Fitbit announces new Fitbit Sense smartwatch to help keep stress in check
Fitbit, known for its line of health and activity tracking wearables, has announced the Fitbit Sense, a new stress-tracking smartwatch.
Over time, the physical strain from chronic stress can contribute to a host of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and mental health disorders. The Fitbit Sense, Fitbit's newest wearable, boasts several sensors that can be used to track a user's physical stress responses. This includes an EDA sensor that can detect electrical changes in the sweat of a wearer's skin.
Additionally, Fitbit gives users a Stress Management Score, which is calculated based on heart rate, sleep, and activity data. Scores are calculated on a 1-100 scale, where higher scores are better.
The Fitbit Sense includes a new temperature sensor that can detect changes that could alert users to fever, illness, or the start of a new menstrual phase.
Those who subscribe to Fitbit Premium, Fitbit's upgraded health-tracking subscription service, will be able to view a breakdown of how the score is calculated. The analysis includes detailed information on different biometric inputs used to calculate the score.
The device can use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for question answer, alarm set, and more. The screen is an AMOLED display, and the face of the watch is Gorilla Glass 3. Fitbit claims six-day battery life.
Fitbit Sense is available for preorder starting today, in both Carbon/Graphite and Lunar White/Soft Gold stainless steel models. Both models retail for $329.95. Orders are expected to begin shipping by September 25.
Rumors have circulated that Apple's upcoming Apple Watch Series 6 may also add anxiety and stress monitoring.
Apple is clearly interested in bringing mental health monitoring to the Apple Watch, as the company has partnered with UCLA for a three-year study on depression.
Over time, the physical strain from chronic stress can contribute to a host of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and mental health disorders. The Fitbit Sense, Fitbit's newest wearable, boasts several sensors that can be used to track a user's physical stress responses. This includes an EDA sensor that can detect electrical changes in the sweat of a wearer's skin.
Additionally, Fitbit gives users a Stress Management Score, which is calculated based on heart rate, sleep, and activity data. Scores are calculated on a 1-100 scale, where higher scores are better.
The Fitbit Sense includes a new temperature sensor that can detect changes that could alert users to fever, illness, or the start of a new menstrual phase.
Those who subscribe to Fitbit Premium, Fitbit's upgraded health-tracking subscription service, will be able to view a breakdown of how the score is calculated. The analysis includes detailed information on different biometric inputs used to calculate the score.
The device can use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for question answer, alarm set, and more. The screen is an AMOLED display, and the face of the watch is Gorilla Glass 3. Fitbit claims six-day battery life.
Fitbit Sense is available for preorder starting today, in both Carbon/Graphite and Lunar White/Soft Gold stainless steel models. Both models retail for $329.95. Orders are expected to begin shipping by September 25.
Rumors have circulated that Apple's upcoming Apple Watch Series 6 may also add anxiety and stress monitoring.
Apple is clearly interested in bringing mental health monitoring to the Apple Watch, as the company has partnered with UCLA for a three-year study on depression.
Comments
Lame.
The EU expressed concerns about Google becoming even stronger in ad placement with access to health-related data too. Because of that Google publically announced they'd not use any Fitbit collected data for advertising purchases post-purchase. No real change since Google doesn't allow ads based on users health conditions/data now.
The EU Commission then said "do you promise" which Google answered "Yes we do". The EU wasn't done yet tho, then asking Google to sign a legally binding agreement to that effect as a condition of EU approval. Again Google said no problem, give us the agreement to sign, we have no intention of using health data for targeted ads. I guess that called the EU's bluff because now Ms. Vestager is saying beyond that she has other concerns with a big US tech even having access to EU citizen data.
I suspect she'll find a way to decline it if she believes it will be upheld when Google appeals the denial to purchase. IMO if that were to happen Fitbit assets will be sold off to someone who won't be as restricted by competition authorities as Google would be. Fitbit won't survive on its own and will be forced to find another buyer.
That's hardly monetizing a customer's use data from those services, closer to apophenia IMO. Maybe I'm not squinting as hard as you while sitting so still in the dark?
I hope Google buys them so this knockoff could die.
"Are those two things being used for targeted advertising monetization? First I've seen of that. Are you sure it's not just something someone said someplace without any source? Where can I read about "Google getting caught" harvesting user data from Docs and Nest for ad targeting? A quick search comes up empty, zero zilch nada. The closest I can find is Google might send out an email to their Nest customers to try and sell them more Nest gear, and nothing at all about Google Docs."
So you don't have any source at all for claiming "Google was caught", you are in essence just posting FUD? Why do people do that, make stuff up in order that their choices sound better or smarter, or even more trivially doing so in order to collect likes from the audience? Honesty is so much better for demonstrating that.
Please don't make stuff up, it's not necessary to make your point, and if it is essential then you never had a valid point in the first place.
No I'm not making anything up. Maybe I’ve just been paying more attention to this issue. Here’s what I found in a few minutes of searching.
First, after promising that Nest would stay separate and not share any user data with Google, they now share ALL the data with Google. this means that your behaviour in your house and when you come and go is added to your dossier.
https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/nest-will-open-up-devices-to-google-after-all
Oh but then late model Nest devices have a microphone in them and Google “forgot” to tell anyone about them, that it was a “mistake”. Yeah that is what a trustworthy company does.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/nest-microphone-was-never-supposed-to-be-a-secret-2019-2-1027966010#
But then we’ve all heard about how Google’s StreetView cars were collecting private WiFi data wherever they went. The best part about that was when the story first broke they said it wasn’t true. Then they confessed and said it was a “mistake”. Sound familiar?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/may/15/google-admits-storing-private-data
It’s well established that they scanned GMail to send targeted ads. My favourite part is how they said they didn’t and then one day they said they wouldn’t do that ANYMORE. What’s that old line about fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me?
https://www.macobserver.com/news/gmail-ads-scanning/
Of course it’s come out that Google stores private and location information even if you set privacy settings to block that. Remember the microphone in Nest devices? It was set to off in the privacy settings too.
https://apnews.com/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb/AP-Exclusive:-Google-tracks-your-movements,-like-it-or-not
So as far as Google Docs while there is a lot of speculation and vague mentions of the ability, and admins able to access your data, and able to report you to authorities if they see something in your docs that’s criminal, (of course how would they know if they don’t scan everything). But there’s no proof. But as one article I came across written by a lawyer said, “I tell my clients to not use Google Docs for anything confidential.”
With Google’s history of denying, getting caught, saying they’d never do it again, and then getting caught again, I’d say it’s a safe bet they are.
But it definitely appears you made up the claim they take your data from Google Docs and monetize it through targeted ads. It also looks like you've seriously stretched the story they take Nest data to monetize for ads too. As the editor of your Nest link says, maybe (you're) reading too much into it and projecting (your) own concerns about being Google's product onto the situation. They don't AFAICT, with an obligatory but...
If you use Google Assistant with it for voice requests those may be added to your Advertising ID number for ad targeting. With that said there is an easy way of dealing with it.
Turn off Ad Personalization.
https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated
As for your later mention of Gmail I don't think Google ever claimed not to do keywording for ads. They didn't hide it tho they did stop that practice a couple of years ago "thanks to popular demand" LOL. Mail is no longer scanned for advertising purposes.
EDIT: I visited the ad personalization page myself and IMO, based on what I see, no one should be worried that Google knows more about you than even your mother. They don't.
They say I'm a renter.
I've never been one. Ever. I've always owned my homes.
They say I'm not a parent.
Except I have two children.
They say I only finished high school.
LOL. I went just a tad further than that.
They believe I'm at least 10 years younger than I am.
Thank you Google.
They say I work in Insurance.
I don't, not even close.
They believe I'm interested in Weddings.
Not in the past 27 years.
They think I like Anime and Manga.
Huh?? Ummm, no. Please no.
Google bonus.
They are right about me being Male. +1 yay.
I'm not very worried that Google is stealing my data. That's obviously not taken from me.
Huh, I give you a list of specific examples of where Google has proven untrustworthy, and has been cribbing data without permission, even at points lying about it and you reply that it has nothing to do with the discussion of how Google has a history of being untrustworthy..
This conversation is over.
"That has little to nothing to do with what you claimed, that Google was caught taking user data from Nest and Google Docs to monetize for ads. There were not according to any link you offered. Just admit you were at best mistaken. Simple. Had you said Google has sometimes given people reason to question what they've said I would agree with you. They have. The German WiFi snippet scanning is a prime example. If I were the EU I too would insist on a legally binding document about Fitbit health data."