Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

While sheer paranoia isn’t the best thing to have dictating your gadget purchases, there are some instances where paying a small premium for that extra level of comfort and security might make sense. Freecom’s Hard Drive Secure is a run of the mill external HD, except that you can’t access the data on it without swiping an encrypted RFID card the size of a credit card past the drive. Swipe the card again and the drive locks itself. It’s not too terribly expensive at $120 for a 500 gig drive, although $410 for a 2TB drive it just a little crazy.

What Freecom doesn’t make clear is just how the encryption on the drive works… It sort of sounds like while the encrypted keycard locks and unlocks the drive, the data on the drive itself is not actually encrypted. This sort of system might keep your porn stash safe from your kid brother, but anyone with a mediocre amount of computer experience (which your kid brother probably has) will just remove the drive from the case and access it directly. Even having the locking system on the drive itself won’t thwart someone who is casually determined. And irrespective of the encryption on the drive, having to swipe your card a second time to lock the thing is just stupid. It should be set up so that if the RFID card leaves, the drive locks itself. And of course, I won’t even get started on the security flaws in RFID.

So yeah, there are some instances where paying a small premium for an extra level of comfort and security might make sense, but this is probably not one of them.

[ Bit-Tech ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Tired of people trying to sneak a peek at your screen while you’re surfing at the airport? Or maybe you have a penchant for clicking NSFW links even while at work? If that’s the case, the next time you upgrade your laptop you might want to seriously consider the Latitude E6400 from Dell. It’s the first in their lineup to include an electronic privacy screen that can be quickly activated or deactivated using a keyboard shortcut, or with Dell’s ControlPoint bloatware. The privacy screen is actually software based, and it creates a pixel-based pattern on the screen that dramatically reduces the side viewing angles, while having a minimal impact on the screen’s brightness. Unfortunately the privacy screen is a ridiculous $139 option, but since it’s a software solution, I would just wait for the inevitable third-party alternatives that should be popping up for download any minute now.

[ Dell Latitude E6400 ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Check out this new Mobile ID Reader from 3M that you might soon see in use at a major event or other public gathering where security and safety is a big concern. It looks similar to the portable credit card machines you see the employees at Apple stores now carrying, but instead of taking your money, it’s used to scan your passport or Visa and check your credentials against a local or international ‘watch’ list. The scanner runs Windows Mobile 6 and is able to wirelessly check your ID thanks to built-in Wifi and GSM/GPRS EDGE, and it even features a capacitive fingerprint sensor should you not have any printed ID on you. It’s also got 8GB of storage onboard for keeping detailed logs of who’s been scanned, but all of that info is supposedly encrypted to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

[ Wired Gadget Lab - Give Away Your Identity Faster Than Ever, in a Single Swipe ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t have anything wrong with people using cellphones, I just don’t understand why so many of them feel that they have to talk so loud on them. On a daily basis the idiots across the hall from where I work will wander out into the hallway and talk on their phones like they’re in the middle of a noisy construction site. And on a daily basis I wish I had access to a device like this portable cell phone jammer so I could interrupt their completely inane conversations.

As you can see, the device is not much bigger than an iPhone (though probably thicker) but will create a dome of cellular silence for about 32 feet in all directions. The blocked frequencies include GSM850, EGSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900, CDMA800, WCDMA/CDMA2000, PHS, DECT and even 3G. The battery’s only good for about 1.5 hours of jamming, but you probably only need it to operate long enough for people to realize that they’ll have to go somewhere else to find ‘better reception.’ And as GeekAlerts points out, the $246 price tag unfortunately means you’ll actually be spending more to block an iPhone, than to buy one.

[ Hand-held Portable Universal Cell Phones Jammer ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]

By Luke Anderson

I’m fortunate to work in an environment where I don’t have anyone looking over my shoulder, making sure that I’m staying on-task. I’ve had those jobs in the past, and I’ve discovered that I am less productive when my work is constantly monitored. In those days I would have loved for a mouse such as this one, which will bring up a specific program with the click of a button.

This of course would be useful in a situation when one is surfing the net or brushing up on their solitaire skills. Just click the side button and it’ll pull up Excel or whatever important-looking program you choose. You can pick one up for just $19.99.

[ USBFever ] VIA [ RedFerret ]

By Andrew Liszewski

USB devices that can be used to access SIM card data on a computer are nothing new. But this particular one from BrickHouseSecurity.com is apparently the first SIM reader that can be used to access deleted text messages still on the card. Just like deleted files on a PC hard drive, as long as the deleted data on the SIM card hasn’t been written over by a new file, it can still be retrieved.

Obviously such a device raises a whole mess of privacy and legal concerns, but the company is targeting it at parents who want to check up on their kids or bosses wanting to check up on employees, which are apparently both legal uses for it. And while using the device to check up on a suspected cheating spouse is kind of a legal gray area, using it to see what secrets a complete stranger has on their SIM card is of course completely illegal.

The SIM card spy can also be used to backup or edit phonebook data on a PC, which is a considerably easier task with a full keyboard. But at $149 from BrickHouseSecurity.com there are far cheaper USB SIM readers on the market if that’s all you want to do.

[ Cell Phone SIM Card Spy ] VIA [ Geekologie ]

By Andrew Liszewski

When I first read about this Microsoft Natural Keyboard that had a secret keylogger inside I assumed it was just an official feature that MS never bothered to mention. (For obvious reasons.) But in reality this keyboard has been specially modified to include the keylogger inside so that it’s completely undetectable by either the user or a piece of anti-virus or anti-spyware software.

And from what I can tell this keyboard is actually a few years old since it boasts a massive 2MB of storage (which can capture up to 2 million keystrokes) and requires a computer with a PS/2 port. I particularly like that in order to access the keystroke logs you have to open a text editor like Word, Notepad or Wordpad and type in a secret password you previously assigned. While the password can easily be changed you’ll want to go out of your way to ensure it’s not something your intended spy victim would ever type. I suggest phrases like “happyworkenvironment” or “wholeheartedlytrustmyboss” etc.

Unfortunately the keyboard is a one-off design so once it’s bought there’s no additional stock. But again, given how old the keyboard appears to be (PS/2) I guess the $434 price tag is too much for even the most mistrusting of persons.

[ Keyboard with Covert Keylogger Device ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Even though this peephole viewer was apparently developed with the help of law enforcement “to help them assess potential hazards behind dwelling doors” I can’t help but assume the majority of people buying them do not work for any law enforcement agencies nor do they have any ‘tactical’ uses in mind.

Using a series of lenses the reverse viewer allows someone to easily have a look inside any closed room as long as there’s a peephole installed on the door. Of course it’s not exactly the most discrete device particularly in an apartment building or condo since you basically have to stand right up against the door and squint into the tiny viewer to get a good view but I’m sure there are those determined enough to still give it a try. And people wonder why I keep a piece of electrical tape across the peephole on my front door. (It’s mostly due to the illegal mongoose vs. cobra fights I stage every night.)

The Reverse Peephole Viewer is available from SpyGadgets for $88.

[ Peephole Reverse Viewer ] VIA [ ThisNext ]