Google has announced the release of the source code for the Pebble watch under the Apache 2.0 license. This comes after the Pebble company ceased operations in 2016 and its assets were sold to Fitbit, which was later acquired by Google. As a result, the rights to the Pebble OS code now belong to Google.
Pebble is considered a pioneer in the smartwatch industry today. It is a practical everyday watch that is lightweight, compact, and reasonably priced. With sales exceeding two million units, it is the second-highest crowdfunded product on Kickstarter, trailing only behind a book by Brandon Sanderson in 2023. Despite not being sold for nearly a decade, the Pebble community still boasts thousands of active users.
The Pebble OS is based on FreeRTOS modified to run JavaScript with Jerryscript. While Google has released most of the copyright-protected code, there are still some components, such as chip set and Bluetooth code, owned by others that need to be addressed for the project to compile successfully.
The Rebble project, which manages the Pebble servers, has announced its intention to continue developing this code with the initial goal of making it compile successfully.
Source: Google Open Source Blog, Rebble
TLDR: Google releases Pebble watch source code under Apache 2.0 license following the company’s closure in 2016. Pebble, known for its practicality and affordability, remains popular with a dedicated user base. Rebble project aims to further develop the code for successful compilation.
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