UK - Thieves are using Bluetooth phones to detect whether motorists have left laptops, mobile phones or state-of-the-art PDAs in their cars.
PC Davis said: "Even if they are out of sight in the boot or glove compartment, the Bluetooth technology enables computer-literate thieves to locate compatible kit easily."
When a car contains a Bluetooth-enabled laptop, a signal on the screen of the thief's mobile displays not just its presence, but also its make or model.
The thieves then have an easy target and the expensive laptops are often stolen to order.
PC Davis said: "Blue-bugging techniques can also be used to hack into mobiles, which are increasingly used as portable data stores, with details such as passwords, PIN numbers and other sensitive information ready for the taking.
"These days, a great deal of confidential company information, bank account details, private emails and so on are accessible through laptops, PDAs and even mobiles.
"People should realise that as well as equipment losses, they are at serious risk of corporate data theft if Bluetooth devices are left enabled and unsecured." (more)
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
SpyCam Story #390 - On, Wisconsin!
WI - A case of second degree sexual assault and another case of a man allegedly video-taping individuals showering in North Scott Hall is under investigation, according to UW-Oshkosh University Police reports.
On Oct. 3, a student reported that an unknown individual was caught covertly videotaping him when he was showering in North Scott Hall. The suspect fled when he was discovered and remains unknown at this time. The UP and the Department of Residence Life are investigating. (more)
On Oct. 3, a student reported that an unknown individual was caught covertly videotaping him when he was showering in North Scott Hall. The suspect fled when he was discovered and remains unknown at this time. The UP and the Department of Residence Life are investigating. (more)
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Ripley's, Tracy, Bond or iClone... you decide.
"Welcome to the future! The M500 Cellwatch ™is the world's smallest mobile watch phone. Keeping time and keeping Contact will never be the same again.The M500 Cellwatch™
takes mobile communications to a whole new level. With over 80 hours standby time, full sms functionality, full blue tooth compatibility, Internet Browser, WAP, GPRS, MMS, Mp3 Mp4 Player, Flight Mode, A2DP Stereo Sound, 128 Mb Memory, USB and Data Cable for connectivity and software uploads and
downloads, 300 number memory storage and its sleek sophisticated design make this the world's first truly mobile Cellwatch™.The following dates are now the confirmed delivery dates for the M500. South Africa, October 25th 2007, Australia October 25th 2007, USA October 25th 2007, Europe October 25th 2007. All Internet Orders, due to the long wait by many customers, will be commencing October 19th 2007 and be shipped by Fedex from Hong Kong." (more) (more) (video)
This pegs both my Technolustmeter and Dorkometer:)
SpyCam Story #389 - Mayor Runs!
UK - Covert video surveillance has shown former Mayor John Walker walking unaided, socialising and at one point running, during a host of ceremonies.
More video evidence showed Walker standing for 50 minutes and at one stage running at a ceremony outside St George’s Hall, on November 11, 2005.
Walker, 57, and his wife Catie, 49, face three charges of conspiracy to fraudulently obtain disability living allowance and income support between 1999 and 2005 which they deny. (more)
More video evidence showed Walker standing for 50 minutes and at one stage running at a ceremony outside St George’s Hall, on November 11, 2005.
Walker, 57, and his wife Catie, 49, face three charges of conspiracy to fraudulently obtain disability living allowance and income support between 1999 and 2005 which they deny. (more)
Spybuster's Tip #101 - Stethocopes
Free videos like How To Build A High-Tech Spy Stethoscope ...for under $25.00! are teaching creepy apartment neighbors and landlords how to listen-in to your bedroom bashes, lover's quarrels and other private confabulations.
Kevin's Cheap Countermeasure:
Mount one of these on the common wall.
- Make the pervert think the plumbing is leaking. $49.00
- Make the creep think the steam pipe is leaking. $8.00 - $200.00
(Look for the $8.00, B001 "Soothing Shell" on eBay.)
- Get an old FM radio with remote speakers. Hang the speakers on the wall - backwards. Tune to the static sound in-between stations. You only need to play this at a very low volume. After a short period of time you won't even notice the hissing sound yourself. $0.00 - $eBay.
Kevin's Cheap Countermeasure:
Mount one of these on the common wall.
- Make the pervert think the plumbing is leaking. $49.00
- Make the creep think the steam pipe is leaking. $8.00 - $200.00
(Look for the $8.00, B001 "Soothing Shell" on eBay.)
- Get an old FM radio with remote speakers. Hang the speakers on the wall - backwards. Tune to the static sound in-between stations. You only need to play this at a very low volume. After a short period of time you won't even notice the hissing sound yourself. $0.00 - $eBay.
Mission Creeps
Spy Technology Shifts Its Aim...
Scotland - Spy technology is to be used to catch out Edinburgh benefit cheats by listening in on telephone conversations.
Voice risk analysis software will be used by council workers to detect changes in callers' voices to give an indication of levels of stress.
Callers' normal voices will be recorded at the beginning of calls and compared with how they sound after they are asked to supply evidence to support their claims.
A similar scheme in Harrow, north London, caught out 173 benefit cheats between May and July this year, saving around £110,000.
Lie detecting experts said the technology - which is widely used in the insurance industry - was not entirely reliable. But Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the city's finance leader, said it would act as a deterrent to would-be cheats. (more)
Next step... councillors calling home to ask spouses a few questions?
Scotland - Spy technology is to be used to catch out Edinburgh benefit cheats by listening in on telephone conversations.
Voice risk analysis software will be used by council workers to detect changes in callers' voices to give an indication of levels of stress.
Callers' normal voices will be recorded at the beginning of calls and compared with how they sound after they are asked to supply evidence to support their claims.
A similar scheme in Harrow, north London, caught out 173 benefit cheats between May and July this year, saving around £110,000.
Lie detecting experts said the technology - which is widely used in the insurance industry - was not entirely reliable. But Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the city's finance leader, said it would act as a deterrent to would-be cheats. (more)
Next step... councillors calling home to ask spouses a few questions?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
SpyCam Story #388 - One Jailed, One Bailed
Australia - A peeping tom accountant who installed a spy camera in a female toilet at his work and saved more than 1000 images of women and children has been sentenced to 14 months' jail.
Ross Andrew Sargent, 46, was ordered to serve at least eight months' prison before being eligible for parole.
Magistrate Sarah Dawes today described Sargent's offending over 20 months as "voyeuristic and disturbing''. (more)
====================
Canada - An arrest warrant was issued this morning for an alleged pervert who admitted to police he had secreted a video camera in the ceiling of a women’s bathroom at NAIT, but claimed it was just “a joke.”
Brad Lenz, 27, was supposed to have been in provincial court for a decision by a judge as to whether or not he was guilty on charges of voyeurism, mischief, possession of counterfeit money and making counterfeit money.
Judge Elizabeth Johnson ordered the arrest warrant after Lenz’s lawyer admitted his client was not present.
“Mr. Lenz is not here,” said defense lawyer Kelly Dawson. “I have no explanation for his absence." (more)
Ross Andrew Sargent, 46, was ordered to serve at least eight months' prison before being eligible for parole.
Magistrate Sarah Dawes today described Sargent's offending over 20 months as "voyeuristic and disturbing''. (more)
====================
Canada - An arrest warrant was issued this morning for an alleged pervert who admitted to police he had secreted a video camera in the ceiling of a women’s bathroom at NAIT, but claimed it was just “a joke.”
Brad Lenz, 27, was supposed to have been in provincial court for a decision by a judge as to whether or not he was guilty on charges of voyeurism, mischief, possession of counterfeit money and making counterfeit money.
Judge Elizabeth Johnson ordered the arrest warrant after Lenz’s lawyer admitted his client was not present.
“Mr. Lenz is not here,” said defense lawyer Kelly Dawson. “I have no explanation for his absence." (more)
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Kids can no longer call... Mickey Mouse, Rat Fink
The Walt Disney Company's Disney Mobile phone service is being exterminated.The service's Family Center allowed parents to:
- "Locate your kid’s phone using GPS technology. Get a location of your kid's phone and a map of the location without calling. All adults on the account can use Family Locator from their Disney Mobile handset or the Disney Mobile website."
- Limit spending.
- And, limit how and when kids could use their phones. (more)(more)
Design-It-Yourself Mobile Phone Spyware
From the manufacturer's (English is my second language) website..."Team Neo-Call enters a new era of GSM application with an exciting range of security softwares, sure to captivate the amateur and professional GSM, spying and security scene. Featuring dozens new softwares never been made before, mixing them together and offering them "on demand" to the world through our affiliable web site. We entered the next dimension of "Spyphone"... (more)
Monday, October 1, 2007
SpyCam Story #387 - An ill wind?
A new project outlined as "one of the most advanced city-wide intelligent security systems ever conceived" is underway in the windy city, Chicago, IL. The Operation is known as "Virtual Shield" which will be one of the world's largest video security deployments upon completion. Think you know Big Brother? Just wait.
Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, employs a unified fiber network throughout much of the downtown area. This network links thousands of surveillance cameras, both new and old, to a system that not only stores images, but monitors the video as well.
Although, Chicago's current implementation of "Virtual Shield" is only the first phase, which was aided by IBM, city experts, and network engineers. The goal was to create a surveillance system that would capture, monitor, and index all video fed into the system. The network is expanding.
In Phase 2, Chicago plans to give operation Virtual Shield the technology to automatically recognize license plates and perform intelligent search capabilities.
Chicago has already laid plans to use the system for tracking traffic congestion, but one has to question whether operation Virtual Shield's intelligent trending projections could be used to route any one of the over 3 million people who commute Chicago, daily.
Imagine a world where a surveillance system will be able to spot any vehicle, at any location, and determine the driver, his address, and his location, at any time.
...questions are raised as Chicago works with California-based, Firetide, who is known for its wireless, covert video cameras.
Firetide will also be aiding Chicago in adding hundreds of additional cameras throughout the city, all of which implement wireless technology. This raises many concerns about the security of these cameras. Who will have access to view these wireless devices? How secure is the encryption on these cameras?
In addition, Chicago will be using IBM's own Omnicast software, touted as "the most advanced IP-based video surveillance recording software in the industry."
This software has the ability to adapt to virtually any camera, whether it be fixed, mobile, IP-based, analog, a camera from a sister agency, or a camera from a private enterprise, all while recording, analyzing every video stream, processing any and every licence plate, charting, learning, and mapping, anywhere at any time, all the time. (more)
Time for a Windy City sing-a-long...
Who's peekin' out from under a stairway
Calling a name that's lighter than air
Who's bending down to give me a rainbow
Everyone knows it's Windy
Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smilin' at everybody she sees
Who's reachin' out to capture a moment
Everyone knows it's Windy
And Windy has stor-my eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
(Windy, by Ruthann Friedman)
Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, employs a unified fiber network throughout much of the downtown area. This network links thousands of surveillance cameras, both new and old, to a system that not only stores images, but monitors the video as well.
Although, Chicago's current implementation of "Virtual Shield" is only the first phase, which was aided by IBM, city experts, and network engineers. The goal was to create a surveillance system that would capture, monitor, and index all video fed into the system. The network is expanding.
In Phase 2, Chicago plans to give operation Virtual Shield the technology to automatically recognize license plates and perform intelligent search capabilities.
Chicago has already laid plans to use the system for tracking traffic congestion, but one has to question whether operation Virtual Shield's intelligent trending projections could be used to route any one of the over 3 million people who commute Chicago, daily.
Imagine a world where a surveillance system will be able to spot any vehicle, at any location, and determine the driver, his address, and his location, at any time.
...questions are raised as Chicago works with California-based, Firetide, who is known for its wireless, covert video cameras.
Firetide will also be aiding Chicago in adding hundreds of additional cameras throughout the city, all of which implement wireless technology. This raises many concerns about the security of these cameras. Who will have access to view these wireless devices? How secure is the encryption on these cameras?
In addition, Chicago will be using IBM's own Omnicast software, touted as "the most advanced IP-based video surveillance recording software in the industry."
This software has the ability to adapt to virtually any camera, whether it be fixed, mobile, IP-based, analog, a camera from a sister agency, or a camera from a private enterprise, all while recording, analyzing every video stream, processing any and every licence plate, charting, learning, and mapping, anywhere at any time, all the time. (more)
Time for a Windy City sing-a-long...
Who's peekin' out from under a stairway
Calling a name that's lighter than air
Who's bending down to give me a rainbow
Everyone knows it's Windy
Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smilin' at everybody she sees
Who's reachin' out to capture a moment
Everyone knows it's Windy
And Windy has stor-my eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
(Windy, by Ruthann Friedman)
Sunday, September 30, 2007
SpyCam Story #386 - Gunsmoke
CA - Sheriff Pat Hedges may have had good intentions, but his decision to secretly videotape his subordinates was woefully misguided at best and illegal at worst.
By his own admission, Hedges eavesdropped on sheriff’s employees on two occasions: once as part of a criminal investigation that he declined to elaborate on, and again in connection with a personnel matter last year. (more)
By his own admission, Hedges eavesdropped on sheriff’s employees on two occasions: once as part of a criminal investigation that he declined to elaborate on, and again in connection with a personnel matter last year. (more)
SpyCam Story #385 - The Accountable Accountant
Australia - Tax accountant Ross Sargent waited until the office was deserted before walking down the corridor with a tiny pinhole spy camera clutched in his hand. Sargent made his way to the women's toilets and carefully installed the camera in the roof of one of the cubicles. He set it to record when it sensed motion.
The camera stayed hidden there for the next 20 months before a maintenance worker found it in October last year.
Sargent, 46, is expected to be jailed this week after recording and storing 1308 video images on his laptop taken from the spy camera. (more)
Update...
Outrage as toilet spy's term cut to two months
A PEEPING Tom accountant who installed a spy camera in a female lavatory and stored more than 1300 images of women and children has had his jail sentence slashed from a maximum of 14 months' jail to just two months. (more)
The camera stayed hidden there for the next 20 months before a maintenance worker found it in October last year.
Sargent, 46, is expected to be jailed this week after recording and storing 1308 video images on his laptop taken from the spy camera. (more)
Update...
Outrage as toilet spy's term cut to two months
A PEEPING Tom accountant who installed a spy camera in a female lavatory and stored more than 1300 images of women and children has had his jail sentence slashed from a maximum of 14 months' jail to just two months. (more)
Bill Bellichick (aka Bill O. Check to some)
NJ - A disgusted Jets season ticket-holder went on the offensive against the New England Patriots over the infamous Videogate scandal.
Princeton lawyer Carl Mayer filed a class-action suit in Newark Federal Court against the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick because a video assistant filmed Jets coaches giving defensive signals last month. (more)
Princeton lawyer Carl Mayer filed a class-action suit in Newark Federal Court against the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick because a video assistant filmed Jets coaches giving defensive signals last month. (more)
SpyCam Story #384 - Lawrence County (update)
AL - Casting new light on a rural spy mystery, Lawrence County commissioners placed two employees on leave amid allegations they were responsible for a hidden camera that was found inside a courthouse meeting room.
Commissioner Alma Whitlow said county administrators Linda Harville and Karen Harrison didn't deny placing a hidden monitoring system in the commission office without members' knowledge.
The motive behind the bugging was unclear. No charges have been filed.
FBI agents interviewed Harville, Harrison, and four commissioners earlier this month. Aside from the hidden camera, agents seized items including video cassettes, cables and a receiver. (more)
Commissioner Alma Whitlow said county administrators Linda Harville and Karen Harrison didn't deny placing a hidden monitoring system in the commission office without members' knowledge.
The motive behind the bugging was unclear. No charges have been filed.
FBI agents interviewed Harville, Harrison, and four commissioners earlier this month. Aside from the hidden camera, agents seized items including video cassettes, cables and a receiver. (more)
SpyCam Story #383 - HAL Makes House Calls
The ConnectR “Virtual Visiting Robot” is simultaneously an interesting and creepy device. Designed to enable real-time “virtual visits” over the Internet, the robot combines a nanny cam, an internet phone and an RC car. Users set up the robot in their home, and via the internet, control the audio/video camera-equipped robot, moving it around the home, using the video camera to look around, and the speakers to talk to people or pets within the home. (more)(more)
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