Google has announced that the source code driving Pebble smart watches is now available for download, so that developers can already use it to work on existing brand devices or execute it in others, as well as create a new ‘hardware ‘.
The development of Pebble, a pioneer in the field of ‘smartwatches’, began in 2008 as a project of colleagues and advanced to other more popular models, such as Apple Watch, which was put on sale in 2015.
To carry it out, its drivers launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2012, which was a success. Thanks to donations, valued at 10 million dollars -9.2 million euros at the change from then on -they sold 2 million watches, which reported 230 million dollars.
Despite these figures, the brand was not able to “create a sustainable and profitable business,” said one of the co -founders and former CEO of Pebble, Eric Migicovsky. For this reason, he had to sell part of his business to Fitbit, a company dedicated to the development of smart watches and activity bracelets. In it the ‘Software’, the ‘firmware’ and intellectual propertiesbut not his ‘hardware’.
With the purchase of Fitbit by Google, in January 2021, the technology company also made that part of the Pebble business and has now announced that has released most of the source code of these watches, which is already available for download.
Google has renocated that despite the support of ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ of Pebble was discontinued eight years ago, “it still has thousands of fans”; And he has made this decision “to help and support the volunteers who have joined to maintain the functionality” of these ‘wearables’. With this, the technological one has referred to the so -called Rebble project, dedicated to maintaining the clock support.
Specifically, Google has published a repository containing the complete operating system (Pebbleos), which provides the standard functionalities of the ‘smartwatches’. That is to say, notifications, multimedia controls, Follow -up of physical activity, compatibility with personalized applications and spheres.
When liberating the source code, developers who wish can access it for free, modify it and improve it through Github. In this way, anyone can use pebbleos To make it work on existing pebble watches or execute it on other integrated devices, as well as create a new ‘hardware’ specifically for him, as explained in the brand’s blog.
For his part, Migicovsky has applauded Pebble’s return and has commented on his personal profile of X that he cannot express in words how grateful he is “for the tremendous effort” that the Rebble project community has made as the Google employees for “keeping sleep alive by making it possible for anyone to use, create and improve pebbleos.”
“The Rebble team has also worked a lot over the years to continue supporting the ‘software’ the application store and the Pebble community,” said Pebble head.