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Is Pebble Smartwatch Safe Now That Rebble Released the App Store Archive?
The Rebble Foundation has issued a retraction regarding its accusations of theft against Core Devices and opened its app store archive to the public. This significant reversal follows intense community backlash and clarifies the ownership of legacy Pebble software.
Retracting Accusations and Clarifying Ownership
The Rebble Foundation board admitted its initial statement was excessively inflammatory. Tensions from failed private negotiations unfortunately influenced their public communication. They previously claimed Core Devices was “stealing” years of work. They have now walked back this claim.
The board emphasizes a crucial distinction: Pebble apps and watchfaces belong to their individual creators. They do not belong to Rebble. This clarification addresses the primary grievance raised by developers and Core Devices during the dispute.
Open Access to the Pebble Archive
To demonstrate transparency, Rebble is releasing the full Rebble App Store archive. Anyone with a developer portal account can download this data immediately. The Foundation plans to refresh this data dump monthly.
Rebble encourages the community to:
- Mirror the data.
- Create backups.
- Build new tools using the archive.
The only requirement is providing credit and a link back to Rebble. This policy aligns with the open-access vision advocated by Eric Migicovsky of Core Devices.
Resolving the Dispute with Core Devices
Rebble has softened its stance on Eric Migicovsky’s use of the app store API. Upon reviewing the specific code used in his tools, the board concluded he was not attempting to expropriate the store. Consequently, they no longer characterize his actions as “stealing.”
Rebble updated their original post to reflect this view and apologized for the delay in issuing this correction.
Migicovsky previously argued in his post, “Pebble, Rebble, and a Path Forward,” that the original app store data should be archived freely. He challenged the notion that Rebble owned “100%” of the store’s contents. Rebble’s new commitment to a regularly updated archive validates that perspective while maintaining its role as a service provider for active Pebble users.