Be forewarned smartwatch enthusiasts: these devices are subject to the same cyber-security threats and real-life thieves your smartphones and tablets are.
For those of us of a certain vintage, the Apple Watch is reminiscent of the comic strip character Dick Tracy’s two-way radio watch he used to capture criminals. Though Tracy was using his wristwatch communicator as far back as 1946, one couldn’t help but feel the weight of decades waiting for Apple to introduce its smartwatch two years after it publicly announced the device.
The wearable technology space will certainly be one to pay attention to with more companies diving in to produce smartwatches and other devices.
What makes the Apple Watch and other wearable technologies so appealing is you don’t need to reach into your pocket or handbag rummaging for a smartphone. However, in the case of smartwatches they do require connectivity to a smartphone. Regardless, a smartwatch can run apps including functioning as a traditional watch, allow you to read and respond to texts, and you can use it as a biometric device to measure your heart rate.
In the case of the Apple Watch, it features a retina display with 272×340 pixels. That’s truly remarkable and a key differentiator over other smartwatches. Other smartwatch makers are attempting to woo consumers into buying their devices by charging an average of $99. Apple being Apple, its cheapest watch will retail for an estimated $549. Meanwhile, Apple’s Gold Edition smartwatch will retail for between $10,000 and $17,000.
Did you fall off of your seat after reading that price? Understand the Apple Watch Gold Edition features an 18-carat yellow or rose gold case, a sapphire crystal display, and other alluring add-ons.
In any event, smartwatches and wearable technology in general marks a turning point in personal computing on a global scale. Smartwatches are at the forefront today but there will be other, equally compelling devices that will emerge in the next few years from various vendors.
But bear this in mind: as appealing as smartwatches are, they are computers, and as such, are subject to the same cyber-security threats as any other mobile computing device.
Concerning the Apple Watch, Apple needs to consider the fact that its smartwatches are thief magnets. As there’s no activation lock on the Apple Watch as there is on iPhones and iPads, this poses a potential threat to Apple Watch owners who may be unknowingly targeted by crooks and pickpockets.
Alvarez Technology Group is the leading IT consulting firm for computer and business IT support throughout Monterey, Salinas, and the Bay Area. Give us a call at 866-784-8326 or email us at [email protected].
