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As soon as I held the Pebble Round 2 in my hand, I suddenly realized what Id been missing for the better part of a decade. Ive always felt smartwatches should supplement, rather than supplant, your phone, but thats an attitude that feels almost quaint these days. After all, Apple and Samsung believe everyone wants a watch that can do almost everything your phone can do. But that wasnt the prevailing opinion at the dawn of the smartwatch era, either philosophically or from limitations in the technology. Back then, companies like Pebble, Vector, Basis and others all built devices that added a second screen to the device in your pocket, and were all the better for it. Thankfully, Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky agrees, and if his project to revive the company is successful, perhaps well once again see these alternative approaches flourish. The first step on this very long road is the Pebble Round 2, which aims to be the standard bearer for a new generation of comparatively less smart, but fundamentally more useful, smartwatches. Round 2 was announced on January 2, and is the second product in Core Devices (Migicovskys new company) lineup of revived Pebbles. The first was the revamped Time 2, aping the form of its more successful predecessor, while the Round 2 is an attempt to correct the mistakes of 2015s Pebble Time Round. That watch, when it debuted, was met with disappointment from critics who loved its aesthetics but little else. Back then, building a Pebble with a round face required plenty of compromise, including a higher price, shorter battery life, fewer features and a massive bezel. A decade on, and the technology has come along sufficiently to render such compromises moot, making for a much better device overall. The new watch has a 1.3-inch color e-paper touchscreen which stretches to the end of the case. Its display has been bonded to the glass crystal, dramatically improving the viewing angles and reducing glare. You should expect to get two weeks of life on a single charge, but it remains just 8.1mm thick, and you can really feel that lack of heft when its in your hand. In fact, compared to so many of its smartwatch peers, you could almost unironically describe it as dainty, making its case size feel almost comically large. On the materials side, the case feels strong enough that I think it would withstand the rigors of daily life, and Im quite smitten with both the polished rose gold and brushed silver finishes. On one hand, its hardly the major reason to buy a watch, but Im deeply smitten by how much text the Round 2s display can render. Even the fanciest of smartwatches arent that willing to display big reams of text for your ease of reading. I was tickled to read a lengthy Slack message which reminded me, again, of what Ive been missing for all of these years. Perhaps thats a sign of the broader benefits a device like this offers, which is the ability to tweak its UI to what you need, rather than being tied by the UI designers in Cupertino and Mountain View. There are plenty of omissions in the spec list, including no optical heart rate sensor, no GPS and no speaker. Im not weeping over any of them: Ive not used my smartwatchs GPS in years and yes, and Pebble is swerving away from the health and fitness market. I dont want to take calls from my wrist, either, and while the omitted heart rate sensor is harder to take given their ubiquity, its been done to ensure the watch is thinner than many of its competitors. Migicovsky is candid about Pebbles failure, saying the company spent too much to become a global hardware brand. He invested heavily in inventory in anticipation of blockbuster sales that never came, similar to Pelotons post-COVID slump. This time around, the focus is on ensuring the company remains sustainable over the long term and, hopefully, building a succession of products. Rather than big investments, hell make small batches of devices to cater to pre-orders and wont water down his philosophy in the hope of attracting a broad user base. He even said the Pebble website may include recommendations for alternative smartwatches from other companies to ensure hes only catering to the faithful. Three Pebble Indexes side by side on a table. Daniel Cooper for Engadget Its his hope that this approach will give him the time and space to make more products, such as the already-announced Pebble Index 01. Its a $75 ring equipped with a microphone, Bluetooth and a single push button, where users can record brief reminders to themselves. Rather than add weight and complexity with a rechargeable battery, each Index has a sealed-in cell that the company promises will last for up to two years. A month before the battery is due to expire, youll be asked if you want to buy a replacement, sending in the original for recycling. Its an unusual arrangement but one that Migicovsky believes is more compelling than some others. After all, users arent saddled with any monthly subscription fees, and they only need to buy a new one if theyve actually gotten the benefit out of their existing model. As with the revived Pebbles, the prevailing attitude is that nobodys twisting your arm here. Image of the rear sides of the Pebble Round 2 Daniel Cooper for Engadget More broadly, Migicovsky has the time and money now to explore these product ideas free from the usual pressures. He has no investors or backers demanding instant returns and fast growth, giving him license to pursue his ideas as far as he wants to take them. And he is determined to return a small degree of whimsy to consumer electronics, building gadgets that are in some way fun. Lets hope he succeeds, because the industry cant survive another decade of homogeneity. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pebble-seeks-to-remedy-the-wearable-industrys-original-sin-170000834.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Corsair just revealed a gaming keyboard with a built-in Stream Deck controller at CES 2026. The Galleon 100 SD is a mechanical keyboard with a 5-inch screen, two rotary encoders and a full complement of Stream Deck buttons. For the uninitiated, the Stream Deck is basically a collection of hot keys that execute various commands. It's been incredibly popular for streamers and the like, but it's also become a boon for PC gamers. Corsair is advertising the Galleon 100 SD directly to gamers, so it boasts of hot keys being used to "access abilities, call in airstrikes and manage inventory without diving through menus." The Elgato Marketplace offers profiles for specific games, eliminating the need to manually program the buttons. The included screen can display relevant stats while playing. However, this is a real Stream Deck. It has 12 big buttons, which can be programmed to do all kinds of things beyond gaming. People use it to stream, yes, but also to control smart home devices, assist with creative tasks and a lot more. Corsair It's also a true mechanical gaming keyboard with hyper-polling rates up to 8,000Hz, which the company says "transmits your keystrokes up to eight times faster" than standard releases. It features MLX Pulse keyswitches that have been "tuned for fast actuation and smooth yet tactile feedback." Everything is housed in a durable aluminum frame with gasket housing and six layers of sound dampening. There's a cushioned palm rest and configurable RGB lighting. The Galleon 100 SD is available right now, but there's a catch. It costs $350, which is a lot of dough for a gaming keyboard. For that amount of money you could buy an actual Stream Deck XL and a decent keyboard and still have plenty to spare.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/corsair-made-a-keyboard-with-a-built-in-stream-deck-163158296.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
ElevationLab makes a battery case for your AirTag that can power it for 10 years and the accessory is on sale now for 30 percent off. Normally retailing for $23, you can pick one up for $16. The TimeCapsule case uses two AA batteries to offer up to 14 times the lifespan of the CR2032 battery that powers an AirTag. The company based those estimates on Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, so your mileage may vary. Once an AirTag is seated inside the case, which is a compact 4.45 x 1.57 inches, it is sealed shut with four screws at the corners. The case is fiber-reinforced, according to Elevation Lab, and rated IP69 waterproof. The company says its intended for use cases where you might place an AirTag for long periods of time, like in a vehicle, a piece of luggage or a work bag. We've already got a couple of Elevation Lab products on our list for best AirTag accessories, so while we haven't reviewed the battery case, we tend to like this company's products. If you're in the market for more AirTags or considering picking some up for the first time, you can still get a pack of 4 for just $65, which is only a few dollars off the lowest price we've seen. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/elevationlabs-timecapsule-extended-battery-case-for-airtags-is-30-percent-off-162308689.html?src=rss
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