Need some help getting in shape? Try a fitness app!
Many of us probably consumed more food and drinks than anticipated this holiday season, and throughout 2020. Getting back into healthy eating and working out can be tough, so why not get a little help from a fitness app? Kila Peeples tried two free mobile apps, My Fitness Pal and Lose It! She also used a FitBit, which helps with staying active and monitors your sleep patterns, which can affect your metabolism. Watch the video above to see how the apps worked for Kila.
EU clears Google's $2.1B takeover of Fitbit, with conditions
EU regulators cleared Google's plan to buy fitness tracking device maker Fitbit after the company promised to silo off user data and not use it for advertising. The EU was initially worried the deal would expand Googleโs โdata advantageโ and raise barriers for rivals in the online ad industry. The Silicon Valley tech giant's commitments included a promise to silo off Fitbit user data from other Google data and not use it for advertising purposes. Google also vowed to continue giving outside health and fitness apps access to Fitbit data. โThere is a serious risk that Google will exploit Fitbit usersโ data, including sensitive health data, in several markets," said Director General Monique Goyens.
Privacy, consumer groups seek to block Google-Fitbit deal
Nine privacy, social justice and consumer groups are calling for the U.S. government to block Googles $2.1 billion acquisition of fitness-gadget maker Fitbit, citing antitrust and privacy concerns. They say in a Wednesday letter to the Federal Trade Commission that the deal would consolidate Googles dominance over internet services like search, advertising and smartphone operating systems. They also worry itll add to Googles store of consumer data. Google has hired health care executives, hinting at a health-data business to come. Politicians and regulators have been scrutinizing Google and other Silicon Valley companies for how they use customer data and leverage their size to thwart competitors.
Fitbit buy is Google's latest step into gadgetry
Googles parent company is buying wearable device maker Fitbit for about $2.1 billion. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)Google's acquisition of wearable pioneer Fitbit may be a bold plunge into health and fitness technology. But it's also just the latest step in the internet giant's often-halting effort to become a force in consumer hardware. It's possible we might soon see "Fitbit by Google" wearables, Petrock said. The market could bust open once a federal Department of Health and Human Services initiative to give patients better control over their electronic health data becomes a reality.
Fitbit pushes beyond hardware with new subscription service
Now, it's looking to boost its business by taking a page from Apple's playbook: offering more subscription services to customers. Fitbit Premium will launch in September and costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. At a press event ahead of the launch, Fitbit CEO James Park said the subscription service is part of a "transformation" of its business model. Subscription services could help build "more predictable, recurring revenue streams," as Park told investors in the company's most recent earnings report. While it's doubling down on subscription services, Fitbit certainly isn't giving up on its hardware ambitions.