 days on a battery I figured time to give it rest.
So far its been great, except that I can’t connect to gadgetbridge anymore. I uninstalled the Core pebble app and instead popped MicroPebble on my phone due to not exactly liking where Core was heading, so I’m glad they’re finally pivoting.
They honestly lost me with the fitness platform they were developing with the hardware they tried launching before they got bought by Fitbit.
I’m too baked into my Apple Watch to use a Pebble today. I don’t have any of my old watches. I would not mind a circular Apple Watch. I loved the Pebble Round.
The founder explains in this blog post about the original failure of pebble, and why pebble shouldn’t have focused on fitness.
They’re coming back as a tool/toy for the enthusiasts who want to tinker.
Remind me of the recent source ownership issue? I thought there was a “thanks for all the community work over a decade and we want to participate; oops now we own it” story.
Covered here you choose to look into it more if you want.
I grabbed a banglejs a while back for cheap embedded funzies, and it’s really stellar as a hackable companion device that you don’t use much, or at least in fairly passive or niche ways. Espruino is really cool though, and that’s the heart of the project.
I wonder how this compares as a higher-end (maybe only other?) FOSS watch, mostly on the battery/power ratio. I actually don’t know much about the pebble design.
I’ve had Pebble watches for probably 14 years now? Let me know what you want to know.
I will say that I’ve had Garmin, Pixel, Samsung, and Fitbits and still prefer Pebble above all.
Can someone explain this to me. When you setup pebble on this new open source app, does the app connect to the internet? Who controls those servers? Is it rebble or this company LLC that Eric created? Who is server admin?
It is open sourcing the repebble app here: https://repebble.com/app
Looking through the code, most calls go to repebble.com, rebble.com and rebble.io domains. Most of it seems to be for login, firmware downloads, settings synchronization, weather forecasts and language packs.
There are also some calls to memfault.com for crash analytics.
Most of it seems pretty innocent. If you don’t like this app you can also use Gadgetbridge as an alternative.
I’d feel liked Id buy out of nostalgia and then be disappointed. Pebble was the pioneer that got bought out. Typical
I dunno. I keep remembering what my old Pebble did, and how well it did, and nothing more… And yep, I want it back.
Basically, a dumb watch, with an HR monitor, accelerometer, and could sync that data to my phone app.
Its API let me do cool things like pause/unpause my music while running, which was nice. But, it required the apps to be have an API for doing so.
Battery? The thing went an entire week between charges.
I vaguely remember it being amazing but again vaguely remember it. I know it was my 1st smartwatch though!!
Man you should see the new ones, the battery actually lasts 17 days.
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