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 ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve always thought that if I just recorded all the conversations I have on a daily basis, I’d easily be able to blackmail my way to an early retirement. But running wires and taping microphones to my chest has always seemed like more of a hassle than it was worth. But I really like this 1GB digital voice recorder that’s capable of recording over 69 hours of “high quality” audio via its sensitive built-in microphone. While it’s probably nowhere near as thin as an actual credit card (based on the USB connector) it’s roughly the same size making it easy to stash in a shirt pocket or hide in a stack of papers.

On the front of the device there’s a set of easy to use record and playback buttons and it even comes with an integrated USB cable for transferring the 32Kps WAV files to a PC or recharging the lithium polymer battery. On a full charge you can expect to get about 7 hours of continuous record time and there’s also a 60 second auto-off feature to help extend the battery life even further. Now if only it didn’t come with a $130 price tag from SpyCatcher Online .

[ Credit-Card Size 69 Hour Digital Recorder ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The University of Michigan was recently awarded a $10 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Army to develop a six inch robotic spy plane that bears a striking resemblance to a bat. In fact, the grant helped establish the U-M Center for Objective Microelectronics and Biomimetic Advanced Technology, or COM-BAT for short, re-etablishing the U.S. Army as a world leader in clever acronyms.

The COM-BAT is designed to provide short-term but real-time surveillance and feedback to soldiers in urban combat zones using a collection of sight, sound and smell sensors. One of the biggest hurdles is finding a way to give the COM-BAT a usable amount of battery life between charges, and the Army is hoping that the spy plane could scavenge power from vibrations, wind and of course the sun, which the University of Michigan has a particular expertise in. The COM-BAT project will also be used to vastly improve other existing technologies like solar cells and navigation and communication systems, which the team already feels can be dramatically reduced in size. The University of Michigan is actually one of four centers chosen by the Army for the project (the University of California at Berkeley and the University of New Mexico were also chosen) and while each school will be responsible for developing a different system on the spy plane, they’ll all be working as part of a collaborative effort.

[ U-M - Sensors for bat-inspired spy plane under development ] VIA [ EcoGeek ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s been a while since we’ve featured any spy crap, and I think this calculator fitted with a miniature video camera more than fits the bill. Given its design and the position of the actual camera lens, you’re pretty limited as to where you can actually do your spying (“hey! why is there a calculator taped to the wall of the changing room?”) but if you have a problem with office theft, or would like to covertly record a business meeting, it’s got you covered. It uses a 1/3 inch CMOS color sensor that provides a usable resolution of 320×240, and it will broadcast the video image up to 15 meters away allowing it be monitored with the included 2.4 inch LCD display. The 128Mb of storage is upgradeable via SD cards (though there’s a 2GB limit) and it also features a basic microphone with a usable range of about 4 meters. Oh, and the calculator really works, if any one actually tries to use it for calculating.

The whole spy kit pictured above is available from Chinavasion for about $200.

[ Calculator Videocamera ] VIA [ Geeky Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Here’s another low-tech gadget for the spy who’s on a tight budget. If you’ve ever gotten a quote for a custom geosynchronous spy satellite, you’ll know that the price tag is usually well beyond what a non-government funded spy can afford. So here’s a decidedly simpler and considerably more affordable solution if you’re looking to do a little aerial reconnaissance. The Spy Kite features a delta wing kite made of fiberglass and ripstop material that’s capable of lifting a compact digital camera over 80 feet into the air. Presumably the camera can be remotely triggered using the kite’s handle, and I also assume the 80 foot altitude is only a limitation imposed by the wireless remote.

Once the kite is returned safely to the ground the digital camera can be connected to your PC via USB for downloading your shots, but I have no idea how many photos you can take or what the resolution is like. Though with a price tag of about $57 from Gadgetshop, I wouldn’t expect too much from it.

[ Spy Kite ] VIA [ Toyology ]