bug

Eavesdropping pot pourri is fishy

Let's say you fancy yourself an international person of intrigue and are ready for your first attempt at true espionage: planting a bug. But where? As much as we like the design of the "GSM Table Lamp," it might arouse a smidgeon of suspicion if presented as a hostess gift at a dinner party.

Still, we're not so sure about the "Pot Pourri Basket with built-in GSM Transmitter" either. True, it's not as obstrusive as a piece of furniture, but we've never been comfortable with the concept of pot pourri. (What is … Read more

VW media player: Herbie would approve

We're convinced that someone high up at Volkswagen is a wannabe rock star. First, the carmaker offers a complimentary "GarageMaster" guitar with many of its new models. Now, it's come out with VW media player co-branded with LG.

This is no ordinary sticker job either. "The player will have an aluminum body and come in three of the same colors the cars offers; Salsa Red, Shadow Blue and Sunflower Yellow," according to Everything USB, as well as featuring a 2.4-inch LCD for video and a battery that allows up to 20 hours of … Read more

An expensive way to thwart spies

As we've seen with such diabolical (though tasteful) products as the "GSM Table Lamp," one can never be too careful these days when it comes to surveillance issues, even in the home. Or perhaps especially in the home.

That's why items such as the "Tape Recorder Blocker" exist. The newest counter-surveillance offering from U.K.-based Spycatcher blocks digital eavesdropping "by emitting a sub-audible tone which cannot be detected by the human ear but will drown out any recordings when played back." Kind of a canine-frequency anti-spying device, we suppose.

We were … Read more

A perfect lightbulb for bug haters

LEDs continue to pop up everywhere, from music players to your head, and one company from Japan is taking them to new frontiers in the great outdoors.

Like all LEDs, Iwasaki Electric's "Bouhantou" is remarkably efficient--it can last for 40,000 and requires far less energy to operate than standard bulbs. But Gizmowatch notes that it has one important distinction: The Bouhantou doesn't emit ultraviolet light, which means it won't attract insects.

And that, in our entomophobic opinion, is the best thing about it.

All-in-one anti-surveillance device

Forget about all those traffic radar detectors that have come on the market recently. The truly paranoid need far more sophisticated equipment to find out who's watching them, such as this "All in One Professional Counter-Surveillance Device."

The $350 piece of hardware can supposedly detect GPS trackers, wireless hidden cameras, audio bugs, phone taps and laser eavesdropping systems, as well as disable their transmissions. There's just one problem: As Navigadget points out, it may very well jam every other digital device in your home.

Spy lamp can bug any room tastefully

The espionage community has apparently taken up some hobbies since the end of the Cold War--including interior design.

The "GSM Table Lamp" may look like an innocent accent piece from Crate and Barrel, but it doubles as an eavesdropping device that can pick up audio up to 20 meters away. But what really stands out is its global monitoring ability.

As long as it's in a region with GSM coverage, Red Ferret notes that you can call the lamp from anywhere in the world. And no one will be the wiser, as it's activated automatically and … Read more

From iTunes, Bonjour!

No, it's not another portal featuring a new music genre.

CNET News.com has received reports from users that a glitch in the iTunes 7.02 software brings them to the wrong version of the iTunes Store. Instead of the U.S. version, people are ending up in the iTunes Store for France, Canada and Switzerland, among others, which precludes them from viewing and downloading U.S. television shows.

The glitch is easily fixable. Simply scroll to the bottom of the iTunes Store welcome screen and choose the country you live in from the "My Store" scroll … Read more