Apr 12
The allure of having a smart watch like the Pebble is more than just having a watch with more display options: it’s apps. Now, with the release of the Pebble SDK, the apps can start to flow. More »
Apr 12
Pebble has officially released its SDK, after promising to deliver it during the second week of April. This qualifies, if only just, and arrives alongside firmware update version 1.1 for PebbleOS. The new software update for the hardware brings support for custom watch faces built using the SDK, as well as new options for disabling backlighting and vibrations, as well as fixes for iOS bugs.
The SDK itself is currently just for creating watch faces, not for building apps with other functionality, although we could see some creative software made even with those restrictions. Pebble says its Sports app SDK is coming soon, which should help developers mirror the sorts of functions introduced by RunKeeper.
This is the first time third-party developers have had public access to developer tools for the Pebble platform, so it should give us a hint of what’s to come. And the firmware update fixes for iOS include one that makes the “Allow Pebble to communicate…” dialog appear far less often, which is great news since that’s a majorly annoying bug for people using iPhones with the device.
Thanks Terrance!
Apr 12
Pebble has been on a rapid cadence with smartwatch updates to justify those crowdfunded dollars, and it’s not letting up just because watch shipments are well underway. PebbleOS 1.10 has arrived with support for custom watch faces built using the matching (and newly available) SDK. The revamp will be especially helpful for iOS users — we see several fixes for crashes, permissions and power in store. Everyone gets options to disable backlighting and vibrations in certain conditions, too. As such, there’s every reason to fire up the Pebble app for an upgrade, even if it’s just for some visual variety.
[Thanks, Uday]
Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables
Source: Pebble (1), (2)
Apr 09
Kickstarter backers have been receiving Pebble smartwatches with a black paint job since January, but if you’re a supporter and haven’t gotten ahold of your own yet, that’s about to change. The folks behind the hardware announced today that the remaining watches are out of the factory and are being readied for delivery, making for over 55,000 shipped. Now that noir Pebbles are out of the way, the team says it’s hard at work perfecting the production of the devices in other colors, and that the very first red Pebbles should be ready for shipping in two to three weeks. Other flavors don’t have an estimated ship date just yet, but the team says Orange hardware will come next, with gray / white tagging along afterwards. Those who cherish speed over color can switch their order to a black ticker and snag one within roughly two weeks. On the software side, the e-paper timepiece can now take advantage of five 12-hour watch faces, so long as they carry firmware version 1.9.1. Hit the source link for details on the tribulations of color Pebble production and the perils of plastic injection.
Source: Pebble (Kickstarter)
Apr 03
LinkMe is an LED smart bracelet that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and displays SMS and social media updates in text that scrolls across your wrist.
Smartwatches and smart bracelets promise convenience – it’s easier to glance at a device on your wrist than it is to dig out your buzzing smartphone from your tightly fitting jeans. But so far, many of them have had boring, uninspired designs. For example, the Pebble smartwatch has an amazing complement of features. But it looks plastic and boring. I’d never be caught wearing that on my wrist.
LinkMe is unabashedly beautiful. It’s a single chrome ring that clips around your wrist. The smart bracelet has a curved LED display that seamlessly blends in with the rest of the device. The display streams long lines of text in red or blue letters, like one of those big news tickers in Times Square.
LinkMe can display anything that be relayed in a stream of text – SMS, social media updates, flight information, personal reminders and alerts. When it isn’t displaying messages, LinkMe defaults to displaying the time, so you can easily use it as a watch.
But when it comes to functionality, the Pebble outstrips LinkMe in a number of ways. With its e-ink display, the Pebble can offer multiple watch faces and display limited graphics. It also can flash multiple lines of text at once. With LinkMe, you have to wait until the message or alert finishes scrolling across the bracelet.
Still, there’s just something about LinkMe that makes me want to have it around my wrist. Maybe it’s just another case of aesthetics trumping functionality. Maybe this feeling will go away if/when Apple releases a smartwatch that fuses beauty with a healthy complement of features.
But for now? I’m sold.
A LinkMe can be had for a $99 contribution at their KickStarter here. They’re pushing to raise $100,000 by May 5th.
Mar 27
The Pebble smartwatch can be said to be a labor of love, although waiting for the watch to come into existence is not exactly the best thing to do so far, as history has indicated, where the entire process proved to be excruciatingly slow. Well, after waiting for so long, only to pick up a Pebble watch, it would not be surprising to hear that a handful of Pebble owners are not too pleased to see their new smartwatches go dead after a shutdown.
Hence, it is good to know that there is a new firmware upgrade in town that will ensure that such non-reviving Pebble smart timepieces will be relegated to documentation for future generations, so if you happen to own a rather wonky Pebble smartphone, it would be a good idea to pick up the 1.9.1 firmware update. This particular firmware update will squash the bug which occasionally prevents the microcontroller from reconfiguring itself before the watch is turned off, resulting in the buttons being unresponsive after “waking up”.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple Rumored To Be Building 4K UHD TV That Could Be Released Late 2013/Early 2014, DICE+ Is An Innovative Controller, 
Mar 26
Some Pebble owners were understandably perturbed when their smartwatches seemingly went dead after a shutdown — that’s not the best first impression of an emerging technology. Some credit is due for a rapid turnaround, however, as the Pebble team just delivered a 1.9.1 firmware upgrade that should tackle the problem. It fixes a bug that occasionally prevented the microcontroller from reconfiguring itself before the watch went dark, leaving the buttons unresponsive on wake and the Pebble more of a paperweight. You’ll still have to swap out for a replacement if your watch has already fallen ill and won’t recover, but the experience should be more reliable for already functional watches from here on out. Let fellow owners know how well the upgrade worked in the comments.
[Thanks, Daniel]
Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables
Source: Pebble
Mar 23
Some Pebble smartwatches bricking after shutdown, company replacing faulty units
Posted in: Today's Chili 
It appears that Pebble’s smartwatch is officially feeling its largest growing pain since debuting just two months ago. A five-page long (and growing) thread on the company’s forum has some owners describing a bug that’s leaving their Pebbles pebbled bricked after shutdown. Pebble’s Eric Migicovsky let us know that the company is actively replacing affected units, while examining those being sent in to find out the root cause:
We’ve had reports of this issue, and we understand of course that it’s annoying for users. We’re replacing any Pebbles for users who report this issue. We’re reviewing the Pebbles that get returned, working to get to the bottom of the issue. We have our support team ready to follow up to any user that reports this issue.
As it stands, there’s no word on whether firmware update 1.9 has any role in keeping the devices from turning on after being shut down. Owners have further reported that no amount of charging their Pebble will help it to actually come back to life. We’ve reached out to the company for more info on the matter (including nailing down how many units the company has replaced so far), and we’ll be sure to keep you updated. For now, let us know whether your experience with Pebble has been rocky at all so far.
Update: That was fast — apparently Pebble has received about 30 reports of this issue since Friday. Here’s the official word from Migicovsky:
We’re tracking a few reports of this issue. Up to Friday, we’ve had 20-30 reports (out of 30,000+ pebbles in the field). We’ve gotten several back to the office, and we’re getting to the bottom of it.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wearables, Mobile
Source: Pebble (forum)
Mar 23
The TechCrunch Gadgets Podcast: Smartwatches, Apple On The Defensive, And The Nook HD+
Posted in: Today's Chili
We’re back! After a long hiatus, we’ve started up the TechCrunch Gadgets Podcast, our weekly review of everything hardware. We’ll be talking about hardware startups, flagship gadgets, and the wild and wooly worlds of Apple, Samsung, HTC, and all the rest.
Featuring the TC Gadgets team, this weekly audio podcast will bring you the best we have to offer and comment on the news of the week.
We’re looking for guests! If you’d like to be featured, me a line at john@techcrunch.com. We aim to make each of these about 20 minutes long – just right for a commute – and will bring on a rotating cast of TC writers.
This week we talk smartwatches, Apple on the defensive, and the release of the Nook HD+. Enjoy!
Click here to download an MP3 of this show.
You can subscribe to the show via RSS. We’ll a direct iTunes link next week.
Mar 20
The Daily Roundup for 03.20.2013
Posted in: Today's Chili 
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.