Macworld has an excellent breakdown of the key features coming to macOS High Sierra.
"The next version of Apple’s operating system for the Mac is called macOS High Sierra. While the OS is mostly about software refinements, it also lays the foundation for future innovations in the worlds of VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality)."
When the Pebble smartwatch was first introduced last year, it amassed so much interest, it became the highest funded project on Kickstarter. The Pebble is a smartphone connected device that displays not only the time, but SMS messages, email, calendar alerts, caller ID, and music controls. With over $10M pledged by 68,928 backers, the expectations were high that the product could live up the hype.
At CES 2013, CEO Eric Migicovsky announced that the Pebble would start shipping at the end of January. As one of the initial backers, I received my Pebble smartwatch last month. I was initially impressed with the watch, and could immediately see the potential of such a device. Unfortunately, as much as I like the idea of the Pebble, there are several things lacking in the implementation.
In order for the Pebble to work at its full potential, you need to install on your iOS or Android device, the free Pebble app. With the app, you can connect the watch to your smartphone, add new watch faces, and update the watches software.
So what went wrong?
Main Issues
Throughout the day, I would lose connectivity, even when the phone was inches away from the watch. All day long this alert would popup on my screen "Pebble would like to communicate with the Pebble Technology Corp. Pebble xxxx." Then it would open the app, taking me out of whatever I was doing.
Then there's the notifications issue. If you have notifications turned on, the watch should display them. Due to a bug however, every time the watch disconnects, it forgets your notifications settings. You have to toggle the on/off switch in the notification settings of your phone for the Pebble to display them correctly again.
Finally, the promised battery life of 5-7 days was more like 3-4 days. I was able to get 6 days, but only after disabling the backlight.
So, is the Pebble a total bust? No. The good news is that all of the issues can be fixed with a software update. Say what you want about these wearable devices, but smartwatches are set to become the next big thing in technology. Whether it comes from Pebble, or the rumored Apple iWatch, things are about to get interesting.
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