Pebble, a name synonymous with early smartwatches, is stirring back to life. After its acquisition by Fitbit and subsequent fading from the market, the brand is poised for a potential comeback, driven by its founder and fueled by the open sourcing of its software. This resurgence centres around a new e-ink wearable project and a renewed focus on the core principles that made Pebble popular in the first place.
For those unfamiliar with the brand’s history, Pebble was a pioneer in the smartwatch space. Its focus on simplicity, long battery life thanks to e-ink displays, and a user-friendly interface resonated with many users. Pebble smartwatches were known for their ability to deliver notifications, track basic fitness metrics, and offer a degree of customizability. However, the company struggled to compete with the rise of more feature-rich smartwatches from established tech giants and was eventually acquired by Fitbit in 2016.
Now, several years later, Pebble’s founder, Eric Migicovsky, is embarking on a new venture centred around e-ink wearables. While details remain somewhat scarce, the project aims to recapture the essence of Pebble’s original appeal: long battery life, clear displays, and a focus on core smartwatch functionalities. This new project – RePebble – isn’t a direct revival of the Pebble brand, but it carries the spirit of Pebble’s design philosophy forward. The use of e-ink technology is a clear nod to Pebble’s legacy and a recognition of the enduring appeal of this display technology for wearables.
Source: Wikipedia.org | The Original Pebble Watch
Adding another layer to this narrative, Google has recently open-sourced PebbleOS’s source code. Migicovsky notes in the RePebble blog post that this development was due to his request to Google. This is a significant development, as it allows developers and enthusiasts to explore the inner workings of Pebble’s software and potentially contribute to its further development. While the open-sourced code may not be directly tied to Migicovsky’s new project, it provides a valuable resource for anyone interested in building upon Pebble’s legacy. The availability of this code could lead to the creation of custom firmware, new apps, and potentially even community-driven hardware projects.
The timing of these developments – the new e-ink wearable project and the open-sourcing of Pebble’s code – has reignited interest in the brand and its potential. While the smartwatch market has evolved significantly since Pebble’s heyday, there remains a segment of users who appreciate the simplicity and long battery life that e-ink wearables offer. Migicovsky’s new project, combined with the open-sourced code, could tap into this market and potentially revive the spirit of Pebble.
Source: Wikipedia.org | The Pebble 2
It’s important to note that the future of RePebble, or rather, the spirit of Pebble, remains uncertain. Migicovsky’s new project is still in its early stages, and there’s no guarantee of its success. However, the combination of his experience, the open-sourced code, and the enduring appeal of e-ink wearables creates a compelling narrative. Whether this leads to a full-fledged Pebble revival or simply inspires a new generation of e-ink devices remains to be seen. Regardless, it’s clear that Pebble’s legacy continues to resonate, and its influence on the smartwatch market may not be over just yet.
Graphisoft is working on revolutionising the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry with its cutting-edge Building Information Modeling (BIM) solutions. By mindfully integrating Generative AI into its software, Graphisoft is enabling professionals to work smarter, streamline workflows, and drive sustainable design practices. From its pioneering role in BIM technology to its contributions to iconic projects like Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 skyscraper, Graphisoft is at the forefront of technological innovation in the AEC sector.
Founded in 1982 by Hungarian architects and mathematicians, Graphisoft is often credited as the ancestor of BIM technology. Over the decades, it has introduced game-changing solutions, starting with the creation of Archicad, the world’s first 3D architectural design software. Today, the company operates in more than 100 countries and supports 29 languages, empowering a global user base of over 200,000 architects and engineers. Its flagship offerings, including Archicad, BIMx, and BIMcloud, have redefined collaborative design, sustainability, and project management in the AEC industry.
Mindfully Imbuing the Design Process with Generative AI
Generative AI has become a cornerstone of Graphisoft’s recent innovations, introducing tools that redefine design ideation and execution. The AI-powered features in Archicad allow architects to visualize early-stage concepts with the AI Visualizer, powered by Stable Diffusion. This tool generates highly detailed 3D renderings from basic design models, enabling architects to refine concepts faster and present them more effectively to clients.
AI also enhances the design process by generating multiple variations from simple text prompts, allowing architects to explore different possibilities without additional costs. Graphisoft is further leveraging AI by automating compliance checks, sustainability assessments, and workflow optimization. These tools are designed to save time and reduce the complexity of regulatory requirements, enabling architects to focus more on creativity and design excellence.
The company’s research and development in AI continue to advance predictive modelling capabilities, allowing users to anticipate design challenges before they occur. As AI continues to evolve, Graphisoft is actively working on refining its machine-learning algorithms to provide increasingly accurate and efficient solutions tailored to the unique needs of the AEC industry.
Sustainability as a Core Principle
Sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity in the construction industry, and Graphisoft’s tools are at the forefront of promoting green building practices. Lifecycle assessment integration and energy analysis in Archicad allow architects to assess the environmental impact of materials and construction processes early in the design phase. Advanced simulations help optimize energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, while renovation-focused tools promote adaptive reuse and minimize construction waste.
Graphisoft’s commitment to sustainability is exemplified in projects like the Paris Athletes’ Village, which leveraged Archicad and BIMcloud to prioritize eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient designs. To mitigate the carbon footprint of AI and ML processes, Graphisoft employs strategies such as optimizing AI models, using renewable energy-powered data centres, and integrating lifecycle carbon accounting into its tools. These measures reflect its dedication to balancing innovation with environmental responsibility.
Strengthening Roots in Malaysia
Malaysia has emerged as a key market for Graphisoft, driven by rapid urban development and government-mandated BIM adoption for projects exceeding RM10 million. The company’s involvement in the iconic Merdeka 118 project, the world’s second-tallest skyscraper, highlights its impact on Malaysia’s architectural landscape.
Source: Arup | Merdeka 118 towering in the Kuala Lumpur Skyline
Graphisoft’s growth strategy in Malaysia focuses on industry partnerships, educational outreach, and community engagement. Collaborations with organizations like the Public Works Department (JKR) and IME Technology ensure that Graphisoft’s solutions meet local regulatory standards and project requirements. By partnering with institutions such as Universiti Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Graphisoft looks to equip future architects and engineers with essential BIM skills, fostering a BIM-ready workforce. Events like Archicad User Group meetings and workshops with the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) serve as platforms for knowledge-sharing and advocacy, reinforcing Graphisoft’s presence in the local AEC community.
Beyond training and compliance, Graphisoft is actively engaging with Malaysia’s private sector and real estate developers to integrate BIM at earlier project stages, ensuring better resource allocation and more sustainable building practices. The push for smart city development in Kuala Lumpur and other urban centers aligns with Graphisoft’s expertise in digital twins and AI-enhanced simulations.
By integrating these technologies into large-scale infrastructure projects, the company is playing a pivotal role in shaping Malaysia’s digital transformation in construction and urban planning. Through sustained partnerships, continuous education initiatives, and active involvement in Malaysia’s infrastructure evolution, Graphisoft is positioned as a key enabler of a more technologically advanced and environmentally conscious construction landscape in the country.
Adapting to Industry Trends
The global AEC industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with the BIM market expected to grow by USD 13.33 billion between 2024 and 2028. Cloud collaboration has become increasingly essential, with post-pandemic reliance on cloud-based solutions making tools like BIMcloud indispensable for remote work and global project coordination. The integration of digital twins with smart city initiatives enables predictive maintenance and urban planning, aligning with Malaysia’s infrastructure goals. The adoption of OPEN BIM standards ensures interoperability, fostering seamless collaboration among diverse stakeholders and driving more efficient and transparent project workflows.
Graphisoft’s commitment to advancing AI-driven solutions is evident in its roadmap for future developments. The company plans to expand capabilities in automated compliance checks, sustainability assessments, and real-time collaboration to meet the demands of modern architecture. However, challenges persist, including ensuring data quality and integration, addressing computational resource constraints, and bridging the skills gap among AEC professionals. Graphisoft’s focus on user-friendly interfaces and targeted training initiatives aims to overcome these barriers, promoting widespread AI adoption and enabling firms of all sizes to leverage AI-driven efficiencies in their design processes.
Shaping the Future of the AEC Industry
Graphisoft is shaping the AEC industry through its integration of AI, sustainability-driven design tools, and commitment to interoperability. By strengthening its foothold in Malaysia, Graphisoft is contributing to the country’s architectural innovation, aligning with national goals for digital transformation and sustainable infrastructure development. Its partnerships with government agencies, academic institutions, and industry leaders help create a more BIM-ready workforce, ensuring that Malaysia remains competitive in the evolving global construction landscape.
As challenges in data integration, AI adoption, and regulatory compliance continue to shape the industry, Graphisoft’s focus on practical, user-driven solutions positions it as a key player in the future of architectural technology. The company’s influence will be felt not only in the development of smarter, greener buildings but also in how industry professionals collaborate, innovate, and shape the built environment of tomorrow.
OpenAI has unveiled o3-mini, its latest language model designed for cost-effective reasoning, available now in both ChatGPT and the API. This model represents a significant advancement in the capabilities of smaller language models, excelling in STEM fields like science, math, and coding, while maintaining the low cost and reduced latency of its predecessor, o1-mini.
o3-mini isn’t just a scaled-down version of a larger model. It’s a purpose-built reasoning model, optimized for tasks requiring logical deduction and problem-solving, particularly in technical domains. OpenAI highlights its exceptional STEM capabilities, making it a powerful tool for tackling complex scientific, mathematical, and coding challenges. This focus differentiates it from models primarily designed for text generation or code completion, positioning o3-mini as a specialized instrument for technical tasks.
A key feature of o3-mini is its support for developer-centric functionalities, including function calling, structured outputs, and developer messages. These features make it production-ready, allowing developers to seamlessly integrate it into real-world applications. Like o1-mini and o1-preview, o3-mini also supports streaming, enabling dynamic and interactive experiences. Furthermore, developers can choose from low, medium, and high reasoning effort options, providing flexibility to optimize for speed or accuracy depending on the specific use case. It’s important to note that o3-mini does not support vision capabilities; for visual reasoning tasks, developers should continue using the o1 model. o3-mini is currently being rolled out in the Chat Completions API, Assistants API, and Batch API to select developers in API usage tiers 3-5.
ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users gain immediate access to o3-mini, with Enterprise access following in February. o3-mini will replace o1-mini in the model picker, offering higher rate limits and lower latency. Specifically, the rate limit for Plus and Team users triples from 50 messages per day with o1-mini to 150 messages per day with o3-mini. Adding another layer of utility, o3-mini now integrates with search, providing up-to-date answers with links to relevant web sources—an early prototype of search integration across OpenAI’s reasoning models.
Free plan users also get a chance to experience o3-mini by selecting ‘Reason’ in the message composer or regenerating a response. This marks the first time a reasoning model has been made available to free users in ChatGPT.
While o1 remains OpenAI’s general knowledge reasoning model, o3-mini serves as a specialized alternative for technical domains demanding precision and speed. In ChatGPT, o3-mini defaults to medium reasoning effort, balancing speed and accuracy. Paid users can also select o3-mini-high for more complex tasks requiring higher intelligence, though this option may result in slightly longer response times. Pro users have unlimited access to both o3-mini and o3-mini-high.
According to OpenAI, o3-mini’s performance is impressive. With medium reasoning effort, it matches o1’s performance in math, coding, and science, but delivers faster responses. Expert evaluations have shown that o3-mini produces more accurate and clearer answers with stronger reasoning abilities than o1-mini. Testers preferred o3-mini’s responses 56% of the time and observed a 39% reduction in major errors on challenging real-world questions. With medium reasoning effort, o3-mini matches the performance of o1 on challenging reasoning and intelligence evaluations like AIME and GPQA. Its performance extends across various benchmarks, including competition math (AIME), PhD-level science questions (GPQA Diamond), research-level mathematics (FrontierMath), competition coding (Codeforces), software engineering (SWE-bench Verified), and LiveBench coding. In all these areas, o3-mini demonstrates significant improvements over its predecessor, particularly with high reasoning effort.
Speed and efficiency are also hallmarks of o3-mini. It delivers responses 24% faster than o1-mini, with an average response time of 7.7 seconds compared to 10.16 seconds for o1-mini. o3-mini also boasts a 2500ms faster time to first token than o1-mini.
Safety is paramount. OpenAI employs techniques like deliberative alignment to ensure o3-mini responds safely, training the model to consider human-written safety specifications before answering prompts. Like o1, o3-mini surpasses GPT-4 on challenging safety and jailbreak evaluations. Rigorous safety assessments, external red-teaming, and safety evaluations are conducted before deployment.
It’s worth noting that o3-mini launches on the tails of DeepSeek’s R1 model. This model has become quite the disruptor in the Generative AI space affecting companies like Open AI and NVIDIA. With claims that the model is running on more modest hardware and – more importantly – Huawei’s processors. The model not only breaks the perceived monopoly and leadership of America in the AI arena, but it also shows a shift that may break the monopolistic hold US-based companies have had thus far. Open AI’s o3-mini follows DeepSeek’s R1 when it comes to power efficiency and speed.
How will it affect the market in the long run? We can’t say for sure, but one thing we do know is DeepSeek is breaking a lot of preconceptions that China is unable to keep up with AI movement due to tariffs and trade restrictions currently in place.
Printing has taken a little bit of a backseat in recent years as we move to a more digitalised norm. However, that doesn’t mean that we don’t need good printers especially when it comes to preserving memories in pictures or even printing that larger-than-life dungeon map for your D&D session. Even in home offices, printers still play a relatively crucial role in operations.
Canon’s PIXMA TS7770 is an all-in-one printer designed for home users and small offices. For this model, Canon was focusing on delivering high-quality prints with versatile functionality; the perfect combination for home offices and even crafters. Canon is looking to strike the perfect balance of affordability, ease of use, and performance
So, the big question is, does the Canon PIXMA TS7770 hit all the marks Canon sets for it and is it worth looking at if you’re looking for a printer? In this review, we’ll dive into its features, build quality, print quality, speed, and compatibility across platforms, while paying special attention to its print quality, speed, and multi-platform integration to answer this.
Design & Build Quality
The unit of the Canon PIXMA TS7770 that we got in for review was a white version of the printer. It looks sleek and chic, perfect for a minimalist setup. The printer itself isn’t too big measuring in at 35cm in length, 37cm in width and 17cm in height. It should be able to seamlessly blend into any workspace setup. The minimal design also hides its many physical features including a paper tray and a scanner bed.
The Canon PIXMA TS7770 boasts a sturdy build that feels durable despite its compact size. The printer’s build materials are a tad bit plasticy. However, Canon has made some choices that make it feel slightly more premium. With an overall design that emphasizes practicality, the PIXMA TS7770 has a finish that would need some maintenance in the long run. It has a textured mattified finish which will undoubtedly catch dust. It’s the unit we had that came with a white finish. We hope that the finish doesn’t hasten the yellowing of the printer itself.
Accessing the ink cartridges and clearing paper jams is straightforward. This is thanks to the design of the compact printer. Aside from the paper trays, the internals are relatively easy to access by opening a single panel. We have to give it to them, this is a pretty well-thought-out layout.
The control interface is also very well thought out. The interface can be raised away from the printer. This makes the items being displayed easy to read and interact with. While the control panel is not fully touchscreen, it features a clear and responsive LCD display. The display comes alongside tactile buttons that also allow you to interact with the printer. This hybrid approach makes the learning curve to use the printer shorter and strikes a balance between usability with durability.
Features
A printer is not just a printer anymore. We’ve become accustomed to printers coming with scanners and even software features that make them compelling additions to our setup. The Canon PIXMA TS7770 isn’t shying away from packing it in with the features. It comes equipped with a host of features that make it a solid contender in the all-in-one printer market.
Of course, being a printer designed for home offices and even small and medium enterprises, the TS7770 is an all-in-one. It prints, scans and can even act as a photocopier if needed. If you really need it, it can even do faxing with the proper software setup. With how minimalist we’ve become over the years, running cables can be quite the hassle, this printer addresses that issue with wireless connectivity. It supports both WiFi and Bluetooth.
You don’t even have to be on your laptop to print – which is a big plus. Canon’s PRINT app allows you to print and even customise your print from your smartphone or tablet. This has become an expectation at this point when it comes to printers. However, Canon’s PRINT app has one of the easiest and most intuitive interfaces available now. Printing is as simple as sharing the document or picture with the app or navigating to the document with the file manager through the app. Even printing photos is pretty easy. You can even change the size and orientation of the print in the app. This also includes borderless printing options for more creative printing including borders and the like. You can even print directly from cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
The printer also comes with multiple paper trays. This is both a boon and a curse when it comes to printing. We had a few issues with printing cause of this. The printer should prioritize its main feeder on most prints. However, we had times when it would pull from the secondary paper tray – which wasn’t loaded. There isn’t a simple way to adjust priorities when it comes to paper sources. That aside, the multiple trays are what allows the printer to be able to do duplex printing which is important for small businesses looking to keep up with their ESG pledges.
Print Quality & Speed
The print quality of the Canon PIXMA TS7770 is pretty sharp for an inkjet printer. Canon touts it as a high-performance printer, and we can comfortably say that it does live up to that moniker. The printer was able to handle a high load of print tasks and also print in an acceptable amount of time.
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of it. The PIXMA TS7770 is an Inkjet printer, so compared to other printers in its price point, it’s neither the fastest nor is it the slowest. That said, if you’re looking to do monochrome printing, you may be better off looking at laser printers that print at much faster speeds. Be that as it may, the PIXMA TS7770 was able to print about 15 pages a minute in black and white and about 10 pages in colour during our time with it. That comes up to about 4 seconds a page for monochrome prints and about 6 seconds for colour – which isn’t too bad. However, when it came to photo printing, it was a whole different ballgame. A standard 4R size of 4×6 inches took only about 20 seconds to print. Of course, this doesn’t include the time needed for the ink to dry after which added about a minute or two depending on the colours and details of the print.
Speaking of, the prints that came out of the TS7770 were pretty spot on. When it came to text, the edges of the characters printed were crisp, even at smaller font sizes. The quality of text printing didn’t visibly deteriorate even on economy or draft mode.
When it came to colour printing, the printer was able to pull off some pretty detailed prints. During our time with the printer, we printed out some maps for D&D sessions. With the varied colours and illustrations, we could see that print quality was generally very good. It was able to handle high-resolution prints fairly easily and was able to reproduce illustrated colours with high accuracy. Lower-resolution prints were acceptable. Of course, the amount of detail depended heavily on the resolution of the source. There was also little to no visual banding; that is – until you ran low on ink. Overall, with illustrations, it did pretty well. This rang true even when it came to photo prints. The resulting photos were sharp and had high colour accuracy. However, if there was one issue I had with the printer it would be that photos or glossy prints tended to smear very readily and you needed to be careful handling it. This was also the same with glossy sticker paper.
Total Cost of Ownership and Other Features
The Canon PIXMA TS7770 isn’t just a printer. It comes with a scanner as well. This scanner is capable of 8- and 16-bit scans. This means that you’ll be able to scan documents and photos with a lot of detail and colour depth. This is true for both colour and monochrome scans. The scanner also allows it to act as a photocopy machine.
The printer’s built-in LED screen comes with a simple interface for its key features. You can copy, scan and print with a touch of the screen. Of course, if you’re connected wirelessly, prints can be sent without needing to interact physically with the printer. It’s also relatively silent when printing, scanning or copying.
Let’s talk about the cost of ownership – the Canon PIXMA TS7770 has a recommended retail price (RRP) of RM1,200 at the time of writing. However, we’ve seen some outlets selling the printer at RM1,580. The printer needs a colour ink cartridge and a black ink cartridge to print. The colour cartridge has an RRP of RM137, while the black has an RRP of RM95. Each of the cartridges lasts for about 180 pages only. So assuming you print 300 pages a month for both colour and black, you’ll be spending RM232 on ink alone every month excluding the cost of the printer itself. This is a tad high in our opinion given the options with ink tanks available in the market. That said, if you want detailed photo prints and even something that can be used for crafts, you may still want to consider the PIXMA TS7770 simply because of the added benefits of the high resolution.
A Complete Offering for Casual Users or Small and Medium Businesses Looking for A High-Performance Printer that Does It All
The Canon PIXMA TS7770 is a jack of all trades when it comes to printers. That said, users who require high-quality graphical or photo prints should be looking at this printer as a solid option. However, if budget is a big consideration, you may be better off looking at some of Canon’s other offerings as the cost of ownership can add up.
All in all, it’s a solid option for those looking for a printer that delivers convenience, features, compatibility and print quality.
