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Pebble took just two days to beat its crowdfunding record
Pebble Time isn't just one of the fastest-moving Kickstarter projects -- it's now one of the biggest, too. The color smartwatch took a mere two days to get more funding than its predecessor, hitting the $10.3 million mark with 29 days left to go. It's "only" the second highest-grossing Kickstarter effort to date (the leader remains the Coolest cooler), but it may not have much trouble taking the top spot. The company's crowdfunding performance isn't quite as impressive as it sounds, mind you. Pebble had already sold 1 million smartwatches by the end of 2014, so it only needed to attract a small fraction of existing owners to blow past its original Kickstarter run. Pebble is using the campaign more for publicity than to get a project off the ground, like you'd expect with most crowdfunding efforts. The question is whether or not Pebble Time can maintain that kind of fervor when it hits retail stores, especially with some of its biggest rivals on the way.
Kickstarter's 'Zach Braff' problem gets worse with the Pebble Time
Whenever you talk about Kickstarter, it's natural that the conversation will turn to Pebble. There may be more successful crowdfunding campaigns, but the smartwatch's stratospheric success is inexorably tied to that of its partner. Earlier today, however, Pebble once again took to the site to launch its third product, the Pebble Time. It seems odd that a company would use a service designed to get startups off the ground when it's clearly in no need of help -- having raised $1 million in just 49 minutes. For me, it's the moment where I've finally lost patience with Kickstarter.
Pebble's color watch is the fastest Kickstarter project to hit $1 million (updated)
If you followed the Kickstarter launch of Pebble Time, you probably noticed that the smartwatch got funding very quickly. It met its $500,000 goal in just 17 minutes, and hit the magical $1 million mark in about half an hour. But are any of those records? Well, yes -- Kickstarter has confirmed that the color-screened wearable is the fastest-ever project to reach $1 million on its crowdfunding service. For reference, even the fan favorite Veronica Mars movie took 4.2 hours. The original Pebble took 27 hours to hit that milestone, which sounds positively glacial in comparison.
Pebble returns to Kickstarter for its next-gen color smartwatch
Three years ago, Pebble made crowdfunding history by raising over $10 million on Kickstarter for its simple e-ink smartwatch -- a whole two years before Android Wear even existed. The company has rolled out some new designs and features since then, but despite growing competition from the likes of Google and Apple, the Pebble watch itself hasn't really changed. Until today. Say hello to the Pebble Time, the next-generation Pebble smartwatch. It has a color display, a slimmer design, a microphone and a whole new operating system. And it's making its debut on the platform that got it all started: Kickstarter.
Daily Roundup: Microsoft predicts (most) Oscar winners, Google Wallet and more!
From Oscar winners to gadget leaks and a robot that feeds you tomatoes while you run, we've got plenty of stories to get you talking in today's Daily Roundup. Won't you join us past the break?
Pebble inadvertently teases its first color smartwatch
Pebble has been hyping up an announcement on February 24th, but it looks like the company might have let the cat out of the bag a little early. Curious fans have discovered an image on Pebble's website for a color smartwatch that doesn't resemble anything from the company's existing lineup. Besides the new display, it appears to be a subtle evolution of the original Pebble rather than the higher-end Steel -- while it's wider and more rounded, there's still plenty of plastic and rubber. There aren't any clues as to what's inside, but 9to5Mac claims that the design has a new processor and a 6-axis gyroscope for motion detection. A fresh interface will play a big role, too. You only have one more day to wait, so whatever mystery is left will disappear pretty quickly.
Daily Roundup: NSA spyware, Apple's VR headset and more!
Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Security researchers discovered NSA surveillance software in the firmware of some new hard drives. In other news, a UK company works on a self-driving shuttle for public transit and an Apple patent filed in 2008 shows the company has long been interested in VR displays. Catch up on all of today's top stories past the break.
Any app that works with Android Wear now works on your Pebble
It's been splashing around in beta for a little while, but now your Pebble can respond to notifications directly from that monochrome screen -- kind of like Android Wear, sans touchscreen. You'll need to update your Pebble smartwatch firmware as well as download the very latest edition of of the companion Android app to get rolling. But given Pebble's popularity and price, it should mean far more people are making wrist-based responses to messages. Aside from the ability to set multiple custom notification responses (available to you whenever a compatible app offers a reply option), you can toss money around with Square Cash. The update also adds support for Android 4.0 and over devices, as well as automatic app and watch face updates, even when your Kickstarted smartwatch is idle. Oh and you can reply with emoji. Hopefully, that will be enough to keep the Pebble on your wrist on until that fancy new interface arrives in the near future.
Just 720,000 Android Wear smartwatches shipped last year
Wondering how well Android Wear managed in its first months on the market? Merely so-so, if you ask Canalys. The analyst group estimates that 720,000 Google-powered smartwatches shipped in 2014. That's not terrible for a young platform where many devices didn't even hit stores until the fall, but it's a drop in the bucket versus a total of 4.6 million total wearable bands. As Canalys explains to the Wall Street Journal, the current Android Wear crop is too rough around the edges to be a smash hit. The battery life isn't usually that hot (rarely more than a day), and there aren't enough apps to make the wristwear particularly useful.
Pebble is counting on a new interface to protect its smartwatch sales
Pebble was one of the first smartwatch makers to find success (it chalked up its millionth sale late last year), but there's no question that it's facing a lot of pressure. Between Android Wear and the impending Apple Watch, it's not clear that inexpensive e-paper watches have a healthy future. However, the fledgling wearable firm thinks it has a couple of aces up its sleeve. The company's Eric Migicovsky tells The Verge that 2015 Pebble watches will use a new interface "framework" (designed by the former webOS TV team) that gets away from the more app-centric models you see from Apple and Google. Apps will still play an important role -- they just won't be the centerpiece.
Smartwatch-style notifications are finally coming to Polar's V800
Twelve months ago, Polar announced the V800, a supremely powerful GPS running watch that came with built-in activity tracking. The standout feature, however, would be that the device would offer-up Pebble-esque smartwatch notifications. Unfortunately, the company didn't have the development resources to make good on its promises, so the latter feature was iced in favor of improving the watch's swimming features. A year later, however, and the company is finally ready to make good on its pledge.
My top five products of 2014: Mike Rose
It's been all apps, all the time around here as we wrap up our favorites of 2014. For a change of pace, I thought I'd pull together my favorite five products that don't necessarily require a visit to the App Store. Apple Pay & Touch ID (included with iPhone 6/6 Plus, coming for Watch). It doesn't feel good to skip an iPhone generation, as much as we claim to be "waiting for the next one" or "really fine with the phone I have now." In my case, a work-owned iPhone 5 was holding its own when the 5s premiered, and I couldn't really justify forking over the monthly service costs for a second phone. As a result, my first real Touch ID experience, on my recently upgraded 6 Plus, coincided almost exactly with the launch of Apple Pay. I can't say it strongly enough: Apple Pay is what Touch ID was built for, and it's one of the most vivid examples of Apple's user-first interaction design I've ever had the pleasure of using. Touch ID on its own is dandy; the iOS 8-enabled use of the thumbprint unlock in third-party apps (1Password! Finally!) and in the App Store makes it especially useful, as if unlocking your device at a touch wasn't enough. (I'd only had my new phone a few days before I found myself grumbling as I picked up my iPad -- "What, I gotta put in my passcode? Like a caveman?") But oh my, Apple Pay. Putting the power of the payment network and NFC hardware behind that little fingerprint sensor triggers a seismic shift in the way I think about using my iPhone every day. From prescriptions at Duane Reade to supplies at Staples to rides in NYC taxicabs, I'm constantly looking for new places to pay with a touch. No surprise that Apple's feel-good payment platform is beginning to transform our relationship with the overstuffed old-fashioned wallet. STM Linear for MacBook Air 13" (stmbags.com, about US$60). I'll confess that when I bought myself an STM Linear shoulder bag, it was a consolation purchase; my original object of desire was the elite and often sold-out Tom Bihn Ristretto. I was looking for a shoulder bag in a vertical profile, keeping the laptop upright and providing a lean silhouette as I carried my gear around at trade shows or meetings. Since the Bihn bag wasn't in stock when I went looking, I fell back to the STM -- and I haven't regretted it for a moment (nor did I mind that the STM bag is about half the price of the Ristretto). The Linear has enough space for the MacBook, an iPad, cables cords etc. without feeling cramped or overpacked, and the smaller capacity vs. a messenger bag or backpack keeps me from overloading when I step out the door. The Roost Stand (therooststand.com, $75). After meeting the Denver-based Roost team at Macworld/iWorld in the wake of their successful Kickstarter, I thought this unusual foldout laptop stand would be a great fit for my desk. It's portable, light and tough as a Colorado winter, and can be adjusted as needed to hold most portables securely. What I didn't expect was how viral the Roost would become; at least four co-workers have gone ahead and bought their own Roosts in the months since. If you work in an office, be sure to put your name on your Roost so it doesn't wander off. iMac Retina 5K (apple.com, starting at $2499). Who says the desktop is dead? Apple's jaw-dropping all in one model reset the notion of what a desktop PC should look like, even with a wallet-busting sticker price (in fairness, Dell's 5K monitor alone would have cost as much as the iMac, if not for a price drop after Apple's introduction). The Retina iMac is so delicious that even jaded tech writers find themselves compelled, like the NY Times' Farhad Manjoo, to take one home and give it a prominent place on their desks. I haven't replaced my 2011-vintage iMac just yet, but when I do I'll be saving up for the Big Kahuna. Jawbone ERA (jawbone.com, $99/$129 with charging case). I have never had much luck with Bluetooth headsets; whether it's fit or function, they just don't seem to work for me. Other than LG's Tone Pro around the neck headphones -- which provide great stereo sound at the cost of mediocre phone calls and "looking like a huge dork" -- I hadn't found a solid choice. That's why I've been so pleased with the new-generation Jawbone ERA, which works great for phone calls and conferences without being horribly obvious. Jawbone's noise reduction is adequate to a busy city street, and with the current firmware the hardware button can serve as a mute switch on calls (life-changing). The ERA is not cheap, but if you've struggled to find a headset that works the way you do, it's worth a look. Honorable Mention: Pebble (getpebble.com, $99/$199). It's black-and-white, not color. It's not touchable or speakable. It is decidedly not an Apple watch, but in many ways it's a better first wearable than a yet-to-ship Watch could be. Why do I enjoy my Pebble? Five days or more of battery life, for one thing. Waterproof enough to wear in the shower. Notifications that let me see who's calling, emailing, texting or tweeting at me without having to haul the 6 Plus out of my pocket fifteen times an hour. And a reasonably active app/developer community delivering cool hacks on a regular basis. No, I won't promise not to look longingly at the next shiny device coming from Cupertino soon. But I'll be looking with the benefit of a lot of experience with the first generation of wrist-based tech.
Pebble's smartwatches now support Android Wear notifications
What's a little startup like Pebble to do when there are so many Android Wear smartwatches out there? Two things: cut the price, and make the watches as useful as possible. After recently adding apps for Dominos Pizza and PayPal, the company is updating its Android application so that it's compatible with Android Wear notifications. Which is to say, you can act on notifications directly from your watch. (Think: dismissing alerts and such.) From a developer standpoint, that means that if an app is already Android Wear-compatible, it'll work on Pebble devices too; devs don't have to code their applications twice. The feature is still in beta, but it's open to everybody, so any of you can try out this new feature, starting now. All you need is a Pebble or Pebble Steel watch, with a smartphone running Android 4.0 or higher. And, of course, you need the latest version of the app (v2.3) installed. Have at it!
PayPal debuts mobile payments app for Pebble smartwatch
PayPal today announced that it was expanding its mobile payments app to the Pebble smartwatch platform. The app also is available iOS and other wearables including Samsung's Gear smartwatch series and Android Wear devices. The mobile payments app allows Pebble owners to make PayPal purchases when they visit a store where the payment service is accepted. Pebble owners making a PayPal payment can authorize a purchase with their smartwatch using either a check-in to pay or a payment code option. Users also can receive payment notifications on their wrist-worn device. The app is available now in the Pebble app store and requires an active PayPal account.
Pebble owners can now use PayPal on their smartwatch
Starting today, you will have access to PayPal right from your Pebble. The payments company announced earlier that there's now a compatible application for the smartwatch, which is available free of charge from Pebble's app store. Once installed, it can be used to make payments at any PayPal-friendly location around you, including restaurants and other local brick-and-mortar businesses. There's also support for notifications, allowing you to use the Pebble wearable to easily, and at a glance, keep up with your account. A few months ago, PayPal became one of the first apps to come to Android Wear, so the company has definitely made sure it is well covered in this space.
Track your Domino's order via a Pebble smartwatch
A Pebble smartwatch is handy for a number of things, and now you can use it to keep tabs on your pizza order. Thanks to Domino's app for said gadget, you can monitor the status of your Wisconsin 6 Cheese pie, Crispy Bacon & Tomato Specialty Chicken and Stuffed Cheesy Bread with a glance at your wrist. The app shows updates when food is being made, baking, undergoing a "quality check" and either ready for pickup or on its way to your door. Don't have a Pebble? There are options for ordering via iPad, TV and more, because of course.
Pebble drops prices by $50 and adds continuous fitness tracking
If you've been thinking about getting a smartwatch but haven't been persuaded to plunk down a lot of cash, Pebble's trying to make the decision a little easier for you. The watch maker is lowering the price of its full lineup by $50, which means you can now get the sporty original model (above, right) for $100 and the fancier Steel (above, left) for $200. Usually significant price drops like these are a reaction to slowing sales, but CEO Eric Migicovsky says that on the contrary, sales are still as strong as ever and the ecosystem is growing. The company wants to offer the "right price for the product" and properly represent Pebble watches in light of the swelling competition in this category, Migicovsky said. Indeed, with the debut (and proliferation) of Android Wear this year and Apple Watch next year, Pebble wants to add cost to its list of competitive advantages alongside battery life and cross-platform functionality -- especially as the holidays approach and smartwatch choices become even tougher.
Sound off! How would you make a killer smartwatch?
It looks like the smartwatch is here to stay, and now that Apple has shown off their own attempt at creating some svelte looking electronic wrist candy, you can guarantee more people will be wearing them in the near future. But are smartwatches really useful? Besides showing off your latest notifications, what do they need to become an essential part of our lives? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your thoughts!
Pebble now displays emojis and lets you dismiss alerts from your watch
Do you hate emojis? Too bad, because they're everywhere: they've even arrived on Pebble and Pebble Steel via the smartwatches' latest firmware. The software upgrade allows emoticons to show up on Pebble's monochrome screen -- sure, they're not yellow or animated, but they're better than those blank boxes that typically take their place. More importantly for Apple users, though, this firmware brings iOS 8 compatibility and a really neat notification management feature to their watches. Now, when they dismiss an alert from their Pebbles, it also disappears from their phones' notification centers. (Hey, Android users, the company says it's working on a version for your devices, as well!) Other than these, the firmware also enables the watch's built-in compass and adds a fun Domo-kun watchface to your collection.
The ugly truth about wearable technology
When it comes to putting computers on our bodies, everyone's an armchair Anna Wintour. Take a look at the comments on any story about wearable technology, just about anywhere. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. And with good reason. While some of us view our PCs, smartphones and tablets as status symbols, our clothing and accessories are more closely tied to our identities than anything else.
