The Pebble smartwatch is making a comeback. Google has open-sourced the Pebble software, which means anyone — including Pebble’s founder — can make one.

I'm aware that pine64 sells a smart watch that they encourage flashing your own OS onto. I wonder how hard it'd be to just port the pebble code onto that hardware (a lot harder than I just made it sound, no doubt.) It could be a good way to get a pebble-like experience for people who prefer not to support this guys new company.

Thank you for this perspective. It is against reminder of how sad it is to be a part of something as an Engineer, or even as a janitor so long as it wasn't a contracted out company, where those above make way to save themselves while the workers who made everything get left with nothing or another round of a resume update. The workers should get the sold profits, not just the executive parts. They sometimes don't even get the ethics and degrees that allow you to understand the work.

I'm hoping someone else comes up with a better open source service

None, he gave up after Apple blocked them once.

There were actually a couple attempts, but it's kinda in Apple's hands... I think he was hoping he could generate enough public outcry to force them to not block it. You can also still access it now, if you have your own mac.

Further, Beeper is just a re-skinned Matrix client with the Beeper company hosting the open source bridges between services

It's their own client, not just reskinned, and it has a bunch of new features designed to make cross-service nice and simple. Also, the bridges ARE open-source, but the beeper company wrote a few of them and decided to open source them.

Don't let Migicovsky take your money and mismanage it again.

He refunded everyone who bought a subscription when Apple blocked it. Beeper main is also free.

I wasn't interested in one at the time so I didn't know any of this, I thought they just stopped making watches. I've been reconsidering getting one and probably wouldn't have looked into the history of each company so I appreciate the rant.

Having been in company at sales time my self, I can tell you that management will say all sorts of things. But once the sale completes the new owners can do anything, that could be drop all the staff.

I my self also loved the pebble, till it all died. I did try repebble. But the android app was way past it then.

My hope is that the mobile apps get a much needed update, then all the working watches get a firmware update. If that happens, I might have to get my working watch out and setup.