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Pebble Watch Software Is Now 100% Open Source (ericmigi.com)

submitted 11 months ago by King@blackneon.net to c/opensource@lemmy.ml

77 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Yesterday, Pebble watch software was ~95% open source. Today, it’s 100% open source. You can download, compile and run all the software you need to use your Pebble. We just published the source code for the new Pebble mobile app!

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[+] umbrella@lemmy.ml 60 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

[deleted]

[-] unphazed@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago

Tasker profiles
Music Boss to use gesture control and control audiobooks and music
Tasker Profiles
Call and text info
Tasker profiles
Google map directions

[-] Tower@lemmy.zip 44 points 11 months ago

Cool, but have you thought about using it for Tasker profiles?

[-] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 30 points 11 months ago

Can’t, he’s too busy with Tasker profiles.

[-] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

He's busy trying to figure out how to set up Tasker profiles using Tasker profiles

[-] AlecSadler@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 11 months ago

I'm on day 9 with over 40% battery left and that's with dealing with over 300 notifications a day.

It's stupid light, barely notice it's there.

I love my pebble, I missed them while they were gone - no other smartwatch comes close. I'm glad they're back.

[-] Rooster326@programming.dev 4 points 11 months ago

But why 300 notifications per day? Can you not turn them off?

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[-] the16bitgamer@programming.dev 12 points 11 months ago

I have a Pebble Time and when the app stopped working a Garmin Fenix.

I use my smart watch predominantly for Text notifications, call screening and music control.

In the past this was to extend my phone to last more than a day. But now it’s so I don’t need to dig up my phone when I get a notification or call. Great for monitoring things when you are driving or walking.

The biggest benefits of these devices is the insane battery life. Like a Garmin the battery is in weeks not hours. So charging is infrequent unlike the phone.

Pebble though is still the best in this field since their watches use epaper for their displays. So it actually works as a watch. And their devices are application focused, so if it doesn’t come with a timer, you can always download one.

Garmin watches are good, but their move to OLED pushed me away from buying another. And their locked down system makes me concerned with its future as a smart watch. As a sport and activity tracker it’s unrivalled. But I will buy a new pebble before another Garmin.

[-] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 11 months ago

You got a garmin fenix for text notifications? Wild stuff

[-] the16bitgamer@programming.dev 4 points 11 months ago

It was very very onsale, and at the time I was bouldering so I wanted to track it.

Currently using it as a swim watch and if I get a new pebble, I will still be using it as my exercise computer.

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[-] albsen@beehaw.org 6 points 11 months ago

battery life, the quirky watch faces, notifications and controlling my music while on the run. GadgetBridge supports it so you don't depend on their apps. the pebble 2 models have an issue with the buttons. pebble time is fine. also, don't use them in water.

[-] kureta@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago

Iddon't have a pebble watch but I find my smartwatch useful for reducing my screen time. when I get a notification, I look at my watch and don't do anything else if it is not important, doesn't require immediate answer. When I don't have my watch, I look at my phone to see the notification, and check other stuff while I have my phone, like Instagram end Lemmy, and a single notification takes 20 minutes of my life.

[-] blinfabian@feddit.nl 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

i like my smartwatch bc it shows time, i can pay quickly, and it vibrates when i get a notification or call. (the vibration is more noticable then the one my phone makes and i dislike loud noises)

note: i have a samsung, not a pebble

[-] EtnaAtsume@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Exercise tracking!

[-] benagain@lemmy.ml 35 points 11 months ago

Ooh.. can I print my next smartwatch?

[-] AnarchoEngineer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 11 months ago

Depends, can you print your own PCBs and microchips?

[-] Anivia@feddit.org 10 points 11 months ago

can you print your own PCBs

As long as its only dual layer, no problem

and microchips

No 😢

[-] unphazed@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

They released all the info, including pcb cads, sensor info, etc.

[-] rishado@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Yes but are you physically equipped to print that sort of stuff was the question

[-] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 11 months ago

Probably could print the shell and buttons, would be quite difficult to print the wristband, and the screen, PCB, storage and battery would all have to be commodity components. Doable though.

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[-] fum@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago

If the Android app is fully open source, then it should be made available in f-droid

[-] tangonov@lemmy.ca 26 points 11 months ago

Apparently the packaging requirements for F-Droid are more challenging than just "must be open source" and aren't for everybody.

https://f-droid.org/en/docs/Inclusion_Policy/

The "no Google Play services" alone are a non starter for many apps. My preferred messenger, Signal, is plenty open source and runs its own notification daemon, but cannot be found on F-Droid. I have to get it via Obtainium instead.

[-] deadcade@lemmy.deadca.de 12 points 11 months ago

"No Google Play services" falls under "app must be FOSS". The average publicly developed open source app should not have much trouble getting into F-Droid if the developer wants to. Google Play services consists of several components, one of which is a proprietary library included in apps using it. If your app includes proprietary code, it is not FOSS.

If Signal decided a build without proprietary blobs isn't worth it, they're not getting into F-Droid. Forks of Signal exist that remove the Google Play services build requirement, those are in F-Droid.

[-] zingo@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Forks of Signal exist that remove the Google Play services build requirement, those are in F-Droid.

Like Molly. I use it and it's great. I'm using the FOSS version.

You can even selfhost the push server.

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[-] kilgore_trout@feddit.it 9 points 11 months ago

Signal […] cannot be found on F-Droid. I have to get it via Obtainium instead.

You can get Molly on F-Droid. It's a soft fork that iimplements UnifiedPush, among other things.

[-] fum@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

In addition to this, Signal can be downloaded from their own website and has a self update mechanism. It also does not depend on google play services (which I don't have on my android phone)

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[-] pebbles@sh.itjust.works 22 points 11 months ago

pebble

[-] poke@sh.itjust.works 7 points 11 months ago

When you're right, you're right

[-] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago

And you? You're always right.

[-] VoxAliorum@lemmy.ml 17 points 11 months ago

I get baited every time :( thinking "Ah! Finally a watch I can buy!" Then I, again, see the 30 day warranty (that would be illegal in my country) and remember that this is not a good buy for me. Good luck to all buyers.

[-] Undertaker@feddit.org 6 points 11 months ago

Warranty is nothing I care about. In Germany it is perfectly legal (called "Garantie"), but we habe laws ensuring 2 year period called "Gewährleistung" which is automtically included

[-] VoxAliorum@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago

Either you are misunderstanding something or I am. I don't think Gewährleistung applies here because it is not sold to the German market but instead you import it from the American market.

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[-] bravesilvernest@lemmy.ml 11 points 11 months ago

I finally got my Duo 2, and while my old OG still lasts 3 days on a battery I figured time to give it rest.

So far its been great, except that I can't connect to gadgetbridge anymore. I uninstalled the Core pebble app and instead popped MicroPebble on my phone due to not exactly liking where Core was heading, so I'm glad they're finally pivoting.

[-] unphazed@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

I waited until I got my duo whilst my Steel was on a 2 day battery cycle. As soon as I got the watch it dropped to 16 hours. I finally replaced the battery, to find that I really needed a new zebra strip, too. 12 days later I got a new strip and my Steel is running for 7 days again. I use Mpebble for now, as to my knowledge Cobble doesn't support many 3rd party apps like Tasker yet (I haven't tried in a couple of weeks)

[-] oeuf@slrpnk.net 11 points 11 months ago

Cool! I've been that interested in smartwatches but I'm interested in this!

[-] AliasAKA@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago

This is amazing. Very interested in picking one up

[-] hopesdead@startrek.website 7 points 11 months ago

They honestly lost me with the fitness platform they were developing with the hardware they tried launching before they got bought by Fitbit.

I’m too baked into my Apple Watch to use a Pebble today. I don’t have any of my old watches. I would not mind a circular Apple Watch. I loved the Pebble Round.

[-] 18107@aussie.zone 21 points 11 months ago

The founder explains in this blog post about the original failure of pebble, and why pebble shouldn't have focused on fitness.

They're coming back as a tool/toy for the enthusiasts who want to tinker.

[-] staciagrey@lemmy.ml 6 points 11 months ago

I'd feel liked Id buy out of nostalgia and then be disappointed. Pebble was the pioneer that got bought out. Typical

[-] ubergeek@lemmy.today 6 points 11 months ago

I dunno. I keep remembering what my old Pebble did, and how well it did, and nothing more... And yep, I want it back.

Basically, a dumb watch, with an HR monitor, accelerometer, and could sync that data to my phone app.

Its API let me do cool things like pause/unpause my music while running, which was nice. But, it required the apps to be have an API for doing so.

Battery? The thing went an entire week between charges.

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

I disagree with calling it "dumb". it was perfect for it's niche. I want a watch to show the time, basic notifications, media control... not send an email.

Pebble always on screen and long battery life was perfect for a wearable. all other smartwatches are basically miniaturized phones that do way too much in a screen that can't handle it. If something is easier to do on the phone, it does not need to work on a smartwatch.

Hopefully the new pebbles are good, I am worried that the new one's touch screen will make a touch based UI, which suck on tiny screens,

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[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago

Remind me of the recent source ownership issue? I thought there was a "thanks for all the community work over a decade and we want to participate; oops now we own it" story.

[-] absGeekNZ 8 points 11 months ago

Covered here you choose to look into it more if you want.

[-] daytonah@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago

Can someone explain this to me. When you setup pebble on this new open source app, does the app connect to the internet? Who controls those servers? Is it rebble or this company LLC that Eric created? Who is server admin?

[-] Cheesebaron@feddit.dk 11 points 11 months ago

It is open sourcing the repebble app here: https://repebble.com/app

Looking through the code, most calls go to repebble.com, rebble.com and rebble.io domains. Most of it seems to be for login, firmware downloads, settings synchronization, weather forecasts and language packs.

There are also some calls to memfault.com for crash analytics.

Most of it seems pretty innocent. If you don't like this app you can also use Gadgetbridge as an alternative.