Roll Your Own Drone

via David Schneider...

This new branch of the [model airplane flying] hobby goes by the name first-person view, or FPV for short...

Having read up about this activity at such sites at DIYDrones.com and FPVPilot.com, I was eager to give it a try. I purchased a tiny SN555 video camera for US $129 from Hobby Wireless, an online seller of FPV gear. While there, for another $95 I also bought a diminutive 0.5-watt video transmitter and a matching receiver tuned to 910 megahertz, which is well separated from the frequencies used for radio-controlled model aircraft in the United States (72 MHz and 2.4 gigahertz).

The big question was what model to use. I ended up with a plane called the Twin Star II, which is manufactured by Multiplex Modellsport of Bretten-Gölshausen, Germany. It normally retails for $150, but I picked up a kit for this model at the bargain price of $86 from BP Hobbies of Piscataway, N. J. (more with video) (another high roller)

New Pocket Eavesdropping Device

Product Notes...
"Works on wooden walls, doors, windows, steel plates, etc. Highly Sensitive, carefully adjust audio slowly, as not to cause discomfort to your ear-buds. This product is being sold as an investigative tools for law enforcement or licensed investigators. Anyone else ordering this device should only be ordering it as a simple toy since MANY COUNTRIES STRICTLY PROHIBIT OWNERSHIP OF SPY DEVICES." (more)
Why do I mention it?
So you will know what you are up against.

Want to build one yourself? (start here)

Secret Enclosures Made From Everyday Items

Many years ago, I did some work for an odd company in New Mexico; they specialized in building secret enclosures for the government.

Whatever you could dream up they could make. A desk with a hollow leg for an embassy in Romania - no problem. A toothbrush transmitter for a secret agent - no problem. Need a place to hide some microfilm in a nail file - no problem.

An item like a car could be decked out with 100+ secret compartments for bugs, smuggled manuscripts or a handler's stash of baksheesh.

It was a cool place run by brilliantly deceptive minds. Not open to the public.

You probably don't need that level of deception, but you may need...
A place to: stash some cash, cool your jewels or just hide a spare key.

Visit The International Spy Museum Store.
Here, you can obtain...
• Arizona Iced Tea Diversion Safe
• Peanut Butter Safe
• Dr. Pepper Can Safe
• Suave Can Safe
• Book Safe
...and more secret safes made from everyday items.

Spy Cheap... at The International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum Store is having a great summer sale! Up to 50% Off + Free Ground Shipping on Orders Over $50.

Very Practical...
Metrosafe Anti-Theft Computer Bag
Product Facts: When you have top-secret data to deliver, there may be spies lurking around the dead drop, waiting to lift your laptop. That’s where the Metrosafe delivers. It looks like a regular laptop case, but its security features elevate it to an effective anti-theft device. It has tamper-proof, lockable zippers and a wire-reinforced, slash-proof shoulder strap with a built-in combination lock. (You can anchor the strap around a secure object like a table leg.) Its front and bottom panels are also slash-proof to protect against knife-wielding spies. Designed with a fully padded laptop compartment with two organizer pockets, a front zippered organizer pocket and two padded pockets to hold a cell phone, PDA, camera, or MP3 player. Fits most 13” laptops. Technical Data: 840-denier ballistic nylon/high-tensile steel wire. Black. 12” x 13-1/2” x 4”. 2 lbs., 3 oz. (33% off)

The $1.95 Tool Every Spy Should Have

Pilot Japan has broken the barrier between pencils and erasable gel pens! To highlight this fact, their newest FriXion pens have plastic bodies reminiscent of wooden pencils. These erasable gel pens write in vibrant gel colors that are unattainable with colored pencil lead. The pens are so erasable, you'll be amazed. An incredible selection of 24 colors is available. (more)

Here's the secret spy pen rub...
The ink is thermo-sensitive! Heat it. It disappears. Cool it. It reappears. All you need is a hair dryer and a refrigerator. (video)

Think Geek - Build Your Own BUG

from our
"Wow, this is cool!"
files...

What is BUG?
BUG is a baby monitor. BUG is a security system. BUG is a GPS device. BUG can read barcodes, draw pictures, update your twitter feed, and control robots. BUG is a platform for learning, rapid prototyping, and experimentation. BUG is just about whatever you want it to be. So, the BUG can be anything, but what is it?

BUG is a set of tools that lets you create personalized gadgets and devices. It's open-source and modular, letting you literally snap together the device you need. Backed by a community of enthusiastic developers, BUG development continues to grow more exciting and diverse. (more) (video) (buglabs)

People we love... Antonio Prohías

48 years ago, this month, Mr. Spy vs. Spy came to the United States. The rest is history...

Antonio Prohías (January 17, 1921 – February 24, 1998), born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, was a cartoonist most famous for creating the comic strip Spy vs. Spy for MAD Magazine.

In the late 1940s, Prohías began working at El Mundo, the most important newspaper in Cuba. By 1960, he had become an internationally recognized and awarded political cartoonist. At this time, Fidel Castro's government took over the paper, and Prohías left Cuba for New York, where he found himself attracted to Mad.

El Hombre Siniestro: (The Sinister Man) wore a wide-brimmed hat and overcoat and had a long pointed nose, becoming the prototype for the Spies. (more)

In the late 1950s Antonio Prohias was the president of the Association of Cuban Cartoonists. On the first of May 1960, he fled from Cuba to America flat broke. Once in the states, he went directly to work at Mad magazine, and became an internationally respected and beloved cartoonist. He started 'Spy vs. Spy' as an anti-Castro cartoon, but it ended up as one of the most popular features in Mad magazine. Prohias drew 'Spy vs. Spy' for Mad until he retired in 1990. Even though Antonio Prohias passed away in 1998, 'Spy Vs. Spy' can still be enjoyed in every issue of Mad Magazine. (more) (NPR audio report) (The first "Spy vs. Spy")

Visitors to my office smile when the see Mr. Black Spy riding atop a 3-foot bomb, on its way down to pay Mr. White Spy a visit. One can only guess what the next frame of this story will be. One thing we all know, the last frame will be MAD... Mutually Assured Destruction. Wry Prohías humor. Neither side ever wins.

Need something to make you, or a friend, smile? Go MAD. Let The Spy Guys make it happen. The International Spy Museum has an army of them waiting for you. Click here.

Anatomy of a TSCM PR Fiasco

Chapter 1 - The Disgruntled Turn TSCM Into a Four Letter Word

Canada - Embattled Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson used taxpayers' money to have her city hall office swept for listening devices last year, a practice borrowed from her predecessor and archrival, Michael Di Biase.

Through a Freedom of Information request, residents Gino and Mary Ruffolo, former supporters turned Jackson critics, uncovered an invoice showing the mayor's office paid Protech Consult Services $2,730 for equipment and labour for "manual and electronic counter surveillance."

"It appears the taxpayer is paying for Jackson's office to be swept for bugs," Mary Ruffolo said yesterday. "What is going on? Why is the poor taxpayer paying for this?" (more)

"What is going on?"
Yellow journalism. Scandal-mongering. Sensationalism. This is not news.

"Why is the poor taxpayer paying for this?"
Inspections for illegal electronic surveillance (TSCM sweeps) are a generally-accepted security practice. Both governments and businesses routinely conduct inspections for electronic surveillance.

In local government, for example, inspections can prevent fraud in negotiations and bidding; saving taxpayers money.

Not ferreting out illegal electronic surveillance is just negligence.


Chapter 2 - The Opportunistic Smell Blood

Ursula Lebana has a $50 solution to Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson's political problems – and 2 cents worth of advice.

"People never believe it, but 90 per cent of the time, it's the person you trust the most," says Lebana, who opened Canada's first "spy shop" back in 1991 and can attest to the fact that Cold Wars are still being waged in offices, marriages and even babies' bedrooms around the world.

And for $50, the embattled Jackson, who spent $3,000 in taxpayers' money last year to have her office swept for listening devices, could have rented one of Lebana's do-it-yourself bug detectors.

Lebana has armed everyone from entrepreneurs to parents with electronic surveillance gadgets since she hung a few Bond posters on the walls of her Yonge St. Spy Tech store and created the first Teddy cam to help parents keep an eye on their child's nanny. (more)

If you even remotely think that "one of Lebana's do-it-yourself bug detectors" can help you, then you will definitely be interested in buying this book to go along with it.

You know some jerk will call Homeland Security.

Robot/People art by Kacie Kinzer...
In New York, we are very occupied with getting from one place to another. I wondered: could a human-like object traverse sidewalks and streets along with us, and in so doing, create a narrative about our relationship to space and our willingness to interact with what we find in it? More importantly, how could our actions be seen within a larger context of human connection that emerges from the complexity of the city itself? To answer these questions, I built robots.

Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal.

Every time the robot got caught under a park bench, ground futilely against a curb, or became trapped in a pothole, some passerby would always rescue it and send it toward its goal. Never once was a Tweenbot lost or damaged. (more with video)
New Yorkers are too cool. Our spies tell us more Flying Dutchman Bots will be appearing on the streets. Updates to follow!

"Mickey Big Ears" Snoops On The Polizei

Free, with Mickey Maus, Issue 12 - A police band radio! Hold on...
Issue 12 of the German Mickey Maus magazine came bundled with a Chinese-made novelty radio. The problem: said radio was reportedly able to tune into the normally secure police-band channels.

The German police were first alerted to this rather odd eavesdropping through concerned parents, who were wondering why Mickey was calling an Alle Punktnachricht (All Points Bulletin).

A copy of the white mini-radio, about the size of two matchbooks, was picked up by several of Hamburg's finest so that they could conduct further tests on the radio's limits. (more)

I will be in Hamburg on assignment in 3 weeks and will look into this further. Need anything inspected in the EU? Call me now. ~ Kevin

"Hey, kids! Just like the police drones."

Nitrotek, a seller of radio controlled helicopters and cars, announced that they are now offering a large scale, outdoor spy copter with a built in video camera and receiver. They claim this is the first fully functional dual rotor radio controlled helicopter with a camera built in offered in the world. ≈$206.00 (more)

Airport Security / Airport Insecurity - Games

Airport Security offers a satirical critique of airport security practices circa early fall 2006, when security agencies in the US and abroad changed their policies to prohibit common items like toothpaste and hair gel.

Do knee-jerk reactions that limit our freedom of expression and travel make us safer? In Airport Security you inspect each passenger and his luggage and remove the forbidden items before allowing the passenger to go through -- but the list of forbidden items changes on a moment-to-moment basis. Prohibited items may include pants, mouthwash, and hummus. (more) (play it now)

Airport Insecurity - a game about inconvenience and the trade-offs between security and rights in American airports. While the government wants you to believe that increased protection and reduced rights are necessary to protect you from terrorism, the effectiveness of airport security practices is uncertain.

Airport Insecurity allows you to explore these issues in context: the game's rules are based on government reports about airport security practices since 2002. To consider the game's implications fully, players are encouraged to play the game while waiting in line at airport security. (more)

SpyCam Story #507 - Bowling for Blackmail

via gizmodo.com...
Like the Rovio, WowWee's Spyball is a Wi-Fi-enabled spycam robot. But it transforms from sorta conspicuous ball to spycam for surreptitious shots. You can connect ad-hoc via Wi-Fi or over the internet.

The Spyball™ spy-cam is a remote controlled, Wi-Fi enabled, transforming robotic ball that introduces an element of play to telepresence functionality. Affordable, easy-to-use, and rechargeable, the Spyball spy-cam captures video and still images and is equipped with sleek wheels for fast, smooth mobility and 360-degree turns. Transforming from ball to camera and back again, the Spyball spy-cam moves with stealth and in disguise – perfect for spying on siblings or peeking into the kitchen. (more)

Need a gift for an Evil Genius?

101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius equips you with complete plans, instructions, parts lists, and sources for devices that let you:
• See and photograph in the dark
• Wire yourself for undetected recording
• Construct a hidden briefcase camera
• Alter photographic evidence
• Digitally disguise your telephone voice
• Tap and record telephone conversations
• Privately record called numbers, with time stamp, from any phone
• Build a secret time-lapse camera
• Build and install motion-activated spy cameras or listening devices
• Hear and record what's said from great distances
• Build & install a nanny cam for viewing & recording activity from afar
• Secretly install key-logging software on any computer
• Learn what Web sites others are surfing
• Recover deleted computer files
• View other peoples' computer screens from your PC
• Control your spy equipment from afar

More Evil Genius books...
Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius : 28 Build-It-Yourself
MORE Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius
51 High-Tech Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius
Electronics Sensors for the Evil Genius: 54 Electrifying Projects
PC Mods for the Evil Genius
...and many more

I'm Dreaming of a Spy Christmas

New spy tank transmits video and audio
...the Spy Video ATV-360, can handle nearly anything in its path since it is, as the name indicates, and all-terrain vehicle. With a simple push of a remote button, the ATV’s camera will transmit a 360-degree scan of its surroundings. OK. No one is in the kitchen, it’s safe to proceed.

The ATV’s track-based movement allows it to climb over obstacles while being controlled remotely up to 75 feet away. The video images it sends back are displayed on an LCD lens built into a pair of glasses. A single earbud helps the spy hear what’s going on around the ATV. (more)

Wireless SpyCam Built into a Wristwatch!
"A normal but luxury metal wristwatch has one smallest camera inside. Just press the power switch; it begins transmitting high quality color video with sound to our supplied 2.4GHz wireless MPEG-4 DVR up to 300 feet away. Put the DVR in a bag or on a belt. Then, just press one button. It will start to transmitter video and audio simultaneously. This also works as a normal watch." (more)

Wireless SpyCam Helicopter
The Draganflyer X6 is a remotely operated, unmanned, miniature helicopter designed to carry wireless video cameras and still cameras. Operate the Draganflyer X6 helicopter with the easy to use handheld controller while viewing what the helicopter sees through video glasses... The Draganflyer X6 helicopter uses 11 sensors and thousands of lines of code to self-stabilize during flight. This means the Draganflyer X6 is easier to fly than any other helicopter in its class. (more with video)

Our Staff Spies a Real Busybody in Philadelphia

No surveillance device escapes the notice of our staff, not even a Busybody. This photo was taken in Philadelphia just the other day.

What is a BUSYBODY, you may ask. As any resident of Old Philadelphia can tell you, the BUSYBODY is a set of three mirrors set in a black metal frame - two mirrors on the bottom and one mirror on top. It is held together by a scrolled iron bar which mounts alongside or under a window, or next to a door, usually on the second or third story of a house (first floor for ranch type houses).

By adjusting the mirrors, the home dweller can see who's at the door below, or what's going on up and down the street or alley, without being seen himself or herself!

Invented by none other than Philadelphia's most famous denizen, Ben Franklin!

Get one of your own!
Attaches to windowsill with 2 screws. Overall height 21". Overall width 12 1/2". Each mirror measures 5" x 6". Sources: Busybody1 Busybody2

SpyCam Story #485 - Video Lasertag SpyCam Car

from the website...
"Radio controlled sports car with video camera function. A unique toy that combines all the coolest features of a RC car with an added video transmitter for extra fun.

Fun and easy to use RC car kit has everything you need to have a fun day in the park or play some games with your neighbors. The car has a remote control with an extra long range (up to 30 meters) and can control the cars movement by eyesight or via the LCD monitor.

Tired of ripping this baby around the park or neighborhood? Then how about using your new RC sports car to play laser games with your friends? Yes, you got that right! This sports car has a laser function and can be used to play lasertag with your friends. And the fun isn't even over yet! You can also use the cars video transmission function to view what the neighbors are doing ;-) " (more)

Spies, Get Ready For Halloween...

Learn from the Masters of Disguise
Magicians, like spies, excel at the art of misdirection and deception. Join Jonna and Tony Mendez, both former CIA chiefs of disguise, as they explore how magic and illusion have been used through the centuries to deceive the enemy.
Spy Magic: Disguise, Deception, Illusion and Espionage
At the International Spy Museum
Tuesday, 28 October; 6:30 pm $15.00 / Members $12.00 (more)

Get Your Disguise Gear Ready
Black Bar Glasses.
Make yourself photo-proof.
$8.99 (more)




And, above all...
Don't Act Furtive
Play this CD.
It features some really disturbing noises... unforgettable tracks like Unhappy Dog, the agonizing squeal of Violin Practice, and the exquisitely excruciating din of House Party.
$7.00 (more)

Spy Toolkit Item #141 - Dissolving Paper

Sources:
Mitsui USA
Endless Technologies
Nic Law Enforcement Supply
Defense Devices

Bonus...
Next time you venture out into that unhygienic world of ours, make sure you bring along our Dissolving Paper Soap! Simply wet your hands and rub them together with one sheet of paper soap -- and watch as the "paper" transforms into sudsy lather!

Meanwhile, over at Xerox...
Scientists demonstrated paper that can be reused after printed text automatically deletes itself from the paper's surface within 24 hours. Instead of trashing or recycling after one use, a single piece of paper can be used a second time, and reused up to 100 times, said Eric Shrader, area manager at PARC. (more)

SpyCam Story #477 - Night Rider, SpyCam Car

Peering its leering nose around the corner, just in time for the holidays, we have a mobile night-vision spy toy for the kids.

If teaching integrity, morals and ethics is just too hard, consider giving your kids a career in the world of spying. Idea! Bulking up on the spy toy training tools now can put that college fund right back into your pocket!

from the seller's web site...
"Use the video feed on this radio-controlled car to maneuver it carefully into dangerous territory.
With near-silent motors, high-traction tread and IR illuminators, it stealthily travels in the dark, providing you with real-time visuals... you see what the car sees!

The spy headset plugs into the controller and displays the live video into the eyepiece."

Requires 12 AA batteries, not included.
• 2.4GHz monochrome TV
• 1/4 VGR CMOS camera
• IR emitter for night vision
• 49MHz control frequency
• Up to 75 ft. range
(more)
Stay tuned for our yearly review of children's spy toys. The list gets longer each year. You will either find it fascinating, or revolting ...depending upon your moral quotient.
But, who are we to judge?
Right, Santa?