Gizmodo: eavesdropping

The Next Room Eavesdropping Device Is Way Better Than a Drinking Glass

Sean Fallon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST

Next Room is kind of like a mash up between a stethoscope, MP3 player and an old fashioned drinking glass. According to the product page, you can hear what is being said through wooden walls, doors, windows—even steel plates.

It features an internal sound amplifier, a 3.5mm jack for headphones and a USB port for recharging. Nice, but if you really want to take this whole scumbaggy espionage thing to another level, you go with the SIM card spy ear. [Chinagrabber via 7Gadgets via OhGizmo]

Electromagnetic Scanners Can Detect What You're Typing Right Now

John Mahoney — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:40:00 EDT

It's obvious to assume that your henpecking on a wireless keyboard could be intercepted by a RF-snooping ne'er-do-well, but what about your wired or laptop keyboard—that should be safe, right? Nope. Researchers at Lausanne, Switzerland's Security and Cryptography Laboratory (part of the EPFL school) have demonstrated here that 12 different keyboards, bought from 2001 until now, can be eavesdropped upon by monitoring their electromagnetic signatures—wirelessly, from up to 65 feet away, through walls.

. This second video demonstrates the second set of their experiments. The researchers devised four separate methods for EM eavesdropping, which will be detailed in specifics in a paper to be released after peer review. The method for intercepting signals involves detecting the full spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a keyboard (which are unshielded to keep costs and form factors down), and analyzing the specific change in signal over a variety of wavelengths for each key press. All the more reason to work/live in a giant Farraday cage. LASEC/EPFL]

Overheard at CES: How You Ship a 150-Inch Plasma

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:22:28 EST

"If we get bigger than 150, we might have to go with Airbus."

Heard in: Panasonic booth...an exec saying how they could only fit one of its prototype 150-inch plasmas in a Boeing 747 cargo hold—and only just barely.

Overheard at CES: Overcaffeinated Edition

Benny Goldman — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:35:48 EST

Fat White Guy: I shouldn't even give you coffee.
Handsome Gizmodo Writer: Who? Me?
FWG: Yes you, you guys wrote a story on the cookie lady but not the fat white guy serving coffee!

Heard while: waiting for a latte. Congratulations, Fat White Guy, you're internet famous.

Overheard at CES: Scary "Bloggies"

Mark Wilson — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:30:38 EST

"Don't tell the bloggies anything!"

Heard in: the information booth...two kind older ladies were afraid we might write about them after helping us with directions.

Overheard at CES: Lost Blackberry

Mark Wilson — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:25:24 EST

"Anybody lose a blackberry? Anybody?" There's some chuckling, but our man is persistent. "They may have two or three of these...not know it's missing."

Heard in: the press room...over the sound of tired journalists.

Overheard at CES: Super Phones

Mark Wilson — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 14:02:07 EST

"You've got to see this Japanese phone! He says it's indestructible! We don't know what it is. And he says the battery really lasts!"

Heard in: the press room...over otherwise complete silence.

How to Eavesdrop on Bluetooth Headsets

Jason Chen — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:30:25 EST

Our experience with Bluetooth headsets tells us that you first have to place it into discoverable mode before any other device can connect to it, but this video claims otherwise.

The man in the vid explains that just by knowing the default code (0000 on just about every headset) and spoofing your device as a phone, you can remotely inject sounds or record audio from a headset. With a strong enough antenna, you can even do this from up to a mile away. So what can someone gain from this exploit? Mostly just listening to people's conversations without their knowledge, but playing back sounds into their ear could be pretty fun. [5min]

Eavesdrop Through Walls With a Do-It-Yourself Recording Spy Stethoscope

Charlie White — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:10:24 EDT

For some reason, we're seeing a lot of spy gear making the rounds these days, and here's yet another, an eavesdropping device you can make yourself for less than $25. This guy has replaced the earpieces on a $10 stethoscope with condenser mics from a couple of cheap-ass multimedia microphones. Then it's no big deal to hook those up to the recorder of your choice, so you can have the proof you need. Take a look at the how-to video, after the jump.

You can either go through these steps to have yourself this cut-rate spy device, or you could just use a stethoscope to listen through walls directly. Or how about this: You could just stop being such a nosy muthafucka and mind your own beeswax. [Instructables]

Secret Agent Spy Ear for Eavesdroppers, Snoops and Busybodies

Charlie White — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:45:00 EST

If you'd like to hear those mice crawling around in the walls, the Rechargeable M-7 Secret Agent Spy Ear is for you. Its earpiece is designed for stealth, letting you listen in on conversations across the room undetected. Just pop the wireless device into your ear and somehow you can hear better than ever.

Perhaps a hearing aid might do the same thing...? Maybe so, but it won't cost any $79.95 like this does. Anyway, both the earpiece and base unit are rechargeable, able to give you hours of snooping hijinks. Just don't be disappointed when you discover those people across the room aren't talking about you. – Charlie White

Rechargeable M-7 Secret Agent Spy Ear [Gadget Universe]

Mobile Spy Ear: Domestic Eavesdropping For NSA Tots

Noah Robischon — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:45:51 EST

President Bush defends domestic eavesdropping, so why shouldn't you? The Mobile Spy Ear, which completes Wild Planet's trifecta of kiddie 007 gadgets, is moveable car with a microphone that transmits sounds to an earbud from up to 75 feet away.

Too bad the vehicle itself only travels 30 feet, and it's one of those wind up cars (you pull it backwards along the floor and then let go). But the signal supposedly works through walls, which means that the movement is really a secondary feature to being able to listen-in on your sister talking about boys. Ewwww.

Available next fall for between $14.99 and $19.99. –Noah Robischon