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A programmable watch you can actually wear

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Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#121

Post by jolmg »

Rohansi wrote: post #75
jolmg wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An advantage of ESP32-S3 could be that it seems possible to run Linux on it.

Not natively. It's not a supported architecture and lacks an MMU. Those who have run Linux on it have done so through a RISC-V emulator or similar.

Hmm... I don't have an ESP32-S3 to test, but looking at one of the esp32s3 linux builds online[1], the binaries are compiled for the xtensa arch. So it does seem to run natively rather than through some kind of emulation. Linux's source does have an arch/xtensa/ directory, so that arch seems to be supported on some level by the kernel. ESP32-S3's docs also mention having an MMU[2], though it's possible it's not sufficiently featureful.

[1] https://github.com/hpsaturn/esp32s3-linux/releases/tag/0.0.4

[2] https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/stable/esp32s...

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#123

Post by jolmg »

pjmlp wrote: post #96
jolmg wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An advantage of ESP32-S3 could be that it seems possible to run Linux on it.

I for one like it is ESP-IDF with FreeRTOS, at least we get some variation.

Would be nice to be able to rely on a bit of the same tooling as other general purpose computing devices.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#124

Post by pjmlp »

jolmg wrote: post #123
pjmlp wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I for one like it is ESP-IDF with FreeRTOS, at least we get some variation.

Would be nice to be able to rely on a bit of the same tooling as other general purpose computing devices.

There are other means to achieve that without Linux monoculture.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#126

Post by permutations »

MrDrMcCoy wrote: post #26

There are only a few features I care about in a smartwatch: 1. O2 monitoring. I have sleep apnea and live at high altitude, so this matters to me. 2. Motion sensor. Also mostly for tracking sleep. 3. Vibrator for notifications. 4. A screen backlight. 5. Battery life longer than a week. 6. Waterproof enough to survive a splash in the shower/rain. I consider GPS, cellular, AI, touchscreens, cloud-only sync and control…

Well as a pebble evangelist I have great news! The heartrate sensor on the PT2 can also do O2 monitoring, they’re planning on implementing it in the future :)

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#127

Post by MrDrMcCoy »

permutations wrote: post #126
MrDrMcCoy wrote: post #26

There are only a few features I care about in a smartwatch: 1. O2 monitoring. I have sleep apnea and live at high altitude, so this matters to me. 2. Motion sensor. Also mostly for tracking sleep. 3. Vibrator for notifications. 4. A screen backlight. 5. Battery life longer than a week. 6. Waterproof enough to survive a splash in the shower/rain. I consider GPS, cellular, AI, touchscreens, cloud-only sync and control…

Well as a pebble evangelist I have great news! The heartrate sensor on the PT2 can also do O2 monitoring, they’re planning on implementing it in the future :)

That is excellent news! Looking forward to that :)

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#128

Post by Rohansi »

jolmg wrote: post #121
Rohansi wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not natively. It's not a supported architecture and lacks an MMU. Those who have run Linux on it have done so through a RISC-V emulator or similar.

Hmm... I don't have an ESP32-S3 to test, but looking at one of the esp32s3 linux builds online[1], the binaries are compiled for the xtensa arch. So it does seem to run natively rather than through some kind of emulation. Linux's source does have an arch/xtensa/ directory, so that arch seems to be supported on some level by the kernel. ESP32-S3's docs also mention having an MMU[2], though it's possible it's not suffi…

Interesting! I've only seen the older projects which probably predate the ESP32-S3. I wonder how usable this is in reality though because you typically can only buy modules with up to 8MB of PSRAM, so you'd have to swap the PSRAM out for higher capacity or manufacture a custom board.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#129

Post by Neywiny »

asciimov wrote: post #111
danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

Apple Series 3 owner for about 9 years. 1. Notifications. Most useful in noisy environments such as grocery stores, airports, shop floors, or any place you may be wearing hearing protection. Also great while working with your hands, like car work or cooking and directions while driving. It’s best to limit them to the apps that matter, and only when you need them. 2. Biometrics. However, after this watch finally dies,…

There are reportedly solar smart watches. I do wish my dumb watch was a tad smarter in that it doesn't get automatic time updates, but that's not impossible even without a phone. I haven't found one that's waterproof, solar, wireless time, and the right price though.

It helps mine runs a bit fast so I'm early to things. If it ran slow I'd probably have replaced it years ago. As is, I'm going on 10 years with barely taking it off my wrist and never charging or replacing a battery, and I'm not the first owner.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#130

Post by asciimov »

Neywiny wrote: post #129
asciimov wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple Series 3 owner for about 9 years. 1. Notifications. Most useful in noisy environments such as grocery stores, airports, shop floors, or any place you may be wearing hearing protection. Also great while working with your hands, like car work or cooking and directions while driving. It’s best to limit them to the apps that matter, and only when you need them. 2. Biometrics. However, after this watch finally dies,…

There are reportedly solar smart watches. I do wish my dumb watch was a tad smarter in that it doesn't get automatic time updates, but that's not impossible even without a phone. I haven't found one that's waterproof, solar, wireless time, and the right price though. It helps mine runs a bit fast so I'm early to things. If it ran slow I'd probably have replaced it years ago. As is, I'm going on 10 years with barely t…

Citizen has an Atomic Timekeeping Eco-Drive series of watches that have a 200 meter water resistance. If you like complications see the Promaster Skyhawk A-T.
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