June 20, 2014

Apple, Google Say "Drop That Doughnut!"

Tech companies are offering an ever-increasing number of health monitoring and promoting apps, to keep you in shape and interesting in buying more gadgets. Larry Greenemeier reports

By Larry Greenemeier

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Apple, Google and other tech companies have spent years gathering info about your purchasing habits, entertainment preferences and social circles. They want to know what makes you tick. Now they also want to know about your actual ticker. The tech firms are targeting your vital signs with health apps and online data repositories.

Apple’s new Health app will gather blood pressure, heart rate, and stats on diet and exercise from any number of mobile apps and fitness devices, including Nike+ wearables. Apple may even start selling its own wrist watch-like health-monitoring device this fall, along the lines of Samsung’s Gear Fit and its upcoming Simband.

Google may challenge Apple with its own Google Fit health service. This effort would be Google’s second crack at a health info portal, after shuttering Google Health in January 2012 due to lack of interest.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, which may soon offer its own heart-monitoring smartwatch, has offered its similar HealthVault service since 2010.

These systems encourage the purchase of more products and services that promote a healthy lifestyle. Which, of course, ups the odds that their customers will stick around for a while.

—Larry Greenemeier

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]

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