Gizmodo: spy cam

Spy Camera Detector Guarantees Your Privates Are on the Internet

Mark Wilson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Some people are ashamed of their bodies. Me? I regularly strip in questionable environments, just for the thrill that my tush may be showing up on some subscription Russian voyeur site. This spycam detector can save heartache for us both.

The detector, $60, goes about camera locating in a two-pronged attack. First, you look through the device's lens while the unit bathes the room in IR light. Rogue lenses should come out of the woodwork (possibly literally), which will allow you to angle your body toward camera appropriately.

Then, you use the Wi-Fi detector to track down the radio receiver. This function is critical, as you can ensure the receiver has an uninterrupted power supply and isn't overheating in tight quarters.

Skeptics may argue that knowing a camera is filming destroys the purity of unintended exhibitionism. But you tell that to the guy changing JCPenney dressing room who, despite his best efforts, is showing half the world nothing but belly button lint. [Chinavision via RedFerret]

Coke Zero Has Zero Calories and Sugar, But Is High In Spy Cameras

Sean Fallon — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:40:00 EST

This realistic-looking can of Coke Zero isn't filled with a refreshing, low calorie soda—it's actually a 4GB spy cam DVR that can capture footage in VGA (640×480) resolution.

The can also has a wireless remote, rechargeable battery and a false bottom that hides a USB port and the on/off switch. It looks pretty convincing, but I'm less impressed by the '80s-looking version of Coke "Clossic". [ChinaGrabber via Technabob via DVICE]

Wi-Spy EX30 Spy Cam: For The Paranoid Porn Addict

Danny Allen — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:00:00 EDT

Whether you're hunting for jobs at work, or taking some "alone time", the Wi-Spy wireless surveillance system can avoid anyone sneaking up on you. It's also good for stuff that matters, like keeping an eye on your kid's safety.

The $170 system consists of two parts: a rechargeable wireless camera about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and a 2.75-inch wireless receiver/display. Mount the camera, plug-in the monitor up to 30 feet away, and watch the live stream.

Apparently, the camera also has nightvision capabilities (or at the very least works in low-light situations), and can record video to an SD card, which can you then copy over to your computer. [Brick House Security via Gearfuse]

Ring-Activated Spy Camera Mixes James Bond with some Captain Planet

Mark Wilson — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Brando's new button spy camera is one step closer to international super spy. You wave an ordinary looking gold ring near the device to take photos and video.

That's right, friends. No more pesky fiddling with your buttons when you've infiltrated deep inside the Russian Parliament.

Priced at $96, we're not exactly sure how the ring communicates with the camera. The technology could be based upon RFID, magnetism or simple metal detection. But we do know that 1200x1600 images and 608x488 video (at 15fps) should get the job done well enough, though you'll still need a decent explanation as to why you've been caught in the Russian Parliament's lady's locker room, wearing a wedding ring no less! [Brando]

Thanko Camera Necktie Is the Stuff of Spies, Bored Office Workers

Mark Wilson — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:20:00 EDT

There is absolutely no aspect of your job that necessitates the use of a spycam necktie. I'm sorry, but your work just isn't that interesting. But that's why Man was given imagination.

For instance, you could pretend that you needed this $128 tie for important reconnaissance work, using its one button controls to grab footage of Joe using the copier, or Marie pouring another cup of coffee. Later, when downloading 30 hours of 352x288 .avi footage to an XP or Vista machine, scrupulous review could reveal that Joe had actually planted a miniature explosive while duplicating those expense reports, set to blow the next time someone made a double-sided copy. And there's Marie, making her way over to the machine now! That earth-loving hippie will surely make a double sided print. Run like the wind, my dull office companion! Run! [Thanko via DVICE]

Hidden Nametag Camera Looks Slick, Will Probably Get You Caught

John Herrman — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:45:43 EST

Hidden camera rule #17: try not to put them in things that people intently stare at as soon as they meet you.

The AME-105 fake ID card gets a lot of things right—this disguise is in many ways ideal for spy-camming, as the circuitry, battery, 4GB of flash memory and 352x288/15fps video camera can all fit quite naturally into the body. Unfortunately the concept falls flat when you realize that your nametag is probably the most-eyeballed item on your body body. The tiny text won't exactly help matter either.

Sadly for those who make their living spying on incredibly inattentive and/or senile people, the AME-105 is only available in Japan. [Akihabara]

The 'Barack' Obaba Spycam Belt Buckle

Mark Wilson — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:50:00 EST

That's not a typo. You can celebrate the inauguration the old fashioned way, with a spycam/DVR belt buckle featuring a visage that in no way resembles our future President.

Obaba Buckle DVR a handsome black man face have a hidden camera and a micro DVR built in...This Buckle was originally carved in a WOOD but we changed this beautiful master piece of work in aluminium mould, now it looks even better and beautiful fashionable belt buckle. you can wear it as a normal belt on your Jeans yet it can record audio and video of your spy need.

Stand aside Shepard Fairey, there's a new sheriff in town. [Spy Camera via Red Ferret]

Brando's ID Pass Spycam is For, Uh... Industrial Espionage?

Kit Eaton — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT

I know spy tech is interesting stuff, but this ID-pass holder spycam from Brando has me pondering. I mean... it's all very clever and such, able to record 1.2-megapixel photos, audio and CIF-resolution video onto its 4GB internal storage and is USB rechargeable. But its likely use is for genuine industrial espionage, which really isn't very nice. Or am I being overly sensitive? Still, it's a meaty $174, so you're going to have to really want to snoop on your office operations, and bore a hole in your genuine ID before you stick it on the top of this. [Brando via i4u]

Minox Spy Camera Goes Digital, Still Tiny Enough to Please Q

Kit Eaton — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:02:20 EDT

Spy-technology aficionados will know about Minox's miniature camera and it's genuine espionage heritage, and now the camera's gone all modern with a digital face lift. A 5-megapixel sensor's been plopped into the Digital SpyCam, which remains tiny at just 3 and 3/8 x 1 and 3/16 x 7/8-inches and weighing in at 2.1 ounces: small enough to disappear into a leather-clad fist when it needs to be concealed. With a lithium battery, and 42mm equivalent lens, plus capability of saving onto 16GB memory cards, it's no slouch either. Budding spys, and perhaps genuine ones (Mi6 take note) will be able to grab one now for $199. [Minox]

DelFly Micro Dragonfly Is Smallest Creepy Autonomous Spybot Yet

John Mahoney — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:20:12 EDT

We told you the tiny DelFly II robotic dragonfly spy cam was just the beginning, and we were right. The same Dutch roboticist is now unveiling the DelFly Micro—with a wingspan of just 10cm and a weight of 3.07 grams, it's the first to be smaller than an actual real-life dragonfly. Granted, the dragonfly being used for comparison is Borneo's Tetracanthagyna plagiata, which has a frankly horrifying 20cm wingspan—the largest in the world, no less. But still, now you're even less likely to realize those annoying bugs whizzing around during your protest march are actually just autonomous insectoid ornithopters keeping an eye on you—nothing to worry about. See it take to the air, complete with live eye-in-the-sky video feed, below.

[DelFly via IEEE Spectrum Blog] Thanks, Erico!

European Union Tests Automated Airplane Seat-Back Spy Cams to Detect Terrorism Faces

Jason Chen — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:30:00 EDT

The European Union's Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) is testing some kind of nebulous facial detection system that will suss out whether your expression is one of a terrorist planning on commandeering the ride or just diarrhea face.

This software will look for nervous face touching, profuse sweating and various other ticks that passengers do all the time. A guy from UCSD built a similar system, but says it only identifies people correctly 70% of the time and only under optimal conditions, which don't exist in airplanes. Sounds foolproof! [Newscientist via Boing Boing]

Cankle Fetishists Rejoice Over AC Brick Spy Camera

Mark Wilson — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT

This AC wall adapter is no ordinary AC wall adapter. It's loaded with an A/V recorder that can save 66 hours of footage to its 2GB microSD card. And even if the wall socket is turned off, a built-in lithium ion battery will keep shooting for 3 hours of glorious, socket-height footage. Yes, that's the extreme low angle stuff. We're talking shoes. We're talking you didn't vacuum under that couch. It's just more evidence piling up to an unavoidable fact. In the future, everyone will know what everyone else looks like naked. Or we'll at least have some hot shots of one another's bare feet. [product via ohgizmo]

Cappuccino Cam Lets You Obsessively Eyeball Baristas' Every Move

matt buchanan — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:20:13 EST

I try to stick with coffee joints I know and trust, so I don't really have to worry about what's going on behind the bar (I hope), but the gawker in me still likes the idea of a camera trained on the barista's hands, brashly laying bare their every move for scrutiny. (And it's not like I have anything else to do while I wait.) This setup is at an Amanti stand at the Melbourne airport, and now I'm very sad that my coffee machine is busted. [BoingBoing]

Pacific Defence Pen Doubles As James Bond Bluetooth Camcorder

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:39:24 EST

This working pen is ridiculously awesome, if you believe the uncorroborated early reports:
• At under 6 inches long and just a half inch thick, it records 320x240 video at 30fps, even in low light.
• You can set it to start recording video when it detects motion, or recording audio when it hears a sound.
• It takes MicroSD flash cards, and can transfer video wirelessly via Bluetooth.
• You can program it to send an alarm wirelessly to a "remote location."
Gizmag warns "some specs may be altered before final release"—I'm more concerned that there's no mention of it on Pacific Defence's website. [Gizmag]

DelFly II, Just the First of a Long Line of Tiny Flying Robot Spycams

Charlie White — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:11:23 EDT

This is not just some radio-controlled insect-like aircraft, no sirree. This is the DelFly II, a robotic dragonfly spy, developed by robot jockeys at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. While government agencies are not admitting to using such things, you can see how this hovering electro-insect with a camera on board might come in handy for some serious snooping. The current model weighs just 16.04 grams, can fly for 15 minutes at 30mph or can hover for eight minutes, and has vision-based stabilization for its onboard camera. Check out another video of the DelFly II in flight, after the jump.

Imagine this technology miniaturized even further; its makers are now developing the DelFly Nano with a wingspan of just two inches. Hey, that's nearly invisible. Evildoers who hate America will think it's just a large insect spying into their bedroom windows. [BotJunkies and Danger Room, via bb Gadgets]

Shower Mirror Doubles as Hidden Camera

Louis Ramirez — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:30:33 EST

We've seen spy cams hit a 9 on the perve-o-meter before, but this one here is close to pushing a 10. The Shower Mirror Security Camera has a built-in FM radio that lets your unassuming suspect listen to their favorite tunes as they shower, but what they don't know is that on the other end you'll be secretly watching them thanks to the Mirror's accompanying USB receiver which plugs into your PC and lets you wirelessly watch and record all the action (you know, for security purposes). It's not as advanced as the spycam alarm clock, but for straight out perving, it goes straight to the point. It's selling for $279 bucks.

Shower Mirror Security Camera [via The Red Ferret Journal]

USB Qcam with NightVision

Charlie White — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 10:06:41 EDT

Far be it from us to tell you what to do with this 1.3-megapixel infrared USB Qcam with NightVision and 1280x1024 resolution. It includes a microphone to pick up the sounds of those things that go bump in the night. There are three white LEDs underneath that add just a bit of light, and two infrared LEDs that enable the webcam's nightvision capabilities.

By showing you this device, were actually doing you a service—we're thinking it's probably not clearly marked "Nightvision Spycam," so if you see one somewhere and then you end up staying there after dark, be aware of that unseen eye that might be watching you. One thing has us worried about this product: at $35, its video quality must be atrocious, even in the bright light of day. – Charlie White

USB Qcam with NightVision [USB Geek]

Minox DC 6011: Spycam Size with 3x Zoom

Charlie White — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 11:22:46 EST

Minox intros the DC 6011, a 6-megapixel camera that s slim and trim but fat on features. Even though it's just .7 inches thick, 3.4 inches wide and 2 inches tall, it packs a 3x optical zoom and a 2.5 inch LED screen into its meager frame. It's versatile, too, able to record video and voice on its SD card. Minox also equips the camera with PictBridge so you can print directly from its USB 2.0 port without a computer and it also includes a docking and charging station. Pricing and availability was not announced yet for this camera that's scarcely the size of a credit card.

Minox DC 6011 [Let's Go Digital]

Pricing on Minox digital cameras [Amazon]