Smartphone screens have gotten larger and larger in recent years. It’s increasingly difficult to find a phone with decent specs and a display smaller than 6 inches. So last year Eric Migicovsky wrote an ode to small-screen phones and asked other folks who were interested in one to sign a survey to express their interest. […]
pebble
At least 16 thousand people are still using Pebble smartwatches
Last week Google released a surprise update to the Pebble app for Android, allowing folks using the discontinued smartwatches to continue using them with smartphones devices running 64-bit only builds of Android (like the Google Pixel 7 series). Wondering how many people are still using Pebble watches in 2022? At least 16,000. That number comes […]
Now you can use a Pebble smartwatch with a Pixel 7 (or other 64-bit only Android devices)
Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are the first devices to ship with a 64-bit only version of Android. That means some older Android apps that are only designed to run on 32-bit processors won’t work with Google’s latest phones unless they’re updated by their developers. Among other things, that means folks who’ve […]
Lilbits: The latest Unihertz BlackBerry clone, why Pebble failed, and a dip in PC shipments
Unihertz plans to launch a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign soon for a modern phone with some retro-inspired features including a BlackBerry-style physical keyboard. The upcoming Unihertz Titan Slim will be the latest in a line of unusual phones from Unihertz, which has made a habit of releasing niche smartphones aimed at fans of old-school features like […]
Lilbits: LPDDR5X, Intel Tiger Lake-H for embedded devices, and new games for old Pebble watches
Low-power memory used in smartphones and some laptops could get a significant speed boost in the next year or so, thanks to the approval of a new LPDDR5X standard. Facebook is planning to launch a set of augmented reality glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban. And it looks like Intel has a bunch of Tiger Lake-H […]
Lilbits: Chip shortage, Pebble smartwatch afterlife, and mining Bitcoin with a Game Boy
The global chip shortage is leading to product delays and price increases for a wide range of products including automobiles, game consoles, and single board computers. And it could continue through much of 2021, and possibly into next year or beyond. There are a number of factors contributing to the shortage – rising demand for […]
Lilbits: Giving old gadgets new life
Pebble was one of the first companies in the smartwatch space, and even though it’s been years since a new Pebble device was released, aging Pebble smartwatches have a loyal following. And that’s led to some interesting developments, including the formation of a Rebble Alliance that built a cloud service that would allow old Pebble […]
If you plan to keep using a Pebble smartwatch, sign up for a Rebble account now
Fitbit plans to pull the plug on Pebble cloud services at the end of June, which means anyone with a Pebble smartwatch won’t be able to use the app store, reply to email or SMS messages from their watch, or use voice recognition or other services that require an internet connection. The move has been […]
Fitbit launches $200 Versa smartwatch and kid-friendly $100 Ace activity tracker
Fitbit’s second smartwatch is here, and it’s cheaper, better looking, and arguably more useful than the company’s first. The Fitbit Versa is a $200 watch that offers 4 days of battery life, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, step counting, and music playback, as well as notifications and support for third-party apps. Fitbit is also launching […]
Rebble aims to make your Pebble watch keep working after Fitbit pulls the plug this summer
Pebble was one of the early players in the smartwatch space, and the company’s low-power devices with long battery life, support for third-party apps, and sunlight readable displays still have a loyal fan base… even though Pebble hasn’t released a new watch since the company was acquired by Fitbit at the end of 2016. At […]