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Google open-sources the Pebble smartwatch’s software, and its creator is making a new model

Google has open-sourced most of the Pebble smartwatch’s software. The wearable’s creator is already plotting a spiritual successor, which he says will be nearly identical to the original.

Although that paves the road for anyone to make new Pebble-esque wearables (or custom firmware for the old models), one high-profile figure has already raised his hand: Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky. Google’s Matthieu Jeanson, Katharine Berry and Liam McLoughlin wrote that developers face “a non-trivial amount of work” in finding replacements for the stripped-out pieces of code. His wishlist for the as-yet-unnamed product includes an always-on e-paper screen, long battery life, a “simple and beautiful user experience,” physical buttons and hackability (like custom watch faces).

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