Author: Julie Campbell

Since John Hancock released its “Vitality” mobile app, the smartwatch users have been able to try for better premiums.

Recently, the John Hancock life insurance company announced that it would be using wearable technology to allow customers to prove that they are a lower risk for their coverage so that they can earn discounts, and this opportunity has now expanded to the Apple Watch.

The “Vitality” app is now Apple Watch compatible, allowing smartwatch users to prove that they live in a healthy way.

Users of the Apple Watch who are willing to share their data with regards to their fitness habits that have been gathered on their device will be able to see if their efforts can earn them a discount on their life insurance premiums. The app is also available to users of the iPhone and iPod Touch, having been based on the HealthKit platform. It has been designed to track a user’s vitals and healthy lifestyle habits.

This lets Apple Watch users prove to the life insurance company that they are a lower risk.

This lower risk can be reflected in their premiums with a potential discount as high as 15 percent for either universal life or term life forms of the coverage (the former of which is available regionally in Delaware and Pennsylvania, whereas the latter is available exclusively in Delaware).

When users show that they have lowered their blood pressure (or have maintained a healthy level over time), that they are regularly active such as by walking and/or running, and that they take care of themselves overall, the data is collected by the smartwatch. The user can then send that data to the insurer, which will add it to its premiums calculations and decide how much of a discount (if any) has been earned.

The system also works by building up “Vitality Points” by completing activities that promote better health, such as undergoing an annual health screening. These points accumulate to provide the insurer’s customers with additional benefits such as shopping, travel, and entertainment rewards from participating retailers.

Aside from the Apple Watch, other products compatible with this program include the Fitbit Activity Band. In fact, when a customer purchases this type of policy from the insurer, they can receive a Fitbit fitness tracker for free.

The tech giant is looking to buy out a spectrum of patents to help to stabilize that marketplace.

Google is hoping to be able to help to stabilize the current issues that are occurring within the U.S. Patent system, particularly when it comes to the damage patent trolls are doing to innovation and the progress of technology.

In this effort, the company is making technology news by considering purchasing patents to protect creators.

The U.S. Patent Market is now inundated with those so-called patent trolls, which are shell corporations located around the globe that force actual patent holders into lengthy, costly litigation that typically end up in expensive settlements. That behavior is, according to Google (and many others) holding back the progress in innovation in the United States. Those who would innovate simply don’t find it worthwhile to do so, anymore, as any money they could potentially earn from their efforts would end up paying off costly lawsuits.

Google’s plan of attack against the patent trolls is a new program that is called the Patent Purchase Promotion.

Technology news reports are indicating that through this program, Google will be purchasing patents simply in order to make sure that trolls won’t be able to get their claws into them and use legal loopholes and lawsuits to earn money.

The deputy general counsel for patents at Google, Allen Lo, explained on the company’s blog that “Unfortunately, the usual patent marketplace can sometimes be challenging, especially for smaller participants who sometimes end up working with patent trolls. Then bad things happen, like lawsuits, lots of wasted effort, and generally bad karma. Rarely does this provide any meaningful benefit to the original patent owner.”

Within this initial phase of the program, Google is hoping to keep the entire process quite basic. Owners of patents can submit proposals to the company as of May 8 and can continue to do so until May 22. Google will the conduct an evaluation and by the 26th of June, each of the patent holders will be contacted. Should the company wish to make a purchase to protect the rights against patent trolls, the payment for it will be made and complete by the close of August 2015 via ACH bank transfer.