Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

I have to agree with the chaps at the Red Ferret Journal when it comes to this Spy Shaver Camera. No one on Earth, not even a bona fide spy, has any use for a video camera hidden inside a razer.

Seriously though, are you going to whip this thing out in the middle of a confidential meeting and start subtly shaving so that no one suspects you’re videotaping the proceedings? Or maybe you’ll fool the ushers at the local cinema into thinking that you aren’t actually trying to make a pirate copy of Transformers 2, but just felt that your 5 o’clock shadow had to go right then and there? I mean the Omejo website even has the audacity to say this thing is ideal for CIA agents, spy agencies and the police.

Anyways, the razer captures video at 640×480 to an AVI file and can continuously record to its 4GB of on-board flash memory until it’s full. The rechargeable battery is supposedly good for about 7-8 hours, though it’s not mentioned if that includes time spent shaving, or even if the razer portion actually works. (I assume not.)

The best part though is that this thing will set you back a ridiculous $240.

[ Spy Shaver Camera DVR ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s nice to see that advances in technology have paved the way for a self-contained pair of video recording sunglasses, but the real thanks has to go to Oakley who’s convinced the world that these chunky designs are fashionable. Still, I don’t think anyone would figure out this particular pair of sunnies is capable of recording 640×480 VGA quality video to its 8GB of internal memory just by looking at them. That memory is also expandable thanks to a microSD card located on one side of the glasses, while recharging is facilitated via a discrete mini USB port. $192 from Geek Stuff 4 U.

[ Covert Spy Camcorder Sunglasses ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Now you can teach your kids about the birds and the bees - well at least the birds part - without all that awkwardness. (Human babies hatch from eggs right?) This nest box comes with an IR camera pre-installed inside that transmits a video image, night and day, to a base station that can be connected to any display with an RCA input, revealing the secrets of the circle of life. The transmitter’s got a range of about 328ft and 4 different broadcast channels in case you get interference from another device, but you’ll need to run a power feed out to wherever the nest box gets mounted since even the optional 9V battery pack is really only good for about 2 hours.

You can order the kit from Pro-Idee for about $211, which isn’t cheap, but do you really want your kids learning where birds come from on the internet or on the street? I didn’t think so.

[ Nest Box with IR Camera ]

By Evan Ackerman

This tiny little box is, in fact, a cell phone. Well, it’s half a cell phone. You stick a SIM card in there, dial it, and the box will silently answer and then transmit back whatever it hears going on around it. There’s a rechargeable battery inside, a single power LED, and no other configuration crap to mess with. $65 is kind of a lot for what is essentially a battery, microphone, and antenna, but for all of you vigilantes (or creepy people) out there, gathering evidence (or eavesdropping) doesn’t get much easier than this.

For an extra $1, Brando also sells the same sort of thing integrated into a working power strip.

[ Brando ] VIA [ BBG ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Let me start off by saying that I in no way advocate the use of a key logging device, unless you’re looking to get revenge on someone, trying to dig up some blackmail material, or are just plain curious what your co-workers might be up to. So if you fall into any of those categories, the Ultimate Key Logger appears to be the perfect tool for the job.

It looks like your basic USB flash drive, but when attached to the target computer it will install an invisible piece of software that will log all keystrokes, remember all websites visited and even take screenshots at timed intervals or when specified words or phrases have been typed. And what apparently makes this key logger the ‘Ultimate’ one is the that the USB drive doesn’t need to be attached to the computer for it to work, reducing suspicions that something fishy might be going on.

You can pick one up from Spycatcher, but you better intend to use it for personal gain in order to offset the $280 price tag.

[ Ultimate Key Logger ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s probably not recommended for keeping any real valuables safe, but if you’ve got kids who don’t like their siblings sneaking into their rooms, I’m sure they’ll appreciate this Key Card Alarm Kit. When attached to a door the only way to enter the room without the alarm sounding is to ’swipe-in’ with one of 2 included key cards, and if you happen to be at school or not around when a break-in does occur, a digital time stamp display on the alarm will let you, and the assigned CSI detectives, know exactly when your room was infiltrated. Fat Brain Toys has it for just $18.99.

[ Spy Alarm Kit ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Besides all of the obvious advantages to shooting with an SLR, I’ve also found that people are more inclined to get out of the way when they see you pointing a big camera and an even bigger lens in their direction. But that behavior can also work against you if you’re actually trying to snap some candid photos of people. There’s really no way to hide the fact that your camera is being pointed directly at them, unless of course you slap this Super-Secret Spy lens attachment on the end of your regular lens.

It features a ’secret’ cut-out that reveals an angled precision mirror assembly on the inside, and basically works just like a periscope from what I can tell. Since the spy lens is also designed to rotate 360 degrees while it’s attached, you can in theory take photos in any direction while appearing like you’re shooting straight ahead. Now I’m sure it would probably work as designed most of the time, but I think you’d be hard-pressed to fool someone standing right next to you with that giant hole in the side of your lens.

The Super-Secret Spy Lens is available from the Photojojo Store for just $50 with your choice of a 46 to 77mm sized lens adapter, or you can get it with all 9 adapters for $80.

[ Super-Secret Spy Lens ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It seems the dream of x-ray vision is no longer limited to the back pages of comic books, Popular Science, or Bazooka Joe premium catalogs. For just $199 from DavidSteele.com you can pick up this basic IR filter that attaches to most camcorders (it comes in 30mm and 58mm sizes) allowing you to become that creepy guy who’s always shooting video at the beach. Here’s how and why it works according to the site:

The theory behind how it works is really simple. Many types of clothing allow light and infrared light to pass through the fabric. This light is reflected back through the clothing, off the skin, to our naked eyes. What we normally see is both the reflected normal light mixed with the Infrared light. The lens filters the normal light out, leaving only the Infrared light and some other ambient light waves. The result…the clothing (and many other materials) become as clear as glass.

But I’m sure anyone who actually buys one of these lenses intends to use it for scientific purposes only. At least that’s the story they’ll want to stick to when they’re eventually being cross-examined.

[ X-ray Vision Camera Lens ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Cheap, gray-market RC cars with built-in video cameras are nothing new, but what if they were to up the ante by also adding an infrared trigger and sensor to the car so you and your friends could play a little remote lasertag? Well I think that answer to that is clear. Awesome! And where can I get one? Well the where would be Chinavasion who are now selling this ‘Deluxe RC Sportscar’ that not only features a wireless video camera that will transmit an image to the 2.4 inch TFT LCD display on the remote, but also incorporates everything you’d need to play a game of lasertag minus the whole physical activity thing. Chinavasion is asking about $90 for the RC car, though as usual, the more you buy the cheaper it gets per unit.

[ Deluxe RC Sportscar with Video Camera ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]