How Small are Tiny Bugging Devices?

With enough funding I suspect that there isn't a limit to how tiny a listening device can be. One of the most ingenious ideas the CIA once used was a technique that didn't add a listening device to the room at all. They reflected an infrared laser beam off of the glass of a window. The microphone like movements of the glass were translated into a deflection of the IR beam. Thus no listening device was added to the room in this case. Personally, I've always like the idea that all one had to do was hack the cell phone and listen as long as the battery worked. But I wouldn't do that, honest.

Thanks for your answer. My bad guy doesn't have big financial resources. The CIA infrared technique is really cool. It would be great in another kind of story from the one I'm writing--in a Mission Impossible type story.

Given the fact that there isn't much money available (in my story), do you happen to know how small the easily obtainable listening devices are? Also, how hard would it be and how much time would it take for someone to hack the cell phone?

Thanks again.

Seth

I don't know how difficult a cell phone is but people have already remotely turned on laptop cameras and detected who had stolen the laptop. I sure a simple Google search will find you the pertinent details.

Thanks. I saw your signature/quote line and thought you might get a kick out of this: In the recent New Yorker Magazine Cartoon Contest, there's a drawing of a guy in Rome driving a sports car. On the side of the road, there are huge Roman numerals carved in stone. One of the winning entries was that he tells his passenger, "If you think THIS is annoying...in a mile or two, they switch to binary."

My entry was, "I don't know why they put the exits so close together."

Is this possible? If so, would a listening range of a few miles be possible?

Yes, modern electronic miniaturisation allows wireless audio transmitters (listening devices or 'bugs') to be small enough to hide in objects the size of a pen, but the range is generally less than a mile. I believe some are small enough to be imbedded in pocket change. Same with locators (such as GPS) and wireless cameras.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_listening_device

http://www.advanced-intelligence.com/audio.html

http://www.cyonic-nemeton.com/spytek/SPYTeK.htm

I think a remotely-activated cellphone bugging technique may be a good plot device as there is no range limit, and the concept has not been 'done-to-death' in the movies or literature. As an advantage you could use cell tower triangulation to track the character's general location.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_tracking

Thanks! I'll check out the link you sent when I get home from work. I may have to get back to you for more info on how a remotely-activated cellphone technique would be implemented. Good to know that it hasn't been done-to-death in movies. Later,

Seth

OK, I've got the details now! Thanks a lot. As I mentioned to one of the other members above, I'm a former math guy and pretty technically challenged, but you've given me lots of technical info to use sparingly when and if the bad guy needs to explain how he accomplished the bugging. I really appreciate your help and everyone else's.

Seth

An idea popped into my head that might solve your miles of coverage idea. If the target has a vehicle with a built in blue tooth cell phone up-link capability, hiding this little gem with a 150 meter Bluetooth range in the vehicle could allow a purse to Bluetooth to cell tower linkup that will travel with her. If your target lives in a suburban or rural environment this will permit coverage through out most homes.

Thanks! This is perfect. With the photo at the link you sent, I know just what it looks like. The size is OK--it could be hidden under her scarves and whatnot. And she may happen to mention to the wrong person that her new vehicle has blue tooth cell phone up-link capability. Or I could show her using that some way early on so that the bad guy knows she's got it. This really helps.

Very nice answer, as usual. hey, what about those new wireless chargers - could he run a charging signal off her car for the bug battery?

Just a thought.

Then again, with silk scarves involved, piezo charging might be more to the point..

To the best of my knowledge, those wireless chargers work on ac induction, i.e., Faraday's Law. You can't get that from a dc system like in a car, plus the lady won't always be in her car. And even if the car had an ac power system, you can't "accidentally" pick up enough induction power to do any good. You have to have an intentional source of the induction field - a big loop. You couldn't hide that thing, unless it could be really close to the charging item, and then obviously it would again only work when she was adjacent to it.

emc_c

4 years ago we were playing with video feed chips that were less than 1cm cube including the transmitter. We joked about putting them into buttons on blazers, and tried a few with remarkable results.

We were also using redundant chip memory and processing capacity to "data log" activity in the product for later analysis in warranty. The elctronics is simple, your challenge will be to get a microphone to "hear" through all the developed noise (and baffling) inside the handbag and to get an antenna to deliver a signal that's detectable at that range. Listening "real time" will chew up power, but if you can digitally record and then use RFID technology to "turn on" the transmitter when you are in range to pick it up you would be far better.

By the way, is "big brother" reading this? I know that someone has been watching. Will the guys in dark suits get through CR4 security and find our homes?

Thanks. What you say bodes well for my story because most people (like myself) wouldn't know about the muffling effect of the bag, etc. At least, they probably wouldn't think about it too hard if I'm doing my job well--holding their interest emotionally with a good story. Thank God I'm not really faced with the challenge of having to carry out this bugging project. I've got a BA in math, but I've never been the hands-on type. That was my cousin (now deceased), who had me take him to some huge electronics supply store every time he and my aunt and uncle visited us in NY.

having worked with radio mics in the film industry, I have to agree that the noise of anything contacting your microphone will be a problem. More so than "muffling" effect, it's the movement noise/clothing noise that is magnified.

A good bug will be shielded in some way and also fixed in place where it will be least affected by any unintended contact from, say, her scarves. (have you ever listened to scarves? I have some great recordings of pocket noise. ) Of course, in a dramatic script, the unintended noise can be a feature, as it will frustrate the listener and increase the tension...

Such a device is definitely possible although the range would probably be less than a couple of miles in most instances. Check with me by going to http://www.dbugman.com.

tim