"Samsung Electronics, along with cleaning and video search feature in a robot vacuum cleaner with a home video 'taenggobyu (VC-RL87W)' introduced. Tango view when the cleaning is used for localization and imaging using a camera, and external cleaning can be monitored in the interior. Using a PC or a smartphone and a PC remote control from outside the voice over the microphone is also available. Equipped with lighting in a dark room is available in an emergency, you can always respond quickly." (more)
Apparently you can play Whack-A-Dust Bunny with this from work (or any Wi-Fi hot spot). Once you've cleaned up your OK-corral you can then creep up on your kids and see if they are really doing their homework. If not, use the 'voice over microphone' feature to Ra-parent the situation. FutureWatch... Someone will stash one under their boyfriend's couch for night patrol "is he cheating on me" reconnaissance. Why there? Because no guy ever cleans under their couch.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Case of the Managers Who Talked Too Much
IA - Some employees at a medical clinic in Iowa claimed a supervisor used a baby monitor to eavesdrop on them. According to a labor representative for the University of Iowa medical clinic employees, workers found the monitor sitting on a shelf near the reception area...
"If that monitor was there for even one day, that's the potential for 100 HIPPA violations if that thing was being monitored the whole time, and that's pretty egregious," said union rep Jon Stellmach.
Managers of the office say the monitor was used to see if staff members were talking too much. (D'oh!)
The supervisors say the monitor was removed after workers complained, and University of Iowa officials say the case is being handled by the human resources department. (more)
"If that monitor was there for even one day, that's the potential for 100 HIPPA violations if that thing was being monitored the whole time, and that's pretty egregious," said union rep Jon Stellmach.
Managers of the office say the monitor was used to see if staff members were talking too much. (D'oh!)
The supervisors say the monitor was removed after workers complained, and University of Iowa officials say the case is being handled by the human resources department. (more)
Disposable Endoscope - 1 Cubic MM - World's Tinest Spycam?
Germany - Tiny video cameras mounted on the end of long thin fiber optic cables, commonly known as endoscopes, have proven invaluable to doctors and researchers wishing to peer inside the human body. Endoscopes can be rather pricey, however, and like anything else that gets put inside peoples' bodies, need to be sanitized after each use. A newly-developed type of endoscope is claimed to address those drawbacks by being so inexpensive to produce that it can be thrown away after each use. Not only that, but it also features what is likely the world's smallest complete video camera, which is just one cubic millimeter in size.
The prototype endoscope was designed at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration, in collaboration with Awaiba GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering. ...They hope to bring the device to market next year. (more)
The prototype endoscope was designed at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration, in collaboration with Awaiba GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering. ...They hope to bring the device to market next year. (more)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
U.S. 'may' enact a Privacy Bill of Rights
FutureWatch - The Obama administration plans to ask Congress Wednesday to pass a "privacy bill of rights" to protect Americans from intrusive data gathering, amid growing concern about the tracking and targeting of Internet users. (more)
"...and what about the 18 second flatulence gap?"
GA - A Clayton County Grand Jury meets Wednesday to hear charges against a sheriff's deputy accused of making a recording of another employee in the restroom.
The District Attorney's Office is bringing a proposed indictment charging Sheriff's Deputy and Public Information Officer Alicia Parkes with unlawfully eavesdropping on the job. Parkes is alleged to have made a recording with her cell phone of a co-worker in the bathroom. A half-dozen witnesses are expected to testify. (more)
HBO Announces Cold War Drama with ‘80s Spy Series ‘Reds’
HBO has announced it is developing a new series tentatively titled Reds, inspired by the real-life occurrence of a KGB sleeper agent infiltrating the United States during the 1980s.
The series will be drawn from an encounter writer/director Martyn Burke had while filming a documentary across the United States in the early part of the decade. Unknown to Burke, and the rest of his crew, the soundman they were all working with was actually a colonel in the KGB. Before being found out, the Soviet spy managed to successfully establish a base of operations just outside New York City, and sought to conceal his true identity further by trying to start and raise a family. (more)
The series will be drawn from an encounter writer/director Martyn Burke had while filming a documentary across the United States in the early part of the decade. Unknown to Burke, and the rest of his crew, the soundman they were all working with was actually a colonel in the KGB. Before being found out, the Soviet spy managed to successfully establish a base of operations just outside New York City, and sought to conceal his true identity further by trying to start and raise a family. (more)
Pakistan frees CIA spy charged with murder
Raymond Davis, the CIA spy charged with murder in Pakistan, has been freed after the families of two dead men agreed to drop charges in exchange for financial compensation. (more)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
How not to handle your surly survant problems in Maryland...
More bad neighbors. |
Cassandra Denise Baytops was arrested in connection with an alleged January wiretapping incident, according to the Salisbury Police Department. An investigation revealed that the suspect made both video and audio recordings of conversations by the victims, then presented the data to another apartment complex employee, police said. Baytops was charged with four counts of wiretapping, then jailed at the Wicomico County Detention Center. Bond was not determined. (more)
Dom, Le Espion... or, "The guard probably did it."
France - A security agent for Renault has been charged with fraud and accused of inventing industrial espionage claims that led the French carmaker to wrongly suspect — and suspend — three executives, the state prosecutor said Monday...
Preliminary charges of "organized fraud" were filed Sunday against Dominique Gevrey, once employed by the Defense Ministry intelligence service and now a member of Renault's security service, prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin told reporters Monday.
Gevrey had been detained Friday at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport as he prepared to board a flight for Guinea, and has since been jailed. (more)
Gevrey had been detained Friday at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport as he prepared to board a flight for Guinea, and has since been jailed. (more)
FutureWatch - Let insurer spy on driving, get a discount
“Romper, bomper, stomper, boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me do. Magic Mirror, tell me today. Did all my friends have fun today?” |
More auto insurers are rolling out programs offering discounts to drivers who let the company electronically spy on their driving habits.
Progressive, one of the nation's largest auto insurers, today launches a nationwide ad campaign for its "Snapshot" program, in which drivers can elect to install a small data recorder in their cars that tracks how hard they brake, how far they drive and whether it's day or night driving. Based on the results, drivers can save up to 30 percent on their insurance. Average savings: $150 a year.
Progressive is one of a growing list of insurers with discounts for monitoring:
• Allstate. The Drive Wise program begun last year in Illinois will expand to other states.
• GMAC. Only total mileage is tracked - up to 54 percent off - drive fewer than 2,500 miles a year.
• State Farm. Mileage also is tallied via OnStar mileage for its "Drive Safe & Save" plan in California and Ohio. Texas will be added next month, Illinois later this year.
Although the programs are voluntary, they've raised the eyebrows of privacy advocates. One worry is that the insurers eventually will make the monitoring mandatory. (more)
Lyon May Put Teeth into CA Video Voyeurism Law
CA - Michael Lyon pled guilty today to what he called “criminal conduct which was selfish, impulsive and wrong.” In a deal with prosecutors, he admitted to four counts of felony electronic eavesdropping.
He was arrested last November for videotaping prostitutes in his home without their knowledge. As part of his plea deal, Lyon will have to spend a year in the custody of Sacramento County, but there is a good chance he will be placed in home detention, with an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle. (more)
Lyon case spurs effort to tighten state's video voyeurism law
Lyons' ugly divorce battle takes a new twist
No, I'm not Mr. Rogers. I'm Mr. Rivard, your neighbor.
MI - The trial for a man who police said broke into his neighbor’s home 10 times over a four-month period continues. Paul Rivard, 36, is also accused of planting a baby monitor in the bedroom of his neighbor’s home to eavesdrop on them. Authorities said he also rearranged items in their home and torched their clothes... If Rivard is convicted, this incident will not be his first home invasion. State prison records show the 36-year-old was paroled in late 2008 after serving 10 years for second-degree home invasion. (more with video)
SpyCam Story #604 - 44 Regrets?!?!
UK - A peeping tom who hid a spy camera in a teddy bear and recorded a woman in a state of undress has walked free from court. Voyeur Paul Littlewood’s secret recordings only came to light after he sexually assaulted his victim by touching her breast over her T-shirt... Prosecutor Sue Jacobs said that was examined and found to contain 612 movie files of which 44 appeared to be taken by either a webcam or a spycam and showed a woman in various stages of undress.
The court heard that Littlewood told police that he had hidden a camera inside a teddy bear but “regretted it straight away” and subsequently destroyed the camera. (more)
The court heard that Littlewood told police that he had hidden a camera inside a teddy bear but “regretted it straight away” and subsequently destroyed the camera. (more)
Friday, March 11, 2011
From Android to spyDroid in just 299 Cents
A non-stealth mobile phone spy app...
Secret Spy will send you an email with your phone's location, a picture from the camera, call logs, text Messaging logs, and the visited web page history, on demand.
T-shirt extra. |
Secret Spy checks your Gmail account every few minutes and waits for you to send yourself a blank email from that same account. When Secret Spy gets that email, it activates and wakes up the phone, takes a picture, and sends that picture along with the phone's logs to your Gmail email address...
Secret Spy does not try to hide itself on the phone. It DOES show up as an entry in your application list. It is only meant for legal uses such as wildlife photography, or for monitoring your house's security. (more) (T-shirt)
Secret Spy does not try to hide itself on the phone. It DOES show up as an entry in your application list. It is only meant for legal uses such as wildlife photography, or for monitoring your house's security. (more) (T-shirt)
From iPhone to Video spyPhone in just 299 Cents
A revamped iPhone videography app from Mirage Labs is crammed so full of features that the developer is promoting it as "the Swiss Army knife of camcorders." Among those militaristic attributes: a "spy cam" setting that lets users make surreptitious recordings.
MultiCorder 2.0, formerly known as Flexicorder, debuted Wednesday in the iOS App Store. The new spy mode lets users select a picture from their photo library to display on screen while making the secret video; a finger swipe up or down the screen automatically ends the recording. (more)
Security Directors: FREE Security White Paper - "Surreptitious Workplace Recording ...and what you can do about it."
MultiCorder 2.0, formerly known as Flexicorder, debuted Wednesday in the iOS App Store. The new spy mode lets users select a picture from their photo library to display on screen while making the secret video; a finger swipe up or down the screen automatically ends the recording. (more)
Security Directors: FREE Security White Paper - "Surreptitious Workplace Recording ...and what you can do about it."
The Giant Ants of Atlanta Meet The Big Bees of Melbourne
The recent post about Uncle Milton's ant farm colonies, complete with The Giant Ants of Atlanta,
echoed around the world and brought us The Big Bees of Melbourne, from a reader with a sense of humor.
Very cool!
Thank you.
Security Director Alert: Tiny GPS Tracker with Real-Time Reporting
Keep track of top executives as they travel. Bonus: SOS button.
TrackingTheWorld's newest portable real-time GPS tracking device is the WorldTracker Enduro Pro... offers improved GPS sensitivity, and up to 60 day battery life.
TrackingTheWorld's newest portable real-time GPS tracking device is the WorldTracker Enduro Pro... offers improved GPS sensitivity, and up to 60 day battery life.
Throughout our (GPS Magazine) testing, Enduro Pro's performance was outstanding. The device provided reliable real-time tracking, even in challenging environments, and in areas of marginal cellular coverage.
The Bottom Line
• Exceptional accuracy and battery life
• Small enough to be carried by a child, powerful enough to be used by law enforcement
• Works in extreme weather conditions (-40° to 185°F), IPX-5 Water Resistant
• GeoFencing
• Exceptional accuracy and battery life
• Small enough to be carried by a child, powerful enough to be used by law enforcement
• Works in extreme weather conditions (-40° to 185°F), IPX-5 Water Resistant
• GeoFencing
• Speed reporting
• SOS / Panic button
• Priced under $200, plus monthly service
• Priced under $200, plus monthly service
Once fully charged, the Enduro Pro can last up to 60 days on a single charge (that estimate is based on updates every 2 hours, and little motion. When set to update more frequently, such as every 2 minutes, battery life drops to a still-impressive 2 weeks on average).
Location Reports
Reports are accessed via TrackingTheWorld.com. Maps can be viewed as Road view, Aerial view, or Hybrid (Road & Aerial). The map can be zoomed in or out, and panned by dragging the mouse around or using the pan/zoom control in the upper-left corner of the screen.
Tabs along the right side of the map screen allow you to view historical location data for previous days/months, as well as access driving reports, configure GeoFence alerts, and set how frequently Enduro Pro should send location updates (less frequent updates = longer battery life).
Click to enlarge. |
The breadcrumbing feature allows you to see where the device has been throughout a given day, as well as the direction of travel and speed the device was traveling. (more)
Bump.com - License Plate Tag or Public Branding
Bump.com, an online start-up, is creating a way for people to ping each other using their license plates. The company’s founder, Mitch Thrower, compares the service to online coupon and location-sharing sites — with one exception. “It’s like a Groupon or Foursquare that you can’t turn off,” he says.
You can’t turn it off because the service will capture your license plate whether you like it or not. But to receive virtual fist-shaking, finger-pointing, or flirty messages from fellow motorists, or the “special offers” from merchants that Thrower hopes will pay his company for access to your in-box, you actually do have to sign up and identify yourself as the owner of your license plate.
The service works by using images of license plates snapped by other people using their cell phone cameras, or by license plate numbers people can send via telephone, a special email address, or a smartphone app. The company has already captured more than 250,000 license plates from a combination of messages sent by beta testers and publicly-available video feeds like cameras at toll booths, according to Thrower.
The site will officially launch at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, next week. (more)
You can’t turn it off because the service will capture your license plate whether you like it or not. But to receive virtual fist-shaking, finger-pointing, or flirty messages from fellow motorists, or the “special offers” from merchants that Thrower hopes will pay his company for access to your in-box, you actually do have to sign up and identify yourself as the owner of your license plate.
The service works by using images of license plates snapped by other people using their cell phone cameras, or by license plate numbers people can send via telephone, a special email address, or a smartphone app. The company has already captured more than 250,000 license plates from a combination of messages sent by beta testers and publicly-available video feeds like cameras at toll booths, according to Thrower.
The site will officially launch at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, next week. (more)
Where Does the Government Go Shopping for Security?
No.
GovSec - The government security conference and expo in Washington, DC., March 29-31.
"GovSec will help you identify and examine the security concerns of our nation's key assets and essential services. Learn about the critical strategies and solutions to best secure these resources, including new technologies, physical resources, and risk assessment!"
In addition to the educational aspect of the conference, the real fun is the expo where you get to see all the latest technology!
"Thousands of cutting-edge systems, tools and technologies preventing future incidents, preparing for and responding to hazards and disasters, and ensuring public safety, showcased by top solution providers."
This is where American ingenuity really shines. Catch it if you can, especially if your company needs government-level security. (more)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Yet Another Celebrity Open Mike Faux Pas
(yawn) Charlie Sheen, again...
15 minutes before Tuesday's Sheen's Korner, the audio feed came on. It sounded like static at first -- but you can clearly hear Sheen rehearsing with his crew and Teleprompter. Near the end you'll also hear some last-minute editing as he decides how to skewer producer Chuck Lorre without sounding anti-Semitic. (more)
The point...
Always assume the mike is on.
One of the worst cases I witnessed was a corporate executive waiting to take the stage. He was wearing a wireless microphone and headed to the bathroom where he met another executive. Neither realized the mike was transmitting to the control booth; it was just not being pumped to the auditorium speakers yet. Some important guests in the control booth area heard every word. The conversation (not to mention the bodily noises) led to a very embarrassing public apology made during the man's speech.
(Updates) SpyCam Man and the Expensive Teddy Bear
Two neighboring states.
Two children involved.
Two types of justice.
Fair and equal?
You decide...
KS - A Saline County man was sentenced to probation Tuesday, after admitting he used hidden cameras to secretly videotape family members. The sentence was on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and eavesdropping... The man lived at the home with his wife, stepdaughter and step-granddaughter, said his attorney. (more)
Probation?!?!
NE - Digital recording tools are so cheap and simple to use that it's easy to deploy them without thinking through the consequences. A Nebraska mother and grandfather found this out the hard way last month when they were hit with a combined $120,000 penalty for wiretapping after sticking an audio recorder inside a young girl's favorite teddy bear.
Though the mother claimed only to be concerned with her child's welfare, the judge found that the indiscriminate use of the recording device had violated the privacy of numerous people, each of whom were entitled to $10,000. (more)
China to Track 17 Million Cellphone Users
China said it may begin tracking cellphone users in Beijing through location technology it hopes will help city authorities better manage traffic. But the announcement also sparked fresh concerns that the government may be using mobile technology to surveil its residents.
In an announcement, made through Beijing's Municipal People's Government Web site, the Chinese government said it would track 17 million cellphone users in Beijing through location technology to "publish real-time dynamic information to ease congestion and improve the efficiency of public travel."
In an announcement, made through Beijing's Municipal People's Government Web site, the Chinese government said it would track 17 million cellphone users in Beijing through location technology to "publish real-time dynamic information to ease congestion and improve the efficiency of public travel."
Beijing is notorious for its traffic congestion. Last August, a 60-mile jam into the capital city lasted nine days. (more)
P.S. You can see a similar use of tracking technology; it's used on Google Maps (click on the traffic view). (How it works.)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Meanwhile, outside the Tap Cave...
Turkey - A plan to install flood-prevention sensors in southeastern Turkey has prompted a panic among local residents, who became convinced that the devices in street lamps and on roofs would actually wiretap the entire city.
Speculation about the devices began to circulate in Batman province... Amid rising paranoia in Turkey, the gossip mill in Batman quickly turned the story into a more sinister one. The rumor that the city’s street lamps and roofs were full of wiretapping gadgets listening in on all of its residents’ conversations was picked up by TV stations and online news sites, creating a furor. (more)
In past news...
The mayor of an oil-producing city in southeastern Turkey, which has the same name as the Caped Crusader, is suing helmer Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for royalties from mega-grosser "The Dark Knight."
Huseyin Kalkan, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party mayor of Batman, has accused "The Dark Knight" producers of using the city's name without permission.
"There is only one Batman in the world," Kalkan said. "The American producers used the name of our city without informing us." (more)
Speculation about the devices began to circulate in Batman province... Amid rising paranoia in Turkey, the gossip mill in Batman quickly turned the story into a more sinister one. The rumor that the city’s street lamps and roofs were full of wiretapping gadgets listening in on all of its residents’ conversations was picked up by TV stations and online news sites, creating a furor. (more)
In past news...
The mayor of an oil-producing city in southeastern Turkey, which has the same name as the Caped Crusader, is suing helmer Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for royalties from mega-grosser "The Dark Knight."
Huseyin Kalkan, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party mayor of Batman, has accused "The Dark Knight" producers of using the city's name without permission.
"There is only one Batman in the world," Kalkan said. "The American producers used the name of our city without informing us." (more)
Old West Security Sensibility - "Drop it, pard'ner."
Wells Fargo's IT group has a simple answer for employees who want to hook personal devices up to corporate systems: No.
"They can't connect them to our networks," says Wayne Mekjian, executive vice president and CIO of information services at Wells Fargo. "We won't let them in."
The "just say no" policy applies to Apple iPads, Android tablets and smartphones owned by employees. The company also has strict policies regarding use of Twitter and Facebook, making the sites off-limits to many. Wells Fargo does, however, supply employees with corporate-approved smartphones, and a limited deployment of iPads that can connect to e-mail and other corporate systems. (more)
"They can't connect them to our networks," says Wayne Mekjian, executive vice president and CIO of information services at Wells Fargo. "We won't let them in."
The "just say no" policy applies to Apple iPads, Android tablets and smartphones owned by employees. The company also has strict policies regarding use of Twitter and Facebook, making the sites off-limits to many. Wells Fargo does, however, supply employees with corporate-approved smartphones, and a limited deployment of iPads that can connect to e-mail and other corporate systems. (more)
Le Oops - Renault plans to exonerate managers fired for alleged corporate espionage
Carlos Ghosn |
As Renault faces up to what is likely to be an embarrassing conclusion to its highly touted "affaire d’espionnage," one scenario being discussed by the firm’s board is for Chief Operating Officer Patrick Pélata to tender his resignation, the people familiar with the matter said. It is unclear whether Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn would accept the resignation, however, these people added. (more)
(Update) SpyCam Story #603 - All Things Not Considered
Vivian Schiller, the embattled chief executive of NPR, resigned from the organization Wednesday, one day after an embarrassing video surfaced of another NPR executive disparaging conservatives.
The sudden announcement came after officials from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and members of NPR's board conferred last night about the fallout from the revelation on Tuesday of a surreptitiously recorded video of NPR Foundation president Ron Schiller (no relation to Vivian Schiller). The video, made by conservative activist James O'Keefe, shows Ron Schiller calling Republicans and members of the tea party movement "xenophobic" and "racist" and saying that NPR would prefer to do without subsidies provided by the federal government. (more) (video)
Point: Be careful, you can never tell when you'll be recorded.
Counterpoint: In less than 24-hours, the spy shop spammers on capitalizing on news.
"Welcome to our newsletter!
Our hidden Cameras are used all over the place.
Read the entire article here:
NPR CEO RESIGNS.
To make your own covert recording, buy our hidden video cameras from one of our Delaers here. To become a Dealer just visit www.minigadgets.com and fill in our Dealer profile page."
The sudden announcement came after officials from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and members of NPR's board conferred last night about the fallout from the revelation on Tuesday of a surreptitiously recorded video of NPR Foundation president Ron Schiller (no relation to Vivian Schiller). The video, made by conservative activist James O'Keefe, shows Ron Schiller calling Republicans and members of the tea party movement "xenophobic" and "racist" and saying that NPR would prefer to do without subsidies provided by the federal government. (more) (video)
Point: Be careful, you can never tell when you'll be recorded.
Counterpoint: In less than 24-hours, the spy shop spammers on capitalizing on news.
"Welcome to our newsletter!
Our hidden Cameras are used all over the place.
Read the entire article here:
NPR CEO RESIGNS.
To make your own covert recording, buy our hidden video cameras from one of our Delaers here. To become a Dealer just visit www.minigadgets.com and fill in our Dealer profile page."
Security Director Alert: GPS Jammers - The Next Big Threat?
click to enlarge |
click to enlarge |
Security Directors: Give some thought to how GPS is used in your company. Create a plan for when it dies. ~Kevin
Important...
Signals from GPS satellites now help you to call your mother, power your home, and even land your plane – but a cheap plastic box can jam it all... (more) (How GPS works.)
GPS jammers...
One manufacturer claims production of 50,000 units per year. Cheap. (ebay)
FutureWatch...
Although the GPS disruption threat is not new, we are reaching critical mass - product-wise and incentive-wise. The next terrorist, activist, protester, prankster threat - salt an area (like an airport) with hundreds of these. It will take a while to find them all. Have a security plan ready. Idea: Install a GPS frequency monitor alarm in mission critical areas. (advice from Los Alamos National Laboratory) (more)
The Ray Gun is Back...
...and you're going to need more than a tin foil hat this time.
The ray gun has become more than a boyhood fantasy. The Army is quietly working to develop technology with the potential to arm tomorrow's armored combat vehicles with the capability to destroy electronic systems with high-intensity bursts of RF energy. (video)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Like Watching a Train Wreck
Australia - Queensland Rail has released dramatic CCTV footage of people narrowly escaping oncoming trains as part of a new safety campaign. (video)
Bad ass public safety or Jackass via public CCTV? My Australian colleague thinks it might inspire both. He might be right. Let's see what happens if the concept comes to America.
Wait...
U.S. Supreme Court - "No" to Corporate Personal Privacy
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the concept of corporate personal privacy in its decision today in FCC v. AT&T, Inc. AT&T sued to keep records withheld from disclosure under Exemption 7(c) of the Freedom of Information Act, which protects against the unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. AT&T claimed personal privacy protections extend to corporations. In a unanimous decision, the court held that Exemption 7(c) applied to individuals only. (more)
Friday, March 4, 2011
China Helps Build Intelligence Complex for Mugabe
Zimbabwe - Construction of the government’s secret electronic eavesdropping complex just outside Harare is moving at a ‘very fast pace’ SW Radio Africa learned on Thursday.
It’s believed the complex will, amongst many other things, be used to monitor internet use and telephone calls in Zimbabwe. The ‘snooping’ project, according to a source, is to become the government agency that monitors communications around the whole country. (more)
Considering these folks don't even have their own currency anymore, who's paying for this? Why?
Play "Connect the Dots"
Zimbabwe natural resources: Deposits of more than 40 minerals including diamonds, ferrochrome, gold, silver, platinum, copper, asbestos, nickel, graphite, coal, lithium, palladium, vermiculite; 19 million hectares of forest (more) (sing-a-long)
It’s believed the complex will, amongst many other things, be used to monitor internet use and telephone calls in Zimbabwe. The ‘snooping’ project, according to a source, is to become the government agency that monitors communications around the whole country. (more)
Considering these folks don't even have their own currency anymore, who's paying for this? Why?
Play "Connect the Dots"
Zimbabwe natural resources: Deposits of more than 40 minerals including diamonds, ferrochrome, gold, silver, platinum, copper, asbestos, nickel, graphite, coal, lithium, palladium, vermiculite; 19 million hectares of forest (more) (sing-a-long)
"It all happened after the new Donutland opened."
A random inspection of the electronic surveillance system of the Mumbai police on Wednesday, found that the Global Positioning System (GPS) in as many as 30 vehicles were malfunctioning, or not functioning at all. The faux pas came to the notice of the newly appointed police commissioner Arup Patnaik, who was inspecting the police control room to oversee the working condition as well functioning of the men and the machines deployed therein.
“I was told technical faults in the equipment led to malfunctioning of the GPS system,” Patnaik said. (more)
In other news...
CT - Police in Cheshire said a car crashed into the front of a Dunkin' Donuts on West Main Street on Thursday afternoon. There was no word if anyone was injured in the crash. No other information was available. (more) Imagine that!
Judith Coplon - Dead at 89
Judith Coplon, a former Justice Department employee who became a sensation in 1949 when she was accused of being a Soviet spy, has died. She was 89.
Coplon, who in later years went by her married name, Judith Socolov, died Saturday in a New York City hospital, said her daughter, Emily Socolov.
As a 28-year-old Justice Department employee, Coplon was caught with secret U.S. documents at a meeting with a Russian agent on a Manhattan street. She claimed she was meeting him only because she loved him, but she was found guilty at two trials.
The convictions were overturned, and the cases were eventually dropped. (more)
Coplon, who in later years went by her married name, Judith Socolov, died Saturday in a New York City hospital, said her daughter, Emily Socolov.
As a 28-year-old Justice Department employee, Coplon was caught with secret U.S. documents at a meeting with a Russian agent on a Manhattan street. She claimed she was meeting him only because she loved him, but she was found guilty at two trials.
The convictions were overturned, and the cases were eventually dropped. (more)
"What will Anna Chapman do next?"
Russian spy Anna Chapman is in from the cold and out on the Internet with an official website featuring photos, news and an upbeat message urging Russians to smile and be self-reliant.
The site www.annachapman.ru is the latest venture from Chapman, who has made a media splash since her deportation from the United States in a Cold War-style spy swap last July. (more)
The site www.annachapman.ru is the latest venture from Chapman, who has made a media splash since her deportation from the United States in a Cold War-style spy swap last July. (more)
She would have loved Ed Wood.
The Pink Panther Drives Again
France - A top Renault SA official said the French auto maker is no longer certain that its electric-car development efforts were the target of corporate espionage, throwing doubts on a high-profile case that cost three executives their jobs and led the Chinese Foreign Ministry to issue an angry denial of any involvement.
Patrick Pélata, the auto maker's chief operating officer, made the admission in comments that were published Thursday evening on a French newspaper's website. He said the auto maker could have been "tricked" into bringing allegations against three senior managers. His comments added to the mystery of a case that was never fully fleshed out. (more)
The easiest way out? Just... A Shot in the Dark.
Patrick Pélata, the auto maker's chief operating officer, made the admission in comments that were published Thursday evening on a French newspaper's website. He said the auto maker could have been "tricked" into bringing allegations against three senior managers. His comments added to the mystery of a case that was never fully fleshed out. (more)
The easiest way out? Just... A Shot in the Dark.
Beware the Long Arm of Social Notworking
Tip - Police and prosecutors are quickly learning that online postings can offer useful clues to a suspect's location, motives and acquaintances. (more)
Fark - On-line framing.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Cell Phone + Satellite Phone = TerreStar Genus
Click to enlarge. |
Security Directors - Please be aware that on the AT&T press release the coverage area is left to your imagination.
"it’s now easier and more convenient than ever before to have mobile coverage in remote locations"
"The access to the TerreStar™ satellite network enables wireless communications coverage in remote areas for government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, as well as backup satellite communications capabilities for public safety agencies, first responders and disaster recovery groups."
(My imagination... Satellite=Worldwide, Wrongo.)
According to TerreStar...
"Provides coverage for the Continental United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Alaska" Their graphic is accurate. But you have to visit TerreStar to find it out.
A U.S. satellite phone is here — they send a signal directly to a satellite from anywhere with a clear view of the sky without need of a cell tower. But with per-minute fees of $1 or more (sometimes a lot more), you’ll still need a regular mobile phone for everyday use. That means you need two phones. Just what you want when hiking — two weighty pieces of hardware to tote. "it’s now easier and more convenient than ever before to have mobile coverage in remote locations"
"The access to the TerreStar™ satellite network enables wireless communications coverage in remote areas for government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, as well as backup satellite communications capabilities for public safety agencies, first responders and disaster recovery groups."
(My imagination... Satellite=Worldwide, Wrongo.)
According to TerreStar...
"Provides coverage for the Continental United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Alaska" Their graphic is accurate. But you have to visit TerreStar to find it out.
But now there is a hybrid mobile-satellite phone, a single device that can connect to either network. Called the TerreStar Genus, this phone is available through AT&T for $1,070 ($800 for small business and government customers).
The phone isn’t a brick-sized ruggedized monster, but it’s not exactly svelte either. At 4.7 by 2.5 by 0.8 inches and almost 5 ounces, it’s stolid form and qwerty keyboard will remind you of an overweight BlackBerry. (more)
Business Security Information - Security Tips for Business
Sean McCreary, is a security consultant and researcher. He runs Business Security Information and his blog provides small and medium-sized businesses with relevant security information and resources. "We do the research so you don't have to!" Very cool!
- Approximately 20 years security experience including positions in the government and both the public and private sector.
- Close to 12 years experience dealing with small and medium-sized business security issues.
- Experience and background in both physical and computer security.
- Certified Protection Professional (CPP) through ASIS International.
- Associate in Risk Management (ARM) through Insurance Institute of America.
- Degrees in security, loss prevention, and information system security.
The information on the site is gathered from websites and other public sources of security information. Being a continuous learner, Sean set up the blog to share some of that knowledge with you.
If you can't afford a full-time security director, or a part-time security consultant, you need to carve out a few minutes each week to visit Sean. (more)
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