Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#221

Post by cknoxrun » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:47 PM UTC

slightwinder wrote: post #129

scarface74 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What long and successful history? The only one that I can think of that was a definite success is Android. Their only notable hardware acquisitions that I can think of were Motorola which was a disaster, Nest which is barely muddling along, and the semi-acquisition of HTC’s hardware team that made the Pixel. While the Pixel may be a great phone, it isn’t taking the world by storm

Google Maps, Google Earth, Youtube, Google Ads, all started from aquisitions, to name the big services. They have many more small services and features coming from aquisitions. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitio... for a good chronologic list.

Absolutely, and I would add Google Analytics to that list of "big services" as well.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#222

Post by wslh » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:47 PM UTC

Sidenote: expecting some company will lead the Android tablet market with an interesting offering because Google discontinued their tablets.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#223

Post by thrower123 » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:47 PM UTC

Countdown to when my fitbit just stops working...

And that's probably the end of Fitbit's customer service department. Not that they are particularly great, but, you know, they do exist.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#224

Post by at-fates-hands » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:47 PM UTC

jchook wrote: post #181

kerng wrote: post #46

Vic Gundotra (VP Google) said back when Microsoft bought Nokia that "two turkeys don't make an eagle". Google officially has become the Microosft of the mid 2000s. Lack of direction and innovation, buying up companies just for the sake of it. Here is a link to Google's anology: https://www.techspot.com/news/42338-google-attacks-nokia-and...

80% to 90% of Google’s revenue derives from collecting your personal information, and you think that buying a wristband that tracks the biometrics of 25 million people is “just for the sake of it”?

This is where I start to get paranoid about data collection. Once you start combining biometric data along with all the rest of the data they have on you, how valuable does that data profile become to a health care provider?

There are so many bad implications of this, it will never outweigh any good Google claims this will do.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#225

Post by kungito » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:48 PM UTC

AgloeDreams wrote: post #134

scarface74 wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular is $329. How much cheaper can you get a smart watch with cellular, gps, health sensors, etc?

The Series 3 without cellular is $199 and you can find a cellular model on sale under $250 all the time too.

Yeah well I'm from Eastern Europe where it's more expensive, never on sale and I have less money

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#226

Post by mrits » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:48 PM UTC

jpm_sd wrote: post #31

https://news.yahoo.com/google-acquiring-fitbit-130619853.htm... "Google has struggled to make much of a dent in the wearables category..." "Fitbit, meanwhile, has had issues maintaining growth in recent years." Failure + failure = success?

A blind and deff guy make a good team.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#227

Post by londons_explore » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:49 PM UTC

phaedrus wrote: post #57

Yesterday I was reading the Google Graveyard https://killedbygoogle.com/ so my first reaction on seeing this headline was to think it meant Google is killing Fitbit.

I'll make an opening bet... The last non-security software update for any fitbit product will be 18 months from now.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#228

Post by mikestew » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:50 PM UTC

raldi wrote: post #183

braythwayt wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, attribution fixed. Now that we've got that sorted, what do you think of the analogy with respect to this deal? Does it—cough—fit?

Oops, turns out Lyons was just quoting Steve Ballmer: http://web.archive.org/web/20080206081701/https://fakesteve....

Man, that whole article is worth a read ten years on, in light of the topic at hand. He quotes Ballmer, then shows how Ballmer considering turning around and doing just that for lack of better ideas, all the while (Lyons posits) knowing it won't work.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#229

Post by anoncake » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:50 PM UTC

koolba wrote: post #51

> The company never sells personal information, and Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads. Is there any legal enforcement to prevent this in the future? Besides marketing by health status, I can imagine that advertisers would be very interested in your heart rate before / during / after viewing an ad.

Well, Google can't sell data to itself and nothing says it won't be used for Alphabet ads. So there isn't much to enforce in the first place.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#230

Post by gnicholas » Fri, Nov 01, 2019, 2:51 PM UTC

ameister14 wrote: post #220

jchook wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

80% to 90% of Google’s revenue derives from collecting your personal information, and you think that buying a wristband that tracks the biometrics of 25 million people is “just for the sake of it”?

80-90% of Google's revenue derives from organizing your personal information and selling ad products derived from it. It's not a direct transfer of data into cash. I'm not sure people really need biometrics data to advertise to you more effectively.

It’s not just biometrics — now they’ll now where you are. Lots of people who don’t already have android phones will buy these (or carry them when not carrying their androids).

So google will know what stores you’re near, what people you’re near, and for how long.