Your Fitbit is useless – unless you consent to unlawful data sharing : privacy

[-] Cryophilia@lemmy.world 60 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

[removed by mod]

[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 15 points 1 year ago

I notice FitBit isn't supported though.

Although that's understandable. The wife had one and it wouldn't talk to the official app reliably either.

[-] Contend6248@feddit.de 7 points 1 year ago

Yeah these manufacturers make it harder to connect to, i already have to get the decryption key from the SQL database of the MiBand app to use my MiBand with Gadgetbridge. I guess FitBit saves it somewhat safe, that's why it's unsupported

[-] SuperEars@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

I like the idea of this. At present time it doesn't look like any Fitbit-branded devices are supported, unless I'm missing something.

[-] Boring@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago

I really wanted to use gadget bridge. But they only support obscure watches and some Chinese knock offs.

Amazing concept, but I guess its really hard to reverse engineer some of the protocols these major watch/fitness trackers use.

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 year ago

Any fitness watch with internet access, by definition, is spyware, yes or yes. Personal and health data are too succulent for large companies not to turn them into profits. There are fitness apps that save data locally, if you want to monitor your health status during your workouts, there is no need for a Cloudservice for this purpose, the data from a workout is not so much that it cannot be saved on a cheap SD card, with much a transfer via Bluetooth to the PC or Mobile, if you want to review this data.

[+] robo@feddit.uk 17 points 1 year ago

[deleted]

[-] swordsmanluke@programming.dev 11 points 1 year ago

I've been looking to replace my fitbit with a Pine Watch or similar. I wasn't able to determine the Pine Watch's compatibility with generic android apps from their website.

(And while I'm quite comfortable hacking on my own devices, they were out of dev kits last I checked.)

If you use one, can you comment on how well it integrates with the Android ecosystem?

In particular, I'd like to be able check my glucose monitor's output from my watch. My CGM already provides a general android smart watch widget, but since the Pine Watch is kind of its own thing, I'm uncertain if it'd work.

If you can confirm or deny the functionality of general android widgets, that'd be super helpful for me.

If not, no worries. I'm just hunting for someone with hands-on experience to pose my questions to.

[-] Varixable@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 year ago

I switched to a PineTime watch from a FitBit about two months ago. I use a Pixel with GOS and no play services.

In my experience the PineTime is only good for heart rate monitoring and step counting, because so far that's all mine has been able to do. The PineTime is nice for what it does and as a watch, but if you want more health monitoring look elsewhere.

[-] swordsmanluke@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago

Thank you!

[-] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 4 points 1 year ago

I have it. It definitely not a Fitbit drop in replacement. It's more of a notification center on your wrist. I use it for that, and it's awesome for that.

[-] rambos@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Why is that clock 27$ in us and 62€ in eu

[-] mossy_capivara@midwest.social 2 points 1 year ago

If it had an ECG function I would buy 10 of them

[-] s_s@lemmy.one 3 points 1 year ago

Garmin has a decent privacy policy for now

[-] privateger@lemmy.plasmatrap.com 2 points 1 year ago

Look, I like PineTimes and have one myself, but calling it a smart watch when considering Fitbit is...really a stretch.

[-] flames5123@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

I use an Apple Watch. It regularly (about every 2 weeks) to review who and what data I’m sharing with studies. I can easily opt out again, and the system is opt in only.

[-] sparky@lemmy.federate.cc 13 points 1 year ago

No different than the situation with iPhones and Android phones, really. Apple has made their money once you buy the device, and views your personal data as a liability. Google is an ad company that happens to make hardware, and views your data as necessary monetisation potential.

[-] VieuxQueb@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

As much as I hate apple products (tho new chips are wild), I got to agree here. I don't know ehat apple does with your data but it does seem to my uninformed eye that they do better than the rest.

[-] BubblyMango@lemmy.wtf 13 points 1 year ago

Yet their ad services keep raising in value, so i wouldnt completely trust them.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Those are two different situations though?

[-] UsedRealNameB4@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Just in time for the Pixel Watch 2 release ✅

[-] sanpo@sopuli.xyz 17 points 1 year ago

Which is made by the same company (Google owns Fitbit), so?

[-] UsedRealNameB4@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

That was the point my dude.

[-] totallynotfbi@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

I was forced into using a Fitbit last year, and I instantly went back to my Samsung Galaxy watch when I got the chance. Samsung Health is annoying on iOS, but at least you don't need to send all your data to Samsung in order to use it

[-] yoz@aussie.zone 4 points 1 year ago

Godamnit ! Again I missed out on the data sharing opportunity. My uncle got an apple watch and said that I am missing out on all the cool features. I replied , I dont want anything that connects to internet. He laughed.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Well . . . yeah.

Kids, folks, trusted benefactors - everything's taking your data. Tell it no or don’t buy it.

TheWorld: This thing is amazing! Buy it and give it your data! Me: wtf TheWorld: #1 This thing grosses eleventy billion dollars first quarter! Internet: guyz thing stealz data omg (Repeat)

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