14 DAY TRIAL // We'd like to introduce you today to AsteroidOS, an open-source and privacy-focused operating system for Android-powered smartwatches, designed as an alternative to Google's Android Wear.
Developed by Florent Revest, AsteroidOS was first introduced three years ago as an embedded Linux distribution built using the OpenEmbedded build automation framework and cross-compile environment on top of the Linux kernel and the systemd init system.
The operating system is using various mobile Linux middleware technologies like machine check exception (MCE) and lipstick, which were originally developed for Nemo Mobile or Mer. Its graphical user interface is entirely written with the Qt5 application framework.
Apps are written in QML using the cross-platform Qt Creator IDE and the current release of AsteroidOS comes with a set of default apps including an agenda, an alarm clock, a timer, a stopwatch, a calculator, a music controller, a weather forecast app, as well as a settings app.
Unleashes up to 48 hours of autonomy for your smartwatch
AsteroidOS promises to unleash up to 48 hours of autonomy for your smartwatch and offers a customizable home screen with watch faces and notifications. It also uses the Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) technology for syncing data with the AsteroidOS Sync app, and a Wayland compositor.
"We believe that when it comes to wearable devices, users should have full control over their machines and data. AsteroidOS has been created from the ground-up with modularity and freedom in mind. For this reason, it is a free and open-source project," reads the project's website.
At the moment, AsteroidOS appears to be compatible with the ASUS Zenwatch 1, LG G Watch Urbane, LG G Watch, and LG G Watch R Android-powered smartwatches. Detailed installation instructions are provided by the developer here. However, you should know that the OS is still in an alpha stage of development.
The first stable release of AsteroidOS is expected later this year, and the project is looking for contributors and collaborators to make it the Android Wear alternative smartwatch wearers have been dreaming of for so long. Check the Get Involved page for more details and the video and screenshot gallery below to see AsteroidOS in action.
