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Google is bringing updates to Android Auto and to cars with Google built-in

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Google is on a mission to provide you with easy, safe, and seamless access to your digital life while on the road. Google has announced a few new updates for Android Auto and cars with Google built-in.

Having already announced updates to Android’s ability to connect to other devices, let’s check out what they have for us on the road.

Android Auto

Android Auto allows your Android device to connect to compatible car displays. This summer they are expanding the types of apps you can use. Google is partnering with Lyft and Kakao Mobility, allowing drivers to view and accept rides from their car display.

In the coming weeks, the new Motorola MA1 wireless adapter will allow you to enable wireless on your Android Auto, even if it isn’t built-in.

Motorola MA1

Google built-in

Google built-in is for cars with infotainment systems that are powered by Android Automotive OS. In the coming weeks, you will be able to download navigation apps like Sygic and Flitsmeister. You will also be able to download charging apps like ChargePoint and PlugShare, as well as parking apps such as SpotHero and ParkWhiz.

This spring, Google will allow you to check on and adjust settings in your car with just your voice. Activate features like lane-keeping assist, or check when your next service is due. Beginning with Volvo, apps like YouTube will allow you to access video entertainment in your car while parked.

Other announcements

You can already unlock your BMW, but later this year Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology will allow you to unlock and share keys on compatible cars. With UWB you won’t even have to take your phone out of your pocket to unlock your car.

This spring, Google is launching remote actions. Allowing for direct integration with the Google Home line of products, you will be able to warm up or cool down your car, lock and unlock it, as well as check the status of things like the battery. It will start with Volvo and roll out to other manufacturers at a later date.

Google adds Fast Pair to more devices and enhances connectivity to Chromebooks and Windows PCs

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Google has been hard at work updating the Android ecosytem. With recently announced updates, Google is now focussing on making these devices sync, pair, and function together in a more connected way. Google will be releasing updates throughout the year to make Android devices work better together.

Fast Pair is coming to more devices

Fast Pair allows you to quickly set up and pair devices. Google is working to bring this functionality to other devices including TVs and smart home devices.

In the coming weeks, Google will allow you to Fast Pair Matter-enabled smart home devices to your network, Google Home, and other apps. You will also be able to Fast Pair headphones to Chromebooks.

Sometime in the next few months, you will be able to Fast Pair headphones to Google TV or other Android TV OS devices.

Coming later this year, you will be able to use your Android phone to quickly set up a new Chromebook.

Do more with Android

You are already able to unlock your Chromebook with your Android phone, but in the coming months, that feature will be extended to Wear OS.

Google is working with Acer, HP, and Intel to Fast Pair your Android phone to your Windows PC. Quickly set up Bluetooth accessories, sync text messages, and share files with Nearby Share. This feature is coming sometime this year.

Later this year, you will be able to use your Samsung or Pixel device to lock and unlock your BMW using Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) technology. You will also be able to share keys with friends and family.

Media Sharing

In the coming weeks, starting with Bose speakers and soundbars, Chromecast built-in will be coming to more devices. Camera Roll on Phone Hub will let you share photos, videos from your Android phone to your Chromebook.

Within the next few months, your Bluetooth-enabled headphones will automatically switch the audio between Chromebooks and Android devices. Spatial audio is also coming to headsets. You will be able to turn your car on and off, control the temperature and get information about your car on all Assistant-enabled devices.

Sometime this year your will be able to view and respond to Android phone’s messaging apps on your Chromebook without the need to install them.

Fossil, Razer collaborate on gaming-themed Gen 6 watch

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Fossil and Razer on Wednesday announced a limited-edition Gen 6 smartwatch that goes on sale in the next few business days. Priced at $329, it’s essentially a branded approach to the Fossil Gen 6 watch from 2021 that will be offered in a limited quantity.

Called the Razer X Fossil Gen 6, the watch has the gaming brand’s hallmark green and black design with three themed watch faces. The watch, of which there will only be 1,337 offered, comes with a chroma watch face that lets wearers set up a theme that calls to might a Razer keyboard.

The wearable ships with Google’s Wear OS 2 with a promised update to Wear OS 3 somewhere in the middle of the year.

The Gen 6 line of Fossil watches are notable for their ability to charge from zero to 80% in roughly 30 minutes as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ processor.

Features include GPS, a heart rate sensor, a Sp02 blood oxygen sensor, and Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity. In terms of performance, the watch houses 1GB RAM and 8GB of storage space, both par for the course in today’s modern wearable.

Other details in the Razer X Fossil Gen 6 include a 44mm stainless steel case with a top ring and pushers, a 1.28-inch touch display, interchangeable straps, and 4-pin magnetic puck charging.

Also on tap for the Gen 6 watch is support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, which Fossil advises should arrive in the near future.

The watch goes on sale Monday, January 10 with a 44mm black case, starting at $329.

Lenovo is updating their lineup and adding a few new devices as well

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Lenovo has announced a trove of devices at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). New Legion laptops, new ThinkPads, new ThinkCentres, new ThinkBooks, new monitors, and a bunch of accessories. Let’s break it down and see what Lenovo has in store for us in 2022.

Legion Devices

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Series

Lenovo Legion 5i Pro

Lenovo took the wraps off their esport-centric pro series laptops. The Legion 5i Pro and Legion 5 Pro are the world’s first 16-inch laptops with 16:10 WQHD+ screens (2960 x 1600 resolution) and up to 204Hz refresh rate. You get 100% sRGB color gamut and a low 3ms response time. These devices are HDR 400 certified and deliver up to 500 nits of brightness.

These machines are equipped with 4800Mhz DDR5 memory and up to 1TB SSD storage. These devices support quick charging, going from zero to 80% in just 30 minutes. Processors will either be a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H or a next-gen AMD Ryzen processor. Your games will be powered by a GeForce RTX 30 series Laptop GPU.

The Legion 5i Pro will be available for purchase in February for a starting price of $1,569.99. The Legion 5 Pro will be available in April and start at $1,429.99.

Lenovo Legion 5 Series

Legion 5

The 15-inch Lenovo Legion 5i will come with up to 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H and the Lenovo Legion 5 will have a next-gen AMD Ryzen processor. You can get these laptops equipped with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU.

These devices have full-spectrum RGB lighting, 1.5mm of key travel, and an improved cooling system. The Legion 5 series will be 15% thinner than previous models. These models come with up to WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution and 165Hz refresh rates. You also get 300 nits of brightness and a 100% sRGB color gamut. These devices also support USB-C charging.

You can expect the Legion 5i to ship in February with a starting price of $1,129.99. The Legion 5 will start shipping in April with a starting price of $1,129.99. Both will come with 3 months of Xbox Game Pass.

Other Legion announcements

Lenovo announced the Legion Y25-30, G27qe-20 & G24qe-20 monitors. The Legion Y25-30 monitor will have 99% sRGB and come with a 24.5-inch IPS HDR 400 certified display. It has built-in speakers and supports AMD FreeSync. The G-series monitors support up to 100Hz refresh rates.

The Y25-30 Gaming Monitor will start shipping in May 2022 with an MSRP of $339.99. The G-series Monitors will ship in March. The G27 monitor will be $299.99 and the G24 will be $259.99.

Lenovo took the wraps off the M600s wireless mouse and M300s RGB mouse. The m600s supports up to 19,000 DPI and have 70 hours of battery life. The M300s supports up to 8,000 DPI. Both devices are coming in May. The M600s will retail for $84.99, and the M300s will retail for $29.99.

Think series devices

ThinkPad X1

Lenovo X1 Carbon

The ThinkPad X1 series is being updated to the latest 12th Gen Intel Core-P series processors. Lenovo is adding a communications bar that integrates an FHD webcam, Privacy Shutter, and 360-degree quad-array microphones.

These devices will come with Windows 11 Pro, DDR 5 memory. Display options will include a 2.8K OLED for the X1 Carbon and a 4K OLED for the X1 Yoga.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is coming in March with an expected price of $1639 and the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is coming in March with a starting price of $1749. The ThinkPad X1 Nano will ship in April with a starting price of $1659.

ThinkCentre M90a Pro Gen 3

Lenovo is giving the M90a a refresh with up to an i9 12th Gen Intel processor. This device will feature a 23.8-inch QHD display, up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, and two integrated speakers.

The M90a is coming this May with a starting price of $1,299.

ThinkVision P27h-30 and P27q-30

These 27-inch displays feature HDR10 support, 99% sRGB, and 95% DCI-P3. Both monitors can charge your device with their USB Hub.

These monitors are coming in July. The q-series will retail for $499 and the h-series will retail for $599.

ThinkBook

ThinkBook Plus Gen 3

A new sub-brand for Lenovo, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 will have a 17.3-inch display with a 21:10 aspect ratio. This device has an 8-inch screen built into the keyboard area, allowing dual screens on a laptop.

This device has a 3072 x 1440 resolution with up to 120Hz refresh rate and 400 nits of brightness.

Other Think device announcements

Lenovo also took the wraps off their desktop line, the ThinkCentre neo 70t, ThinkCentre 50s and ThinkCentre neo 30a 24.

Lenovo announced the ThinkBook 13x Gen 2, a light and aluminum laptop co-engineered with Intel.  This laptop can charge wirelessly. Also announced are a new ThinkBook Backpack and a ThinkBook Mouse.

Yoga Series

Yoga 9i

Lenovo announced updates to the Yoga 9i, Yoga 7i, and Yoga 6 laptops. The Yoga 9i will have Thunderbolt 4, up to a 4K display, and a larger trackpad.

The Yoga 7i comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. You can equip them with up to 4K displays and 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processors. These devices also come with a Thunderbolt 4 port.

The Yoga 6 comes with a 13-inch display and up to an AMD Ryzen 7 5700u processor.

Realme stops teasing us and makes the GT 2 Pro official

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Realme officially announced the realme GT 2 Series in China today. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the GT 2 Pro started at 3,699 RMB or about $582. It features a back cover that is a bio-based polymer designed by Naoto Fukasawa.

realme GT 2 Pro

The realme GT 2 Pro has the world’s first 2K AMOLED Flat Display with LTPO 2.0 Technology. The 2K resolution is good for 525 PPI and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The display is HDR10+ certified and received a DisplayMate grade of A+. It also supports a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

GT 2 Pro colors

Under the hood the realme GT 2 Pro runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. To dissipate the heat, realme claims to have the industry’s largest heat dissipation area.

The GT 2 Pro has a triple rear camera setup. With a 50MP main lens, a 40x micro-lens, and a world-first 150-degree ultra-wide camera.

The GT 2 Pro has a 5000 mAh battery and supports realme’s 65W SuperDart Charge. This device also has an advanced Antenna Matric System and Dolby Atmos Dual Stereo Speakers.

It comes preinstalled with realme UI 3.0 (Android 12). As realme’s most premium flagship device, the GT 2 Pro is shaping up nicely.

Realme also announced the GT 2. It contains the same equipment as its Pro sibling. Including the same design, battery, realme UI 3.0, and RAM. It has a 120Hz AMOLED display and is powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor.

The GT 2 will cost 2,599 RMB or about $409.

Lenovo unveiled a new ThinkPad series and 3 smart products at CES 2022

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Today at the 2022 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) Lenovo unveiled four new devices. They are adding a new device to the ThinkPad Series, as well as a Smart Clock, an Ambient Light Dock, and Smart Frame.

Meet the ThinkPad Z Series

ThinkPad Z16

With a new design and new colors, the ThinkPad Z series is looking to break the mold of their premium business laptops.

As people change, so does our approach to technology. Lenovo is looking to capitalize on that with the ThinkPad Z13 and Z16. These ThinkPads come from more sustainable materials such as recycled aluminum recycled black vegan leather. Even the packaging comes from 100% recyclable/compostable bamboo and sugarcane. The AC power adapter is also made from 90% Post-Consumer Content.

These devices will run Windows 11, are powered by AMD Ryzen PRO processors and feature the Microsoft Pluton security processor. The Pluton processor hardens new Windows 11 PCs to protect a user’s identity, data, and applications.

Lenovo teamed up with AMD to offer some exclusive goodies. The ThinkPad Z13 will have an exclusive AMD Ryzen 7 PRO processor. You can configure the ThinkPad Z16 with an AMD Radeon discrete graphics.

ThinkPad Z16

Z Series highlights

  • Recycled black vegan leather and aluminum, and recyclable bamboo and sugarcane packaging
  • Communications Bar integrating an FHD camera with a larger sensor, electronic e-Shutter for privacy, and dual-array microphones
  • Highest screen-to-body (STB) ratio in ThinkPad portfolio – 91.6% (Z13) and 92.3% (Z16)
  • Larger 120mm haptic ForcePad
  • Display options include touch-enabled 2.8K OLED on Z13 and 4K OLED on Z16, both with Dolby Vision support and low blue light
  • Dolby Atmos Speaker System and Dolby Voice AI noise cancellation technology
  • Z13 runs on an AMD Ryzen PRO U-Series processors with integrated AMD Radeon graphics plus Microsoft Pluton security processor. Z13 is also available with an exclusive AMD Ryzen PRO processor
  • Z16 on an AMD Ryzen PRO H-Series processors with integrated AMD Radeon graphics or optional AMD Radeon discrete graphics, and include the Microsoft Pluton security processor
  • Preloaded with Windows 11
  • Match-on-chip fingerprint reader integrates into the keyboard for security convenience

Both ThinkPads will be available in May 2022. The Z13 will start at $1549, and the Z16 will start at $2099.

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa

Lenovo Smart Clock

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential has Alexa built-in. Allowing you to quickly and easily set timers, alarms, and reminders. You can even add items to your Amazon cart or control your smart home.

Featuring a bold LED display, you can easily see the time and weather from across the room. It has auto-dim capabilities to not disturb you at night. For your privacy, this clock doesn’t have any camera and has a dedicated mute switch to cut off the microphone.

With the ability to connect to Wi-Fi, this clock doubles as a smart speaker. Streaming from music, audiobooks, and podcasts.

The Smart Clock Essential will be available this month and have an MSRP of $59.99.

Lenovo Ambient Light Dock

Ambient Light Dock

Display your own style with customizable clock faces. You can use the ambient light on this dock as a night light. It features 8 different lighting modes. The colors include cherry, ocean blue, warm sunset, rainbow light, and rhythmic motion.

The Ambient Light dock will be available in Q1 2022 and have an MSRP of $29.99.

Lenovo Smart Frame

Lenovo Smart Frame

The Smart Frame is getting a refresh for this year. You no longer have to use Google Photos to load photos. You can now upload pictures from your phone. You can now leave virtual sticky notes, allowing you to leave messages for other people in your home.

The Smart Frame is available now.

TCL announced a slew of devices at CES 2022

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At the 2022 Consumer Electronic Show (CES), TCL unveiled a whole slew of products. They are adding new smartphones, tablets, portable devices, wearables, smart devices, even a router to their portfolio.

Smartphones

TCL announced two new 30 Series smartphones, the 30XE 5G and the 30 V 5G smartphones. Pricing and availability for these devices will come at a later date.

TCL 30 XE 5G

TCL 30 XE 5G

This device will feature an HD+ 6.52-inch display with a resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. This device is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 and have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM. It will support up to 512GB MicroSD cards for expandable storage.

The device runs Android 11, has a 4500mAh battery, and supports up to 18W charging. It will have a triple rear camera setup with a 13MP main camera, a 2MP depth camera, and a 2MP macro camera. It also has an 8MP selfie camera.

TCL 30 V 5G

TCL 30 V 5G

The 30 V 5G will have a 60Hz 6.67-inch FHD+ display. It will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G SoC and have 4GB of RAM. Storage clocks in at 128GB, you can expand that with support of up to 1TB MicroSD cards.

This device comes with a 4500mAh battery and will support 18W fast charging. This device has a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP main camera, a 5MP super-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The selfie camera is a 16MP shooter.

Laptop

BOOK 14 GO

TCL took the wraps off its first laptop, the TCL BOOK 14 GO. This device features a 14-inch display, 1366 x 768 display resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate.

This device runs Windows 11 and uses a Snapdragon 7c processor. It has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It does support expandable storage using SDHC/SDXC standards. With its 5300mAh battery, TCL claims between 10-12 hours of battery life.

It has a 1MP front camera that will support up to LTE speeds. It will retail for $349 and be available in select regions starting in Q2 2022.

Tablets

NXTPAPER 10S

NXT PAPER 10S

The NXTPAPER 10S offers a paper-like display with built-in blue light reduction. This tablet runs on Android 11 and a MediaTek MT8768E SoC. It will have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The NXTPaper 10S has a 10.1-inch IPS FHD display with a resolution of 1200 x 1920. It has an 8000mAh battery, an 8MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera.

It is coming to China and Europe this month and will have an MSRP of $249.

TAB 8 4G

TAB 8 4G

The TAB 8 will have an 8-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 1280. It will be powered by a MediaTek MT8766B SoC, have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. This tablet has a 4080mAh battery and runs Android 11.

It will be available in Europe in Q1 for $129.

TAB 10L

TAB 10L

The TAB 10L has a 10.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 800 x 1280. It will run Android 11, have a MediaTek MTK8167B, 2GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage. This device will have a 4080mAh battery.

The TAB 10L will be available in Europe in Q1 for $99.

TKEE MINI, MID, and MAX

TKEE MINI

These tablets are designed to empower kids and allow them to play and learn safely.

The display for the MAX is 10.1-inches and the MID has an 8-inch display. The rest of the specs are the same as the TAB 10L.

The TKEE MINI is powered by a MediaTek MT8167, has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It has a 7inch TN display with a resolution of 1024 x 600. The MINI runs on a 2580mAh battery.

The TKEE Mini has an $89 MSRP, the MID has an MSRP of $119, and the MAX has an MSRP of $149.

Wearable

NXTWEAR AIR

TCL showed off the NXTWEAR AIR. Their second-generation wearable is portable, light, and emphasizes comfort and style. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

Router

The LINK HUB 5G is a 5G router capable of delivering Wi-Fi 6. It can support up to 256 users, which enables it to work in a smart home or office. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

Make your data private with the Optery Data Broker Removal service

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Your data is important, both for you and for people looking to use it for wrongdoing. Data brokers collect your personal information and then trade or post that information online. The Optery Core Plan removes your home address, phone number, email address, and other private information from the internet. For $49 you can get a 1-year subscription to the Optery Data Broker Removal service.

What you get

After signing up you will receive a customized Exposure Report detailing all the sites posting your information. They will then delete your contact information will from Google. This will help reduce identity theft, fraud, phishing, spam calls, and email.

You will also gain visibility to 100+ data brokers that are exposing your private information.

Optery protects your account with optional Multi-factor authentication. You can also enable 2-Step Verification. They will never share your information online and aren’t affiliated with any data brokers.

The Optery Core Plan will remove your information from over 80 sites and give you visibility to over 100 sites. You can even automatically opt out of newly supported data brokers.

Make your information private with the Optery Core Plan. For only $49 you will get a 1-year subscription to the Optery Data Broker Removal service, allowing you to rest easy.

Destress wherever you go with the Morphee Zen, coming in Q3 2022

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At CES 2022, Morphée announced their new Morphée Zen. Designed to provide mental wellness sessions throughout the day wherever you go. It helps aid in anxiety reduction as well as boost concentration and mental focus.

As the latest device in the Morphée portfolio this is a device you can take with you at all times. Whenever you need a mental break, grab the Zen and destress in as little as 5 minutes. The Morphée Zen consists of 72 sessions and six themes, which include Dynamic Relaxation, Deep Relaxation, Immersive Journeys, Nature Sounds, Relaxing Music, and “Chrono Zen”.

It looks like a spa stone and carries Morphée’s vision of unplugging from your environment and reconnecting with yourself.

Morphee Zen

Morphée Zen features

  • 100 % non-digital
  • Ultra-portable / Intuitive & easy to use
  • Expertise & efficiency: 72 sessions designed by relaxation experts: sophrologists, hypnotherapists, psychologists
  • Dimensions: 7,5 x 7 x 1,5 cm (2.95 x 2.76 x 0.6 in)
  • Weight: 75g (2.65 oz)
  • Battery life: 3 hours on play mode, turns off automatically after 5 min
  • Audio: through wired headphones jack

The Zen joins Morphée’s existing devices, the Morphée and My Little Morphée.

The Morphée Zen will be available in Q3 2022 and carry an MSRP of $79.99.

Withings Body Scan technology will revolutionize home health monitoring

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From the pioneers of smart scale technology, Withings just announced its next revolutionary device. Withings Body Scan will give you the ability to track daily biomarkers associated with common health conditions.

Body Scan enables you to monitor body composition based on different body parts, as well as your heart rate, and determine your vascular age. Using a 6-lead ECG (14 ITO electrodes in the platform and an additional 4 electrodes in the handle), Body Scan goes beyond weight management. This is unprecedented in-home technology.

Body Scan is made of a single high-strength tempered glass platform with a retractable handle. You get year-long battery life and a 3.2-inch LCD display.

Withings designed the Body Scan to be extremely precise. It is accurate to 0.1 pounds or within 50 grams. Using the electrodes placed in the base and the handle, Body Scan will use multi-frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) to measure your full body composition. You will see the measurements for whole-body fat, water percentage, visceral fat, muscle mass, bone mass, extracellular and intracellular water, as well as provide readings for individual body parts including the torso, arms, and legs.

Body Scan works by sending a small electrical signal from the electrodes through your body. Then, depending on how slow or fast that signal travels, the Withings scientific algorithm will display your results.

Body Scan standing

Nerve assessment

Body Scan can also track your sweat gland activity in the feet to provide a daily assessment of small nerve activity. It will deliver a score based on the results for you to track your progress. The Withings app will also provide access to insights and personalized plans based on your score.

Heart health

By checking your heart rate, ECG recordings, and vascular age, Body Scan will be able to give you an accurate depiction of your overall heart health. Using the Withings algorithm, it can check for atrial fibrillation.  You will receive an assessment of arterial health and overall wellness. You can compare those results to what is expected for your age.

Body Scan side

Additional Body Scan information

In addition to the accurate readings from the Body Scan, Withings is taking things a step further. You will be able to leverage the readings in combination with Withings subscription service to receive in-app access to medical professionals.

You will get information regarding nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress management, as well as personalized health plans.

Body Scan is expected in the 2nd half of 2022, following FDA clearance. It will come in black and white and give you a 3-month subscription to Withings health and wellness programs.