Google, the company that helped make it fun
to just sit around surfing the web, is jumping
into the fitness-tracker business with both feet,
buying Fitbit for about $2.1 billion.
The deal could put Google in direct competition
with Apple and Samsung in the highly
competitive market for smartwatches and other
wearable electronics. But it also raises questions
about privacy and Google’s dominance in the
tech industry.
The company’s announcement came with a
promise that it won’t sell ads using the intimate
health data that Fitbit devices collect.
Fitbit is a pioneer in wearable fitness technology,
making a range of devices that have become
pop-culture accessories, from basic trackers
that count how many steps you take each day
to smartwatches that display messages and
notifications from phones.
They can track activities such as running, cycling
and swimming and record heart rates and sleep
patterns. Fitbit typically asks for date of birth,
gender, height and weight to help with such