Google open-sources the Pebble OS • Hacker News Board

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#161

Post by rkagerer » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 7:45 AM UTC

elevatedastalt wrote: post #84

People 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…

Sounds like a horrible place to work.

(That said, I offer my gratitude for the perseverance it took to get this done)

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#162

Post by modeless » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 7:58 AM UTC

girvo wrote: post #81

organsnyder wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I backed a Pebble Time Round Gold on the last Kickstarter, which was cancelled when Pebble was acquired. Somehow the devices ended up on Amazon, and I snagged one there. It's a phenomenally stylish device.

My white 20mm one with a brown leather band started more conversations than anything else I’ve ever owned and used, which was surprising but neat :) Unfortunately mine got stolen and broken, which is a shame. I wonder how hard they are to buy today, and how difficult battery replacements for them are…

Battery replacement is difficult, not impossible, but bordering on impossible is restoring the waterproof seal. Once you've replaced the battery you basically have to keep it away from water. I wasn't careful with mine and lost two to water damage after replacing the battery, despite re-sealing with permanent adhesive.

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#163

Post by ThinkBeat » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:07 AM UTC

The heading is misleading. Proprietary parts of the system have been removed on the current repo will not compile due to missing code.

"" Proprietary source code has been removed from this repository and it will not compile as-is. This is for information only. ""

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#164

Post by ThinkBeat » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:12 AM UTC

The title is misleading. Proprietary code has been removed from the repo and the published repo will not compile because of it.

Google states: "" This is for information only.""

""This is the latest version of the internal repository from Pebble Technology providing the software to run on Pebble watches. Proprietary source code has been removed from this repository and it will not compile as-is""

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#165

Post by Acnapyx1 » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:12 AM UTC

[flagged]

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#166

Post by girvo » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:15 AM UTC

modeless wrote: post #162

girvo wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My white 20mm one with a brown leather band started more conversations than anything else I’ve ever owned and used, which was surprising but neat :) Unfortunately mine got stolen and broken, which is a shame. I wonder how hard they are to buy today, and how difficult battery replacements for them are…

Battery replacement is difficult, not impossible, but bordering on impossible is restoring the waterproof seal. Once you've replaced the battery you basically have to keep it away from water. I wasn't careful with mine and lost two to water damage after replacing the battery, despite re-sealing with permanent adhesive.

Ah that is excellent to know, I appreciate it!

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#167

Post by xvector » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:27 AM UTC

erohead wrote: post #14

Thank 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

I love what you're doing but the design of the pebble turns me off. Thoughts on making a sleek design that actually looks like a pebble?

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#168

Post by JohnKemeny » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:29 AM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #150

nialv7 wrote: post #93

Earlier 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..

> 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.

This is not exactly what is meant by Commoditise your complements.

"Commoditise your complements" in this setting would mean making watch OSs free for everyone in order to make demand for watches go up.

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#169

Post by Almondsetat » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:39 AM UTC

Gigachad wrote: post #86

girvo wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite, but a transflective one (from Sharp, I believe) which gave it a lot of the benefits of daylight readability while being much much easier to program for and work with.

At the cost of looking very dull and washed out.

Why do you need an exciting and vibrant display for your watch? Are you looking at movies?

Re: Google open-sources the Pebble OS

#170

Post by 0xedd » Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 8:55 AM UTC

elevatedastalt wrote: post #84

People 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…

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