someone needs to take those watches that never need to be charged and turn them into an open source hardware platform.
Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
111–120 of 163 posts
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#112Wow, this article doesn't do it justice. Watchy is an open source hardware device that uses an e-ink display and has an ESP32 module builtin [0]. SQFMI, the creator of watchy, has a twitter account [1] which has some very nice screenshots [2] [3]. Even the CrowdSupply website has better pics of the device [4]. This is one of the few watches I've been sorely tempted to buy. [0] https://github.com/sqfmi/Watchy [1] http…
You just pushed me over the edge, ordered a couple just now (I started always ordering 2 of anything somewhat “experimental” so I can mess around with one while making actual use of the other), looking forward to playing with it :)
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#113This looks very good, but what can I do to get a smartwatch with a programmable microphone? The best experience I've had with a smartwatch was being able to respond to SMS with my Pebble Time through voice dictation. I'd love to have something that'd allow me to reply to voice messages on Signal or whatever platform I can hack on with a little bit of root.
Can’t speak to its goodness but lilygo on banggood mentioned in another comment has mic and looks compelling
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#114Very excited for something like this! I can think of a few fun projects to try that would be useful to me nearly everyday but are too trivial or niche for an Apple or a Samsung to ever spend time actually building. Some ideas off of the top of my head: - Vibrate a bunch and notify me on-screen if my usual commuter train is running late or cancelled (but only if I haven't left my house yet). Also the same, but in reve…
These are great ideas that might actually be in the realm of feasibility (assuming your IoT devices run on some open standard), but the shame with this kind of thing in 2021 is that most of my digital life does not run on open standards, and so a programmable device has limited usefulness. I probably couldn't use it to play or control my media, to control my other (non-custom) devices, to display information from soc…
Half of this stuff could trivially be done on the Apple watch if you develop an iphone app for it.
It would be nice if Apple opened it up to allow custom watchfaces but its already pretty open as it is.
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
There should be delay that is long enough that anyone would forget the rich, but it should also be "random". You'd want to avoid using it too often around observant people (one every two months, maybe). The watch touch and ringing won't give someone away but thier bad acting will.
Surely the real trick is to activate it blindly with your hands under a table or whatever? (Yes, also with a delay so you can have your hands visible when you get the call)
How often are you little in this situation that you need a fake phone call...?
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#116Cool device. A bit short on the sensors, but I understand why for a first iteration. Hope it's successful enough that later revisions will include a few things I'm keen on: * Pulse ox * Continuous heartrate * GPS+Compass But it's a cool device anyway.
The problem I have seen is the ultra cheap watches that have these features are so inaccurate that you may as well not have them. I'm not even convinced pulse ox is accurate on the Apple Watch.
This product linked is more of a toy to play with and not what you would use daily.
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#117This looks very good, but what can I do to get a smartwatch with a programmable microphone? The best experience I've had with a smartwatch was being able to respond to SMS with my Pebble Time through voice dictation. I'd love to have something that'd allow me to reply to voice messages on Signal or whatever platform I can hack on with a little bit of root.
Can’t speak to its goodness but lilygo on banggood mentioned in another comment has mic and looks compelling
Looking up the "LILYGO® TTGO T-Watch-2020" and it does not seem to have a mic.
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
These are great ideas that might actually be in the realm of feasibility (assuming your IoT devices run on some open standard), but the shame with this kind of thing in 2021 is that most of my digital life does not run on open standards, and so a programmable device has limited usefulness. I probably couldn't use it to play or control my media, to control my other (non-custom) devices, to display information from soc…
Half of this stuff could trivially be done on the Apple watch if you develop an iphone app for it. It would be nice if Apple opened it up to allow custom watchfaces but its already pretty open as it is.
The Samsung watches can do it all and custom watch faces, but both aren't really the same premise as Watchy.
Like someone else mentioned, it's more like an arduino on your wrist. An apple watch or samsung watch are tightly bound to a higher level ecosystem. I can't even be bothered setting up the tooling to develop on Tizen anymore. Such a pain in the ass.
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#119Maybe I'm a curmudgeon, but I have subzero interest in smartwatches, even hackable or open source models. I want my watch to tell me the time, and I want it to do so 10, 20, and 30 years from now without having to fiddle with software. I love Linux. I cut my teeth on it in high school after one too many viruses on Windows XP made me bite the bullet and try debian. I love my Raspberry Pi. It went from retro-gaming con…
I was the same until I realized with a smartwatch I could leave my smartphone at home but still receive phone calls. Helps me disconnect from the smartphone everyday instead of only days where I know I don't need to be contacted.
Re: Watchy: Hackable $50 Smartwatch
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
A smart watch is not a “watch.” It has functionally nothing in common with a Seiko or a Rolex. It’s a computer form factor, like a desktop, laptop, video game console, tablet, or smartphone. Yes they all rapidly become e-waste and that is a problem but Seikos are not really relevant.
They do occupy the same location on the wrist.
I use a smartwatch to tell time just like I use a smartphone to call people. Which is to say that I carry them like their predecessors, but I do a whole lot on them that isn’t captured by their non-smart designations.