Wearable technology has been creating quite a stir, some of it good, but surely not all of it. Pebble was among the first to market — yes, others existed, but it was one of first to make a real splash, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. Now Microsoft is looking to get in on the market.
No, the company isn’t making its own smartwatch (it has done that long ago), but working with Pebble for integration. “Turns out in a conversation with one of the Pebble Watch Engineers, they didn’t know that the interface with Windows 8 is similar to the interface they use with the iPhone. So over the next few weeks I am going to explore the possibility of working with the Pebble Watch”, the company states.
Exploring is certainly different from building and releasing, but it’s a promising start. There is already a sample app for Windows Phone, but it is really not anywhere close to what Pebble customers are looking for.
However the company is looking at greatly expanded functionality, including background tasks, gaming integration, alarms sent to the phone. But the goal the software giant is aiming for is a less intrusive experience. “Just like the Windows Phone, the philosophy is that you use the phone to do what you need, fast, and then get back to living life” Microsoft says.
While not everyone is enamored with this technology, it’s certainly good that Microsoft is considering opening up the option for those who do want to take advantage. It’s one more avenue to utilize that Windows Phone in your pocket.
Update: The Microsoft Technical Evangelist has clarified his statement with the following information — “My previous blog about the Pebble Watch, was MY VIEW, MY IDEA, and was focused on using the Pebble to demonstrate Azure and so forth. This blog is always my idea I do not get a ‘focus’ document, or talking points or anything from Management or anyone in Microsoft. I am individually working on a demonstration app for Pebble Watch to Windows 8 (or 8.1, who knows?) for use in my job individually because I am passionate about wearable electronics right now”. In other words, Microsoft isn’t working with Pebble, rather the evangelist is working on a demonstration app.
