Smart/Apple Watch vs Traditional Timepieces
https://www.watchesofespionage.com/blogs/woe-dispatch/cia-officers-and-apple-watches
Title photo credit goes to Watches of Espionage.
First off, I am not in anyway a case officer or a Tier 1 Operator. My role as a SME (subject matter expert) is more of a supporting/specialist role and I am fine with that. If I'm in the stack I'm nowhere near the front (towards the rear awaiting a call forward) out of the way of the fast movers 😂. Or awaiting somewhere else for a call in.
I do enjoy reading some of his articles about the use of analog watches and who/why these watches are worn. Plus I just like seeing good watches being used as the tools they are. I'm a romantic at heart and using a tiny handmade tool for tracking on important time is just cool, YMMV.
Nor am I bashing anyone who wears a smartwatch. I even wear a kind of one when I play golf (shotscope) and am not doing this God-awful #1wc....🫠.
But some of the points brought up are valid concerns of mine in regards to collection of data and using a smartwatch near classified or sensitive info. Whether that information be state or corporate. As a watch enthusiast I also bemoan the general public's disdain of analog watches.
There will always be small, niche users of analog watches, but it will be interesting to see what is worn on the wrists of people 100 yrs from now.
What are y'all's thoughts?
Edit: Grammar and Punctuation
There will always be a delicate balancing act between convenience vs. security in relation to data. The world changed on 9/11/01, whether for better or worse remains to be seen. Any technology can be manipulated and used for nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, it's the world we live in.
I haven't noticed a public disdain for analog watches. EIther I'm oblivious or just give zero F's.
I don't think there's disdain for analogue, indifference perhaps. There is disdain for tech watches. Maybe it's because they're called watches instead of wrist-tech or something, since the watch part is less than 1% of their functional abilities.
It takes capable hardware, enabled software, willing user, and an active interest/investment in a particular person to pull off this spy tracking stuff. Most smart watch are hardware capable. Apple as a business model tries to differentiate itself from Google with user privacy. Apple’s business model focusing on hardware and services, while Google is an advertising business that will get more money by the better they can target ads which is improved by behavior profiling. Apple knows it’s in their interest to be known as more secure. Regardless, that doesn’t stop a state sponsored actor. Zero-day exploits, which are the entry point into getting code into an iphone or other sell for upwards of $1.5M each. A collection of which are typically necessary to actually get malware onto a device, and they have a longevity that will last until Apple or Google become aware of them and patch it. NSO Group’s (pegauss) has made it a paid service to get on to anyone’s iPhone for tracking purposes. They amortize the cost of these exploits and sell the service to various government/police agencies or others around the world. If I worked in some government cabinet or on sensitive information stuff, then yeah, it’s probably a good idea not to bring spy capable hardware into those areas.
It costs money to get into someone privacy, and fortunately, I’m not a very interesting person. Most people really don’t care about tracking, and willing post tons of information on social media such that there is no need to pay people like NSO Group to get onto their phones. The majority of people already say what they are doing on Facebook, post geo-tagged photos on other sites.
Regarding watches… It does no good to make a decision on smartwatch vs analog watches for spying purposes if one carries a smartphone. You have to dump both if you are indeed a person of interest that some entity wants to pay big bucks to track you.
It takes capable hardware, enabled software, willing user, and an active interest/investment in a particular person to pull off this spy tracking stuff. Most smart watch are hardware capable. Apple as a business model tries to differentiate itself from Google with user privacy. Apple’s business model focusing on hardware and services, while Google is an advertising business that will get more money by the better they can target ads which is improved by behavior profiling. Apple knows it’s in their interest to be known as more secure. Regardless, that doesn’t stop a state sponsored actor. Zero-day exploits, which are the entry point into getting code into an iphone or other sell for upwards of $1.5M each. A collection of which are typically necessary to actually get malware onto a device, and they have a longevity that will last until Apple or Google become aware of them and patch it. NSO Group’s (pegauss) has made it a paid service to get on to anyone’s iPhone for tracking purposes. They amortize the cost of these exploits and sell the service to various government/police agencies or others around the world. If I worked in some government cabinet or on sensitive information stuff, then yeah, it’s probably a good idea not to bring spy capable hardware into those areas.
It costs money to get into someone privacy, and fortunately, I’m not a very interesting person. Most people really don’t care about tracking, and willing post tons of information on social media such that there is no need to pay people like NSO Group to get onto their phones. The majority of people already say what they are doing on Facebook, post geo-tagged photos on other sites.
Regarding watches… It does no good to make a decision on smartwatch vs analog watches for spying purposes if one carries a smartphone. You have to dump both if you are indeed a person of interest that some entity wants to pay big bucks to track you.
Agreed on all points just thought the article was interesting and I like discussing! 😁
There will always be a delicate balancing act between convenience vs. security in relation to data. The world changed on 9/11/01, whether for better or worse remains to be seen. Any technology can be manipulated and used for nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, it's the world we live in.
I haven't noticed a public disdain for analog watches. EIther I'm oblivious or just give zero F's.
I've noticed it a little bit. More so amongst a younger crowd. Disdain might have been to harsh a word. Interacting with people on a daily basis, I've had actual people ask what type of smart watch was that (had on an older, much loved and abused Suunto)...?
TBH I didn't know how to respond, the next question was a smart watch is better though, you can text with it....🤐
This also took place last August, and it was as stated a younger audience but still has me thinking.
I've noticed it a little bit. More so amongst a younger crowd. Disdain might have been to harsh a word. Interacting with people on a daily basis, I've had actual people ask what type of smart watch was that (had on an older, much loved and abused Suunto)...?
TBH I didn't know how to respond, the next question was a smart watch is better though, you can text with it....🤐
This also took place last August, and it was as stated a younger audience but still has me thinking.
I think the younger crowd just places value in other things…and if it’s not an Apple Watch or Fitbit, it becomes a foreign concept. “Why do you need a watch when you have a phone?” I can respond with “Why do you pay $15 for avocado toast?” or walk away and ignore their comment.
I think the younger crowd just places value in other things…and if it’s not an Apple Watch or Fitbit, it becomes a foreign concept. “Why do you need a watch when you have a phone?” I can respond with “Why do you pay $15 for avocado toast?” or walk away and ignore their comment.
Or maybe not in "things" per se, but experiences. My 26-year-old daughter just paid more for a Taylor Swift concert ticket than I did for my last watch. And she'll likely remember and enjoy it for many years. There is, after all, quite a bit of research suggesting experiences bring more joy than material goods. On the other hand, there's no danger than I'm going to sell a watch to buy a Springsteen ticket.
I think the younger crowd just places value in other things…and if it’s not an Apple Watch or Fitbit, it becomes a foreign concept. “Why do you need a watch when you have a phone?” I can respond with “Why do you pay $15 for avocado toast?” or walk away and ignore their comment.
I hang around young people all the time. Nobody eats avocado toast, its a boomer meme. Try telling a 25 year old with a 20 year student loan, no medical insurance and a $1100 a month efficiency apartment $13.00 an hour job why you bought a $25.000 Daytona?
Or maybe not in "things" per se, but experiences. My 26-year-old daughter just paid more for a Taylor Swift concert ticket than I did for my last watch. And she'll likely remember and enjoy it for many years. There is, after all, quite a bit of research suggesting experiences bring more joy than material goods. On the other hand, there's no danger than I'm going to sell a watch to buy a Springsteen ticket.
I'm old, and I wouldn't see Springsteen for free. Old Boomer guy pretends to be a struggling rust belt blue collar dude for an hour for a room full of boomers who have not had to deal with the job market since the Regan years.
I hang around young people all the time. Nobody eats avocado toast, its a boomer meme. Try telling a 25 year old with a 20 year student loan, no medical insurance and a $1100 a month efficiency apartment $13.00 an hour job why you bought a $25.000 Daytona?
I’m going to leave the socio-economic debate alone. I choose peace and harmony over jealousy and disdain.