Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch • Hacker News Board

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#251

Post by WorldMaker » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:00 PM UTC

diego_moita wrote: post #107

haunter wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a screen that barcode scanners can easily read for authentication into the gym and library Only Pebble can do this? Apple Watch does that too, like literally I use mine for the same cases you described

Don't know about the Apple Watch, I'm out of Apple's walled garden. My experience with bright screens is that low density bar codes work ok mostly. But some high density codes don't work well. One of them is Plessey, still used in Europe.

Apple Watch's OLED seems great with even the densest QR code profiles. (I have an older Series 5, I think, and have never had a problem scanning a QR code from the watch.) I think Apple tests it heavily, too, because a lot of the codes on "Apple Wallet cards" for things like a store's rewards program get scanned as QR codes, and at least several of those are extremely dense. (I haven't done the debugging myself, but I believe I read on HN elsewhere that at least one was just stuffing a full bloated JWT into a QR to explain its extreme density.)

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#252

Post by jbj » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:01 PM UTC

edejong wrote: post #189

razemio wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just checked the Garmin Fenix 7 and now I want to add one missing point to your list: - affordable

Yeah, although the Garmin Fenix 7 is an awesome watch, especially as an amateur athlete, it is ** expensive. Features from the Fenix 7 which I value over Pebble (apart from the obvious): - Materials: titanium and sapphire. Means it is indestructible. Great for hiking expeditions. - Garmin Connect (SaaS fitness community). - HRV (Heart Rate Variability). - Regular, well tested updates. Stuff that I miss: - Hackability…

another advantage on fenix is that you can use totp 2fa without keeping the phone connected - if the time ever drifts you can always sync it from satellites

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#253

Post by whitexn--g28h » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:02 PM UTC

unsafecast wrote: post #248

huehehue wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have fond memories of rooting early Android devices, and having to constantly rip the battery out when the phone would inevitably lock up. I have less fond memories of waiting all day for a newer phone to run out of battery when the same thing happened.

I've never ever ran into a situation where holding the power button for ~15 seconds didn't reset the phone. This stuff runs at a _way_ lower level than the software you can mess with. Non-removable batteries are still stupid though.

I have seen newer 1+ phones lock up and it fail to respond to the reset sequence. After receiving a call the modem crashes and it reboots. No other input can reset the device.

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#254

Post by mikepurvis » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:04 PM UTC

xrd wrote: post #134

mikepurvis wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was in this position as well but after about a year of a FitBit Luxe, I'm a convert. Fitness-wise, I like the heartrate and GPS tracking for walks and bike rides, and length-counting for lane swims. I like that it's an easy interface to input my weight and see that as a trend over time. And I like the sleep tracking and smart-wake alarms quite a bit. Notifications I could take or leave; they're not super reliable b…

Can you write your own apps for a FitBit Luxe, i.e., can you pull the GPS data off using your own app, or get it off the device somehow?

No, you can't— it's only the large-screen devices that support custom JavaScript-based apps. For example, using https://github.com/200Tigersbloxed/FitbitHRtoWS to get realtime heartrate data, for example to display as a Twitch stream overlay.

And it doesn't have its own GPS; it piggy-backs off the phone for that. Which is fine for cycling and running, but obviously doesn't work for open water swims where you could use GPS for position but wouldn't normally bring your phone.

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#255

Post by jbj » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:06 PM UTC

diego_moita wrote: post #13

I use 5 of them! And I have one more with a wasted battery that I intend to replace. And I'll still buy some more, because I want to have them available for the rest of my life. There are things that only the Pebble does: - button only interface that you can handle in the dark without glasses - a screen that barcode scanners can easily read for authentication into the gym and library - a TOTP app (authentication toke…

Have a pebble and a fenix, I got all of those set up on my pebble, and all but one of those things set up on fenix. Unfortunaltely the opensource barcode app for connectIQ only supports 1D barcodes and not QR codes.

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#256

Post by jbj » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:08 PM UTC

in addition to these, there may be watches without a rebble subscription being used with gadgetbridge which can work without internet

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#257

Post by centro » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:18 PM UTC

Maybe Rebble is a new brand that can start production of e-ink based smart watches that don't try do to everything.

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#258

Post by dieselgate » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:19 PM UTC

rchaud wrote: post #209

helsinkiandrew wrote: post #202

I've got a friend who still uses a Palm Pilot (circa 1998) as a daily calendar manager/notepad. Works at Google and delights in telling younger colleagues it's a Pixel 8 prototype.

I'm sad that tech did away with replaceable batteries. I would love to use my 5-inch 16:9 Samsung phone from 2016. It still works fine, but the battery barely lasts an hour. Instead I have to use one of their gigantic replacement phones with a ridiculous 21:9 ratio.

It's strange to me how 'newer' phones (referencing my iphone 5s) seem to have software control battery life? I got the battery replaced multiple times on an iphone and none of them really provided a sustained increase in the battery life of the device.

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#259

Post by esel2k » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:23 PM UTC

diego_moita wrote: post #13

I use 5 of them! And I have one more with a wasted battery that I intend to replace. And I'll still buy some more, because I want to have them available for the rest of my life. There are things that only the Pebble does: - button only interface that you can handle in the dark without glasses - a screen that barcode scanners can easily read for authentication into the gym and library - a TOTP app (authentication toke…

Pebble user here as well! I moved from PTS to PTR (fall on the ground - dead) now back to PTR and it is amazing: long battery life, the apps on it are great. I use: Rain, Checklist, timer, LMS controller and alarm and torch. You?

Re: Over 16k people still use a Pebble smartwatch

#260

Post by mrcheesebreeze » Thu, Nov 03, 2022, 6:24 PM UTC

dieselgate wrote: post #258

rchaud wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sad that tech did away with replaceable batteries. I would love to use my 5-inch 16:9 Samsung phone from 2016. It still works fine, but the battery barely lasts an hour. Instead I have to use one of their gigantic replacement phones with a ridiculous 21:9 ratio.

It's strange to me how 'newer' phones (referencing my iphone 5s) seem to have software control battery life? I got the battery replaced multiple times on an iphone and none of them really provided a sustained increase in the battery life of the device.

planned obsolescence