Inspecting Gadgets
The staff of London’s Spycatcher store talk us through their bestselling undercover clobber…
WRISTWATCH WALKIE-TALKIES (£99)
It’s a three-mile range, multi-channel walkie-talkie. In a wristwatch! “You see a lot of this kind of thing in Bond movies. They used to think it was far-fetched. Now it’s here.” Invisible cars by 2010, then...
BUG DETECTOR (£195)
Small, discreet and very, very nifty, this counter-surveillance device vibrates to alert you if there are audio or video bugs in the vicinity. “It’s a very portable, useful little tool” – and invaluable kit for paranoid buggers who don’t want to get bugged like Harry Caul in The Conversation.
VOICE CHANGER (£10)
Go all Deep Throat (spy not porn) with this voice changing kit. Connect it to a mobile and change your voice between male and female at the touch of a button. Or pretend to be two different people. “Loads of our customers love using this to wind their friends up...”
TRANSMITTING PEN CAMERA (£295)
Is it a pen? Is it a camera? Actually, it’s both. “It’s very spy-ish,” says our mole. “Pop it in your pocket and you can film covertly and transmit pictures to a receiver. It’s popular with mystery shoppers and undercover reporters”. Doesn’t shoot poison darts, though...
SPY PHONES (£549)
It looks like an ordinary Nokia... but it’s actually a high-tech bugging device. Dial the phone and it becomes a mic, picking up conversations around it. “It’s real spy gear and it’s a favourite with corporate clients keeping tabs on employees”. You’ll never trust your mobile again.
PDL KEYBOARD (£175)
Tap, tap, tap... This average-looking keyboard can store 64 pages of text, recording every keystroke the user makes. That means emails, passwords – even your bank details. “It was originally designed for parents wanting to see what sites their kids were accessing. But it obviously has other uses too...”
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SEE BEHIND SUNGLASSES (£10)
“Ever wondered why bodyguards always wear sunglasses?” asks our source. Apparently these special shades, fitted with inner mirrors, are the reason. Not quite as cool as Arnie’s video specs in True Lies but they’ll let you spot the terrorist/stalker/random nutter creeping up behind you.
LASER TRIP WIRES (£35)
Calling all Junior James Bonds: these espionage toys are a must have for Spy Kids. If intruders trip the invisible beams, an alarm is triggered, making them “perfect for keeping your brother or sister out of your bedroom”. Or for playing Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.
TORNADO NIGHT VISION GOGGLES (£2,449)
Fact: real spies don’t eat carrots. “Night vision is high on the list of ultimate spy items”. Why? “Because it’s very James Bond”. Basic units start at £150 – great for playing real-life Splinter Cell – but the Tornado is top of the range.
RADIATION DETECTOR WRISTWATCH (£411)
Escape the fallout with this combined Swiss-made wristwatch and radiation tracker. Great for detecting dirty bombs or imminent nuclear meltdowns. “It was really popular with journalists in Iraq,” says our mole. Now it’s a favourite with former Russian spies.
The Spycatcher store is located somewhere on Baker Street in London. We can’t tell you exactly where. Not because they’ve threatened to kill us – we’ve just forgotten. Visit their partner website at www.spycatcheronline.com .
Source: ( spycatcheronline )
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