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Army spy blimp to launch within weeks: 300 feet long, $500 million, 'multi-intelligent'

Sharif Sakr — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:04:00 EST

It can't go faster than 34MPH and it's already a year late for its planned deployment in Afghanistan, but Northrop Grumman's Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) is now set for its maiden flight. The test run is scheduled for sometime between June 6th and 10th over Lakehurst, New Jersey, whose residents ought to be forewarned that it is not a solar eclipse or a Death Star, but simply a helium-filled pilotless reconnaissance and communications airship that happens to be the size of a football field. After floating around for a while, the giant dirigible is expected to journey south to Florida, where it'll be fitted to a custom-built gondola that will carry the bulk of its equipment, and by which time her enemies hopefully won't have come into possession of an air force.

Army spy blimp to launch within weeks: 300 feet long, $500 million, 'multi-intelligent' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy Biiiirthday Mr. USAF X-37B Robot Space Plane

Sharif Sakr — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:04:00 EST

The X-37B was only meant to stay up in space for a gestational nine months, but a full year has now passed since launch and the US Air Force apparently has little interest in bringing its baby home. On the contrary: according to Space.com, the plan is to send up another unmanned space plane to keep the X-37B company on its [CLASSIFIED] missions. Whatever it's getting up to in that airless playground, it must be doing something right. Air Force Lt. Col. Tom McIntyre says the craft is "setting the standard for a reusable space plane and, on this one-year orbital milestone, has returned great value on the experimental investment." Which is a fine way of saying [STILL CLASSIFIED].

Happy Biiiirthday Mr. USAF X-37B Robot Space Plane originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW i8 production prototype goes dancing in a winter wonderland (video)

Myriam Joire — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:07:00 EST

It's been almost a year since we last wrote about the BMW i8 being winter-tested and here it is again -- this time in production prototype form -- doing donuts (!) in the snow. This plug-in gasoline electric hybrid vehicle started life as the Vision EfficientDynamics, promising sub five-second 0 - 60mph times while still achieving an impressive 87mpg (2.7 liters per 100km). We last saw the i8 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show but the sporty coupé with the funky gullwing-like doors isn't expected in BMW showrooms until sometime in 2014. So for now just sit back, relax and check out the video above.

BMW i8 production prototype goes dancing in a winter wonderland (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wi-Spi Helicopter and Intruder RC toys put the childlike wonder back into spying on your neighbors

Brian Heater — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:01:00 EST

Sick and tired of spying on the neighbors the old-fashioned way? Good news, all. Interactive Toy Designs showed off two new products in its not-so-subtly named Wi-Spi line of remote control vehicles. Really driving the notion home is the Intruder, the name given to the little red sports car. The helicopter, on the other hand, is called just that, though we're sure you can intrude upon people with the thing, if you really put your mind to it. Both vehicles have built-in cameras that beam live feeds to your iPhone or Android devices. You can also record the video and upload it instantly to social networking sites, to really get that spying 2.0 feel. The Intruder and Helicopter are both arriving in the fall, for $100 and $120, respectively.

Gallery: Wi-Spi Helicopter and Intruder RC toys put the childlike wonder back into spying on your neighbors

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Wi-Spi Helicopter and Intruder RC toys put the childlike wonder back into spying on your neighbors originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EFF takes the fight to Carrier IQ, requests reinforcements

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:19:00 EST

If we didn't love the EFF already, we'd be proposing marriage now that it's managed to reverse-engineer Carrier IQ's pernicious monitoring software. CIQ exists in phones in three parts, the app itself, a configuration file and a database -- where your keystrokes and coded "metrics" are logged before being sent to the company. Volunteer Jared Wierzbicki cracked the configuration profile and produced IQIQ, an Android app that reveals what parts of your activity are being monitored. Now the Foundation is posting an open call for people to share their data using the app in order to decipher what personal data was collected and hopefully decrypt the rest of the software. Hopefully, our thoughts can soon turn to who's gonna play the part of Trevor Eckhart in the All the Presidents Men-style biopic.

EFF takes the fight to Carrier IQ, requests reinforcements originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WikiLeaks' Spy Files shed light on the corporate side of government surveillance

Amar Toor — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:35:00 EST

WikiLeaks' latest batch of documents hit the web this week, providing the world with a scarily thorough breakdown of a thoroughly scary industry -- government surveillance. The organization's trove, known as the Spy Files, includes a total of 287 files on surveillance products from 160 companies, as well as secret brochures and presentations that these firms use to market their technologies to government agencies. As Ars Technica reports, many of these products are designed to get around standard privacy guards installed in consumer devices, while some even act like malware. DigiTask, for example, is a German company that produces and markets software capable of circumventing a device's SSL encryption and transmitting all instant messages, emails and recorded web activity to clients (i.e., law enforcement agencies). This "remote forensic software" also sports keystroke logging capabilities, and can capture screenshots, as well. Included among DigiTask's other products is the WifiCatcher -- a portable device capable of culling data from users linked up to a public WiFi network. US-based SS8, Italy's Hacking Team and France's Vupen produce similar Trojan-like malware capable of documenting a phone or computer's "every use, movement, and even the sights and sounds of the room it is in," according to the publication.

Speaking at City University in London yesterday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said his organization decided to unleash the Spy Files as "a mass attack on the mass surveillance industry," adding that the technologies described could easily transform participating governments into a "totalitarian surveillance state." The documents, released on the heels of the Wall Street Journal's corroborative "Surveillance Catalog" report, were published alongside a preface from WikiLeaks, justifying its imperative to excavate such an "unregulated" industry. "Intelligence agencies, military forces, and police authorities are able to silently, and on mass, and [sic] secretly intercept calls and take over computers without the help or knowledge of the telecommunication providers," wrote Wikileaks in its report. "In the last ten years systems for indiscriminate, mass surveillance have become the norm." The organization says this initial document dump is only the first in a larger series of related files, scheduled for future release. You can comb through them for yourself, at the source link below.

WikiLeaks' Spy Files shed light on the corporate side of government surveillance originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brits, your government needs you to solve this puzzle

Sharif Sakr — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:22:00 EST

Spare a thought for the British intelligence services. Every time they come up with a clever recruitment drive, their efforts are hampered by yet another off-putting death scene in a certain long-running spy drama. But relax, this particular ciphered job advert is entirely safe. It's been put out by the UK's monitoring service, GCHQ, which is altogether more 9 to 5 than MI5. You simply need to figure out the keyword buried in that daunting grid of characters, submit it via the 'canyoucrackit' link below, and a happy career in headphones and Herman Miller could be yours. On the other hand, people who claim to have beaten the puzzle seem underwhelmed by the response: all it got them, they say, was a shot at a £25k per year position that was already being openly advertised on the web. But, who knows, maybe those guys only think they cracked it?

Brits, your government needs you to solve this puzzle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Air Force X-37B space plane books additional time on orbital cruise, orders another margarita

Chris Barylick — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:35:00 EST

If your secret space plane's in orbit and doing its secret thing well enough, why bother bringing it home? This appears to be the mindset of the Air Force regarding its experimental X-37B space plane, the billion-dollar robotic vehicle's orbital flight being extended beyond the 270 days it was initially designed for. While the Air Force has stated that the vehicle is meant only for conducting orbital science experiments, analysts say the X-37B is capable of much more, and could perform additional tasks such as acting as an orbital spy, sneaking up on and tampering with enemy satellites or hauling small batches of supplies to the International Space Station. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the X-37B could stay in orbit for that much longer. Although the Air Force said last year that the X-37B could last nine months above the heavens before its power and fuel ran out, an inside source commented that "it sips power and fuel like a Prius." Click through the break for the full X-37B schematics, which -- crazily enough -- look nothing like a Prius.

Continue reading Air Force X-37B space plane books additional time on orbital cruise, orders another margarita

Air Force X-37B space plane books additional time on orbital cruise, orders another margarita originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man on vacation confused for a Russian spy, almost restarts cold war

James Trew — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:35:00 EST

Threats of Russian espionage can come from the unlikeliest of sources, as Jim Mimlitz, owner of Navionics Research, a small integrator firm, knows only too well. Curran Gardner Public Water District, just outside of Springfield, Illinois, employed Mimlitz's firm to set up its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA), and the spy games began when Mimlitz went on vacation in Russia. While there, he logged into the SCADA system to check some data, then logged off and went back to enjoying Red Square and the finest vodka mother Russia has to offer.

However, five months later a Curran Gardner water pump fails, and an IT contractor eyeballing the logs spots the Russian-based IP address. Fearing stolen credentials, he passes the info up the chain of command to the Environmental Protection Agency (as it governs the water district) without bothering to contact Mimlitz, whose name was in the logs next to the IP address. The EPA then passed along the paranoia to a joint state and federal terrorism intelligence center, which issued a report stating that SCADA had been hacked. Oh boy. A media frenzy followed bringing all the brouhaha to Mimlitz's attention. After speaking with the FBI, the massive oversight was identified, papers were shuffled, and everyone went about their day. So, next time you delete all your company's e-mail, or restart the wrong server, remember: at least you didn't almost start World War III. Tap the source link for the full story.

[Image courtesy Northackton]

Man on vacation confused for a Russian spy, almost restarts cold war originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iSpy software can read texts and steal passwords with its little eye (video)

Amar Toor — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:47:00 EST

We spy, with our bleary eye, a new piece of software that could make it dramatically easier to steal personal data. The program, known as iSpy, allows devious voyeurs to remotely identify and read text typed on touchscreen displays. That, in and of itself, isn't exactly new, but iSpy takes shoulder surfing to slightly terrifying new areas -- namely, those beyond the "shoulder." Developed by Jan-Michael Frahm and Fabian Monrose of the UNC-Chapel Hill, this program, like those before it, takes advantage of the magnified keys found on most touchscreens. All you'd have to do is point a camera at someone else's screen and iSpy will automatically record whatever he or she types by stabilizing the video footage and identifying the enlarged keys. If you're using a smartphone camera, you'll be able to eavesdrop from up to three meters away, but if you opt for a more heavy duty DSLR device, you could steal passwords from up to 60 meters away. The software can also recognize any words typed into a device, and, according to its architects, can identify letters with greater than 90 percent accuracy. When used with a DSLR camera, iSpy can even pick up on reflections of touchscreens in sunglasses or window panes from up to 12 meters away. To avoid this, Frahm and Monrose recommend disabling the magnified key function on your smartphone, or using some sort of screen shield. We recommend checking out a video of the program, after the break.

Continue reading iSpy software can read texts and steal passwords with its little eye (video)

iSpy software can read texts and steal passwords with its little eye (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgia Tech spies on nearby keyboards with iPhone 4 accelerometer, creates spiPhone

Joe Pollicino — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:47:00 EST

Ever plopped your cellular down next to your laptop? According Georgia Tech researchers, that common scenario could let hackers record almost every sentence you type, all thanks to your smartphone's accelerometer. They've achieved the feat with an impressive 80 percent accuracy using an iPhone 4, and are dubbing the program they've developed, spiPhone. (Although the group initially had fledgling trials with an iPhone 3GS, they discovered the 4's gyroscope aided in data reading.) If the software gets installed onto a mobile device it can use the accelerometer to sense vibrations within three-inches, in degrees of "near or far and left or right," allowing it to statistically guess the words being written -- so long as they have three or more letters. It does this by recording pairs of keystrokes, putting them against dictionaries with nearly 58,000 words to come up with the most likely results.

The group has also done the same with the phone's mics (which they say samples data at a whopping 44,000 times per second vs. the accelerometer's 100), but note that it's a less likely option given the usual need for some form of user permission. Furthermore, they explained that the accelerometer data rate is already mighty slow, and if phone makers reduced it a bit more, spiPhone would have a hard time doin' its thing. The good news? Considering the strict circumstances needed, these researchers think there's a slim chance that this kind of malware could go into action easily. Looks like our iPhone and MacBook can still be close friends... For now. You'll find more details at the links below.

Georgia Tech spies on nearby keyboards with iPhone 4 accelerometer, creates spiPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei blocked from first responder network contract, US cites 'national security concerns'

Zach Honig — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:42:00 EST

The inability to win US government approval isn't exactly an unfamiliar issue for Huawei, which by now must be conditioned not to expect a nod from major US telecom companies. But now, The Daily Beast reports that the U.S. Commerce Department has made it very clear that the Chinese company won't have a role in building the country's new dedicated first responder wireless network. A spokesman wasn't shy about the reason, either, explaining that Huawei "will not be taking part in the building of America's interoperable wireless emergency network for first responders due to U.S. government national security concerns." And what about those national security concerns? Well, Huawei president Ren Zhengfei's former role as a People's Liberation Army technologist may have something to do with it, considering it wouldn't be unreasonable to suspect that he still has some fairly close ties to Chinese government officials. We haven't heard a peep from the feds regarding Huawei's invitation for US officials to investigate the company earlier this year, but it's safe to assume that the investigation either didn't go very well, or more likely that it hasn't happened at all. We imagine that whole corporate espionage debacle probably didn't help the company, either.

Huawei blocked from first responder network contract, US cites 'national security concerns' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This giant military spy blimp is really hard to miss

Amar Toor — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:10:00 EST

What's this spy blimp doing next to an 18-wheeler? We're not entirely sure, but it's certainly not being subtle about it. This jumbo-sized floater, codenamed "Blue Devil Block 2," measures some 370 feet in length and comprises a whopping 1.4 million cubic feet. Originally inflated in September, the definitely-not-blue Blue Devil took flight for the first time last week in North Carolina and, if all goes to plan, should head to Afghanistan by the middle of next year. The Air Force says the blimp will hover above the country for five days at a time, collecting surveillance data from 20,000 feet above the ground and transmitting its findings to US intelligence officers on the ground, via laser. When that's taken care of, it'll be used to make the biggest omelette ever.

This giant military spy blimp is really hard to miss originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank gives your cats another reason to hate your iPad (video)

Brian Heater — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:06:00 EST

If the only thing standing between you and the purchase of an iPad is the existence of a large, remote controlled spy tank, we've got some rough news for your bank account. Brookstone is offering up the Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank, an iPad / iPhone / iPod touch-controlled toy tank that can capture audio and video and send it back to your iOS device. The tank can be controlled at distances of up to 200 feet and works around walls. The app is available as a free download and the tank will run you $150. That price includes six AA batteries, but apparently won't cover therapy for distressed house pets.

Continue reading Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank gives your cats another reason to hate your iPad (video)

Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank gives your cats another reason to hate your iPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wireless snooping WASP drone knows you want extra jalapeños, no sliced tomato

Sharif Sakr — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:01:00 EST

This fearsome contraption is the handiwork of a couple of amateur DEFCON-types who reckoned that any self-respecting spy plane ought to be able to impersonate cellphone towers. And that's exactly what the Wireless Aerial Surveillance Platform does -- it tricks AT&T and T-Mobile handsets into connecting to it, then re-routes the incoming calls via VOIP so they don't drop, while simultaneously recording all conversations to 32GB of onboard storage. It can also handle a bit of WiFi snooping on the side, thanks to a Linux-based hacking toolkit and a 340 million word dictionary for guessing passwords. What's more, the WASP apparently achieves all of this without breaking a single FCC regulation. So, er, that's fine then. Oh yeah, and we don't want any of that stuffed crust nonsense, you hear?

Wireless snooping WASP drone knows you want extra jalapeños, no sliced tomato originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia 700 'Zeta' caught in spyshots, ready to give mobile makeovers

Brad Molen — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:43:00 EST

While we're busy recovering from a recent overdose of Nokia eye candy, secret agents are hard at work hunting down more visual goodness for us to ogle at. These shots above are of the Nokia 700 "Zeta," which appears to be a replacement to the C6-01. The photos show it running on Symbian Belle -- Anna's successor -- and packed with a 5 megapixel camera, LED flash, and NFC support. The source indicates the Zeta will house a 1 GHz CPU and 3.2-inch nHD AMOLED display, weighs a smidge over 80g, and measures out at 10mm thick. Oddly enough, we dug up a leaked snapshot of the Zeta's spec sheet claiming it'll be the "thinnest smartphone ever," which at 10mm isn't anywhere close to earning that title.

Though no other phones were pictured, the spec sheet (shown below) brought attention to three other Symbian offerings on the roadmap: the Nokia 701 Helen has the best specs of the bunch with 8 megapixel camera and 3.5-inch ClearBlack display; there's the Nokia 600 Cindy with NFC, 5 megapixel shooter, and 3.2-inch AMOLED; also, we've likely seen the Nokia 500 Fate already leaked as the N5. There's no indication on when (or if) we can expect any of these phones to hit the market, but it looks like Mr. Elop is intent on keeping his promise. More photos after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Nokia 700 'Zeta' caught in spyshots, ready to give mobile makeovers

Nokia 700 'Zeta' caught in spyshots, ready to give mobile makeovers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DARPA's new Space Surveillance Telescope will keep our satellites safe from interstellar debris

Amar Toor — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:49:00 EST

What's that in the sky? A bird? A plane? Oh, it's just some junk floating around in space, posing major threats to our military's spy satellites. To help keep an eye on it, engineers at DARPA, MIT and the Air Force have unleashed a new $110 million telescope that's been in the works for nine years now. The new Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) is capable of delivering wide-angle views of the Earth's firmament thanks to a curved CCD. This allows for a massive 3.5m aperture and f/1.0 exposure settings, capturing more light in a day that your average scope can in a week. As part of the Air Force's Space Surveillance Network (SSN), the telescope's primary task will be to look out for any microsatellites, meteors or other alien droppings moving at the same speed at which the Earth rotates. The system developed its first images earlier this year and the Air Force may eventually place SSTs all over the world, creating a 360-degree surveillance blanket and going a long way toward keeping our spycraft warm, cozy, and safe from galactic hazards.

Continue reading DARPA's new Space Surveillance Telescope will keep our satellites safe from interstellar debris

DARPA's new Space Surveillance Telescope will keep our satellites safe from interstellar debris originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UAE plans enterprise-class messaging ban for individuals and small companies?

Sean Hollister — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:54:00 EST

Seems the United Arab Emirates wasn't satisfied with the spying agreements that RIM put in place -- now, the government's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority will reportedly restrict BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) services to companies with more than twenty BlackBerry accounts each. Interestingly, the TRA itself denies that any services will be halted to individuals or small firms, even as RIM itself claims that such a ban will indeed take effect, though RIM also claims that it "would be an industrywide policy applying equally to all enterprise solution providers," happily suggesting that competitors would also be affected. The ban is apparently scheduled for May 1st, so there won't be long to wait -- at the very least, we'll see who's telling the truth two weeks from today.

UAE plans enterprise-class messaging ban for individuals and small companies? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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India wants to spy on Nokia users, BlackBerry fans no longer feel special

Terrence O'Brien — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 22:01:00 EST

Poor Nokia, between having to abandon its Symbian baby and hawk anachronistic wares at a Microsoft event, it's had a pretty rough go of it recently. Now India's Ministry of Home Affairs wants to block the launch of the company's new push email service until a monitoring system can be put in place. According to The Economic Times, the Department of Telecommunications is being asked to hold back the service until the intelligence community has a way to spy on messages being sent. RIM recently fought a similar battle with the Indian government, as well as those in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Looks like the two companies share more in common than just their slip from the top of the smartphone heap.

India wants to spy on Nokia users, BlackBerry fans no longer feel special originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW i8 prototype caught on video having fun in the snow

Tim Stevens — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:33:00 EST

Grainy pictures are pretty neat, but spy videos of an unreleased car in motion are a little more titillating. That's what we have this morning, video of the BMW i8 concept car motoring around in the snow -- flanked by a series of rather more pedestrian Bavarian autos. The i8 is the auto formerly known as Vision EfficientDynamics, name shortened but concept kept the same: 62MPG from a vehicle that's still fun to drive and reasonably quick -- 0 to 62 in 4.8 seconds. The quality of the footage is perhaps a little low, but if anything that just adds to the excitement.

Continue reading BMW i8 prototype caught on video having fun in the snow

BMW i8 prototype caught on video having fun in the snow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW's i3 and i8 prototypes caught on camera in garish attire

Tim Stevens — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:37:00 EST

It was just a few weeks ago that BMW launched its new brand, simply called "i," and pledged two new electrified cars would be coming to save us from both the perils of pollution and the danger of boring commutes. Now here they are, spotted in the wild wearing the company's usual swirly vinyl, which is doing its best to hide those decidedly distinct curves -- and failing miserably, if we're honest. Both the i3 hatch (below) and i8 sportscar (above) were obviously doing some winter testing, and we'd say that the smile on the face of the passenger in the i8 is a good sign that the four-seater with 62MPG rating and a 0 - 62 time of 4.8 seconds will be fun to drive. Or fun to ride in, at least.

Continue reading BMW's i3 and i8 prototypes caught on camera in garish attire

BMW's i3 and i8 prototypes caught on camera in garish attire originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DARPA-funded Nano Hummingbird spybot takes flight (video)

Donald Melanson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:10:00 EST

We were plenty impressed when we saw the initial tests of AeroVironment's robo-hummingbird -- now officially dubbed the Nano Hummingbird -- but we can't say they quite prepared us for the final product that the DARPA-funded company is now showing off. Not only does the bot look and fly like a real hummingbird (at least if you don't look too closely), but it packs a built-in camera and a downlink of some sort that's capable of transmitting live video. According to the company, the hummingbird's also able to hover for up to eight minutes, reach speeds of eleven miles per hour in forward flight, and remain stable in wind gusts of five miles per hour -- not to mention make a perfect landing. Head on past the break to check it out in action -- it may well be one of the few chances you're actually able to see one in the wild.

Continue reading DARPA-funded Nano Hummingbird spybot takes flight (video)

DARPA-funded Nano Hummingbird spybot takes flight (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Active-i sunglasses slyly capture video, plays it back on integrated display

Darren Murph — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:19:00 EST

Interactive Group -- the same folks who ruined our lives last year with Cyber Clean -- are back. Seriously back. The company's latest ~~gimmick~~ gizmo is the Active-i sunglasses, hailed as the planet's smallest standalone video and audio recording / playback device. Put simply, you'll get a set of somewhat unsightly sunglasses (with "polarized lenses for optimum UV-protection," no less) with a built-in video camera right along the bridge of the nose. It's placed there for maximum stealth, and it's capable of capturing up to two hours of low-res video; after the deed is done, users can actually view it back on the monocular viewer, or if you need to break it down Jack Bauer-style, you can offload clips onto your PC or Mac via USB. There's also a TV output, a microSD expansion slot and a bundled carrying case, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to pricing. Something tells us your local spy store may be more "clued in."

Continue reading Active-i sunglasses slyly capture video, plays it back on integrated display

Active-i sunglasses slyly capture video, plays it back on integrated display originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers eavesdrop on encrypted GSM call: all you need is a $15 phone and 180 seconds

Darren Murph — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:17:00 EST

It's hardly a fresh idea -- researchers have claimed that GSM calls could be cracked and listened in on for years. But there's a difference between being able to do something with a $50,000 machine and a warrant, and being able to do the same thing with a few $15 Motorola phones, a laptop, open source software and 180 seconds of spare time. Security Research Labs researcher Karsten Nohl and OsmocomBB project programmer Sylvain Munaut recently spoke about a new GSM hack at the Chaos Communication Conference in Berlin, and they were able to walk the audience through the eavesdropping process in a matter of minutes. According to them, it's not terribly difficult to use a $15 handset to "sniff out" location data used to correctly route calls and texts, and once you've nailed that down, you could use modified firmware to feed raw data into a laptop for decryption. Using a 2TB table of precomputed encryption keys, a cracking program was able to break in within 20 seconds -- after that, you're just moments away from recording a live GSM call between two phones. Of course, speeches like these are made to encourage security officials to beef up the layers between you and ill-willed individuals, but it's hard to say what (if anything) will change. For now, we'd recommend just flying to each and every person you'd like to speak with. Unless you live in the Greater New York area -- you're probably better off risking a hacked conversation than heading out to LGA / JFK / EWR.

Researchers eavesdrop on encrypted GSM call: all you need is a $15 phone and 180 seconds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WikiLeaks: Chinese Politburo responsible for Google hacking

Vlad Savov — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:48:00 EST

You had to know something interesting would come out of the quarter million diplomatic cables that WikiLeaks just, well, leaked late on Sunday, and the New York Times has picked out a doozie for us. As it turns out, that big brouhaha in China surrounding the hacking of Gmail accounts was actually a state-authorized attack. Such was the report from a Chinese informant working for the US embassy, and the disclosure goes on to say that it was part of a "coordinated campaign of computer sabotage," reaching a wide net of targets, including American government machines, American private businesses, and... the Dalai Lama. Hey, China's hardly the first country to ever engage in state-sponsored cyber espionage (ahem, Stuxnet), but we can't say we're not disappointed. Let's keep it classy from here on out, alright guys?

WikiLeaks: Chinese Politburo responsible for Google hacking originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York City walls play host to covert thumbdrives

Sean Hollister — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:19:00 EST

Back when the walls had ears, spies would store their information in a hidden cache and pass along the location via code. Now, a New York City artist is doing the same with USB flash drives, five of which he's already injected into the city's brick walls. While there some obvious logistical reasons we'd avoid using his creation (not to mention worries about AutoRun in older PCs) we'll definitely keep the idea in mind for Engadget informants who are particularly paranoid about their anonymity. See the first five drives' not-so-secret locations in photos at our source links.

New York City walls play host to covert thumbdrives originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Webcam-spying school district settles out of court, FBI declines to press charges

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 07:53:00 EST

Looks like the Lower Merion School District will be paying off kids who got zinged by its laptop tracking program -- to the tune of some $610,000. As you might recall, there was quite a bit of hubbub earlier this year when students discovered that their school issued computers tended to activate their webcams and shoot the photos back to administrators. Apparently the FBI has decided not to bring any charges in the case after all, and the various families of the students settled with the school district out of court. And yes, the schools have discontinued the tracking program.

Webcam-spying school district settles out of court, FBI declines to press charges originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition ships with full-blown RC spy vehicle

Darren Murph — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:05:00 EST

We tell ya, these game bundles are getting completely out of hand... and we love it. If you reckoned that Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition bundle was hot stuff, wait till you get a load of this. Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition (promo video beyond the break) just went up for pre-order at select retailers in the US, and if we had to guess, we'd surmise that every last one of 'em will claimed in just a few hours. Aside from getting a beastly box, the game itself and some sort of medal, the package also includes a fully functional RC spy car, complete with a camera that sends back video and audio to the owner's LCD-equipped controller. There's absolutely no telling what the MSRP on this thing will be, but our comrades over at Joystiq are pegging it at $149.99. Mom, dad -- go ahead and add this to our holiday wish list.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition ships with full-blown RC spy vehicle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thanko's Spy Button video camera becomes slightly less ridiculous with high-def video mode

Sean Hollister — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:43:00 EST

It still won't fool your mark if you pin it to a stained T-shirt, but if you're rocking the plaid button-down look you'll be happy to know Thanko's Spy Camera has received an incremental update. For ¥4,980 (about $58), the third revision of the button-hole camera will shoot 8 megapixel stills and record in 1280 x 960 HD for up to 50 minutes on a charge, which sets the household espionage device just this side of crapgadget territory. Bring your own dignity... and microSD card.

Thanko's Spy Button video camera becomes slightly less ridiculous with high-def video mode originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Immigration deports Alexey Karetnikov: Microsoft engineer, alleged Russian spy, loyal Facebook user

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:42:00 EST

The curious case of the Russian spies grows, well, curiouser, as the Washington Post reports that a Microsoft Software Design Engineer named Alexey Karetnikov has recently been ordered out of the country for "immigration violations." According to a government source, Karetnikov had "just set up shop," (spy shop, that is) and the immigration charges were technicalities used to get him out of the country quickly (and without an annoying trial). We just hope that Alexey followed our advice for managing Facebook privacy settings -- it would be terribly ironic if he was exposed to the world through his naive use of the social networking sites.

Immigration deports Alexey Karetnikov: Microsoft engineer, alleged Russian spy, loyal Facebook user originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alleged Russian spies used WiFi and pre-paid cellphones, got caught anyways

Joseph L. Flatley — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:29:00 EST

Are the new crop of Russian spies nerds like us? We doubt it (we probably have more in common with Lil Wayne than a certain "Anna Chapman," if that is her real name). How do they do their dirty work, then? Apparently their kit is mostly off-the-shelf: including laptops and flash memory cards. According to the FBI, two of the recently accused perps would meet at a coffee shop in Manhattan every Wednesday, where one would sit inside, while they other passed by in a van. When in range, they would connect over WiFi and transfer encrypted communications over their network. (The FBI was able to sniff this out using commercial software. Had they used ultra-wideband radio, however, the investigator's task would probably have been all but impossible). It's also believed that the spies used pre-paid cellphones to communicate. One such unit, purchased by Chapman, had the following listed for her address: 99 Fake Street. It just goes to show you that all the gadgetry in the world will not protect you from your lack of common sense.

Alleged Russian spies used WiFi and pre-paid cellphones, got caught anyways originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SoftBank develops robot cameras for that lucrative pet surveillance market

Joseph L. Flatley — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:19:00 EST

Do you love robots -- and pets -- although you're not quite ready to take the dive into actual robot pet ownership? You're in luck! Those crazy kids at SoftBank are back again with the Mimamori line of remote control robot cameras. Designed to cruise around your living room at a dog's or cat's-eye view (and doomed to remain inside the apartment, as it eschews batteries for AC power) this guy shoots (don't get too excited) 640 x 480 stills or 176 x 144 video. The idea here is that you can log onto it via your cell phone, drive it around the apartment, and maybe even snap some pics and MMS 'em back to you if you spot something especially adorable going on. A remote spy drone for keeping tabs on Rover? In theory it sounds awesome, but we're more than prepared for the possibility that in practice it'll be anything but. We'll have to wait until September to find out, when it hits the streets of Japan in two flavors: white and round (Mimamori Z001, above) and silver and not quite as round (Mimamori Z002). Details are still pretty sketchy -- but if you hit the source link, you can sort it out your own self.

SoftBank develops robot cameras for that lucrative pet surveillance market originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 May 2010 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KDDI concocts snooping mobile phones, line managers rub hands with glee

Vlad Savov — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:27:00 EST

Sci-fi movies often present us with omniscient villains who are able to track the most minute actions of their underlings and foes. Rarely do we get a glimpse into their surveillance systems, but you have to imagine that some of the more rudimentary "employee evaluation" hardware will not be too far off from KDDI's latest. The Japanese cellphone giant has unveiled a new system, built around accelerometers, that can detect the difference between a cleaner scrubbing or sweeping a floor and merely walking along it. Based on new analytical software, stored remotely, this should provide not only accurate positional information about workers, but also a detailed breakdown of their activities. The benefits touted include "central monitoring, "salesforce optimisation," and improvements in employee efficiency. We're guessing privacy concerns were filed away in a collateral damage folder somewhere.

KDDI concocts snooping mobile phones, line managers rub hands with glee originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spying school district update: turned on webcams 42 times, FBI isn't sure that's legal

Tim Stevens — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:24:00 EST

Remember the Pennsylvania school district that was accused of remotely flipping on the webcams of students' laptops? As if the civil suit filed on behalf of those students wasn't going to be enough trouble for the Lower Merion representatives, now it seems the FBI wants to know just what's going on, launching an investigation into the practice. For its part the district said that it remotely activated the cams 42 times, and that it only did so with the bestest of intentions: when trying to locate a missing laptop. It would also like to point out that only two employees had the power to flip the switch, and that they only captured images -- never sound. Because, you know, surreptitiously watching your kids is so much less menacing when there's no audio involved.

Spying school district update: turned on webcams 42 times, FBI isn't sure that's legal originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archerfish Quattro video monitoring and recording system now available at Amazon

Laura June — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:14:00 EST

Cernium's just announced something that should really please the 'I know the cat is putting my stuff on Ebay while I'm at church' crowd. The Archerfish Quattro is a full scale, no messing around video monitoring and recording system that pays attention to the little details while you're not around. Analyzing info in real time, if the Archerfish Quattro spies something funky, it'll send a message to your mobile phone or email. The system is expandable so that you can have as many cameras in the setup as you want (well, up to four), and best of all? It's available at Amazon now, so you can order it without having to leave home -- which you don't want to do yet. It's just not safe. The Archerfish Quattro system can be purchased now for a starting price of $1700. Full PR is after the break.

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Filed under: Household

Archerfish Quattro video monitoring and recording system now available at Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DocuPen X hits earth for all your pen scanner needs

Laura June — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:02:00 EST

Thinking maybe you can't live another day without finally breaking down and purchasing a pen scanner? We can sympathize. There are plenty on the market, but the newly hatched DocuPen X Series is mildly more interesting than most out there. They've managed to cram 64MB of memory, Bluetooth, a tiny OLED screen and a lithium ion battery all in that tiny package, and if you're the sunflower seed-eating, alien-hunting type, you probably want one of these for scanning your files at up to 600 dots per inch. DocuPen's teensy X Series scanners start at $370.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

DocuPen X hits earth for all your pen scanner needs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mysterious HTC Android phone spied, might lean the way of the Dragon

Ross Miller — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:52:00 EST

In an almost perfect world, this spy shot would be of the rumored HTC Dragon, reminiscent of the HD2 with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and packing the latest version of Android / Sense UI -- in a more perfect world, this would all have been confirmed last week and in our hands today delivered via unicorn express, but that's obviously not happening. Still, there's something new and exciting about this device, but we're grasping at straws beyond the handful of pics The Unlockr managed to obtain, several more of which can found just beyond the read link.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Filed under: Handsets, HTC

Mysterious HTC Android phone spied, might lean the way of the Dragon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mysterious HTC Android phone spied, might lean the way of the Dragon

Ross Miller — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:52:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

Mysterious HTC Android phone spied, might lean the way of the Dragon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Leo Windows Mobile 6.5 slate is capacitive? (update: video!)

Thomas Ricker — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:31:00 EST

The Leo is fast becoming HTC's latest worst kept secret. Pics and video are popping up everywhere with the latest set giving a full visual walkthrough of what appears to be TouchFlo 3D 2.6 riding Windows 6.5. Even better, ai.rs blog claims that Leo is indeed capacitive -- something strongly suggested by the multi-touch video leaked a few days ago -- and not some fancy resistive touchscreen tech. We've got backside action now too, sporting a big "HTCPRO.Three" stamp we presume heralds Pro3 branding whenever this 1GHz Snapdragon handset launches. But man, that 4.3-inch, 800x480 display's looking positively massive next to the 3.2-inch version found on the Touch Diamond2. Check the back after the break.

Update: Video showing Leo's very snappy, finger-centric UI added after the break.

Continue reading HTC Leo Windows Mobile 6.5 slate is capacitive? (update: video!)

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Leo Windows Mobile 6.5 slate is capacitive? (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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