We've made a lot of improvements over our first version. Added iPhone support (finally) and a framework that allows multiple apps and watchfaces to run simultaneously.
Does it work natively with iOS, or does it require hacks like jailbreaking?
I bought one of the other programmable watches (forget the company name, I think it's a YC company?) that initially claimed iOS support, but the caveat was you had to jailbreak your phone and install some random stuff. Wasn't really feasible for my application.
Did you watch the video? This is inPulse (see 0:23)
Also, for skimmers, it's under PROJECT BY:
> Eric and his team have been designing smartwatches for 3 years. Their first product was the inPulse smartwatch for Blackberry (www.getinpulse.com). inPulse has been covered by Engadget, The Verge, Gizmodo, NYTimes and more.
I prefer to skim a page to get the relevant info, most video demos go way too slow for my preference and waste a lot of time on bits I'm not directly interested in.
If this is from the inPulse group I would have honestly expected that to be more prevalent on the page instead of a casual mention in the video.
This was presented, IMO, as if the "Pebble" was an all new thing... No mention of inPulse, Kickstarter campaign usually implies "new stuff", etc.
Slightly off topic but I wanted to repeat this sentiment. Do not ever include information in video or video-demo only. I simply do not watch them. I watched this one because it's gorgeous and I knew I had to pledge, but I almost never ever watch videos online unless I'm on YouTube/Vimeo/Netflix.
Maybe they added it after you skimmed the kickstarter page, but they mention InPulse in text.
"Eric and his team have been designing smartwatches for 3 years. Their first product was the inPulse smartwatch for Blackberry (www.getinpulse.com). inPulse has been covered by Engadget, The Verge, Gizmodo, NYTimes and more."
I don't think it's real e-paper, it looks to be a Sharp Memory LCD (http://www.sharpmemorylcd.com/1-26-inch-memory-lcd.html -- the specs are identical). In fairness, Sharp are positioning those LCDs as a kind of e-paper work-alike, and they do work very well. The Nike+ watch for example uses that exact screen.
I don't have an iphone or android and don't really plan on it. Obviously I can talk to it via bluetooth with my laptop or whatever, but does this thing need to be in constant proximity to a device; ie is it basically just a dumb terminal?
According to their blog, it runs C programs (written with an SDK they'll release) on a built-in ARM Cortex-M3, so it seems to be more than a dumb terminal: http://www.getpebble.com/blog/2012/04/10/pebble-sdk/
This looks really cool but I'm so very confused about it being a kickstarter. Is this basically operating as a store front or are you still in the fund raising stage?
If you go down on the kick starter page, they say that they have a prototype, and the funding is for:
"- Production tooling
- Large component order
- Global Bluetooth certification"
so it looks like the funding is to take it from a working prototype to the finished product.
It doesn't have bluetooth so this watch has an upper hand, but the chronos has a data transceiver for firmware upgrade, communication with health monitors and interfacing to the PC through an included RF dongle, along with xyz accelerometers , pressure for altimeter and temperature sensor. It's completely programmable with a provided IDE or msp430-gcc if you feel so inclined.
One of the models has 433MHz frequency which can, for instance, allow you to interface with many remote controlled devices (garage door).
On the link above and on youtube you can find a ton of videos with demonstrations.
I managed to scoop one for me and posted the daily deal on HN a few days ago, but it didn't gather much interest :)
I'm currently working with these for a senior design project...I must say, I'm not a huge fan. You can do some neat things with the accelerometers, but the RF range is severely limited. Having worn one for extended periods of time, I must say that it's not something I'd enjoy wearing around. It's bulky and a bit unsightly.
Still, it's fun to hack with, and you can do some cool things with accelerometer data. Definitely worth the $25.
I've backed the project. The main reason for me is that it's a whole, integrated platform with the smartphone. It's meant to be an extension of your phone, not only a watch with wireless/accel capabilities. I love it.
The display on this watch is much higher quality, in my opinion, than the eZ430.
I've looked at the TI, and it isn't really what i want. The previous version of this watch, the inPulse, was pretty good, but battery life was a concern for me.
This, however, is a much more attractive device, solely because of the very sexy display.
The costs aren't in the same ballpark, but neither is the functionality.
I want it, in a way that I'd never want to actually use a Chronos.
I've met some of the inPulse guys in Waterloo, and interviewed for an internship in the past, that I didn't do. I have faith in their ability to execute a pretty great product.
Wearing my Chronos now, the main drawback in developing for it is everything is seven-segment displays so info has to be pretty basic, still it was a nice watch for $50
The SDK sounds very promising, ripe for hacking. I guess you could do some bluetooth triangulation (plus accelerometer fine-tuning) to "localize" it for different rooms of your house.
Still a valid concern... a year has over 500k minutes to display.
I don't know enough about eInk to know if they have a certain "life expectancy", any clarifications by someone with knowledge on the topic would be great!
No, you're thinking about ssd drives.
The issue with e-ink is that pixel refreshes use power, so eink devices are optimized to try to minimize the number of refreshes used. For example some of the newer kindles try to do a screen full refresh every 6 pages so that the battery life is longer.
If the epaper display involves white and black pigments travelling physically through an oil droplet, then I doubt that the lifetime of a pixel is infinite.
Can't find lifetime specs on eink.com, though, only a claim that 90% of the displays will live 10y at typical usage, whatever that means (one page-flip per minute?).
Ok. The fact that you're doing a Kickstarter project confused me a bit, but the explanations in other comments make sense in your context. By doing this, you get validation of your product, plus the money and a much better position when you do raise money.
Why'd you choose to raise money via Kickstarter instead of going the traditional funding route? I have my theories, but I'd love to hear what specific benefits you have using this model.
Seems to me that the Kickstarter use case here has less to do with funding than gathering serious commitments to buy so that there's not a warehouse full of unsold inventory.
I wonder how PayPal allows preselling for this but if you or I were to try the same thing PayPal would put a 6 month freeze on the funds once they figured out that orders aren't immediately shipped.
(I am not an expert, this is just what I think) The problem is: you need tens of thousands of dollars for a single manufacturing run. You can either raise capital by selling equity (traditional investment), or raise capital by preselling your device using Kickstarter. (Obviously there are more options).
This is basically the best of both worlds approach. The getting your cake and get to eat it too: you get the capital AND keep all of your equity, with a healthy dose of knowing the demand of your product before beginning your first run.
This is a pretty important observation. In one sense, it's no surprise that YC backed companies are at the front of the wave experimenting here - I suspect the smart VC people are fully aware of the paradigm shift that Kickstarter is making possible. I'd be astounded if pg doesn't already have strong ideas about how he and YC can bring value (and hence earn a cut of the profits) to smart startups who've got a non traditional-equity-sharing option to raise funds.
There are clearly some people attracting angel or a-round sized capital via Kickstarter without giving up _any_ equity or control. This, the ZPM espresso machine guys, Wasteland2 - surely at least some VCs and angels are viewing those as "lost opportunities"?
I wonder if we'll start seeing "zero cash, very small equity" deals from firms like YC, for people using _other_ means of fund raising?
What is the process like for using it on iPhone? Do you need to always be running a companion app in the foreground? Have you considered adding support for Google Voice, if you can't access native text messages?
Our companion app runs in the background on iPhone (thanks to a new exemption for Bluetooth accessories in iOS 5). We will try to get Google Voice SMS messages working on iOS.
I was under the impression that iOS apps can only talk directly to Bluetooth Low Energy devices, not Bluetooth 2.1. Your Kickstarter page only mentions Bluetooth 2.1 support. What am I missing?
No, I'm referring to "external-accessory". This works with both dock connector and Bluetooth iAP accessories. You're right that the other one is only for BT LE (4.0). It's understandable that many people are confused about the CoreBluetooth vs MFi Bluetooth.
Very cool! I've long since wanted to do this with an iPod nano and wristwatch accessory..... Except no connectivity.
My wishes for a product like this:
1) built in apps should be as polished and optimized and biotin apps so its truly ready to go for the majority.
2) app functionality I've long wanted:
- I hope it comes standard with caller id app
- weather feed
- email notification as id like
Basically a subset of my smartphone features on my wrist.
Customizability wise, id love to be able to have an interface to build a dashboard.maybe someone will create a Web app that I can create my own data feeds and publish into an app on my watch.
Good luck, look forward to seeing it when it comes out!
It's an always on display with ultra low power consumption for static displays, so I think that is what they basis of the e-paper name. Seems a little dubious to me, but the watch still is very neat.
So I'm wondering, does it support running as a companion for a BT enabled Laptop or desktop with BT? That would be great but I didn't see mention of regular linux/windows/mac support.
After seeing so many alternatives, I was really dying to see an e-paper incarnation. This would be awesome and it would give me a reason to get back into embedded C-types.
I would loooove to see a watch like this integrate NFC as well that could be used in applications. Think PKI in NFC on your wrist. Want to get in your office, dorm room, car? Just hold your watch up to the handle and it unlocks.
Does it work properly with Android yet? I bought the inPulse, but it didn't actually work with my Android. The website said it would only work with Cyanogen Mod, which is stupid to begin with, but even running Cyanogen Mod it never actually recognized the watch.
Unfortunately it was a gift out of the return period, so I couldn't get a refund.
I would gladly pay the Hacker Special price if we could get a prototype and SDK this month or early May. Any chance of this happening instead of having to wait until August?
Awesome product! Great to see another startup using Kickstarter to get going.
I started mine two days ago, I'm trying to raise the money to pay Twilio fees for giving my intelligent journal to 10,000 people in developing countries. Can't wait to see the success you guys have, Kickstarter is a great platform!
That being said, I think a Kickstarter is much more appropriate for physical products than it is software products. People like being able to get physical things, and being a part of the process.
I already have an inPulse but this is so cool I just backed Pebble on Kickstarter too. I really hope the battery life is as good as you are claiming, because the 20ish hour bat life on my inPulse is currently the biggest pain point. Great work guys, I'm glad to see you progressing so quickly.
Any Kickstarter bonuses for the early inPulse adopters?
I like it a lot. I thought I would wear it more when I was out and about but due to the short battery life my primary use of the inPulse is at home. Usually when my phone is plugged in and charging in the other room. My inPulse allows me to see anything important on my phone without having my phone in my pocket.
I think the reduced profile of the Pebble along with the increased battery life will be an absolute game changer. I hope to wear my pebble all the time.
Sorry I didn't see this earlier, but thanks for the review! I also have the same problem where I'd leave my phone on a desk at home and won't notice if I get any messages when I'm in the other room, so this makes the Pebble more tempting.
I like it a lot. I thought I would wear it more when I was out and about but due to the short battery life my primary use of the inPulse is at home. Usually when my phone is plugged in and charging in the other room. My inPulse allows me to see anything important on my phone without having my phone in my pocket.
I think the reduced profile of the Pebble along with the increased battery life will be an absolute game changer. I hope to wear my pebble all the time.
Basis is $199 and comes (will come) and adds (will add) a lot of value. $99+ is a little too pricey, I think. Those are two are different products, of course, but still.
You do if you want to transfer custom data. Some controllers get away with using the keyboard Bluetooth profile. You apply to MFi here: https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/
But pretty much everything else is under NDA, unfortunately.
I didn't have to think twice about backing this project. I can't wait to be able to view some statistics (like daily page views) from a website on my wrist. This will help satisfy my information addiction!
112 comments
[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 182 ms ] threadI bought one of the other programmable watches (forget the company name, I think it's a YC company?) that initially claimed iOS support, but the caveat was you had to jailbreak your phone and install some random stuff. Wasn't really feasible for my application.
I bought like literally the first one (still have it somewhere if anybody wants it).
Also, for skimmers, it's under PROJECT BY:
> Eric and his team have been designing smartwatches for 3 years. Their first product was the inPulse smartwatch for Blackberry (www.getinpulse.com). inPulse has been covered by Engadget, The Verge, Gizmodo, NYTimes and more.
I prefer to skim a page to get the relevant info, most video demos go way too slow for my preference and waste a lot of time on bits I'm not directly interested in.
If this is from the inPulse group I would have honestly expected that to be more prevalent on the page instead of a casual mention in the video.
This was presented, IMO, as if the "Pebble" was an all new thing... No mention of inPulse, Kickstarter campaign usually implies "new stuff", etc.
"Eric and his team have been designing smartwatches for 3 years. Their first product was the inPulse smartwatch for Blackberry (www.getinpulse.com). inPulse has been covered by Engadget, The Verge, Gizmodo, NYTimes and more."
so it looks like the funding is to take it from a working prototype to the finished product.
EDIT: Nevermind. I figured it out. Reading...
It doesn't have bluetooth so this watch has an upper hand, but the chronos has a data transceiver for firmware upgrade, communication with health monitors and interfacing to the PC through an included RF dongle, along with xyz accelerometers , pressure for altimeter and temperature sensor. It's completely programmable with a provided IDE or msp430-gcc if you feel so inclined.
One of the models has 433MHz frequency which can, for instance, allow you to interface with many remote controlled devices (garage door).
On the link above and on youtube you can find a ton of videos with demonstrations.
I managed to scoop one for me and posted the daily deal on HN a few days ago, but it didn't gather much interest :)
Still, it's fun to hack with, and you can do some cool things with accelerometer data. Definitely worth the $25.
I've looked at the TI, and it isn't really what i want. The previous version of this watch, the inPulse, was pretty good, but battery life was a concern for me.
This, however, is a much more attractive device, solely because of the very sexy display. The costs aren't in the same ballpark, but neither is the functionality.
I want it, in a way that I'd never want to actually use a Chronos.
I've met some of the inPulse guys in Waterloo, and interviewed for an internship in the past, that I didn't do. I have faith in their ability to execute a pretty great product.
Also looks like there's a "hacker" package available too which includes a prototype and early SDK access.
I don't know enough about eInk to know if they have a certain "life expectancy", any clarifications by someone with knowledge on the topic would be great!
There is no wear for eink, same as for lcds
Can't find lifetime specs on eink.com, though, only a claim that 90% of the displays will live 10y at typical usage, whatever that means (one page-flip per minute?).
Here are some other options:
MotoACTV: https://motoactv.com
IM Watch: http://www.imwatch.it/
Meta Watch: http://www.metawatch.org
WIMM One: http://www.wimm.com/
Are there others? (iPod Nano watches not included since they don't connect to anything)
The watch is just a screen + radio, apps are entirely contained on the phone.
Good luck!
This is basically the best of both worlds approach. The getting your cake and get to eat it too: you get the capital AND keep all of your equity, with a healthy dose of knowing the demand of your product before beginning your first run.
There are clearly some people attracting angel or a-round sized capital via Kickstarter without giving up _any_ equity or control. This, the ZPM espresso machine guys, Wasteland2 - surely at least some VCs and angels are viewing those as "lost opportunities"?
I wonder if we'll start seeing "zero cash, very small equity" deals from firms like YC, for people using _other_ means of fund raising?
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/genera...
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#DOCUMENTATION/Miscel...
My wishes for a product like this:
1) built in apps should be as polished and optimized and biotin apps so its truly ready to go for the majority.
2) app functionality I've long wanted:
- I hope it comes standard with caller id app - weather feed - email notification as id like
Basically a subset of my smartphone features on my wrist.
Customizability wise, id love to be able to have an interface to build a dashboard.maybe someone will create a Web app that I can create my own data feeds and publish into an app on my watch.
Good luck, look forward to seeing it when it comes out!
I can't say for sure, but the display appears to be this one: http://www.sharpmemorylcd.com/1-26-inch-memory-lcd.html or something like it.
It's an always on display with ultra low power consumption for static displays, so I think that is what they basis of the e-paper name. Seems a little dubious to me, but the watch still is very neat.
I would loooove to see a watch like this integrate NFC as well that could be used in applications. Think PKI in NFC on your wrist. Want to get in your office, dorm room, car? Just hold your watch up to the handle and it unlocks.
Unfortunately it was a gift out of the return period, so I couldn't get a refund.
I started mine two days ago, I'm trying to raise the money to pay Twilio fees for giving my intelligent journal to 10,000 people in developing countries. Can't wait to see the success you guys have, Kickstarter is a great platform!
That being said, I think a Kickstarter is much more appropriate for physical products than it is software products. People like being able to get physical things, and being a part of the process.
Any Kickstarter bonuses for the early inPulse adopters?
I think the reduced profile of the Pebble along with the increased battery life will be an absolute game changer. I hope to wear my pebble all the time.
I think the reduced profile of the Pebble along with the increased battery life will be an absolute game changer. I hope to wear my pebble all the time.
But pretty much everything else is under NDA, unfortunately.