It’s been nearly a decade since the Pebble smartwatch started shipping to backers of its wildly successful initial Kickstarter campaign, but there’s still life in the ol’ dog yet. The wearables are now compatible with Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as 64-bit-only Android devices that will arrive later.

As noted by Ars Technica, Katharine Berry, who works on Wear OS and is a prominent member of the Rebble group that’s keeping the Pebble ecosystem alive, wrote that the latest Pebble update comes four years after the previous one. The last update allowed for many of the Pebble app’s functions to run on independent servers. Fitbit, which Google has since bought, shut down Pebble’s servers in 2018, two years after buying some of the smartwatch maker’s assets.

Along with Pixel 7 compatibility, the latest update also improves Caller ID reliability on recent versions of Android. While the app isn’t available on the Google Play Store, the APK is signed with official Pebble keys and retains Google Fit integration, Berry noted.

On the surface, this might finally appear to be the end of the line for Pebble in terms of official support. “Thanks to Google for providing us with one last update,” Berry wrote on Reddit. However, as Ars Technica points out, it looks like a Pebble hackathon is set to take place next month. So if your Pebble’s e-ink screen and battery are still holding up, it might be useful for a while longer yet.

Source: Engadget – Decade-old Pebble smartwatches gain Pixel 7 support in ‘one last update’

We recommend Amazon’s Echo Show 5 for those looking to adopt a smarter type of alarm clock, and as of this writing Amazon is running a sale that brings two of the diminutive smart displays down to $60 when you use the code SHOW52PK at checkout. We’ve seen individual deals bring the device as low as $35 in recent months, so this offer represents a slightly better value if you know you want multiple displays around the house (or if you want to grab one for multiple people). The Echo Show 5 technically has an MSRP of $85, but its average street price has typically sat in the $40-50 range in recent months.

We gave the Echo Show 5 a review score of 85 when it launched last year, praising its solid-for-its-size sound quality, compact design, and usual suite of Alexa-aided smart features. Its most natural home is on a bedside table, as the device is fitted with features like a “sunrise” alarm that gradually brightens its screen to more gently wake you up in the morning and the ability to tap the top of the display to snooze an alarm. The device’s 960 x 480 resolution display isn’t exactly high-end, but it’s competent enough given the device’s small stature, and an ambient light sensor lets it automatically dim when you turn the lights off at night.

The device still has its uses outside of the bedroom, as it can tell you the weather, play music, display recipes, show Ring security cam feeds and control compatible smart home gear like any other Alexa machine. But that smaller display naturally won’t be as pleasing for video as the panel on a larger device like the Echo Show 8, and the included camera is only 2MP, so it’s best used in a pinch, not for extended video calls. (It does come with a privacy shutter, however.) This also isn’t the most performant device, so it’s better off sticking to simpler Alexa commands, casual music streaming, and that alarm clock functionality. 

All of that is easier to accept when the device is deeply discounted, though. Google’s Nest Hub is a fine alternative for those who prefer to use the Google Assistant or just want a bedside display with no camera at all. If you’re looking to add a couple of smart displays to your home and are already onboard with Alexa, though, this is a solid chance to save a few bucks.

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Source: Engadget – Amazon’s Echo Show 5 is available for apiece when you buy two

Telegram and its users are looking into ways to make more money from the platform. One method users have tried is using third-party payment bots to sell paid individual posts on their channels. However, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says the company had to shut down paid posts on iOS due to a complaint from Apple.

Durov said it “was great” that creators were receiving nearly the full sum of what their fans or subscribers paid for one of their posts. “Unfortunately, we received word from Apple that they were not happy with content creators monetizing their efforts without paying a 30 percent tax to Apple,” he wrote. “Since Apple has complete control over its ecosystem, we had no alternative but to disable such paid posts on iOS devices.”

The “30 percent tax” refers to the cut that Apple takes from in-app payments and app purchases. The company’s App Store fees have been the target of criticism from many corners, including news publishers, Spotify and, perhaps most famously, Epic Games.

Durov took a swipe at Apple, claiming it was a monopoly that “abuses its market dominance at the expense of millions of users who are trying to monetize their own content.” He expressed hope that regulators in various jurisdictions will take action “before Apple destroys more dreams and crushes more entrepreneurs.”

The Telegram CEO added that his team is working on ways to provide creators with easy-to-use options to make money from their content. He aims to help them do so “outside of Apple’s restrictive ecosystem.”

Telegram introduced paid features in June with a $5 per month Premium subscription. That opens up larger file upload sizes, faster downloads, the ability to follow many more channels and the option to pin chats. While the company itself hasn’t embraced paid posts as yet, it’s intriguing to see creators trying to find their own ways of making money from Telegram — even if Apple isn’t too happy about it.

Source: Engadget – Telegram nixes paid posts on iOS after blowback from Apple