Russell Brand takes the unpopular view that buying a Smart Watch might be kinda dumb – although it’s the best thing that ever happened to Apple and the government agencies that are spying on you! Brand didn’t come to this decision quickly, he bought all of the previous Apple products…But the iWatch caused him to investigate what’s in it for us, Vs what’s in it for Apple, and the NSA, to mention but one nosy entity.
In the Con argument: you still need to purchase a new iPhone to go with your snazzy new watch.
Pro: As illustrated in the photo, the iWatch is ‘the’ watch to have, making diamond-encrusted Rolex models passe’.
Another Pro argument: For those who enjoy the entertainment value of watching their garage door roll up and down from a bar, a friend’s house or even at work – this watch is invaluable and hours of entertainment!
Also Pro: The watch ‘cares.’ It monitors your health, fitness level, temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, weight and activity level.
Here’s a tiny Con: HIPPA laws make it next to impossible for unmarried ‘spouses’ to obtain health information when one is hospitalized. We have privacy laws after all. Meanwhile, all of the health information your watch has lovingly compiled is instantly shared with strangers, along with a record of your surfing, email, and messaging info – which they in turn, give to the government…And there is no ‘opt out.’
I think I mentioned the ‘big tax breaks’ you enable Apple to receive. Google, Apple, Microsoft and six other companies all feed the NSA and the FBI through a data sharing pact,and are generously rewarded!
So while your Facebook posts and ‘likes’ may not seem like a matter of national security, neither are your instant messages, file transfers and email…But they’re all siphoned off to Big Brother – who doesn’t even write a ‘thank you’ note for your trouble.
Pro: You don’t mind sharing, because you are not a terrorist, and the government helps locate terrorists through such information gathering.
Con: Sorry, but no. Washington Post : “An anualysis of 225 terrorism cases in the US since Sept 11 concludes that the bulk collection of phone records by NSA ‘has had no discernible impact on preventing acts of terrorism.'”
Pro: The watch comes in solid 18 Carat gold, now that’s a fashion statement…And, you’ll always have your garage door…Which never fails to entertain and impress those who are stuck in the past with dumb phones.