Pebble today announced a significant update to its smart watch that allows any Notification Center alert to be pushed directly to the watch, a big improvement from the prior version which only allowed some notifications like calls and text messages to be sent.
Now, any iOS 7 notification -- whether from Facebook, Google Maps, Calendar or any other app -- will appear directly on the Pebble Smart Watch. The company also announced the next major version of the Pebble SDK for developers, including new APIs for Javascript, the accelerometer, data logging and persistent storage.
A new Pebble app for iOS will enable this functionality and is currently under review by Apple. Expect an update on the iTunes Store soon. Pebble is streaming the announcement live at 10AM Pacific so developers can see the latest updates.
First, we're introducing a delightful user experience for Pebble customers using iOS. Pebble is now fully integrated with iOS 7 and works seamlessly with Notification Center. This means that any notifications that you've enabled in Notification Center on your iOS 7 device will appear on your Pebble -- just like that. It's easier than ever to pick and choose which updates you want to see on your watch. This includes notifications beyond calls, texts and emails, such as Calendar, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Flickr, Dropbox, WhatsApp, Flipboard and more.
Second, we're launching Pebble SDK 2.0, which makes it even easier for developers to build awesome Pebble apps. SDK 2.0 opens up an entire universe of rich new watch apps thanks to four new APIs: Javascript, Accelerometer, Data Logging and Persistent Storage. These API allow developers to make Pebble apps that interface directly with the web (real-time weather, transit info, location check-in), access the accelerometer (health/fitness monitoring and gesture-based remote control), log data when disconnected from the phone (health/fitness tracking), and store info on the watch (high scores for games, settings).
The Pebble raised more than $10 million on Kickstarter, potentially proving the viability of the smart watch as a product. Apple is widely rumored to be working on its own iWatch and recently invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a new Arizona factory to make sapphire glass, perhaps for such a product.
Pebble says it has native apps from Foursquare, GoPro and Yelp on the way, with more to come. The Pebble smart watch is available for $150 in five colors from getpebble.com and at Best Buy and AT&T retail stores.
