Spy Ear power strip lets you listen from the floor

Yeah, it's not the wildest power strip design we've ever seen, but the Spy Ear has a secret: a hidden SIM card slot and cell radio that allows you to monitor what's happening in your absence. Just dial in and listen away -- we're not sure how much you'll hear from the usual places a power strip is hidden, but it'll be better than nothing, nosy.

[Via Red Ferret]

[The WC @ Jun 1st 2009 1:37PM]

Must... keep... perverted...thoughts...in...check!

/William Shatner impression

[KEROLiUKAS @ Jun 1st 2009 1:37PM]

Too bad it's usually under a desk. Unless it's a got nicer amplified microphone. Cool idea though. Price? $66 is kinda much for a power strip, but i guess it's got a radio in it, still not justifiable as this would be just for fun to me.

[Amrosorma @ Jun 1st 2009 6:45PM]

A USB hub would make a hell of a lot more sense.

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2009 11:15AM]

Guess what? A hub is mostly limited to being near computers, and since this is wireless and a powerstrip it can be used where there are no computers.
In fact for computers you can just plug in a mic and set it on the desk (if it doesn't have one already in the case as with notebooks).

[b @ Jun 1st 2009 6:46PM]

there are many latest hacks by monitoring the power consumption of the machine or even of the monitor. a research group at my uni. is dedicated in this field

[engadget @ Jun 1st 2009 6:48PM]

I'd be much more excited if this let you remote power-cycle each of the outlets.

[tikiwk @ Jun 1st 2009 8:48PM]

http://www.crestron.com/

If anyone has a programmable or network enabled management tool for powering on or off devices, Crestron must.

[Kelvinyam @ Jun 1st 2009 6:53PM]

They should try putting in features like turning off the power remotely, that's what I call innovative.

[Chad @ Jun 1st 2009 7:11PM]

Off | On | Restart (off for 10 seconds then on)

[tikiwk @ Jun 1st 2009 8:53PM]

Here,

http://www.crestron.com/products/show_products.asp?jump=1&model=CRESTRON-MOBILE

[bandigolo @ Jun 1st 2009 6:57PM]

and the random gadget of the year goes to...

[Chad @ Jun 1st 2009 7:09PM]

Coming to corporate espionage attempts near you.

[austin @ Jun 1st 2009 7:10PM]

"If it is not woked properly, try to plug-in the Sim Card again"

kinda defeats the purpose. you would have to go to the device to do that... wouldnt be very covert.

[BigD145 @ Jun 1st 2009 7:10PM]

All I hear is *tap*tap*tap*tap*tap*tap*tap*tap*.

[Samboini @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:26AM]

Or should that be fap*fap*fap*fap*fap?

[Clyde Berry @ Jun 1st 2009 7:58PM]

Finally! A way for me to spy on my employee's feet!

[Newone @ Jun 1st 2009 8:08PM]

What will it hear?

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

The noisy poweradapters will be all you can hear.

[Crunch @ Jun 1st 2009 8:29PM]

These have been sold at dealextreme.com for months... how is this news?

[KGB @ Jun 1st 2009 8:39PM]

Its ok, Engadget editors have nothing interesting to report half the time. You know the category of Crap Gadgets? Well this is Crap News.

[sam @ Jun 1st 2009 10:26PM]

beat me to it... not month, though. years...

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2009 11:19AM]

Researched has shown not enough freaks that comment on engadget bought this thing you see, that's why.

[Slim Jim @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:27AM]

Damn i just ran out of minutes on my power strip

[Garst @ Jun 2nd 2009 5:56AM]

How many washers and dryers do you have that you need 8 outlets? And this certainly doesn't solve the problem with people turning on the dryer so they aren't overheard. This is completely useless and a siphon for money.

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2009 11:26AM]

Geez I have so many outlets in my computer-room, all plugged full of cords, from the power to my forcefeedback joystick to the power of my soldering iron.
My computers alone have a ton actually, router, computer, rechargers, amplifier, monitors.

So tell me, you seriously only have 2 or so plugs to power up everything?

Oh and btw this thing is clearly not suitable for rooms where water is used so I don't get why you focus on washers and dryers, and washers and dryers are so power-hungry that it's anyway not advised, and in many cases not legal (or allowed by your insurance policy), to use them on a powerstrip like this.

[Garst @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:47PM]

You really didn't get the reference that the only things that uses 220v power outlets here in the US is pretty much only washers and dryers and when people don't want to be overheard they run a loud device such as the dryer? And household only ever have one washer and one dryer so having eight outlets is not necessary. Not that you could use this, because washers and dryers use different 220v plugs than this anyways.

[superhobo @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:24AM]

It should have a hidden 3G camera pointing up at a 45 degree angle.

[Idlemind @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:47AM]

...Just what I need when I want to be lulled asleep by the sounds of the 60Hz hum from my childhood....

[BB_Bold9000 @ Jun 2nd 2009 10:32AM]

Cheaper here for what looks the same (knock off for sure)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22097

[jnc_nichols @ Jun 2nd 2009 4:00PM]

Is it just me, or is there something wrong with the female plug slots.... It does look like you could plug anything into that powewrstrip... at least not an american plug..... so y'all can only spy on you Non-American employees....

[ScooterDe @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:19PM]

they are universal slots - good for the US/Japan, Australia, Europe, UK etc.
Crazy thing is, many three-pin plugs have a cord exiting out the back, hear the earth pin. In other words, these slots should be reversed, so cables run away from the box. As it is, the cables would all be pointing inwards to the middle, and no two opposing slots could be in use at any one time. So it is not really very useful for non-US locations either.

[Alison Backers @ Aug 10th 2009 10:56AM]

I wish that it was for the USA. where everything is 110 v not 220v. I did not realize this until I got the unit and had to return it