Secret CIA spy gadgets go public (photos)

Thought James Bond had cool tech toys? Get a load of some of the spy gizmos being shown off by the CIA for the first time.

Charles Cooper

Feb. 22, 2011 1:30 p.m. PT

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Escape and evasion map

When you think CIA, one of last words likely to come to mind is "open." And yet the U.S. spy organization has begun to lift the lid-- albeit ever so slightly--in a bid to cultivate public support. In fact, the agency recently launched a retooled Web site, complete with YouTube and Flickr channels.

The following images include some of the mementos that the agency is now sharing with the public for the first time. If you thought James Bond had cool tech toys, get a load of stuff like this silk escape and evasion map printed with waterproof dyes just in case the map ever got wet.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Stereoscope

Allied photo interpreters used this stereoscope during World War II to view filmed images of enemy territory in 3D.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Intrusion detector

This intrusion detector--powered by tiny power cells and featuring a built-in antenna--could detect movement of people, animals, or objects up to 985 feet away.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

Ever wonder where your tax dollars go? This image shows some of the handicraft of the CIA's Office of Advanced Technologies and Programs--in this case an "Unmanned Underwater Vehicle" fish built to study aquatic robot technology.

Why they would want to do that is anybody's guess, but the CIA did come up with a nifty implementation of different technologies, including a communications system in the body and a propulsion system in the fish's tail. (An operator on land controlled it by a wireless line-of-sight radio handset.)

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Insectothopter

This Dragonfly "insectothopter," invented by the CIA's Office of Research and Development in the 1970s, essentially served as a very tiny Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. One of the first-ever UAVs--long before the acronym entered the popular lexicon--this project pressed forward to test the feasibility of gathering intelligence collection by miniaturized platforms.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Envelope opener

During the World War II, devices like this one helped agents remove letters from their envelopes without opening the seals. After inserting the device into the unsealed gap at the top of an envelope flap, an agent could wind the letter around the pincers and remove it from the envelope without leaving a tear in the paper.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Hand-crank audio drill

The "Belly Buster" hand-crank audio drill was used in the 1950s and 1960s to put holes in masonry so CIA agents could implant audio devices.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Pneumatic tube

The pneumatic tube system in the CIA's first headquarters building featured more than 30 miles of 4-inch steel tubing. The system, which had about 150 receiving and dispatching stations throughout the building, operated between 1962 and 1989.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Corona

America's first successful photographic reconnaissance satellite, Corona, came into widespread use at the CIA in the 1960s.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Minox

The world's most widely used spycam, the portable Minox camera, fit into the palm of the hand and could take high quality pictures.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Pigeon cam

You've heard of pigeons carrying messages. How about pigeons taking pictures? The CIA invented a small camera that was light enough to attach to pigeons. As the birds flew over a target, the camera would take detailed images of a target area.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Concealed camera

A miniature 35mm film camera concealed in a tobacco pouch.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Semi-submersible

In the 1950s, the CIA had its own semi-submersible. It couldn't travel very far and needed to be hauled around by a larger mother vessel, but its relatively small size allowed the spy sub to operate undetected in areas that would have proved impossible for larger ships.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Semi-submersible

Another view of the semi-submersible.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

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Lithium iodine battery

A lithium iodine battery. It's still unclear what use it saw in action, but the CIA says it shared its research into these types of batteries with the medical community in the 1970s.

This gallery originally appeared on CBSNews.com.