Netflix hack uses Fitbit data to determine when you've fallen asleep, pauses playback automatically

Shawn Knight

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A group of Netflix engineers have come up with a handy hack that ensures you won’t miss a minute of your favorite show should you doze off mid-episode. It uses a Fitbit activity tracker to communicate when a viewer has fallen asleep, pausing the programming at that point.

It’s an incredibly simple solution to an incredibly common occurrence. Instead of having the show carry on with the possibility of waking you up, the feature means you don’t have to try and remember / skip to the exact moment you left off. Pretty clever, eh?

Although hacks like this and others are pretty cool, it’s worth pointing out that they may never become part of the Netflix offering. As outlined in a statement on the matter, the company is only sharing them publicly to showcase the spirit of Netflix Hack Day.

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The falling asleep looks handy, especially if it tracks how often you fall asleep during a particular show.

Then displays a warning: You've Fallen asleep three previous times watching this show. Perhaps it's not for you.
 
I don't care what the hell Netflix does just as long as it doesn't interfere with me dozing off or interfering with my beauty sleep.. I don't watch movies anyway, sport and documentaries are the only things that interest me on TV.
 
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