Pupillo, cellphone-controlled home spycam

Spying on those pesky kids or that errant spouse back home just got a little easier for customers of UK cellphone service provider Three Telecom. The company has rolled out the Pupillo, a £150 ($261) battery-powered spycam that can be accessed by 3G cellphone. It even has night vision for those stealth spy sessions. Of course, the fact that it looks like a miniature garbage can with a lens doesn't exactly make it discreet; maybe the next version can look like, er, R2-D2 or something.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Wouldn't a "spy"-cam be less conspicuous? On the same train of thought, isn't it only a video camera and then becomes a "spy"-cam if it is covertly installed?

How does this builds trust between child and parent? You don't see the kids installing "spy"-cam's in the parents bedroom do you?

Now this thing would be great for figuring out which cat keeps climbing the Christmas tree.

[brad @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Doesn't windows media mobile 10 stream? shouldn't be too hard to set something like this up on the smartphones, should it?

[Antonio Moro @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

$261 ?!?!?!

It's avaible also in Italy since october for just 99�

check:
https://www.shoptre.com/dettaglioArticoli.asp?articolo=0BCODEC10001

[Christen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Not yet available in the UK, but apparently will be soon. I wonder how the device interacts with your cell. Does it have its own IP address that you jump on via 3G network?

[Improbus @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Children could disable the spy cam by covering it with a hat. Not much a spy cam, eh?

[bluetide @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

the camera from italy only works on the italian network and the three uk one is ment to only work on three uk. the camera act like a phone and has its own number. you videocall its number enter your pin then star viewing.

[torkhum @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

nice. i could use this. a useful contraption for anyone with couriousity. i'd buy it if it only was compatible with other phones, not just the service provider.

[bluetide @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

its compatable with all phones not just ones on three. as you video call it and enter a pin anyone with a 3g handset can call it

[Timpac @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

My Treo 650 can already do this with any generic webcam.

[Olinga @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

The Pupillo only operates on Three in UK, has no PIR/motion detection, has no recording, does not allow multiple phones to dial in simultaneously, does not allow international dial in ... so useless for security and entertainment? A much better alternative is a GPRS camera that is network agnostic and has all the above features. More from ...

www.iris.tv
www.videocommunity.tv

[Samuel Lago @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

I live hollographic stickers