The Daily Valet. - 11/2/22, Wednesday

✔️ Our Doorbell Camera Obsession

Wednesday, November 2nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Hey Alexa … play “Somebody’s Watching Me.”

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

America’s Doorbell Camera Obsession

Plastering internet-connected surveillance cameras on everything we own is actually having some ugly unintended consequences

Networked doorbell cameras are suddenly everywhere. And it makes sense, I guess. We now have the ability to have surveillance cameras that are both convenient and affordable. And in an age of porch pirates and increased home burglaries, a camera monitoring your property could provide a certain peace of mind.

But the popularity of networked doorbell surveillance cameras was not an inevitable outcome. Rather, it was a development that companies like Amazon have cultivated through a variety of well-documented methods. According to Vice, the company has spent years stoking suburban paranoia, then offering surveillance cameras as a salve—even if there is little concrete evidence to support the claim.

Devices like Ring, Google Nest and Wyze are made to keep us on constant alert. They ping us with notifications, demanding our attention, and offer “infinite scroll” like on Instagram, but for neighborhood crime. These devices make watching one another constantly feel acceptable, expected and even addicting. They present surveillance as the new normal, and fear along with it.

In fact, Amazon just launched a Ring surveillance footage TV show, which is being marketed as a modern take on the classic America’s Funniest Home Videos franchise, but the dystopian reality show may be among the most controversial productions on television.

Currently, tens of millions of people post videos and images from their doorbell cameras to neighborhood watch forums like Citizen App and NextDoor. A recent report found that homeowners are increasingly using networked cams to surveil and punish delivery drivers. It turns doorsteps into humiliating performance reviews for gig workers who are pressed to meet unrealistic and, at times, unsafe productivity quotas.

And that’s to say nothing of the security breaches that have allowed stalkers and hackers to break into people’s cameras or the accidental violence that results from the suspicion these cameras cultivate. But THINK points out that this isn’t a problem that can be solved by individual consumer choices. They say something as simple as investing in more streetlights can reduce so-called quality-of-life crimes like package theft and car break-ins without aggravating racial profiling or getting kicks from spying on one another.

↦ FYI: Ring remained the No. 1 video doorbell brand in 2021, accounting for almost 15% of all doorbells sold, with SkyBell, Nest, Vivint and ADT rounding out the top five.

Russia Recruits Afghan Commandos

While Kyiv deals with rolling blackouts

Afghan special forces soldiers who fought alongside U.S. troops and then fled to Iran after the chaotic Western withdrawal last year are now being recruited by the Russian military to fight in Ukraine, reports the Associated Press.

The Russians want to attract thousands of the former elite commandos into a “foreign legion” with offers of steady pay and promises of safe havens for themselves and their families. The news follows months of warnings from American soldiers who fought with Afghan special forces that the Taliban was intent on killing them and that they might join with U.S. enemies to stay alive or out of anger with their former ally.

Meanwhile, Iran is preparing to send thousands of additional weapons, including surface-to-surface short range ballistic missiles and more attack drones, to Russia to use against Ukraine. According to CNN, it would be the first instance of Iran sending advanced precision guided missiles, which could give the Kremlin a substantial boost on the battlefield.

And in Kyiv, the streets—illuminated with nightlife just weeks ago—are now shrouded in darkness after sunset. Rolling power outages have been put in place to prevent a complete collapse of the national energy grid, after repeated Russian bombardments.

↦ Dig Deeper: Millions of Ukrainians were able to escape the war. But many still can’t find enough work to survive.

Partner

Shopping for guys can be tough. But your favorite guy's favorite shop is a great place to start looking.

Is Vine Really Coming Back?

Twitter engineers are working to reboot TikTok’s predecessor this year

We've been hearing whispers about this since before he took over, but multiple sources confirmed on Tuesday that Elon Musk has instructed Twitter engineers to work on a Vine reboot that could be ready by years end.

The possible revival of TikTok's short form video predecessor shows the breadth of product ideas—including old ones—that Musk is toying with in his first week heading up the social media platform.

As you may (or may not) remember, Twitter shuttered the looping-video app in 2016 after acquiring it four years earlier, leaving loyal Vine fans dismayed. The company reportedly tried to sell Vine shortly after.

Although Vine has an impassioned fanbase of people who were young adults when the platform was in its prime and have a nostalgic desire to see it come back, TIME says it's a bad idea. The Vine that we all knew and loved is gone, and it's likely impossible to bring back in today's social media landscape. Or as Mashable put it: Vine died a hero. Let it rest.

↦ Meanwhile: Would you pay to rent a blue checkmark on Twitter? That’s Elon Musk’s latest plan for extra revenue for the social media platform.

Rolex’s First Titanium Watch

The Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea Challenge breaks new ground for the luxury brand

In the world of watches, a mere millimeter's difference on a case or some red text on the dial can be called major news. But Tuesday's announcement that Rolex introduced its very first fully titanium watch was definitely a big deal.

The luxury timepiece brand is no stranger to producing superior dive watches that push the limits of deep-sea exploration. But they're taking their work in the realm of water resistance to new depths with a ruggedly handsome watch that offers record-breaking water resistance up to 11,000 meters. That's about 36,000 feet—the same as the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean.

According to Hodinkee, the watch, dubbed the Deepsea Challenge, measures 50mm in diameter and 23mm thick (thanks, in part, to a 9.5mm sapphire crystal). It uses Grade 5 Titanium—an alloy that also includes aluminum and vanadium—which is about 40% lighter than steel. Oh, and it'll cost you $26,000.

↦ FYI: The recent “Rolex Boom” means that between supply, demand and a little bit of FOMO, it’s hard to get your hands on one.

In Other News

↦ As States Banned Abortion, Thousands More Americans Got Pills Online Anyway

↦ What Does the End of Yeezy Mean for the Sneakerverse?

↦ How Not to Be Humiliated in Snob Restaurants

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Tumblr brings back tasteful nudes

Trevor Noah’s penthouse

The “Thanksgiving cooler”

Partner

Smart Gifts for the Modern Man’s Man

Huckberry has options for rugged dudes and sophisticated gentlemen alike

We get it. Shopping for the men in your life can be tricky. But here’s an insider secret: When you don’t know what to get a guy, look to places that look like them. Take Huckberry … when you check out their range of goods, we bet you see something that reminds you of the man you’re shopping for.

At once rugged and refined, Huckberry has everything from clothes and accessories to grooming products and home goods, along with a myriad of EDC items for the guy who lives an active, engaged and fearless life. This year's selection of tried-and-true gifts and gear combines an adventurous spirit with a cozy home life. It’s a no-B.S. approach to gifts that are sure to please.

Our Gift Picks

Clockwise, from top left:Soft classic fisherman beanie, $30 by HuckberryFlannel-lined trucker jacket, $298 by Flint and TinderMarshmallow crossbow, $140 by MMX VancouverDecanter & whiskey glass set, $95 by Whiskey PeaksHot sauce variety pack, $70 by TruffPersonal fireplace kit, $125 by Flikr Fire

↦ Browse More Gifts from Huckberry

What We’re Buying

A corduroy shirt for this time of year is ideal. This one is tailored from a thin wale cotton corduroy that's been enzyme-washed for softness and finished with chalk buttons.

↦ Get It: $195 / $135 by Gitman Vintage