It's easy to see why director Nadav Schirman plans to adapt his first film, the documentary "The Champagne Spy," into an English-language narrative feature. The story of Ze'ev Gur Arie, aka Wolfgang Lotz, is the stuff of Cold War glamor and international intrigue, with a dark personal twist.
Lotz was a German-born Israeli spy who so fully adopted his undercover identity that he left behind a wife and child. Focusing on the testimony of Lotz's fellow Mossad agents and especially his son, all speaking on camera for the first time, "Spy" is a compelling if sometimes frustratingly limited film. It screened in the Palm Springs festival's New Israeli Cinema section and was awarded the John Schlesinger Award for outstanding first feature. (more) (Lotz's "Would You Make A Good Spy" Test)
Albania - A law that would make wiretapping legal, if there is a request from General Prosecutor for this. The draft states that in certain specific cases it will Ministry of Internal Affairs the one to administer wiretapping, but opposition rightfully protests this, arguing that this will make room for politically motivated eavesdropping, and AIS will lose its purpose. (video)
One of the innovative items at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was the TeleSpy, a traditional-looking and normally operating telephone. What makes the TeleSpy unique is its ability to act as a no-cost security monitoring system.
Installation is quick and simple. If you can plug a phone into a standard phone jack, then you can install the TeleSpy. There are no complicated adjustments to activate. Simply position and aim the phone in the direction of the area you want monitored. Plug the standard modular plug into your phone jack and plug the supplied AC power adapter into the jack on the side of the phone. (more) (ad) (instructional video) (Wolfman)
Why do I mention it? So you will know what you are up against.
NY - The queen of US designers, Diane von Furstenberg, offered a spy-themed collection harking back to wartime Berlin as she presented her latest creations at New York's Fashion Week.
Opening with the sensual voice of onetime German cabaret singer Marlene Dietrich, the show entitled "Foreign Affair" seemed intent on convincing the audience that women can look elegant even in times of crisis. (more) (Trench Coat)
This headline never should have happened... Kofi Annan Leaves Peace Talks in Limbo After His Hotel Room Is Bugged Kenya - Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan may walk away from Kenya's peace talks after his security detail discovered his hotel room in Nairobi was bugged, according to a report.
Sources at the Serena Hotel, where the talks are taking place, said Annan's security detail became wary of his safetyafter discovering that his personal conversations were being intercepted, South Africa's Independent Newspapers reported. Who may have planted the listening device and how long it was there remain unclear, the Independent reported.
Annan is said to be "livid," but it is not yet known whether he will walk away from the already troubled negotiations. (more)
Reactive security is gambling. Proactive security is cheap insurance. Kofi's security detail apparently bet and lost. Nothing they do now can turn back the clock. The damage is done.
Check for bugs, wiretaps and spycams before you know here is a problem. (more)
Eavesdropping is a very hot topic in the UK at the moment.
Our UK Associate, Crispin Sturrock, CEO of Whiterock lets a news reporter demonstrate why detecting bugs and spycams is not a job for amateurs...
Can Sky Reporter Find Hidden Bugs? With the controversy surrounding the bugging of Labour MP Sadiq Khan still raging, a security expert set Sky News reporter David Bowden the task of finding a several bugs he had hidden in a room. How did Bowden do? Well, he was no James Bond... (video)
Investigators have released audio recordings of one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" fugitives, hoping people will recognize James "Whitey" Bulger by his unique voice. ...Robert and Arthur smile.
UK - Bugging devices planted in a prison telephone were illegally used to record privileged conversations between an inmate and his solicitor, The Times has learnt.
Defence lawyers said last night that the breach confirms long-held suspicions that the recording of legal visits is widespread. Security experts told The Times that they believed that dozens of prisoners are routinely the subject of covert surveillance.
The revelation comes days after it emerged that an MP’s meeting with a jailed constituent had been recorded. However the taping of legal meetings is considered far more serious because it may breach a defendant’s rights and has the potential to collapse criminal trials. (more)
Q. Should the federal government be allowed to listen in on phone conversations of Americans and to read their e-mails and other information on their computers without their knowledge and without a warrant? (answers)
UK - In an early Bond film, 007 was impressed by a reel-to-reel tape deck small enough to be hidden inside a camera. Forty-five years later, anyone with a few hundred pounds ($200.-$300) to spare can buy a credit-card sized bug that will sit dormant for months, then spring to life and start transmitting as soon as it hears a voice.
... the online trade in surveillance equipment reveals a flourishing community of unregulated freelancers. (more)
Most corporate security programs already include bug detection inspection programs. Need help?USAUKIREUAUS
UK - Anything divulged inside a building or a private car is potentially open to an extraordinary array of electronic bugging devices or telephone intercept systems. Bugging is a fine art, and the technology has leapt forward in recent years.
The electronic bug allegedly used by the police to eavesdrop on the conversation between Babar Ahmad, suspected of having links to terrorist organisations, and Sadiq Khan, his constituency MP, during a meeting in Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes, was probably the conventional type.
The basic form of bug requires someone to listen in from several hundreds yards away, or to have a recording system hidden nearby that can store many hours of conversation.
However, thelatest electronic listening device is known as the GSM bug. Michael Marks of Spymaster, a company that supplies surveillance equipment, told The Times: “With one of these new bugs, all you have to do is place it covertly under someone’s desk. It’s like a miniature cellular phone. You can ring it from thousands of miles away, it answers silently and you can listen in on conversations. The GSM bug could be in an office in London but the person listening to the conversations could be in Australia.” (more)
(From the seller's website...) Introducing possibly the smallest video and audio recorder in the world – the Thumbs Up Mini Spy Cam. We think it’s the tiniest and best covert surveillance device that’s available. The KGB, CIA or MI6 might have smaller ones but if they do they’re certainly not talking about it and they definitely won’t sell you one!
The Mini Spy Cam is small enough to conceal in almost any location. You could put it inside a pack of chewing gum or cigarettes and it’ll quietly record everything that’s going on in its line of sight. Even if you simply placed it somewhere unobtrusive, chances are it wouldn’t even be noticed! With a record time of up to four hours per charge, the Mini Spy Cam records 3GP video files onto a Micro SD Card that can be played back on a computer or mobile phone. Colour video and voice recording lets you clearly see who’s there and what they’re saying.
The Mini Spy Cam is a great alternative to conventional CCTV for the times when you don’t want people to know they’re on camera. Self-contained, and with no cables to hide, it’s perfect for all sorts of covert surveillance and ideal for journalists, private investigators, or businesses that want to keep an eye on the cash register if the figures don’t add up and they suspect someone of being light-fingered. Thumbs Up’s Mini Spy Cam has other uses too. Perhaps you’ve hired a nanny or babysitter and want to make sure that they’re doing their job properly. A discreet recording would be a good way to know whether you can trust them to look after your family. It’s also ideal for wildlife enthusiasts who want to film a rare animal or bird with the minimum disturbance, for example. Catch out your mates when they’re at their worst too! Set the Mini Spy Cam to record parties or have someone conceal one in their shirt when out on a Stag Night, and you won’t have to wonder just what the hell happened and exactly how much you had to drink to get in such a state – it’ll all be there on camera to enjoy (and embarrass everyone with) later! (more)
Why do I mention it?So you know what you're up against.
Iowa - A warrant was issued Friday for the arrest of a man accused of eavesdropping on a cell phone in an attempt to steal business from a competitor.
Cory Bailey, 19, of Cedar Rapids, failed to appear twice for his arraignment in state court on charges that he entered the voice mail of a cell phone belonging to DeNeve Construction in Iowa City.
According to court documents, once inside DeNeve’s voice mail, Bailey listened to the messages and wrote down prospective client information in an attempt to take business from DeNeve. After collecting the information, Bailey deleted the messages.
DeNeve Construction, a 12year-old Iowa City business, is involved in roofing, drywalling, insulation and carpentry, according to its Web site. (more)
To celebrate 10 years of making spy toys, Wild Planet is redesigning the Spy Gear brand look and logo, upgrading its most popular items, introducing 10 new products and releasing the first Spy Gear board games.
"We attribute Spy Gear's success to our ability to incorporate advanced, real-world technology into old-fashioned, classic play," says Daniel Grossman, CEO and founder of Wild Planet.
"Pretending to be a spy is not a new idea," explains Grossman, "but having a real, working remote-controlled spy vehicle that transmits video and audio back to a private headset -- that's a new way to play spy."
The Spy Video ATV-360 is one of the new Spy Gear releases scheduled for fall 2008. A follow-up to the brand's original Spy Video Car launched in 2006, the Spy Video ATV-360 will be the first remote-controlled Spy Gear vehicle to offer video and audio transmission, full-circle spin control, and tank tracks for a mass retail price of $99. (more)
Dan, Wild Planet really needs to re-think this one - at least for U.S. sales. Federal and state laws prohibiting electronic audio spying have been on the books here since 1968.
Idea: Hire an attorney or security consultant - who specializes in electronic surveillance matters - avoid a costly recall and lawsuits.
It's easy to see why director Nadav Schirman plans to adapt his first film, the documentary "The Champagne Spy
," into an English-language narrative feature. The story of Ze'ev Gur Arie, aka Wolfgang Lotz, is the stuff of Cold War glamor and international intrigue, with a dark personal twist. 
behind a wife and child. Focusing on the testimony of Lotz's fellow Mossad agents and especially his son, all speaking on camera for the first time, "Spy" is a compelling if sometimes frustratingly limited film. It screened in the Palm Springs festival's New Israeli Cinema section and was awarded the John Schlesinger Award for outstanding first feature. (more) (Lotz's "Would You Make A Good Spy" Test)
