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Pebble's next step

blog.getpebble.com

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Re: Pebble's next step

#391

Post by TeMPOraL »

problems wrote: post #378
djsumdog wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your device will keep working yet, but what if you switch phones/tablets? Now you need to setup a new device with the watch and...oh wait... Pebble re-downloads and re-installs all the apps. If their app/servers go away, now we'll be looking up hack people wrote on github to get our devices working again.

Yeah, fortunately TiBu can backup both the Pebble app and the Bluetooth pairing. But that's basically next, modified firmwares already exist I believe, so I don't think it's unreasonable to think that if we need to use those and sideload apps we'll be able to. I'm fairly sure that I could crack the pebble apk myself to remove the authentication stuff at the beginning if it's needed. Backing up all the apps and stuff…

Backup is already underway, Reddit folks stepped up to the challenge.

I don't think PBW format has any magic in it that could enforce cloud dependency.

Re: Pebble's next step

#392

Post by chrisper »

enraged_camel wrote: post #309
chrisper wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shenzhen is booming because of Open Source hardware. It's amazing. They realized that IP is garbage and only holds back everyone.

Interesting. Where can I read more about this?

I watched this series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp6F_ApUq-c&list=PLPoleY2BUv...

Re: Pebble's next step

#393

Post by syshum »

st3v3r wrote: post #308
syshum wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>I have to say I'm really disappointed and this is a huge blow to people that invest in startups offering hardware. Buyers need to start demanding Open Source Software and Open Hardware... With out that, you will always be screwed

Then Open Source Software needs to get better.

It is already very good.

Re: Pebble's next step

#394

Post by htrp »

enraged_camel wrote: post #312
Tinyyy wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does FitBit have the responsibility of providing support for another company’s products? If they didn’t buy Pebble, it would’ve shuttered anyways and they might not even refund the preorders.

When you buy a company, you don't buy just the assets. You also acquire the liabilities, which include debt, warranties and support contracts.

Unless you buy the company in liquidation (chapter 7 style) which is more and more what this seems like.

Re: Pebble's next step

#395

Post by syshum »

lucaspiller wrote: post #57
rtpg wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also not super legal, probably. I'm sure if you have a problem, you could argue that Fitbit needs to handle it.

This is exactly why FitBit only bought the IP - it means they don't have any legal responsibilities the other company has, such as warranties.

They may not have any Legal Liablity, but it going to be a PR problem for them

I know I will not buy any FitBit products either, if this acceptable to FitBit, to do nothing for these customers knowing this was going to happen then FiTBit does not deserve anyone's money either.

It would have been better for the company to just Die if they were that bad off (which I have my doubts unless they were Seriously mismanaged)

These Acquihires where a large company partially buys out another company for there personnel and/or IP shuttering the original product and fucking over customers need to come with at minimum a HUGE PR back lash for the company buying the assets to make them at least do right by the original customers offering things like Reasonable levels of support, Transition planning, etc

Re: Pebble's next step

#396

Post by problems »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #391
problems wrote: post #378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, fortunately TiBu can backup both the Pebble app and the Bluetooth pairing. But that's basically next, modified firmwares already exist I believe, so I don't think it's unreasonable to think that if we need to use those and sideload apps we'll be able to. I'm fairly sure that I could crack the pebble apk myself to remove the authentication stuff at the beginning if it's needed. Backing up all the apps and stuff…

Backup is already underway, Reddit folks stepped up to the challenge. I don't think PBW format has any magic in it that could enforce cloud dependency.

Yeah, from what I saw with the customized firmwares it looked fairly open to tinkering.

I'll have to check out what's going on with the pebble community over there. Might be interesting to get as much reverse engineered as possible before everything goes belly up.

Re: Pebble's next step

#397

Post by mikestew »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #144
TarpitCarnivore wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But after having two hugely successful crowdfunding campaigns, how did they fail? One could argue having to go continuously go back to that well meant they never gained the market traction they were hoping for.

I think it was simply a kind of tradition. It wouldn't be Pebble without a Kickstarter for each new watch. Also I suppose this way they got better deal on preorders that they could do elsewhere, coupled with lots of free marketing.

I think it was simply a kind of tradition. It wouldn't be Pebble without a Kickstarter for each new watch.

It was the cute the first two times. By round #3, I was tired of the "we'll ship soon, after a slew of delays!" dance, and ready for Pebble to put on their big boy pants and let me know when they ship to a retailer from whom I can buy one that day.

And apparently those big boy pants were still fitting a bit loose.

Re: Pebble's next step

#398

Post by mikestew »

tdkl wrote: post #385
mikestew wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want to hit a person while they're down (in the dumps about their "purchase"), but going to Kickstarter for version 3 was my sign to give it a rest on buying Pebbles. Maybe it was just marketing, but it caused me to wonder "have you not made enough profit to support rolling out your third version without outside backing?" If it finally hit retail, great, I might get one then. But in the meantime I bought a Ga…

I always said that sport watches will become smarter sooner then smart watches sportier.

Because sometimes an up vote isn't enough: I have nothing more to add other than complimenting you on a very insightful comment that said in one sentence what has taken me paragraphs.

Re: Pebble's next step

#399

Post by st3v3r »

nharada wrote: post #311
st3v3r wrote: post #307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they bought the assets? Why should they be able to only get the good stuff, and not the responsibility?

Would it have been better for Pebble to go bankrupt, shutdown their services now, and not refund anyone's orders?

Honestly, probably. Because then the precedent wouldn't be continued that companies can shirk responsibility for things they acquire.

Re: Pebble's next step

#400

Post by eslaught »

victorvation wrote: post #70
captainmuon wrote: post #64

I'm quite angry. This sucks so bad. I "ordered" a Time 2 via Kickstarter. I'm glad they are refunding me, but that makes me think... WTF, did they not produce any Time 2's? Or are they all going to the landfill? How long have they been knowing that they are going to be insolvent? This doesn't happen overnight! Was the last Kickstarter a gamble? Why does everybody have to aim for total market dominance to be successfu…

> Was the last Kickstarter a gamble? _All_ Kickstarters are gambles. Their messaging[1] is pretty clear in the fact that you aren't buying a product, you're contributing money with the hope that the maker will deliver on their promises. [1] https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store

A while back GPG announced their Kickstarter campaign for a game to be named Human Resources. It was later announced that they actually didn't have enough funds to survive if the Kickstarter didn't go through[1]. The campaign stalled and the entire company went under.

People were understandably angry. And it wasn't so much the risk (because none of the backers lost their money), it's that the company wasn't upfront about risks. GPG's leadership knew going in that the company would go under if the campaign didn't become a miraculous success, but backers didn't find that out until after the campaign had stalled.

Presumably, backers wouldn't have been informed at all if the campaign had succeeded.

This situation with Pebble is even more strange because apparently their campaign succeeded (in raising money beyond their target goal)....

[1]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/659943965/human-resourc...

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