Fitbit unveils stress-tracking smartwatch with Google deal pending

- Fitbit Inc on Tuesday unveiled a fitness tracker and two smartwatches, including one that purports to help monitor users stress levels, as the companys pending sale to Alphabet Incs Google remains mired in antitrust reviews globally.

It also is the first to measure electrodermal activity, or how well skin conducts electricity, which varies with sweating and can indicate stress.

About 5% of wearables shipped last year globally came from Fitbit, behind leader Apples 32% share, according to tracker IDC.

But competition regulators in the UK, United States and many other jurisdictions are weighing whether the acquisition would unfairly deepen Googles data about users habits.

Sense and Versa 3 by late this year will allow users to communicate with the Google Assistant helper, similar to Fitbits existing integration with Amazon.com Incs Alexa.

Original article
Author: Paresh Dave

Reuters.com brings you the latest news from around the world, covering breaking news in markets, business, politics, entertainment, technology, video and pictures.

Paresh Dave has recently written 6 articles on similar topics including :
  1. "Authorities in 23 countries across five continents have sought access to contact tracing technology from Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google, the companies announced on Wednesday as they released the initial version of their system". (May 20, 2020)
  2. "Waze has struggled to grow within Alphabet Inc's Google, the navigation app's former top executive said, renewing concerns over whether it was stifled by the search giant's $1 billion acquisition in 2013". (February 19, 2021)
  3. "Alphabet Inc's Google said on Friday that 20 U.S. states and territories, representing about 45% of the country's population, are "exploring" contact tracing apps for the novel coronavirus using a tool it developed with Apple Inc ". (July 31, 2020)
  4. "Several of San Francisco Bay Area's largest technology companies including Twitter Inc and Google plan to keep their offices largely closed for months more despite the government allowing them on Tuesday to be opened in a limited capacity". (March 24, 2021)
  5. "Alphabet Inc's Google on Wednesday said any user will soon be able to host free video conferences on Meet, turning its previously business-only tool into a bigger rival to Zoom and others battling for users during the coronavirus outbreak". (April 29, 2020)
  6. "Google said on Tuesday it would stop charging merchants to place products on its Google Shopping search page as it looks to win e-commerce advertising business from Amazon.com Inc and other online retailers, just as they are struggling to supply customers with some items due to the coronavirus pandemic". (April 21, 2020)
Posted on  , , , , ,