A new product from Google may help people solve their sleep problems, but some privacy rights groups are concerned.
Google unveiled its latest Nest Hub home help tool on Tuesday. As well as recognizing your voice, showing photos, videos, news and weather, it can too rian your sleep.
The basic model costs around $ 100 and the sleep tracking technology will be available for free for the rest of 2021. The sleep controller makes a Google product different from a home helper like Amazon.
If you place the Nest Hub next to your bed, it can continue as you sleep. That’s because of a new computer chip called Soli, which is capable of motion sensing.
Some people may like the new technology because they would not have to throw another device to bed. Some companies make products that people can spend on The wrist to monitor sleep.
Google says the new Nest Hub will generate weekly reports that show how long and how well a person sleeps. It will also show if snoring, cough or wake up frequently. The company said it surveyed 15,000 people over 110,000 nights to improve the technology.
For people who want to find out more about their sleep, the device looks great. But, people who care privacy they are concerned about what Google might do with the information it collects.
Jeff Chester is one of those people. He is the director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “It simply came to our notice then monetize every cell of your body, ”he said.
Google recently bought FitBit, a company that makes a health controller that people can wear on their wrists. Some tech experts believe that Google may find a way for the Nest Hub to work with the FitBit.
Google says the sleep manager has a lot of privacy protection. For example, it will only work if the user turns it on. The company said it does not use a person’s sleep information to try to sell advertising.
But Chester said he’s not so sure a promise will be kept.
My name is Dan Friedell.
Michael Liedtke wrote this story for the Associated Press. Dan Friedell adapted to learn English. It was Mario Ritter, Jr. the editor.
Want to know more about your sleep? Would you like Google to track you? We want to hear from you. Tell us in the comments section and visit our Facebook page.
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Words in this story
rian –V. watching or following progress (someone or something)
snoring –V. to breathe loudly while you sleep
The wrist –N. the part of the body where the hands join the arms
digital –Adj. using or identified by computer technology
privacy –N. the state being out of the public eye: not public
monetize –V. change something so that money can be made from it