Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Open Source PebbleOS Lives On: SiFli Chip Powers Core Time 2

2025-05-14

This post, the first in a series on building a smartwatch, details the selection of the SiFli SF32LB52J chip for the Core Time 2 smartwatch. The author recounts past experiences with the STM32F2 in original Pebble watches, highlighting the crucial considerations of software compatibility, power consumption, and cost when choosing a microcontroller unit (MCU). The SiFli chip ultimately won out due to its 512KB SRAM, 16MB PSRAM, low power consumption, and open-source SDK, breathing new life into the open-source PebbleOS ecosystem.

(ericmigi.com)

Hardware chip selection

The iOS App Store: A Wall to Third-Party Smartwatch Development

2025-03-20

The rePebble team is back, but building an iOS app is proving to be a herculean task. The author recounts the numerous limitations encountered on iOS during the original Pebble, like the inability to send texts, reply to notifications, or interact with other apps – problems exacerbated over the last eight years. Apple's restrictions are framed not as security measures but as deliberate moves to maintain its walled ecosystem. The post calls on users to pressure Apple and support antitrust legislation to improve the iOS development environment for third-party smartwatches.

(ericmigi.com)

Development

RePebble's iOS App: A Herculean Task

2025-03-18

The developers behind the rebooted Pebble smartwatch project are facing a familiar challenge: Apple's restrictive policies for third-party watch developers. The article details the struggles of developing for iOS during the original Pebble, highlighting limitations imposed by Apple that prevent core functionalities like sending text messages or interacting with notifications. While an iOS app is being developed, the team acknowledges significant limitations compared to the Android version, urging users to pressure Apple to improve its policies and foster greater competition in the smartwatch market.

(ericmigi.com)

Development

Open Source PebbleOS Smartwatches Are Back: Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 Pre-orders Open

2025-03-18

rePebble has announced two new smartwatches running open-source PebbleOS: the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2. The Core 2 Duo features an ultra-crisp black and white display, a polycarbonate frame, costs $149, and starts shipping in July. The Core Time 2 boasts a larger 64-color display, a metal frame, costs $225, and begins shipping in December. Both watches are inspired by the classic Pebble design, offering long battery life, a simple and beautiful aesthetic, and compatibility with thousands of existing Pebble apps. Available exclusively for pre-order on the rePebble website, quantities are limited.

(ericmigi.com)

Hardware

Pebble Lives On: Open Source Code Reignites Hope

2025-02-07

Google's release of the PebbleOS source code has breathed new life into the Pebble community. The Rebble team is hard at work developing new Pebble watch hardware and software, targeting the nRF52840 chipset. They're open-sourcing all updates and collaborating with factories and suppliers to create a new watch that closely resembles the classic Pebble experience, but with modifiable and improvable open-source software. Developers are welcome to join and contribute to improving PebbleOS, the Cobble app, and the Pebble SDK.

(ericmigi.com)

Hardware