Dejkala
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tech
  • Banking & loan
  • Games
  • Car’s & Bike’s
  • Home
  • Tech
  • Banking & loan
  • Games
  • Car’s & Bike’s
No Result
View All Result
Dejkala
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest update

Pebble, the OG smartwatch that may never die, updated to work with Pixel 7- Dejkala

by hasibul
October 28, 2022
in Latest update
0
Pebble, the OG smartwatch that may never die, updated to work with Pixel 7- Dejkala
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Pebble's e-ink smartwatches, like the Pebble 2 HR pictured here, can now work on 64-bit Android phones like the Pixel 7, following a surprising official app update from Google.
Enlarge / Pebble’s e-ink smartwatches, like the Pebble 2 HR pictured here, can now work on 64-bit Android phones like the Pixel 7, following a surprising official app update from Google.

Valentina Palladino

When Pebble, an early, quirky, crowdfunded smartwatch, was acquired in a fire sale by Fitbit in December 2016, the company noted that while existing watches would work for the time being, “functionality or service quality may be reduced in the future.” You’d maybe get some bug fixes, but no software updates or features would arrive for the pioneering e-ink wearables.

Nearly six years later, a new Pebble app for Android has been released by the Rebble Alliance, a group that has kept Pebble viable for its users since Fitbit shut down Pebble’s servers in mid-2018. Pebble version 4.4.3 makes the app 64-bit so it can work on the mostly 64-bit Pixel 7 and similar Android phones into the future. It also restores a caller ID function that was hampered on recent Android versions.

Most notably, the app is “signed using the official Pebble keys,” with Google Fit integration maintained, but isn’t available through Google’s Play Store.

Google acquired Fitbit for $2.1 billion, making it the steward of Pebble’s remaining IP and software pieces. Katharine Berry, a key Rebble coder and leader, works on Wear OS at Google and was one of the first to tweet news of the new update, “four years after 4.4.2.” That was the last Play Store update to the Pebble app from Pebble developers, one that freed up many of the app’s functions to be replaced by independent servers.

Advertisement

That’s exactly where Rebble picked up, providing web services to Pebble watches, including (for paying subscribers) voice dictation. But those services still relied on the core Pebble app to connect the watch and smartphone. If Android did make the leap to a 64-bit-only OS, it could have left Pebble/Rebble users in the lurch.

Berry’s post on r/pebble offers “thanks to Google for providing us with one last update!” This is, to be sure, not the typical outcome of products that have been acquired by Google, even if second-hand. We’ve reached out to Google and Berry for comment and details, and we’ll update this post if we hear back.

Pebble and its Rebble-led second act are a remarkable story of community code efforts and longevity. Every watch produced from 2013 onward can still be used, provided the battery and other hardware haven’t given out. In the Rebble Discord and (as noted by community leader ishotjr) in draft blog post commits, there’s evidence of a hackathon coming together in November. “One last update” somehow seems like too cautious a description.




ShareTweetShare

Related Posts

Atomic Wallet is investigating user reports of compromised accounts and trying to block the stolen crypto from being sold; source: the hack could exceed $35M+ (Lawrence Abrams/BleepingComputer)- Dejkala
Latest update

Atomic Wallet is investigating user reports of compromised accounts and trying to block the stolen crypto from being sold; source: the hack could exceed $35M+ (Lawrence Abrams/BleepingComputer)- Dejkala

June 5, 2023
The day reality became unbearable: A peek beyond Apple’s AR/VR headset- Dejkala
Latest update

The day reality became unbearable: A peek beyond Apple’s AR/VR headset- Dejkala

June 4, 2023
Gmail integrates AI into its mobile app, sort of- Dejkala
Latest update

Gmail integrates AI into its mobile app, sort of- Dejkala

June 4, 2023
Why effective risk management is critical for successful modernization- Dejkala
Latest update

Why effective risk management is critical for successful modernization- Dejkala

June 4, 2023
Apple WWDC 2023: What to expect, from iOS 17 to new MacBooks- Dejkala
Latest update

Apple WWDC 2023: What to expect, from iOS 17 to new MacBooks- Dejkala

June 4, 2023
A shocking number of birds are in trouble- Dejkala
Latest update

A shocking number of birds are in trouble- Dejkala

June 4, 2023
Next Post
Meta Quest Pro review: For those with more money than sense- Dejkala

Meta Quest Pro review: For those with more money than sense- Dejkala

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

  • Earn Money Online
  • Game news and review
  • Laptops
  • Latest update
  • Smartphone Reviews & News
  • TODAY Tech News
  • Upcoming Technology
  • Wordpress plugin
  • WordPress themes
  • World Wide Bike Reviews and News
  • World Wide Car News

Recommended

Black Friday 2022 headphone deal: Save $120 on Sony’s WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones- Dejkala

Black Friday 2022 headphone deal: Save $120 on Sony’s WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones- Dejkala

November 23, 2022
Sony DualSense controller review: A gamepad from the future- Dejkala

Sony DualSense controller review: A gamepad from the future- Dejkala

March 17, 2023
Nexar One Pro dash cam review: Classy as it gets, with some quirks- Dejkala

Nexar One Pro dash cam review: Classy as it gets, with some quirks- Dejkala

May 5, 2023
This Samsung soundbar, subwoofer is now less than $130 on Woot- Dejkala

This Samsung soundbar, subwoofer is now less than $130 on Woot- Dejkala

November 3, 2022
Rivian recalls more than 12,700 EVs over airbag deployment flaw- Dejkala

Rivian recalls more than 12,700 EVs over airbag deployment flaw- Dejkala

March 1, 2023
The best fitness gifts for your friends who workout- Dejkala

The best fitness gifts for your friends who workout- Dejkala

November 22, 2022
Atomic Wallet is investigating user reports of compromised accounts and trying to block the stolen crypto from being sold; source: the hack could exceed $35M+ (Lawrence Abrams/BleepingComputer)- Dejkala

Atomic Wallet is investigating user reports of compromised accounts and trying to block the stolen crypto from being sold; source: the hack could exceed $35M+ (Lawrence Abrams/BleepingComputer)- Dejkala

June 5, 2023
The day reality became unbearable: A peek beyond Apple’s AR/VR headset- Dejkala

The day reality became unbearable: A peek beyond Apple’s AR/VR headset- Dejkala

June 4, 2023
Gmail integrates AI into its mobile app, sort of- Dejkala

Gmail integrates AI into its mobile app, sort of- Dejkala

June 4, 2023

Categories

  • Earn Money Online
  • Game news and review
  • Laptops
  • Latest update
  • Smartphone Reviews & News
  • TODAY Tech News
  • Upcoming Technology
  • Wordpress plugin
  • WordPress themes
  • World Wide Bike Reviews and News
  • World Wide Car News

Pages

  • About Us
  • Banking & loan
  • Car’s & Bike’s
  • Contact Us
  • Games
  • Home
  • Home 2
  • Privacy Policy
  • Tech

© 2022 Dejkala

No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home – Layout 1
    • Home – Layout 2

© 2022 Dejkala