Whatever massive nerd spent their 10% time doing this: thank you. This is a bit of light in the cynical pit of lost proprietary code.
Google open-sources the Pebble OS
141–150 of 216 posts
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
It was dead long before Google was involved. Pebble filed for insolvency back in 2016 with Fitbit acquiring much of the assets. It was dead at this point. 5 years later Google bought Fitbit.
Looks like there is money in the business of hyped-dying startups. First Pebble, then Beeper, and now Pebble again.
is there no end to the cynicism?
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#143Thank you, Google. You didn't have to, but you did. We are all are extraordinarily grateful. I wrote a blog post about our plans to bring Pebble back, sustainably. https://ericmigi.com/blog/why-were-bringing-pebble-back We got our original start on HN ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3827868 ), it's a pleasure to be back. If you're interested in getting a new Pebble, check out https://rePebble.com
the site asks if you want a new pebble and if you click "no" you're redirected to apple watch website LMAO
with a referral link or no?
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#144Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
The source code has zero business value to Google at this point – they have another smartwatch OS and there's never gonna be a business case for a company of Google's scale to revive a niche product like this. Releasing means getting free PR on Hacker News and a free morale boost for employees who care about this kind of thing.
And the opportunity for a shit ton of lawsuits. Source code like this doesn’t just have no value for Google. It has negative value. It’s a massive liability. That’s why big cos simply bury source code instead of releasing it in the open.
Liability for what?
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do wonder how they successfully justified this to the higher ups. If anything, I would like to learn from them so I can better justify the things I want to do..
Google's a strange place currently. Something like this would be bizarrely easy if you had the ear of the right person. (i.e. someone who would tell legal etc. "you gotta do it" when asked) Reason why is, it's a feel-good thing that aligns well with Old Google values, and Google's not yet old enough for "Why bother doing anything at all?" to be an acceptable vocalized response. It has standard, if not worse, dysfunct…
That seems like big standard organizational dysfunction.
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it's perfectly reasonable to celebrate this action and the individuals who championed it while also being cynical of the big tech orgs that resist changes like this for the reasons described.
Being cynical is almost a default of the internet and I think it squanders a lot of hope. It's better not to be cynical
It is better to be less cynical than your average redditor or HN denizen, but not entirely uncynical.
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#148Thank you, Google. You didn't have to, but you did. We are all are extraordinarily grateful. I wrote a blog post about our plans to bring Pebble back, sustainably. https://ericmigi.com/blog/why-were-bringing-pebble-back We got our original start on HN ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3827868 ), it's a pleasure to be back. If you're interested in getting a new Pebble, check out https://rePebble.com
Thanks! I don’t think I’ll ever go back from my Apple Watch, but pebble does still hold a soft spot in my heart.
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#149People passing cynical comments at Google need to understand that at a big co like Google, something like this doesn't 'just happen'. It probably happened because some passionate L6/L7 engineer wanted to do it and pushed through the bureaucracy to get approvals for it, probably largely on their own time (by which I mean that this was at best a side-project for them and at worst a distraction that was losing them favo…
[dead]
Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS
#150People passing cynical comments at Google need to understand that at a big co like Google, something like this doesn't 'just happen'. It probably happened because some passionate L6/L7 engineer wanted to do it and pushed through the bureaucracy to get approvals for it, probably largely on their own time (by which I mean that this was at best a side-project for them and at worst a distraction that was losing them favo…
I do wonder how they successfully justified this to the higher ups. If anything, I would like to learn from them so I can better justify the things I want to do..
> wonder how they successfully justified this to the higher ups
Commoditise your complements.
Injecting competition into the watch market reduces the chances one of the majors, e.g. Apple or Altman, runs away with the wearables sector if it takes off again in respect of AI.