Pebble Updates the Clock to Keep Ticking Beyond the Grave
One of the dangers of smart devices is that many of them rely on their company’s online servers, and sometimes these companies shut down. What remains is an expensive paperweight. Thankfully, Pebble has been smart about updating its smartwatch since its acquisition by Fitbit last year.
This week they released a new update for the Pebble iOS app that retains some functionality while removing dependence on cloud services. Broadly speaking, Pebble says that devices will continue to work even if they fail to connect to a previously required server, and that apps and firmware can still be downloaded unpublished, even without logging into Pebble (if, for example, their login servers are the system will shut down completely. at some point). An update for Android is also in the works.
However, this is not all good news; the fact that the clock will work does not mean that it will retain all its functions. Health data collection has been removed, but you can sync your heart rate data with the Apple Health app. And there are many unanswered questions about other features like dictation or even just weather updates. However, this is a good sign for Pebble and Fitbit that they don’t want to leave old users in trouble.