The next time you leave a room you don’t have to wonder what everyone is saying about you. You can simply whip out this compact eavesdropping device and find out for yourself. It looks a bit like the business end of a stethoscope, but uses an electronic internal sound amplifier to boost the noises coming through a wall, door, window and even steel plates. (So you can listen in on conversations inside a tank?) It’s rechargeable via USB and includes a set of headphones you’ll probably want to instantly dispose of, and is available from ChinaGrabber.com for $62.99.

[ Next Room Ear Amplifier Spy Wall / Door Eavesdropping Device ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

When you want to see what’s going on in your neighbor’s apartment you can simply get yourself a nice telescope or a high-quality pair of binoculars. But what if you want to record those ‘moments’ without having to spend thousands of dollars on a high-end video-capable DSLR with a nice telephoto lens, you can go with Chinavasion’s far more affordable Avatar digital camera instead. (~$128)

The most obvious feature is its 21x zoom telephoto lens which is hopefully removable, otherwise you’re going to have a heck of a time finding a camera case for it. And besides capturing stunning 2MP photos, the Avatar can also capture 640×480 videos at a PAL-friendly framerate of 25fps. Media can be stored on the 1GB of internal storage, but a microSD slot is also included making the thing actually usable. And like pretty much every single device with an LCD display that Chinavasion sells, the Avatar can be used as a media player supporting everything from Divx movies to MP3s to even .TXT eBooks.

[ Avatar Digital Binocular And Spy Camera ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

Ok, it’s cool that we’ve managed to shrink digital video and camera equipment to the point where it can be hidden almost anywhere. But just because we can, doesn’t mean we should! Case in point, this somewhat innocuous looking Bic-esque lighter hides a 640×480 25fps video camera and a 1280×1024 digital still camera. While you could probably get away with snapping the occasional covert photo while lighting up a smoke, how are you supposed to nonchalantly capture a video with this thing? Not to mention when someone inevitably asks you to borrow a light and discovers the USB connector hidden under the cap. Oh and the fact it doesn’t actually produce a flame. $49 from Gadget.brando.com.hk.

[ Fake Generic Lighter Spy Camera Camcorder ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

I doubt anyone will realize this innocuous-looking keychain is actually capable of recording 640×480, 29fps videos or 1280×960 stills while it’s hanging from your keys. But something tells me they might get suspicious when you’re constantly holding it at weird angles trying to get the lens pointed in the right direction. The keychain’s got 4GB of internal memory, which is enough to store 65 minutes of video or about 3,000 photos from the 1.3MP CMOS sensor, and it charges and syncs to your PC via a simple USB cable. However, I think the $177 price tag from Geek Stuff 4 U is a bit steep.

[ Key Holder Spy Camera ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]