At a 2015 Boulder hackathon, makers used the Pebble Time Smartstrap’s four-pin connector to link the watch with external hardware. Their projects ranged from littleBits prototyping and an altimeter watchface to an NFC payment demonstration and a proposed search-and-rescue concept. These were event prototypes—not evidence of products or services supported today.
What was the Pebble Time Smartstrap?
The Smartstrap was a physical accessory interface on the back of the Pebble Time. Event organizer Viget described it as a small four-pin connector that let developers attach peripheral devices to the watch. The idea was to expand what the watch could do by combining its software and display with maker-built hardware.
In 2015, Pebble had published mechanical details, assembly instructions, protocol documentation, and an example Arduino library, according to Make:’s account of the event. That account describes the material as available at the time; current access to those resources has not been verified.
What did makers build?
The projects show how one connector could support very different interactions. Some paired the watch with sensors or controllers; others explored payments or a safety-related concept. The accounts describe demonstrations and prototypes, not standardized tests or comparable performance measurements.
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| Project | Purpose and extra hardware | What the event account says |
|---|---|---|
| Pebblits | Connect littleBits to make watch-connected prototyping more approachable. | Team Tack aimed to press a littleBits button and display something on the Pebble Time. Team member Juan Sanchez said, “We met that goal the first day.” |
| Altimeter Smartstrap | Show elevation and ascent or descent for hikers, hang gliders, and others; the team described a graph of the last ten measurements. | The project was presented as an altitude-focused strap and watchface. The account does not provide independent accuracy or performance measurements. |
| SurvivalStrap | A Pebble Time, Arduino Uno development board, and simple electronic components formed the prototype. | Team Universal Mind described a concept in which a Pebble app would trigger transmission of GPS information over public spectrums monitored by search-and-rescue teams, alongside basic survival guides. This was a stated use case, not a validated emergency communication product. |
| NFC payments | A Pebble app paired with a secure element and NFC controller embedded in a Smartstrap. | FitPay’s team reported completing a retail transaction during the event. That historical demonstration does not establish a current payment service. |
| Other builds | Watch-controlled 3D printer work, a Smartstrap-controlled robotic arm, and a 3D-printed enclosure for an audible notification dock. | These projects illustrate additional experiments with control and notifications; the event accounts do not establish ongoing availability or support. |
How did the connector invite experimentation?
The Smartstrap made the watch part of a larger hardware project rather than limiting it to its own built-in features. A strap could provide an interface to an external component, while a Pebble app or watchface supplied the interaction on the wrist. That arrangement supported several patterns: a button press that triggered a display, sensor readings presented as a trend, a watch app controlling a connected device, or a prototype that combined app behavior with additional electronics.
The builds were not interchangeable recipes. The SurvivalStrap account explicitly names an Arduino Uno; Pebblits used littleBits; the payment project used an NFC controller and secure element. A component useful for one project should not be treated as a universal Smartstrap requirement or as proof of compatibility with a particular board revision.
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How large was the 2015 event?
The event accounts describe its scale in slightly different ways. Viget reported that more than 70 participants attended and that 23 projects were uploaded to the event’s Hackster.io page. Make: quoted organizer Diana Jannuzzi saying, “We invited 70+ iOS developers, networking engineers, electrical engineers, designers and makers to participate in the hackathon at Galvanize coworking space in Boulder.” Make: also quoted an organizer saying 23 teams each created a project. These are event-reported figures, not broader industry statistics.
Make: reported in 2015 that Pebble had a $1 million fund intended to encourage development and commercialization of Smartstrap projects. That is a historical report about the fund, not a current offer.
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Can you make a Pebble Smartstrap today?
The historical accounts explain what participants built and point to technical material Pebble had posted at the time. They do not establish that Pebble Time hardware, Smartstrap parts, the old documentation, or project support remain available today. Nor do they establish present-day compatibility for any particular Arduino board, GPS module, or other component. A person attempting to recreate a build would need to verify access to the original hardware and documentation, then check the circuit and component compatibility before assembling it.
For context, the two event reports are Make:’s September 25, 2015 article and Viget’s September 11, 2015 event account.
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