You sit down at your desk, set down your mobile phone, boot your computer and then start work. Would it occur to you that a hacker might be using your smartphone as a spying device to track what you were typing?
Thanks to a hack by a research team at George Institute of Technology, your mobile phone can now be turned into a spiPhone that eavesdrops on the sound of your fingers tapping away on the keyboard to detect pairs of keystrokes and determine what you're typing. According to Georgia Tech, the snooping works by "using a smartphone accelerometer - the internal device that detects when and how the phone is tilted - to sense keyboard vibrations as you type to decipher complete sentences with up to 80% accuracy."
Here's the deal, you could download an innocent looking app that doesn't ask for any special permission to access your smartphone sensors. But whammo! You could be a targeted victim for spying because most mobile phones have no accelerometer security and request no permission for access to the accelerometer. You would not know the app was laced with a specially crafted malware to turn your phone into a spiPhone.
In case you are unfamiliar with an accelerometer, it can be found in all sorts of consumer electronics for the purposes of detecting motion input, orientation sensing, or be used for image stabilization. Accelerometers are common in smartphones "to present landscape or portrait views of the device's screen, based on the way the device is being held." In fact, accelerometers are in many devices such as Wii remotes and nunchuks, Nintendo 3DS, and PS3 DualShock 3 remotes, car collision notification systems that call for help after "detecting crash-strength G-forces," and even "sleep phase" alarm clocks use an accelerometer to sense a sleeper's movement so it will not awaken a person during the REM phase.
Although the accelerometer spying experiments started with an iPhone 3GS, it was too difficult to decipher the typing results. Patrick Traynor, assistant professor in Georgia Tech's School of Computer Science, said, "But then we tried an iPhone 4, which has an added gyroscope to clean up the accelerometer noise, and the results were much better. We believe that most smartphones made in the past two years are sophisticated enough to launch this attack."
Researchers previously tapped into microphones for this type of attack, but manufacturers have installed security precautions in mobile phones' microphones; when a user installs a new app, the phone's OS asks if the app can access the mic. While a phone's microphone is much more sensitive and can analyze vibrations about 44,000 times per second, compared to an accelerometer which samples vibrations only 100 times per second, the accelerometers in most phones have no security precautions.
"The way we see this attack working is that you, the phone's owner, would request or be asked to download an innocuous-looking application, which doesn't ask you for the use of any suspicious phone sensors," said Henry Carter, a PhD student in computer science and one of the study's co-authors. "Then the keyboard-detection malware is turned on, and the next time you place your phone next to the keyboard and start typing, it starts listening."
The eavesdropping technique does not detect single keystrokes, but "works through probability and by detecting pairs of keystrokes." It "listens" to "keyboard events" in pairs, then determines if the keys typed were on the left or right side of the keyboard and if they were close to each other or farther apart. Then it takes those pairs of keys depressed and runs them against a preloaded dictionary with 58,000 words, "each word of which has been broken down along similar measurements (i.e., are the letters left/right, near/far on a standard QWERTY keyboard)." It works reliably on words that are at least 3 letters and can accurately decipher what was typed about 80% of the time.
Traynor said not to be paranoid that hackers are spying on your keystrokes through your iPhones. "The likelihood of someone falling victim to an attack like this right now is pretty low," he said. "This was really hard to do. But could people do it if they really wanted to? We think yes." Until manufacturers build in some security on accelerometers, Traynor added that users can get around this vulnerability by keeping their mobile phones in their pockets or purses, or move the phone further away from the keyboard.
The findings of this research, "(sp)iPhone: Decoding Vibrations From Nearby Keyboards Using Mobile Phone Accelerometers," and will be presented this week at the 18th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security in Chicago.
Monitor the baby, or make a celebrity-style sex tape. You decide. Photo credit Stem Innovation
Izon is a “remote room monitor” which beams video across the Internet and onto the screen of your iPad, iPhone or iPod. It might also be described by a more cynical person than myself as a kind of lifestyle spy camera.
The Izon is a white plastic stick which swivels on its dome-shaped magnetic base to be easily pointed at whatever you want to spy on. Then, when away from home or office, you can dial in via a companion app and enjoy a live stream of whatever is going on. You could check in on your baby whilst away on a trip, for example, or watch impotently from afar as burglars empty your house and smear their feces across its walls before they finally steal the Izon too, and its high-quality video stream blinks out.
Once connected to your home Wi-Fi network, the Izon’s stream can be viewed over Edge, 3G or Wi-Fi, and you can also tell it to keep an eye on a specific part of its field of view using a motion sensor. It can also listen for noises, and will send a push alert to your device when anything is detected.
Only you know whether you want or need such a thing, but if you do, then its nice to know there’s such a user-friendly option out there, and one which costs a reasonable $130. Just one thing: if you do buy one, be careful when you and your lady or gentleman get frisky in the same room: The Izon has a function which will automatically upload video to YouTube.
Two do-it-yourself hackers have built an unmanned aerial vehicle that they can use to spy on computer networks from above. Created on a lark as an intellectual curiosity, the project shows that it’s not that hard to create a low-cost UAV that could do some serious damage to your neighbor’s privacy.
Security researchers Richard Perkins (pictured in purple) and Mike Tassey (in black) told an audience at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas how they created the mini spy plane for just a few thousands of dollars. They jokingly called their talk the “Aerial Cyber Apocalypse” and refer to their cyber attack method as “war flying.”
It may sound crazy, but the project shows that it’s not that hard to create one more vector for compromising the security of computer networks — a vector that comes from above the networks and is not likely to be anticipated by anyone who is targeted by it. It’s also one more example of the free-wheeling environment at Black Hat, where security researchers are encouraged to broach whimsical and uncomfortable topics.
The system uses an old foam-based U.S. Army drone airframe (FMQ-117B) that can carry less than 20 pounds altogether. Perkins, a hobbyist collector, had one of these in his basement.
“Doesn’t everyone have one of these at home?” Perkins joked.
The yellow drone (pictured) has wireless hardware on board to capture signals from Wi-Fi networks and then relay them to someone with a remote control unit on the ground. The drone can also imitate the actions of a cell phone tower and hack into cell phone calls (this is not legal, so the researchers did not actually demonstrate this capability onstage).
“This can give hackers direct access to otherwise inaccessible targets,” Tassey said. “They can converge in real-time behind an airplane and penetrate the security of a physical location. No one is looking at the sky.”
Perkins and Tassey controlled the system with a remote control and a Wi-Fi connection. On the ground, they processed data with a generic Intel-based PC with a 3.06 gigahertz processor, 4 gigabytes of main memory, a 500 gigabyte hard drive, and an Nvidia CUDA-based GTX 470 graphics chip.
The GPS transmitter on the drone sends telemetry data via a download link to the base station on the ground, and also enables the ground-based controller to upload flight commands.
In a video, they showed the UAV flying around 500 feet off the ground. It makes a little bit of a buzzing sound but they say you can’t hear it from more than 50 feet away. The airframe was free for them but is available for sale on eBay usually for a few hundred dollars. All told, the researchers spent $6,190 on the project, plus hundreds or thousands of hours of their time.
To target a network, the two send the drone into the air, have it monitor a Wi-Fi network from above, capture the data flowing through that network, and then send the data back to the computer on the ground. They can hack a secure Wi-Fi network with brute force techniques and come up with a password in about 4.5 hours.
In addition, the system can do recon on unencrypted wireless networks, eavesdrop on calls or jam cellular signals and reroute dialed numbers from a cell phone. The device could be used to spy on sensitive national areas, like the secret Area 51 military base in Nevada. Of course, that’s not legal.
“We can follow a target home from a place of work,” Perkins said. “Instead of calling 911, we could redirect your call so you’re calling me. You can customize this to the mission that you want.”
The device could also be used for good. You could, for instance, create an ad-hoc cell phone site in the air to provide service to a disaster area. It could also be used for search and rescue tasks or law enforcement and border protection. The military already uses drones for intelligence purposes.
Tassey said that terrorists could also use this kind of technology to build a fleet of UAVs that could do some serious damage with them. The researchers say that their project isn’t meant to give those people ideas; it’s aimed at raising awareness of the risks that exist.
In one test, the researchers said they detected 50 wireless networks. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that unmanned aircraft fly lower than 400 feet, but the drone that the men created is capable of flying up to 22,000 feet high.
“If we can do this, then the bad guys can do it and they won’t tell you about it,” Perkins said. “You don’t need a Ph.D. from MIT to do this.”
Fictional super-spy MacGyver celebrates his 25th birthday today, with his first show being featured all the way back in 1985, giving us a quarter century of quick-thinking, scientific secret agent shenanigans.
Now, I actually had no idea who MacGyver even was until yesterday when a friend clocked the 25th anniversary coming up. Having been ruthlessly mocked by my mates for my lack of MacGyver familiarity, I felt compelled to go and check out the show. It’s an old-school revelation, people. MacGyver is seriously badass, but with a twist.
For those of you who are not familiar with MacGyver, he was a secret agent with a difference. He refused to use a gun to solve problems and complete his missions. Instead, he would rely on a combination of his quick wits, knowledge of science and a selection of everyday items to get himself out of a jam.
What follows is a selection of the finest fanciful solutions that MacGyver managed to manufacture during his time on screen. By all means, imitate the spirit of MacGyver‘s creativity next time you’re in a pickle, but just don’t expect concrete results!
Paperclips: Never Diffuse Bombs Without Them
The foremost weapon in MacGyver‘s arsenal (along with his trusty pen knife) is the mighty paperclip. In the MacGyver pilot you get the first taste of our hero’s style: cool, calm and collected under pressure. See how he nonchalantly hangs his hat off the wing tip of the rocket? That’s a man whom time has no power over.
Duct Tape Fixes Everything
After a 20 second bomb diffusion, all that’s left to do is make a serviceable glider in under 2 minutes as angry assailants motor the crap out of the area. Not a problem for MacGyver and a trusty roll of duct tape.
It’s a Trap!
In an inspired piece of classic MacGyver magic, our mild-mannered hero constructs quite the cunning trap! Admiral Ackbar would be proud.
Three Words: Jet Ski Coffin
“Possibly the only man to have attended his own funeral and lived”, now that’s going out with style. One of MacGyver‘s more complicated inventions by a long shot but still unassailably cool. You can’t help but love the unnecessary water doughnut he pulls before escaping.
Blown Out of Proportion
That’s how a real man takes care of his enemies, with a blow dart to the neck. Or failing that, a big stick to the face. With his knowledge of toxins and herbalism MacGyver would make an excellent rogue in World of Warcraft.
Room Extensions MacGyver Style
Smooth talking with the ladies as well as in his own head, MacGyver can add an edge of romance to a demolitions escapade. No doubt he helps the little lady make another controlled explosion later on.
MacGyver Don’t Blow Hot Air
A mini hot air balloon from newspaper, bits of wire and olive oil, that’s MacGyver for you. Still, he was pretty damn lucky that the guards were so relaxed/lazy.
MacGruber: Less Charm More Harm
MacGyver‘s popularity was such that it earned the character his very own spoof alter-ego on Saturday Night Live, high praise indeed. The SNL comedy parody “MacGruber” took the inventiveness and quick thinking style of MacGyver…. and totally ignored it.
In their portrayal, MacGruber is constantly locked in rooms that are about to explode and he fails to act quickly enough as his team-mates refuse to hand him the items he’s asking for. This is usually because of their horrible nature or because MacGruber is actually trying to rob them.
The format worked like a charm and viewers loved the bare-faced sillyness of the MacGyver parody. So much so that MGM thought it was a safe enough bet to take on MacGruber‘s SNL actor Will Forte and make a MacGruber movie back in June this year.
While the short, sharp and snappy skits on SNL might have gone down well enough, the MacGruber movie did not. Burning out quicker than MacGruber blowing himself up, the movie was a lame duck, earning itself an over-generous 56% rating on The Internet Movie Database (imdb) and a general slating by its audience. It didn’t even make back its $10 million budget, leaving MGM out of pocket.
Luckless parody movie aside, MacGyver continues to enjoy a strong following 25 years on, both in viewing audiences and in pop culture. The wily secret agent has also scored quite a few references in cartoon mainstay The Simpsons and sci-fi sensation Star Gate SG-1.
We've heard of electromagnetic pulses cutting steel in milliseconds, but apparently they can also be used to stop moving cars just as fast. The cannon demonstrated in the video here is still a prototype, but it definitely seems to work.
The idea is that an electromagnetic pulse would be used to disable a car's microprocessors, chips, and whatever other electronics are keeping it running. The final "cannon" system, built by Eureka Aerospace, will apparently a bit smaller and lighter than what we see in the video—it'll be suitcase-sized and about 50 pounds—and it will "stop cars in their tracks up to 656 feet (200 m) away."
I wish they tested that cannon on a moving car, but it does just what it should by disabling the car's electrical system. Only trouble is that even once the system is perfected and in use it can still be foiled easily: By using a pre-1970s car which doesn't "rely on microprocessors." Whoops. [Flight Global via Pop Sci]
The Parrot AR.Drone: 'Easy to control and flies like a dragonfly.' Photograph: Andrew Gombert/EPA
Unmanned drones have become synonymous with controversial military action in some of the most dangerous warzones. But now a child's toy has been created using the same technology.
The AR.Drone, an iPhone-controlled helicopter powered by four separate blades, has been unveiled at the agenda-setting Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Boasting built-in military grade systems such as wind compensation and autopilot functions, the drone is able to hover for hours over a single spot – or fly under the command of a pilot using a wireless controller such as an iPhone.
The toy also boasts a number of other hi-tech embellishments, including a pair of on-board cameras and a computerised internal guidance system that allow it to track objects and react to the environment automatically.
"With video cameras and a powerful computer, we have developed a very stable drone that is easy to control and flies like a dragonfly," said Henri Seydoux, the founder and chief executive of the Paris-based company behind the toy, Parrot.
A spokesman for the company, which is better known for making Bluetooth headsets and in-car systems, would not say how much the AR Drone will cost – but confirmed that it would be available to buy later this year.
"Our first project was a Bluetooth race car. We've developed it, but I was not satisfied," said Seydoux. "So I started with the idea of a quadricopter."
The company was demonstrating the device at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, one of the world's biggest technology industry showcases.
Thousands of computer buffs and hi-tech entrepreneurs are expected in the city this week as the world's most powerful electronics brands fight it out for top billing. Among the 2,500 companies in attendance are Microsoft, Sony, Samsung and Nokia – who are all launching major new products at the event.
The show's organisers expect more than 100,000 enthusiasts to turn up over the next four days to get their hands on new products such as touchscreen tablet computers, record-breaking television screens and electronic books.
Despite the focus on expensive gadgets and gizmos, however, toys are an increasingly significant part of the show – with a manufacturers showing off robots and hi-tech contraptions aimed at youngsters.
The high levels of interest and excitement come despite a difficult period for the event, which is entering its 42nd year. In 2009 many exhibitors were left reeling by the global economic crisis, and many have scaled down their plans for this year's show.
Organisers say that visitor numbers could be even lower this week than they were this time last year, although more new companies have signed up to exhibit than ever - a signal that the excitement that was absent last year has returned.
"There's a great deal of enthusiasm leading into 2010 that just wasn't there in the 2009 show," said Jason Oxman, a senior vice-president of the Consumer Electronics Association, which organises the event.
We all own many different cool gadgets and items that are important to us either for the utility they provide or perhaps because of an intimate or personal reason. Whatever the reason is, we really hate it when someone comes and touches our personal belongings and worst yet..steals them.
In order to avoid such mishaps and unfortunate events, we have gathered here a great collection of different Anti Theft Gadgets and Bizarre Designs that are meant to help individuals make their devices and belongings less attractive, appealing or desired to a normal bystander. Moreover, there are a few security gadgets and projects that may also interest the more techy of you, who may be looking for some new gizmos to own or security diy to built.
The following aren’t guaranteed to deter thieves or work colleagues from getting at your gadgets but are meant as an additional things to make them think a second time before getting at your personal stuff.
1. Anti Theft Lunch Bags
These amazing sandwich bags are a sure way to keep any co-workers from getting into your lunch.
As if any introduction is needed, some individuals at work are rude enough to touch, get into or even treat themselves to your lunch. I am not sure what drives these folks into allowing themselves to eat someone else’s food without permission, but unfortunately these few do actually exist.
In order to battle them when you cannot install a video camera inside the refrigerator, these Anti Theft Bags could really do the trick. The Sandwich bags contain green splotch marks on both sides of the bag, so when a sandwich is packed in there, it looks as if it is old and rotten.
The design itself is amazing, but it does have a few possible downfalls such as a different person throwing your lunch in the garbage because of the color, or the coworker decides to take an additional step and investigate your lunch.
For a simple and easily accessible place to store your ’stash’, this cool Secret Electric Wall Socket compartment provides a great solution.
It is a simple 2 plug wall socket that is not meant to run electricity throughout it but is an actual hidden wall compartment for individual belongings. You can store cash, jewelry and other ’stuff’ inside that would stay out of harm’s way, and off a burglar’s radar. Plus, it looks just like your other electric sockets, so you are not changing any of your home’s design and characteristics.
3. Fake Cassette Tape Car Stereo
With the innovation of gadgets, let alone music gadgets, most car stereos advance as well, adding CD’s, disc changers, mp3, video and even video games to be played while riding in the vehicle. In order to get thieves to decide to move on to the next vehicle after a glimpse at your stereo dashboard, this cool diy is a funny one.
The Fake car stereo utilizes an old cassette tape deck as a facade that attaches on top of your current stereo deck in your car.
This way, when thieves take a look at your stereo, they would think twice before breaking in for a 90’s car stereo that will be useless in today’s market.
4. Anti Theft Stickers
These stickers don’t seem like much at first glance but then again, a thief would rather go for a ‘prettier’ and newer bicycle then risk being caught for a scratched and old bike.
The Anti theft stickers are great designs that are easy to implement on your bicycle, motorcycle or even automobile. Whatever the reason you are trying to ugly your product, these stickers provide an easy solution.
5. The Anti Theft Plug Mug
This innovative Anti Theft Mug is a cool way to keep your work colleagues from using your mug while you are away or on a sick day.
I am certain there are more than a few out there who get extremely angry when they find their personal mugs and dishes have been used by others in the office. It is a sense of a personal space being invaded and should not be tolerated. For that, the plug mug grants a perfect way to keep your mug at work and know ahead of time that others cannot use it to fulfill their needs and habits.
By a simple ‘plug’ designed in the mug, the owner may remove the plug when deemed needed, and therefor the mug itself becomes useless. That is, unless someone will use their fingers to keep the mug hole filled so liquids won’t spill out.
The Brief Safe looks rather disgusting when you first lay your eyes on it but please realize it is meant to look so in order to keep people from checking any further. These disgusting looking underwear are actually a storage compartment which has been “designed” with certain marks, so to keep prying hands out.
When traveling and having to carry cash, documents, or checks, you do not always have the access to a safe in your room. In those situations, the Brief Safe is a great alternative, where you may store your personal belongings and could easily imagine that no one would search through it. I mean, just put yourself in the burglar’s shoes…if you ran across someone’s dirty underwear in their room, would you try to see if there are any valuables stored in there…or would you be so disgusted and just leave it alone?
7. Home Security Paintball Gun Turret
For a more colorful solution to Home Security, this Paintball Gun Turret DIY is a great option. It may not be as ‘correct’ or ‘ethical’ as some would expect from home security measures, but then again…are thieves using ‘allowed’ methods?
8. Tesla Car Burglar Alarm
The Tesla Coils Car Burglar Alarm is an innovative and bright project that grants a light show for neighbors, passerby and others who come near this vehicle. Once the switch is turned on, a burglar could trigger the device, in turn locking themselves within the Tesla circle. I am not sure about any of you, but such a method could really be a spectacle for all around which may in fact force some to dare others to do it…just to see the light show.
Anti Theft Laptop Cases
These few cool laptop cases provide some alternatives to regular notebook cases in designs that may help deter onlookers. The choices provided are, again, not guaranteed (just like all the above) but provide a different way to carry your notebook computer. The designs themselves of a daily newspaper or a postal envelope grant a method that hopes will make bystanders disinterested or unknowning of the material or items that are stored inside.
9. Newspaper Laptop Sleeve
The Newspaper Notebook case provides a choice of 5 different newspapers (in 5 separate languages) to choose from and looks like a cool idea. But wouldn’t people actually have a second or third look since the headline doesn’t change…even weeks, months or years later?
The Postal Envelope Laptop Sleeve is also a fun option and can be folded or rolled when not in use. The thing is, after seeing the old Macbook Air commercials…these kind of envelopes are probably what a laptop thief first looks for.
We use USB Flash Drives practically every single day at work, home or at a friend’s house, but this also endangers the documents and files by taking them away from your home into the world. In order to secure your important data, here are two cool solutions with the Ironkey and Biometric USB Flash Drives.
11. Ironkey USB Flash Drive
The Ironkey USB Flash Drive is provide the normal features of a portable USB storage device but with added encryption (military grade AES encryption) and is filled with epoxy based compound, thus waterproofing and preventing many from its internal hardware. Moreover, if it is damaged or the password is incorrectly entered 10 times…the data will self destruct.
12. Biometric USB Flash Drive
The second option is the Biometric Flash Drive, which simply provides the Biometric option to log into the USB Drive. With this, you can rest assured that unless it is you (or someone that has your fingerprints) that attempts to log in…the data will remain secure and out of harm’s way.
13. Ugly Digital Camera
Whether you are traveling, going out for a day or simply like carrying your camera around, I am sure you have been worried about your camera being snatched or stolen. A cool way to deter potential thieves and camera snatchers is to uglify your camera…in other words, make your camera less appealing by making it ugly, old looking and rather worthless.
In this cool image taken by Connors of Jimmy’s Ugly Camera, one can easily exemplify a really ugly camera that was tested in the field. As was mentioned, it was used throughout travels in Brazil and was left behind when stopped and mugged by locals. Seems like they would rather have a few bucks then an ugly camera.
14. 80’s Walkman iPod Case
Although this Walkman iPod Case was made for the classic iPod models, I am sure a different version can accommodate the iPod touch as well. It is a great solution for those that feel threatened by bystanders staring at their new iPods and would rather have them look another way.
This cool case is an ode to old music gadgets by re-using an old Walkman cassette case as a case for a newly innovated gadget. While everyone is walking around listening to their iPods, talking on their iPhones and perhaps even watching a movie on their Zune, you could make sure to remain below the radar, for your music product is just so old…no one would be interested in it. Who even listens to cassette tapes anymore?
15. Anti Theft Bicycle Wheel
A cool and innovative design that provides a bicycle owner the sense of serenity that thieves would not be interested in stealing their bicycle wheel. The collapsing bike wheel design provides the owner the ability to collapse the inside rim with a turn of a key, making the bike wheel unusable, ‘broken’ and a deterrent from thieves.
16. Fake Security Cameras
If you cannot afford real security cameras for your home (or are not interested), then these fake security cameras are a cool, inexpensive alternative that would provide a simple ’scarecrow’ like solution. While it wont’ record and provide any real surveillance, it would assist in decreasing those who may not be interested in getting on film…this could be more than just burglars and criminals.
Maybe the Supreme Court ought to consider this scenario as it grapples with legal issues surrounding private electronic communications filtering into and out of the workplace.
A Framingham, Mass., resident received an urgent text message at work on Friday. It was from his home computer reporting the presence of movement inside of his apartment, which he had equipped with a motion detector and surveillance camera after a recent burglary.
The guy logs on, calls up the video feed, and bingo: Two burglars are having their way with his stuff. He calls the cops, who I'm going to presume have rarely had an easier collar.
Kevin John Fegan, 27, and Joshel Garcia, 18, both of Framingham, were inside the 205 Beaver St. apartment when police arrived and arrested them at 9:30 a.m., never knowing they were being watched via computer, Deputy Police Chief Craig Davis said.
The break-in and theft were also recorded for future use in court proceedings, the deputy chief said.
"I've never seen anything like this before," said Davis. "It's awesome."
Police have not released the name of citizen crime-fighter (nor his tape), perhaps partly due to the fact that one of the "suspects" lives nearby.
Burglars are caught in the act all the time by commercial surveillance equipment -- examples here, here and this one where some knucklehead hit a Las Vegas store catering to mixed martial artist fans. And I presume those home-protection services snag a miscreant or two now and then. But I don't recall reading of a do-it-yourselfer having this kind of success.
Hope his neighbors are properly expressing their gratitude.
When we were kids, spy movies inspired playground fantasies of chasing bad guys and solving mysteries. As we grew up, the playing stopped, but somewhere within everyone who enjoyed watching Sean Connery cruise his Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger lies a dormant desire to strap up with spy gadgets and save the world from certain doom. These gadgets are an integral part of any good spy movie. Everyone loves explosions and gunfire, but there’s something uniquely exhilarating about watching Q unveil his latest contraptions and eagerly anticipating how they would used. Below are the 15 coolest movie gadgets that any fan of action and suspense would love to own.
Inspector Gadget might not have been the most adroit spy in the world, but he sure had a convenient way of getting around. Sleuthing across a city presents numerous travel problems: morning traffic, mid-day traffic, evening traffic, crowded sidewalks, crowded buses, an utter dearth of taxicabs, etc. For all the amazing super-cars that spies traditionally drive, nothing compares to the transportation power of a concealed personal helicopter under your fedora. While Bond might be stuck behind a bus that keeps stopping every half-block, Gadget would just up and fly across town with nothing slowing him down (and never has to worry about finding parking at his destination.)
Today’s mobile phones can outperform desktop PCs, but in 1997, most of us were lucky to have a functioning phone that fit in our knapsack. However, in Tomorrow Never Dies , 007 was connected to MI6 with a futuristic mobile phone boasting several unique features. Its built-in fingerprint scanner read prints left behind by perpetrators and instantly revealed their identities. The phone also served as a stun gun for close quarter encounters and missions where firing a gun would tip off enemies. Finally, Bond’s phone doubled as a remote control for his BMW, allowing him to drive it from afar, and to summon the car to him when the route was too fraught with danger.
James Bond’s two biggest loves were always stopping villains and chasing trim. Not surprisingly, one of 007’s favorite weapons were the x-ray glasses that helped him do both. After all, any respectable spy should be able to enjoy a night at the casino while surreptitiously spotting weapons on some people and scoping out lingerie on others (a capability Bond was never shy about using.) Never one to be taken by surprise, Bond always knew who his aggressors were, and possessed the tactical advantage of preparing himself accordingly.
Cigarettes kill, but Bond’s cigarette dart gun made sure you didn’t even have to smoke to meet your demise. A brilliant little weapon, the gun looked just like an ordinary cigarette, except when you lit it, a rocket-propelled dart flew out and exploded upon impact with Bond’s target. These days such a weapon might be less practical, now that smoking in most indoor public places is illegal. But outside all bets are off, and a man lighting up a cigarette in the shadows might be the last thing a hoodlum sees before it all goes black. It also comes in handy for breaking out of locked rooms and holding cells, as Bond ingeniously demonstrated in You Only Live Twice.
Tom Cruise introduced meanest stick of Wrigley’s the world had ever seen in 1996’s Mission: Impossible. Dubbed “Red Light, Green Light” gum, the stick of candy was anything but child’s play. One side of the gum was red and the other was green. When combined, they produced a big enough explosion to knock a helicopter clear out of the sky. And this gum carries more risks than a toothache; it seems that the agent had to be quite precise to avoid falling victim to his own secret weapon. Hazards notwithstanding, adhesive, explosive gum has endless uses and rescued Cruise from numerous sticky situations. Pun intended.
It’s tough to top the swashbuckling image of James Bond receiving video intelligence feeds and cable television on his arm thanks to his TV-enabled wristwatch in Octopussy. We might be able to watch YouTube clips from our iPhones, but we’re still waiting to call up ESPN or FX on our wrists. Interestingly, a company actually attempted to sell a television wristwatch with meager success a few months before the movie’s release. Sadly, the watch required wearing a headset for sound and a bulky receiver for the TV signal. Their impractical burdens outweighed their benefits, and almost no one wore them after the novelty wore off.
For situations where even hidden sunglass cameras are too conspicuous, contact lens video cameras ensure you don’t miss a frame of the room or get a chest full of lead in the process. In I Spy, Eddie Murphy sports one of these innocuous oculars and sings some Marvin Gaye to Owen Wilson. Not exactly the most fascinating use for such bleeding-edge technology, but then again, I Spy wasn’t exactly a blockbuster flick, either. Nonetheless, the lenses made for some serious intrigue. (Although it does beg the question of how contact lenses containing wires and video transmitters were still transparent enough to see through.)
For a lighter with more options than a fully loaded Maserati, one must wonder how there is still ample room for fluid in the Lighter With 83 Options. Boasting such exotic features as steel-cutting lasers and impact explosion triggers, the lighter may well be all a spy needs to complete his mission and smoke a celebratory cigar. The movie Our Man Flint was more of a comedy than a serious spy thriller, and unfortunately we never did get to see what the majority of those 82 other options consisted of. The only foreseeable problem with using such a gadget in the field might be the sizable manual one would have to carry in order avoid confusing “option 57” from “option 75,” or other similar, perhaps disastrous mistakes.
Every secret agent needs his trusty pocketknife. Hundreds of potential scenarios call for a versatile multi-tool, but Maxwell Smart’s special issue Swiss Army knife goes a few steps beyond the model you might have toted as a young boy scout. For starters, the pocketknife came equipped with a flamethrower that could roast opposition up to six feet away. When greater distance stood between Agent Smart and his targets, the knife’s built-in blowgun with poison tipped darts took center stage. A folding scope was also included for ease of targeting. Lastly, the Swiss Army tool boasted a pocket crossbow that fired harpoons connected to spider-silk nano-silk with the holding capacity of steel cable. All told, it’s hard to imagine a situation in which this little gadget wouldn’t assist Max in making his getaway.
James Bond was always famous for having slick and super-equipped rides, often featuring exotic weapons or invisible cloaks that allowed him to avert disaster with vigor and aplomb. When it comes to the most action-packed spy car ever assembled, however, even Bond would be jealous of Xander Cage’s 1967 Pontiac GTO. Aside from being one of the most powerful and capable muscle cars in American history, Cage’s GTO was an all-out war machine, capable of taking down any one foolish enough to stand in front of his lead foot. Twin rocket launchers took care any vehicles in hot-rod tank’s path, while exploding hubcaps dispensed with ill-intentioned tailgaters. Just to err on the side of too much weaponry, the car also came stocked with a flamethrower in the event Cage ran into any unexpected opposition. For defense and escape, the car featured parachutes for slowing (or soaring off roadside cliffs, as agents so often do) and an ejection driver’s seat for when you’ve gotten in a bit over your head. In an age where European super-cars dominate action movies, XxX offered a sorely-needed tribute to this ferocious piece of American muscle.
In an age where cellular phones can fit in the palm of a toddler’s hand, the shoe phone from the original TV series Get Smart might not be today’s most desired spy gadget. But in its day, the clunky device was both top of the line and humorous to watch. The 2008 movie featured a modern version of the shoe phone, which was a bit sleeker, but still no match for an iPhone 3GS. (Then again, even the most suave spy can only look so good talking into a size 11 shoe.) Still, agents need a lot of pocket room, and cell phones just take up space. Store it in your shoe and that’s more room for cyanide pills, exploding dental floss and the like. No matter how you look at it, the shoe phone may not have been sexy, but it sure was funny.
One might assume that getting your eyeball destroyed in a military riot would be a bad thing. For many of us, it would. For Major Eden Sinclair, though, this childhood trauma enabled her to take utilize one of the most intriguing spy gadgets in recent memory. The cybernetic Eyeball Camera can be slid into her eye socket and provide binocular sight, or dislodged and rolled down a hallway where it acts as a pivoting video transmitter. The feed can be watched by Sinclair on her wristwatch from anywhere nearby. This portable and inconspicuous surveillance gadget is infinitely helpful in planning out your room clearing tactics before bursting in all-guns-blazing.
Perhaps the most famous James Bond gadget of all, the Golden Gun consisted of a pen, a cigarette lighter, and a cufflink. It sounds like something MacGyver would whip up, but Bond had him beat with this flashy firearm. The downside is that the weapon only held one bullet, but fortunately, that was usually all Bond needed to put down the villain on the receiving end of the 24-karat barrel. The bullet could travel a distance too; it’s just too bad he was unable to build a model with a high- capacity clip. Then the bad guys would really be in for a gleaming spray of death.
Secret agents do more than just battle terrorists and organized crime: they also fight against the worst scum of the universe. These agents are known as the Men In Black, and their slickest gadget is one of the most practical for daily use. A small, portable memory erasing device, the Neuralizer is an MIB agent’s most important tool. All the agent has to do is flash the bulb at the intended person or crowd and stand back as their memory of what just happened is erased. If the person has witnessed something top-secret, the agent can erase their memory of the event, and then offer some neutral explanation for it (for example: “There was a gas leak”). Men in black always wear dark black sunglasses that are specially constructed to protect them against the effects of the Neuralizer.
Imagine the ability to see every square inch of a city simultaneously. You could track your friends, incriminate your enemies, and locate almost anything you desired. This is the kind of power that Batman wielded in 2008’s soon-to-be-classic The Dark Knight. Using a multitude of flat-screen displays, Batman could view anywhere in Gotham City on a massive, ostentatious machine. There was no need to set up cameras on every street, either. Rather, the machine locked onto every cellular phone signal in the city and repurposed the phones’ speakers as sonar emitters. In this way, everyone and everything could be imaged using sound waves broadcasted from the phones. Such power quickly leads to corruption, and that’s why the machine came with its own self-destruct system to ensure that it was only used for its expressed purpose.
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All you art collectors out there. Here is a chance to get a Giclee copy of some of Ian M Sherwin work. Ian is planning on doing a whole series of Marblehead, Massachusetts paintings. His work is amazing.
Although the accelerometer spying experiments started with an iPhone 3GS, it was too difficult to decipher the typing results. Patrick Traynor, assistant professor in Georgia Tech's School of Computer Science, said, "But then we tried an iPhone 4, which has an added gyroscope to clean up the accelerometer noise, and the results were much better. We believe that most smartphones made in the past two years are sophisticated enough to launch this attack."
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