We’ve all seen the cool gadgets that spys like James Bond has, but of course, they’re all made up just for entertaining us while we sit in front of the screen.
Or are they..? Are they really just made up or do those fancy gadgets exist? In part one of a series we’re running at Techneek, we take a look and see if we can find some real life equivalents to some spy gadgets found in the world of James Bond.
Tomorrow Never Dies - Super phone!
Remember this, from Tomorrow Never Dies? Not only could it be used for some of the most blatant product placement, but its the penknife of phones. Mr Bond used it as a stun gun, fingerprint reader, and its even got a screwdriver…
Well over at Euro Spyshop they sell modified Nokia 6230i mobile phones. While it may not be able to take out people with a stun gun, for a mobile phone it is quite impressive.
According to their site, this is what they have to say about the Nokia 6230i spyphone:
By calling a special access number, you can activate the cellular spy phone and turn it into a high-tech bugging device that will let you hear
1. Any sound in the vicinity of the phone and (“Listening Mode”).
2. Phone conversations made or received by Spy Phone (“Interception Mode”).
The phone operates as a normal mobile phone and you can make and receive calls as usual. However when you call the phone using the special access number, it automatically answers without any ringing or the owner being aware that you are connected to their phone (“Listening Mode”). It allows you listening discreetly to what is going on up to 5 meters away from the phone. There will be no record of call received from the special access number in the phone’s list of received calls.
But if you actually want a dangerous phone, then you can get this rather fake looking phone that is a stun gun!
Although it doesn’t work as a real phone, it can send out 800,000 volts. Which I am lead to believe is a considerable amount ;). Would be amusing to own one of those and get mugged for your phone.
From Russia With Love - Tear gas in suitcase
Sorry for the poor photo, but I am sure you remember this fight anyway. So do things like this exist? Well of course we’re not going to find them on some online shop, but How Stuff Works has this to say:
Two of the most surprising real-world assassination devices were disguised in a pack of cigarettes and an umbrella. The cigarette pack was to be offered to the victim, aimed near his face as if to let him draw a cigarette out with his teeth. At that moment, it would be triggered, ejecting a cloud of cyanide vapor into his face, killing him very quickly, and with almost no trace evidence. The would-be assassin had a change of heart, warned his target, and defected.
Nasty stuff…
A View To A Kill - camera on a ring
This won’t come as any surprise, we all know that cameras have been made in very small sizes for years, but thought I’d mention it.
You can buy cameras implanted in almost anything nowadays. My favourite from this spy camera shop has got to be their monkey doll…
Diamonds are Forever - Fake Fingerprints
Remember when he faked finger prints, pretending to be one of Blofelds henchmen? This is entirely possible, even though the idea of fingerprint is very tough to break it is very easy. It wasn’t much of an exaggeration in the film as to how its really done (source: bbc)
Leave comments below asking what gadgets you want to see if they really exist!