Saturday, October 6, 2012

Spy Gear & Divorce

Techniques once accessible only to governments or corporations are now trickling down to daily use. It's part of a broader transformation of modern privacy in which even the most personal spheres of people's lives—home, friendships, intimacy—can be exposed for examination without knowledge or consent. Lawyers say the technology is turning divorces into an arms race... 

World's smallest voice recorder. Holds 300 hrs. of voice. How it's made.
Amateur spies have widening options. LandAirSea sells a GPS Tracking Key—a matchbox-size, magnetized gizmo that can stick to cars—for $179 online... Software can be purchased for many smartphones that can track their location. Computer software that copies instant messages and emails can cost less than $100 and be installed without any special know-how. An array of tiny recorders makes eavesdropping easy.

Regulators have a tough time policing the sale of these kinds of devices, since they have legitimate uses by employers or parents... (more)