Equipment: February Picks

February - it's a great month to re-evaluate our equipment. Often this means purchasing, and if you are like me, you want to do so as cheaply as possible. Here are some recent findings:

• Voice-changing software. When masking your voice for calls or recordings, you can use hardware solutions, but why do that when you have your computer? A free voice pitch program (unfortunately called "Funny Voice" - make sure to rename it) will plausibly mask your voice by altering pitch... just try to stay within +/- 3 of your normal pitch if you want to sound realistic. While on that topic, you might want to grab MorphVox Junior. The free version only has three different voices, but you might find it handy.
  
• If you are considering a parabolic microphone, my recommendation is "no." Parabolics often require ideal conditions, and they are not really very stealthy. That one that you often see on EBay that has a recorder? Be aware Walgreens has sold them for $10. The Bionic Ear? Worst equipment ever. Plastic that feels cheap, voices are unintelligible, and the dish seems totally ineffective. Definitely not worth the price. If you happen to have one, do what I did and hack it into an electronic stethoscope.
• A flashlight is a key piece of equipment. Make sure it is well suited to your needs, which will typically be something that is small and has low-light output. Don't be fooled by something that says "tactical" - often the light will not have tactical components (e.g. momentary switch, turns off when dropped, etc.). Before you buy something that has CR123A batteries, review posts at CandlePowerForums - they have seen considerable risk of dangerous explosion using them. My so-called tactical light is on the way out the door. I have the Gerber Recon on my wishlist at the moment, but am currently using an Inova Radiant which has served adequately.
  
• Any one into espionage should strongly consider a PDA. Even Robert Hanssen, a FBI agent turned Russian spy, was recommending the use of a Palm to his Russian superiors since it offered pocked sized encryption (although that also helped his downfall). With imaging software, recording capabilities, and encrypted stores, it is a very versatile tool to have in your arsenal. My top recommendation goes to the Palm T|X which I use now, and the best I've owned. If you choose to go the Palm way, some downloads to consider: Cipher to encrypt your notes, SkeletonKey to crack combination locks, and PocketSat to really solidify any espionage image you might have. You will also likely want to ditch Graffiti 2 so you can use the original Graffiti 1.

We'll return soon to discuss securing your files with software and gadgets, but until then, I'd like to offer one final suggestion. You may notice at your job that people are often planting the Annoy-a-tron device - a chip that every 5 - 10 minutes emits a high-pitched beep. I immediately thought of several well-deserved targets at my job. However, most of the people that have this device also have no discretion, and will place it all over the office floor. If your office has that sort of fellow, be a good counter-intelligence agent and turn the tables: (a) use post-it notes to mark the last heard direction of the device; (b) slowly narrow its location down; (c) recover the device and put it in the post of the instigator's chair.