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E-ink smartwatch Pebble, back from the dead, now open source (www.theregister.com)
submitted 9 months ago by to c/opensource@programming.dev
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Pebble, the e-ink smartwatch with a tumultuous history, is making a move sure to please the DIY enthusiasts that make up the bulk of its fans: Its entire software stack is now fully open source, and key hardware design files are available too.

Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky announced the move on Monday in a blog post and video detailing the changes his reborn Pebble watchmaking firm has undertaken, and they're considerable.

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[–] 36 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Mostly good news except they cut out the foundation that did all the work keeping it alive for the last 9 years.

It's good it's going open it sucks that they are forking the amazing work of the community rather than contributing directly into the existing branch.

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  • [–] 1 point 9 months ago (2 children)

    it sucks hard, but at the same time rebble wasn’t about to release a new product. i’d wager a large number of the preorders are from folks who are now measurably more loyal to rebble than the original pebble brand.

    the lack of trust in the founder might actually be driving FOMO in this case, as folks are even more likely to think the reincarnation will fail sooner rather than later.

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  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago (1 child)

    It's the best worst case and there is still room for rebbel to find meaningful support. I'm just sad it happened your way. I wish Eric could have been more patient, and I wish rebbel could have been faster to react. All the personal stuff and respect issues are just a bummer all around.

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    • [–] 27 points 9 months ago

    Doesn't have and never had an E-Ink display. It's a tLCD (t for transflective). It shares the property that it gets easier to read the brighter the ambient light is. It does not need to be cycled like E-Ink and is generally fast in comparison (closer to LCD in speed).

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    [–] 9 points 9 months ago (4 children)

    E-paper, not e-ink.

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  • [–] 10 points 9 months ago (3 children)

    For anyone else confused, e-ink seems to be a brand, e-paper is the broader term.

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  • [–] 5 points 9 months ago* (2 children)

    Its a brand refering to a patented technology where as e-paper encompasses multiple types of display technologies defined by low energy usage and not requiring a backing light to function.

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  • [–] 1 point 9 months ago (1 child)

    Interesting, thanks. I had no idea about the disdistinction between these terms until now (as a Kindle owner for over a decade, even...).

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    • [–] 1 point 9 months ago

    Wish I didn't hate wearing watches. These look cool.

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