The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Epsionage gadgets spied online

Keep it under your hat

The kind of gadgets created by Q in the James Bond films are coming to consumers. Online retailer Brando has begun selling devices for listening in on and blocking other people's telephone calls, helping every wannabe 007 get a little closer to MI5.

Sim_Card_Spy_Ear
Sim Card Spy Ear: the phone that listens in

Slot your SIM card into the Sim Card Spy Ear, for example, and then discretely position it near to the conversation you'd like to listen in on, such as your colleagues' salary negotiations. Once the discussions kick off, dial the SIM card's number on another phone and the Spy Ear's three microphones will relay the conversation for you.

Sim_Card_Spy_Ear_2
Sim Card Spy Ear: what's he saying about you?

It measures 7 x 4 x 2cm, or about the size of a small block of Semtex, weighs 55g and is charged via USB.

And if you get caught using it, don't blame us.

Phone_Jammer
Phone Jammer: stop the conversation dead

If you'd rather block a conversation altogether, then the Phone Jammer does just that. It operates over quad-band GSM frequencies - 850, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz - and only requires you to be within 5-10m of a conversation for you to jam it.

Phone Jammer measures 6 x 7 x 2cm, so should fit easily into the palm of your hand, and is powered by an internal rechargeable battery pack. Be careful about which conversations you block though, as the emergency services won't be too pleased if you obstruct their communications.

Both the Sim Card Spy Ear and Phone Jammer are available now from Brando's website for $85 (£43/€65) and $166 (£83/€115) respectively. Please send payment in unmarked American Dollar bills to PO Box...

More from The Register

MYSTERY Nokia Lumia with gazillion-pixel camera 'spotted'
With 20Mp sensor - NOW will you try Windows Phone 8?
 breaking news
Microsoft reveals Xbox One, the console that can read your heartbeat
Upgrades Live service – and no always-on requirement
The iWatch is coming! The iWatch is coming!
Reports: Apple's wrister to have 1.5-inch OLED, test units being built
US boffin builds 32-way Raspberry Pi cluster
Beowulf cluster built for the price of a single PC
Dell's PC-on-a-stick landing in July: report
Wyse up, suckers, could this be a new set-side-stick?
Review: HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook
All roads lead to Chrome?
Borked your iDevice? Pay EVEN MORE to have it fixed by Applecare
Or scream at their hapless techies on their forums
Review: Sony Xperia SP
The new mid-range marvel? Oh yes.
Euro PC shipments plummet into bottomless pit of DOOOOM
11th quarter of decline, 20pc drop on last year - Gartner