Listening devices are among the most basic of spy and surveillance equipment. It is the first thing that any professional, amateur, or hobbyist should look into getting. There is a wide variety of listening devices. They range from the large-seeming constructs that are pointed at subjects up to 300 yards away and still pick up sound, to tiny RF transmitters that hide among telephone cords. But the most interesting bugging devices are those that look like ordinary, everyday objects. They are fun to use and often lull unsuspecting subjects into a false sense of security, encouraging them to reveal information that they do not want you to have.
Listening devices that look like everyday items are especially helpful if you want to record a conversation you are having with someone, but don’t want them to know you are recording it, or if you want to listen in on a conversation someone is having in another room (one that she or he would not have with you present). You can leave the object behind, and the person will not know that you are listening, or you can wear the bug on your person, sending the audio to a recorder that you can further listen to at a later time.
Some of the more common everyday listening devices are things like pens and cell phones. These are items that are prevalent everywhere. It does not look suspicious if you have a pen in your pocket, or use it to take notes. Likewise, nobody thinks twice about the cell phone hanging from a clip on your belt. These are objects that people expect to accompany you everywhere. And they are also objects that nobody suspects when you “forget” them. People are forever misplacing pens and cell phones.
Other listening devices that masquerade as regular items include reading glasses, makeup compacts, and even larger, more stationary things like clocks and small sculptures. It is even possible to hide bugs in innocuous objects not likely to be suspected of containing bugs. Many of these things still perform their normal functions, so they work as they should. They just have the added bonus of actually being listening devices.
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