Latest news with #compass
The Verge
13-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Here's a look at the final Pebble Time 2 design
Now that Pebble is Pebble again, we're getting an official look at the new Pebble Time 2 that'll ship to customers later this year. (We got a sneak peak back in March, but those were preliminary designs.) The designs were posted today by Core Devices CEO Eric Migicovsky on his blog and YouTube. The Time 2 will come in four colors, though they haven't been finalized that yet — Migicovsky says the company is looking for input from Pebble fans. The device will feature stainless steel front, back, and buttons resembling those from the Pebble Time Steel. There'll also be multicolor RGB backlighting, a second microphone, screw-mounted back cover, and a compass. It also weighs about 48 grams with the strap, and 32.5 grams for the case itself. This is in addition to the specs that were previously teased, like a 1.5-inch 64 color e-paper display, touch screen, standard 22mm straps, heart rate monitor, and 30-day battery life. 'This is basically the watch of my dreams,' Migicovsky says in the video. So far, the design evokes the same minimalist feeling as the original Pebble Time, but with a sleeker profile and rounded edges. Compared to the slightly more dressed up Pebble Time Steel, the bezels on the new Pebble Time 2 are also significantly smaller. The glass is also flatter, so there's less reflection when viewed from an angle. In his blog, Migicovsky notes that folks who want to switch orders from the Pebble 2 Duo don't have to do anything special. There'll be a survey sent out to those who have pre-ordered in the next month or so. Here's a gallery that you can ooh and ahh over in the meantime. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Victoria Song Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gadgets Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Smartwatch Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Wearable
WIRED
06-08-2025
- WIRED
The Totem Compass Can Help You Find Your Friends at a Festival—No Phone Service Required
The compasses work best when outdoors with few obstructions. An ideal place to use them is a big, open field; indoors in a city, they're not going to be as accurate and they won't have as much range. Each compass has a peer-to-peer range of about 1,000 meters, or two-thirds of a mile. But if more Totem compasses are around, that range is extended. And these aren't limited to just festival environments—parents use them to find their kids at events, and hikers like them on group excursions. There's even an SOS button that you can press discreetly. A blinking red light on the back shows you that SOS is activated. And on your friends' side, they'll see your corresponding color blinking, meaning they'll know it's time to track you down. This can be helpful if you're ready to get picked up, if you're in an altered state of mind and need a pal, or if the jaw-jacking attendee in front of you is giving you the ick. Can You See Me? With all that I like about Totem, there are a few drawbacks. The housing feels a little cheap, lightweight, and plasticky. I haven't experienced scratches or scuffs, but I'm betting that I will eventually. It's water-resistant, but not waterproof—when it rains heavily, I put it in my backpack to avoid it getting too wet. It's labeled as dustproof, but the product guide says not to expose it to excessive dust, so I wouldn't take it to Burning Man without protection like a waterproof bag or something similar. It also gets warm when it's working hard, such as setting up a satellite connection, and it gets warm if the weather is hot. And I wish the battery lasted longer. On most festival days, I'm up and at 'em in the festival grounds by 1 pm, and I stay out until at least 1 am if not 5 or 6 in the morning. If I want to use Vibe Mode and have little dancing lights accompanying me, the battery won't last through my schedule. I do like that these are rechargeable, but that also means you'll have to sacrifice some of your power bank's battery life to keep them stable (if you're at a camping festival with no power). Totem says battery life will be improved with future software updates. And finally, the device doesn't feel super intuitive to set up. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what's going on, partially due to the fact that there's no screen—just a series of lights and blinks. Courtesy of Louryn Strampe
