Cómo funciona el reloj Pebble

En lo que respecta a los dispositivos tecnológicos, no es muy geek. Es suave, brillante y tiene un aspecto casi zen. Ese exterior relajante no es solo una fachada para el reloj inteligente Pebble. En comparación con tantos dispositivos de alta tecnología que disparan adrenalina, el Pebble está destinado a ser más sereno y más armonioso, diseñado para unir la vida moderna acelerada en una experiencia de reloj de pulsera discreta simple (pero inteligente) que es a la vez consciente de la moda y divertido de usar.

El reloj inteligente Pebble se conecta a su teléfono inteligente , tableta u otro dispositivo portátil a través de señales inalámbricas de Bluetooth . No importa si eres devoto de Apple o Android; Pebble funciona con dispositivos que ejecutan cualquier sistema operativo. Una vez conectado, Pebble se convierte en una especie de centro tecnológico montado en la muñeca, que brinda notificaciones de llamadas, mensajes de texto y correos electrónicos, además de actualizaciones de Facebook, Twitter y otras cuentas de redes sociales.

Puede instalar un grupo de aplicaciones maravillosas, salvajes o, a veces, simplemente extrañas en su reloj Pebble. A partir de la primavera de 2015, había más de 6000 aplicaciones creadas específicamente para el reloj. Debido a que el fabricante de Pebble ha optado por proporcionar un kit de desarrollo de software de código abierto, casi cualquier persona puede diseñar y lanzar aplicaciones, lo que significa que aparece software nuevo casi a diario, lo que le brinda la oportunidad de ajustar continuamente las capacidades del reloj según sus preferencias.

Como relojes de pulsera, el Pebble es una poderosa herramienta multifuncional. Puede revisar rápidamente el correo electrónico, las citas, los informes meteorológicos, los resultados deportivos y sus estadísticas personales de actividad física. Agregar o eliminar aplicaciones cambia las funciones de su Pebble hasta que esté satisfecho con los tipos de notificaciones y resúmenes que ve. Y sí, si te lo estás preguntando, incluso puedes usarlo para comprobar la hora.

A diferencia de tantos nuevos favoritos de la industria de la tecnología, Pebble no es una maravilla estrafalaria de un solo golpe. Su debut en 2013 se convirtió en múltiples versiones nuevas, todas las cuales ven una demanda creciente no solo de los geeks, sino también de las personas que buscan simplicidad y elegancia en todos sus dispositivos.

Pebble no es una rama de un gigante corporativo establecido. Es la historia de éxito de una pequeña empresa. Gracias a hombres de negocios con visión de futuro y algunos inversionistas audaces, se ha convertido en un recordatorio de que cualquier persona con algunas buenas ideas y algo de persistencia puede dar forma a todo un segmento de una industria global.

Contenido

1. La historia de fondo de Mining Pebble
2. Guijarro Numero Uno
3. Socavar la competencia
4. Tiempo para una línea de tiempo

Para ver el comienzo de la historia de Pebble, tenemos que comenzar casi al final del alfabeto, es decir, con la letra Y. Esto se debe a que Pebble recibió un gran impulso de Y Combinator, una incubadora de empresas muy conocida y respetada que ayudó a impulsar Pebble del concepto al negocio real.

La idea es bastante simple. Y Combinator proporciona una cantidad de efectivo relativamente modesta, así como experiencia y entusiasmo, para poner en marcha un concepto de negocio. De las docenas que ingresan al programa, algunos prosperarán, otros morirán. Otros, como Pebble, se convierten en niños del cartel de estrellas de rock de cómo estos programas generan innovación.

En 2008, Eric Migicovsky era un estudiante de ingeniería con algunas ideas sobre cómo mejorar la tecnología de los teléfonos inteligentes. Más específicamente, quería reducir nuestra fijación de agarrar constantemente nuestros teléfonos para buscar nuevas notificaciones. Un reloj de pulsera, pensó, sería mucho más eficiente.

Jugueteó con algunas piezas electrónicas sobrantes y un código programable y armó un reloj inteligente de prueba que se comunicaba directamente con los teléfonos inteligentes. Inicialmente, el reloj se llamó InPulse, y a Y Combinator le gustó el concepto lo suficiente como para financiar el plan de Migicovsky. Recibió $ 150,000 en capital inicial, que esperaba usar para atraer a capitalistas de ideas afines con billeteras más gruesas.

Desafortunadamente para Migicovsky, su plan fracasó. Aunque algunos inversores estaban intrigados por el reloj, ninguno mordió. Su reloj de primera generación sufrió una muerte agonizante antes de que tuviera la oportunidad.

En abril de 2012, con lo que finalmente se convirtió en una decisión histórica, Migicovsky recurrió a Kickstarter para financiar su incipiente idea. Kickstarter es un sitio web llamado crowdfunding, a través del cual casi cualquier persona puede solicitar dinero para casi cualquier proyecto concebible. Muchos proyectos fracasan por falta de interés. Unos pocos, como el de Migicovsky, cobran impulso de financiación y superan con creces sus objetivos de recaudación de fondos.

El proyecto Pebble tenía una modesta meta de Kickstarter de $100,000, que la compañía superó después de solo dos horas. En 28 horas, el total superó el millón de dólares. Cuando la campaña finalmente cerró a mediados de mayo, más de 68.000 entusiastas patrocinadores habían prometido casi $10,3 millones con la esperanza de hacer realidad el reloj Pebble.

El reloj comenzó a enviarse por primera vez en enero de 2013. A fines de 2014, la compañía había vendido aproximadamente 1 millón de productos.

El primer reloj Pebble obtuvo más de $ 10 millones en fondos de colaboración colectiva, lo que proporcionó a Migicovsky el dinero para perfeccionar su perspicacia en ingeniería y marketing y para impulsar la fabricación. El proyecto Pebble había sobrevivido evolucionando.

Fittingly, the device itself evolved as well. It was no longer a quaint, jury-rigged toy based on an aging Blackberry operating system. It came with an ARM Cortex-M3 CPU, memory, ambient light sensor, 3-D accelerometer and Bluetooth adapter. A touchscreen would've made Pebble's weeklong battery life pretty much impossible, so instead the device uses a monochrome Sharp LCD, a thin, flexible e-paper screen that consumes little power but still provides suitable contrast and resolution.

The watch isn't waterproof, but it's water resistant down to about 120 feet (37 meters), thanks in large part to the fact that there are no ports cutting into the watch's body. Sans USB port , you use a magnetic cable affixed to the body to transfer power.

Rather than relying on visual cues alone, you set the watch to vibrate when it detects new notifications. For people who want to break their obsessive habit of ceaselessly glancing at a smartphone, this capability alone might be enough to convince them that Pebble is worth owning.

At first, Pebble was just a lifeless piece of hardware. To make the watch truly impressive, its makers needed to offer a large number of apps, and they decided that an open-software developer kit was key. With this kit, anyone with programming skills can assemble apps for Pebble, in essence helping to propel the product forward. Migicovsky nurtures and encourages the developer community to spark ideas and bring them to fruition, meaning better functioning apps and happier Pebble customers.

The developers have not disappointed. By the thousands, they've created apps for weather tracking, traffic alerts, exercise monitors, games and more.

Notably, you can also download and install new watch faces for your Pebble. With each new face, the watch takes on a different appearance. You can select a silly watch face one day and a more businesslike one the next — it's an easy way to change up your watch's look without ever having to take it off.

As with so many first-generation smart watches, the Pebble's aesthetic virtues were a little rough around the edges. It was flat, on the chunky side and a little awkward. In short, it had the makings of something that gadget lovers would embrace but that less tech-obsessed folks would not. That said, the Pebble's appearance was still a quantum leap ahead of many other contemporary smart watches, many of which reflect a fashion sense that would only appeal to a pocket-protector-wearing minority.

The Neptune Pine, for example, is a powerhouse of a watch, basically duplicating many of the features of an Android smartphone. It's also so big that it will overwhelm the wrist of anyone who isn't the size of an NFL offensive lineman. First-generation versions of watches from almost all major manufacturers suffered from similar fashion faux pas.

These days, though, other watches are catching up to Pebble in terms of style. The Moto 360 comes with an oversized but pleasing round face. The LG G Watch R is round, too, and looks like a traditional beefy men's watch.

Looks aside, other companies are taking a different approach to functionality. With the Gear 2, Samsung opted for a large, color touchscreen and an interface that feels like a smartphone. It also has a built-in heart monitor. Yet all of those features mean a drastically shorter battery life and a much steeper price at $299.

One of the most formidable challenges to Pebble comes from the Apple Watch. With its rounded corners, rectangular shape and aluminum alloy case, the Apple Watch looks like a small iPod. It has a touch screen that you can use to tap and swipe through menus, as well as two buttons, one of which rotates to help you scroll through options.

As with every other watch, the Apple Watch connects to your smartphone, although it will only work with Apple phones. It has Bluetooth, but it's also equipped with Wi-Fi, which means you'll be able to access your iPhone's content and connection from all over the house instead of just across the room, at least for as long as the roughly 18-hour battery life lasts.

Still, the Apple Watch is targeting a wealthier class of consumer. Its most basic model sells for $349. If you prefer a steel case you'll drop $200 more. The Pebble, it seems, is specifically targeted toward a more frugal audience. That includes the newest Pebble.

In February 2015, Pebble unveiled its next generation watch, called Time. Pebble Time banks on what the company sees as key strengths, such as simplicity and an intuitive interface that offers plenty of options without being overly complicated or unwieldy.

It has a thinner, more durable body that's less geeky looking than its predecessor. It's still nearly waterproof and still works with a vast array of iOS and Android devices, yet the price of $199 is far less than many competitors. Pebble Steel, a stainless-steel version, will go for $100 more.

Most obviously, the Time has a color LCD screen . Although it's not touch capable and doesn't have the brightness or resolution of, say, the Apple Watch, it retains the original Pebble's weeklong battery life.

The Gorilla Glass lens is a tough type of glass that resists the inevitable scratches and scuffs that all well-worn watches are sure to encounter. The bezel is made from stainless steel in red, white or black, and you replace the floppy silicone band with any standard watchband you like.

One of its niftier features is an integrated microphone that lets you reply to messages and dictate notes just by speaking toward your wrist like a Secret Service agent. The microphone feature isn't as full-fledged as the one on your smartphone, so it doesn't (yet) work with every voice-activated app, but it's a quick and easy way to send messages or take notes without having to punch little keys on your smartphone.

All of these features, however, may be trumped by the new Timeline interface. Timeline is a new approach to one of the most difficult design aspects of smart watches — finding a fast, easy way to access a plethora of different kinds of information without a lot of control buttons or a touch screen.

Time's three side-mounted buttons access your life's timeline in the past, present and future, respectively. A single click of the appropriate button will often reveal the information you're looking for at the moment, whether it's your work calendar, fitness activity update or sports scores. Pebble thinks the Timeline interface is powerful and flexible enough not just for a watch, but for other types of wearable technology, too.

As with the first Pebble, the company isn't looking to reach the masses with its latest offerings. Pebble doesn't want to be the biggest or richest tech company. It does, however, want to sell the most functional and fashionable watches around, even if it means they'll mostly be targeting the kind of cult followers they garnered during the first Kickstarter campaign.

Speaking of Kickstarter, Pebble returned to the crowdfunding site to fund its second-generation watch. More than 70,000 followers kicked in funding during the campaign, yielding well over $18 million. With that kind of unprecedented online support, Pebble and its innovative watches aren't going away anytime soon. The company might have just over 100 employees, but it has harnessed enthusiasm and goodwill for its brand that will carry it forward in the fight against bigger, richer companies for years to come.

Author's Note: How the Pebble Watch Works

I don't own a smart watch. Not yet, anyway. That's probably because I feel like I already tinker around with technology far too much and that adding yet another device to my life would be another unnecessary distraction. Then again, my smartphone is already a pain in the neck that I wish would just go away. Perhaps with a smart watch I'd spend less time messing with the phone and more time actually getting things done.

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