Apple Watch Competition to Grow as Google Plans Its Own Wearables Following Fitbit Acquisition

[jonnysods]

Only serves to light a fire under both companies to improve hardware. I'm saving for an AW6.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

The Beats X earphones do however [fall apart every couple of months].

My BeatsX are perfectly fine, but I did buy a case to keep them in.
[automerge]1572875400[/automerge]

While I agree that companies for the most part don't care about your personal info, I can tell you the data is not as anonymous as you would believe. For example, google and fitbit know where you live, where you go, when you go, who you hang out with, what you look at on the internet at any given time, who you pay, etc. With a bit more work they can join that against huge pools of data.

Right now the major use for that data in the US is for advertising. You can, however, use that data to figure out your race, or your medical conditions, your kids. You can tell your political leanings, what's important to you, your preferences, etc. With all that it becomes relatively easy to manipulate you into, say, voting for candidate A, B, or C.

In the US the authorities generally don't use this information for much. In other countries it would be simple enough to, say, target everyone who doesn't like a politician and kill them. Or even better, find the influencers and kill or neutralize them. That sort of network mining has been a well-known technique for years.

So in the US most people have nothing to worry about. In the rest of the world, well, all bets are off.

On that same note:

The Strava Heat Map Shows Even Militaries Can't Keep Secrets from Social Data

The US military is reexamining security policies after fitness tracker data shared on social media revealed bases and patrol routes

www.wired.com

 

[vvs14]

That’s incorrect. Google deals in personalized data.

That can be done without giving out your identity.

 

[dspdoc]

Google needs to get their phones right first LOL! Their latest release looks like it should have come out 3 years go. SMH

 

[manu chao]

My BeatsX are perfectly fine, but I did buy a case to keep them in.

They might do fine while kept in a case but the working theory is that they don’t survive contact with the enemy (aka sweat) very long. Mine failed five times in a row over a 22 months period. That rounds down to a MTBF of four months. That’s beyond bad luck, that’s a pattern.

 

[hermes16]

Who wouldn't want to have every second of their life tracked.

I deleted my account

 

[VulchR]

... I'm no fan of Google but I think you miss the fact that vast majority of mobile software runs on their OS. Do you think that's for no good reason?

Erm... because it's free (because we are the product)?

 

[dantroline]

Erm... because it's free (because we are the product)?

We are also Apple's product, the only difference is we pay for the "privilege". Everything is backdoored, probably as part of export requirements, or some undisclosed law but it's without a doubt the case.

 

[mech986]

Because of the nature of Google business, they are interested more than any other company in protecting your data. If they fail at it, their business will be destroyed. And they have the expertise (unlike some other companies) to ensure this. That's why we have no examples of user data leaks from Google.
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There is nothing special about W1 and H1 chips. There are tons of similar chips. Nobody (but Apple) advertises this sort of simple chips.

If that is so, where are those chips?

Apple's W1 chip: What is it, and why don't Android users get a bite?

Apple's W1 chip is found in a select few devices and enhances the wireless streaming experience for iOS users.Although the W1 chip's presence in certain headsets doesn't inhibit performance in Android phones it doesn't explicitly improve it either.

www.google.com

 

[GalileoSeven]

I'll just leave this right here:

WSJ News Exclusive | Google’s ‘Project Nightingale’ Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans

Google is teaming with one of the country’s largest health-care systems on an ambitious project named “Project Nightingale” to collect and crunch detailed health information of millions of Americans across 21 states.

www.wsj.com

 

[Expos of 1969]

I'll just leave this right here:

WSJ News Exclusive | Google’s ‘Project Nightingale’ Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans

Google is teaming with one of the country’s largest health-care systems on an ambitious project named “Project Nightingale” to collect and crunch detailed health information of millions of Americans across 21 states.

www.wsj.com

The info in that article may be true, partially true or complete nonsense. The problem is is that the WSJ used to to be a credible paper, now it is just a rag not worthy of serious consideration.

 

[GalileoSeven]

The info in that article may be true, partially true or complete nonsense. The problem is is that the WSJ used to to be a credible paper, now it is just a rag not worthy of serious consideration.

Considering their AI endeavors and their acquisition of Fitbit, it does sort of make sense. Politics is one thing, but when it comes to tech, the WSJ doesn't generally stray into tin-foil-hat territory.

 

[mech986]

I'll just leave this right here:

WSJ News Exclusive | Google’s ‘Project Nightingale’ Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans

Google is teaming with one of the country’s largest health-care systems on an ambitious project named “Project Nightingale” to collect and crunch detailed health information of millions of Americans across 21 states.

www.wsj.com

Exactly! I don't trust them much like I don't trust Facebook - run by people who, IMO, don't have a moral or privacy compass - because your and my information and private lives, they consider that to be their path to monetary success and to be exploited. IMO, even Apple can go that way IF there wasn't someone like Jobs or Cook to have set that compass heading long ago.