Google’s acquisition of Fitbit finally crosses the finish line

Google has completed its acquisition of Fitbit after assuring regulators the company will protect user data.

The $2.1 billion acquisition was first announced in November 2019 but caught the attention of regulators around the world amid increasing scrutiny of “big tech” companies like Google.

In a letter announcing the completion of the acquisition, Fitbit founder James Park wrote:

“The trust of our users will continue to be paramount, and we will maintain...

14 January 2021 | Devices

The EU is set to approve Google’s acquisition of Fitbit this week

While most eyes are on the close-to-collapse Brexit negotiations, another notable European decision is finally expected this week.

Google’s proposed $2.1 billion takeover of Fitbit naturally caught the attention of the European Union—which continues to tighten its screws on “big tech” over privacy concerns.

According to Bloomberg’s sources, the EU will grant conditional approval for Google’s historic takeover this week.

We don’t know what...

7 December 2020 | Devices

Ex-Google engineer sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing autonomous car secrets

Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing autonomous car secrets.

Levandowski was employed by Google’s self-driving car division Waymo when he transferred over 14,000 secret files to his laptop before leaving the company.

The stolen files were taken to Uber, where Levandowski led the firm’s own robotaxi project. US District Judge William Alsup called Levandowski’s actions the "biggest trade secret crime I have...

5 August 2020 | Connected Vehicles

Google invests $450m in ADT to boost IoT security devices

Google has announced a $450 million investment in security firm ADT to increase the adoption of IoT security devices.

Often when you hear IoT and security in the same sentence, it's because another device has been hacked. However, secure devices can actually improve the safety of premises (don't be too shocked.)

ADT is one of the most recognisable security brands in the world. You'll almost certainly have seen one of the company's somewhat iconic yellow alarms on the...

3 August 2020 | Devices

Google promises the EU that it won’t use Fitbit data for ads

Google is attempting to avoid an EU antitrust probe by promising that it won’t use Fitbit data for advertising purposes.

The web giant announced its intention to purchase Fitbit for $2.1 billion back in November 2019, but it’s caught the attention of regulators.

EU regulators are concerned that Google will use Fitbit data to further boost its advertising business. A decision is due to be made on July 20th whether to launch a full probe into Google’s...

14 July 2020 | Wearables

Opinion: Pixel Watch is more likely now a decent WearOS processor is available

Rumours of a Pixel Watch are now more believable following the release of a competent WearOS processor.

Unlike wearables from Apple and Samsung, Google relies heavily on third-parties. The main reason WearOS manufacturers have struggled is the inability to access hardware which can compete with the in-house chips used by Apple and Samsung for their wearables.

The main critiques of WearOS devices are they’re slow and have poor battery life. The OS didn’t help in the...

1 July 2020 | Wearables

Smart speaker usage increases substantially due to COVID-19 quarantines

Global quarantines due to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the use of smart speakers substantially.

According to a study released by Edison Research and NPR, three-quarters of US adults over 18 report a change in their media habits due to the pandemic.

“With tens of millions of Americans no longer commuting, smart speakers are becoming even more important as a conduit for news and information,” said Edison Research SVP Tom Webster. “This increased usage and...

1 May 2020 | AI