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How to help us build open source Pebble software

ericmigi.com

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Re: How to help us build open source Pebble software

#11

Post by halosghost »

jjice wrote: post #3
zibw wrote: post #2

As someone who didn't know much about or ever own a Pebble, can someone sell me on it and explain why it was so popular?

I had a PebbleTime back in the day. It was such an awesome watch. 7ish days of battery with an always on display that had no glare (all because of e-ink). All the foundations of a smart watch, to me at least, like notifications, text response, weather, etc were just done so well. Keep in mind that an always on smart watch that had good battery was (as far as I know) non-existent at the time. Now, the Apple Watch is f…

I love my pebble time steel. In fact, I still have one sitting around (I don't wear it for reasons unrelated to the device's quality). However, just to be clear, the screen is not e-ink. It is “e-paper” (a very low-power, low-fidelity LCD). I think this was a very carefully-considered trade-off; and, at least at the time, I think it was the right call!

I'm strongly considering going back to wearing it.

All the best,

Re: How to help us build open source Pebble software

#12

Post by franey »

notjustanymike wrote: post #4
zibw wrote: post #2

As someone who didn't know much about or ever own a Pebble, can someone sell me on it and explain why it was so popular?

I owned a couple, with peak Pebble being the Pebble Round. It was the only smartwatch I owned that understood it was a watch meant to be worn on the wrist, and not a portal into a series of invasive micro notifications. It was helpful, without being obnoxious. It was slim and stylish, the kind of thing you'd wear even without the built in intelligence. It was there, but only when you wanted it. Also the battery life…

I had a Pebble Time Round, too, and it was great. For me the Pebble hit a sweet spot for a smart-enough watch that allowed me to keep my phone in my pocket. I could get notifications and reply to them right from the watch. I have a Withings SteelHR now, and it's great as a watch + activity tracker, but not being able to dictate replies to the notifications I get means I reach for my phone more now than I did with my Pebble

Re: How to help us build open source Pebble software

#14

Post by schneems »

I want a kids app where a parent can send a task to the watch and have it display, possibly with an occasional alarm or vibration. Ideally with a picture and text. Bonus points for a function to read the task out loud (for kids who cannot read yet).

Basically Brilli but for a watch.

Kids generally want to follow directions but get distracted and forget what they are working on. I want an easy and consistent place for them to check “oh right, I was packing working on X when I got distracted”.

It might sound dystopian for people without kids but as a parent the fewer times I have to remind/check-in on an individual task the less frustrated I am and more patience I have. It makes me realize that when my mom complained “I’ve told you to unpack your backpack 10 times” they probably weren’t exaggerating and I only remembered the last one.

I’m possibly interested/able to write my own apps, I made an android app and I’m relatively fluent in a few languages. I would be most productive in Rust.

Re: How to help us build open source Pebble software

#15

Post by mikepurvis »

zibw wrote: post #2

As someone who didn't know much about or ever own a Pebble, can someone sell me on it and explain why it was so popular?

I never had one, but several of my friends did— I was at UW the same time as Eric and was definitely aware of inPulse/Allerta before it became Pebble, and was mildly jealous of their participation in YC. The killer things were always the battery life and the always-on display.

My first wearable was a Fitbit I got a few years ago, and until recently I would have said that the HRM and sleep tracking were non-negotiable features for me. However the Fitbit (now my second one) has gotten increasingly spotty with its ability to sync that data up to my iPhone— it basically never does it automatically any more, and even when I try to initiate a manual sync it often times out with seemingly nothing transferred. And now, with several months of not having that data, it turns out I actually don't care all that much about it.

So I think I've really become the perfect Pebble customer— someone who'd enjoy something attractive and minimalist, a device that isn't distracting or invasive but gives me just enough notifications that I can fully silence my phone and be more present with the people around me, while still being aware of the important stuff, like a text from my kids.

Hopefully the new team can get this right, and with the benefit of a decade of development on both the e-ink and battery fronts, deliver a Time Round successor that cleans up some of the tradeoffs: properly watertight, no more ugly bezel, and restore the multi-day battery life.

Re: How to help us build open source Pebble software

#16

Post by fra »

consp wrote: post #10
jjice wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a PebbleTime back in the day. It was such an awesome watch. 7ish days of battery with an always on display that had no glare (all because of e-ink). All the foundations of a smart watch, to me at least, like notifications, text response, weather, etc were just done so well. Keep in mind that an always on smart watch that had good battery was (as far as I know) non-existent at the time. Now, the Apple Watch is f…

> all because of e-ink And yet the pebble used a transflective LCD, sharp marketed it as an eink display but it wasn't.

To be clear it was marketed as e-paper (e-ink is a trademark). Reflective LCD falls under that category: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper

Disclaimer: former Pebble employee

Re: How to help us build open source Pebble software

#20

Post by mikepurvis »

TechDebtDevin wrote: post #19

Is there a reason you forward to the Pixel watch when someone clicks "No" on the "Do you want a new Pebble" lmao?? Cool animation transition though :P

I think it's based on your browser OS. Clicking the link from an iPhone sends you to the Apple Watch product page.
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