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Open Source Smartwatch

pine64.org

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Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#161

Post by lambda_obrien »

deadw3ight wrote: post #151
listic wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you state that it has its own display RAM or doesn't it? 240x240 is ~56.25 kB at 8 bpp. the screen is RGB 65K colors, that is, 16 bpp; so the framebuffer size should be twice larger. I assume that the display controller has its own memory. True, you would need another 112,5 kB for double-buffering, but maybe you can do without it.

Color displays are great, but they should have had an option for a (color or black and white) e-paper display. More efficient for these purposes imo.

I would pay so much for a hackable watch like this with a 3 or 4 color epaper display, I'd almost pay as much as an apple watch if it was high quality hardware and had a great open API and toolchain.

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#162

Post by bdcravens »

Hamuko wrote: post #6
SiliconSolder wrote: post #2

Can this be something good?

Doubt it considering how many of the current smartwatches are good. Some might even say that it fails right at the start at being a smart watch since it doesn't have an always-on display.

Apple only added that feature last year, and sells a current Apple Watch without the feature (SE).

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#163

Post by mschuster91 »

deadw3ight wrote: post #149
mschuster91 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Couldn't they have fit that within both budget and size? Oh they could have. The problem is: it's extremely hard to get access to powerful SoCs - the vendors simply won't work with you and most of the documentation is under NDA.

> it's extremely hard to get access to powerful SoCs - the vendors simply won't work with you That's a really good point. I remember having the Pebble watch (this was pre-Apple and Android watches) and I think it had 128 KB of RAM total, including OS, background tasks, apps, etc. That was a mass produced and commercialized item though.

I've written about the other challenges in another post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25252022

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#164

Post by bb123 »

kungito wrote: post #159

I so want to move to a standalone smartwatch and not have to carry a phone. I need nfc payment with a bank supporting the whatever (Google Pay or something), GPS with a maps app, LTE with support for whatsapp and calls + sms and bluetooth for wireless buds for calls. Don't even need music. Maybe I could even skip NFC payment by having a slot to insert a cut contactless credit card although I like the extra security o…

Doesn’t the 4G Apple Watch support all of your requirements? I suppose if you had to a buy an iPhone to set it up that could be a substantial investment but an iPhone 6S would do the job.

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#165

Post by wpietri »

nrp wrote: post #114
wpietri wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like Pine64's spirit, but are they good at delivery? I was excited by the PineTab and wanted to buy a few for wall-mounted displays. But they've been out of stock for 6 months at least, with very spotty updates. It made me reluctant to buy anything from them.

The folks at Pine64 are amazingly transparent about what they are working on and the state of their products, but you have to follow their monthly blog posts to see that. I believe they have been having massive issues around display sourcing that have kept a few of their products out of stock for most of this year. Where they don’t have that specific issue, they are reliable.

Good to know. Thanks!

If someone from there reads this, I'd suggest also updating the product page with a clear statement. Right now it just says "Estimate dispatch in late July, 2020", which makes it look abandoned.

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#166

Post by rch »

lambda_obrien wrote: post #161
deadw3ight wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Color displays are great, but they should have had an option for a (color or black and white) e-paper display. More efficient for these purposes imo.

I would pay so much for a hackable watch like this with a 3 or 4 color epaper display, I'd almost pay as much as an apple watch if it was high quality hardware and had a great open API and toolchain.

I'd pay more than for mass produced consumer gear, from any manufacturer.

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#167

Post by dariosalvi78 »

glenstein wrote: post #84
numpad0 wrote: post #54

I’m not so sure if this is significant other than for the fact that it’s being distributed by PINE64. There are plenty other junk reprogrammable “smartwatch kit” that reuse Huami/Xiaomi-brand smartwatch enclosures while genuine Huami goes on to collect data more strategically at a larger scale. Recently I got a Mi Band 5 and learned they transfer BLE pairing over platforms - they make devices generate new MAC when un…

>junk reprogrammable “smartwatch kit” that reuse Huami/Xiaomi-brand smartwatch enclosures This strikes me a really over the top expression of contempt which just isn't necessary or constructive at all. I generally understand Pine64 products to be developed to the point that they are capable of being used by end-users from day one without hacking or fiddling, are basically ready-to-order in the same way as any commerc…

There are not so many reprogrammable cheap watches on the market, I only know of 3 actually. Can you share a list?

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#168

Post by UncleEntity »

alisonkisk wrote: post #79
numpad0 wrote: post #54

I’m not so sure if this is significant other than for the fact that it’s being distributed by PINE64. There are plenty other junk reprogrammable “smartwatch kit” that reuse Huami/Xiaomi-brand smartwatch enclosures while genuine Huami goes on to collect data more strategically at a larger scale. Recently I got a Mi Band 5 and learned they transfer BLE pairing over platforms - they make devices generate new MAC when un…

Are the Huami ones open source or hackable?

I got a MiBand 3 (because it was cheap) and most of the bluetooth functionality has been reverse engineered -- but you have to search across multiple sources to get the 'complete picture'.

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#169

Post by ShakataGaNai »

kungito wrote: post #159

I so want to move to a standalone smartwatch and not have to carry a phone. I need nfc payment with a bank supporting the whatever (Google Pay or something), GPS with a maps app, LTE with support for whatsapp and calls + sms and bluetooth for wireless buds for calls. Don't even need music. Maybe I could even skip NFC payment by having a slot to insert a cut contactless credit card although I like the extra security o…

The crux of the issue will probably continue to be battery technology, for a while. The latest Apple Watches have basically everything you already want, including GPS & Cellular. They're not designed to be master devices though, since the watch formfactor is really hard to get much done on without some sort of master device for login, etc. Longer and more intensive use (more mapping, more calls) would probably kill the battery in nothing flat. While they're really good smart watches, they already struggle to keep up with the cpu/power/battery tradeoffs that are required for even a reasonable 1-day life.

Some basic things you wouldn't expect, like crypto for HTTPS, take a LOT of work on a tiny wrist-mounted CPU.

Re: Open Source Smartwatch

#170

Post by deadw3ight »

lambda_obrien wrote: post #161
deadw3ight wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Color displays are great, but they should have had an option for a (color or black and white) e-paper display. More efficient for these purposes imo.

I would pay so much for a hackable watch like this with a 3 or 4 color epaper display, I'd almost pay as much as an apple watch if it was high quality hardware and had a great open API and toolchain.

Go on ebay and purchase a Pebble Time. Color epaper display, fully hackable even after being discontinued thanks to the dev community who continues to update it with "Rebble" the open source version of the OS it ran on.
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