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One of my dreams as a kid was to grow up and become a spy. In my 20s, I began purchasing and acquiring spy-related devices. (Years later, I went as far as to enroll in a Private Investigator course at my local vo-tech.) Before long I hand a held radio scanner to listen to police chatter and cordless phone conversations, a small FM transmitter (a “bug”), a set of auto lock pick tools, a regular set of lock picks, some binoculars, a small telescope, night vision goggles, and this thing — the Super Ear.<\/p>\n

This exact same device is marketed two different ways. In mainstream circles, the Super Ear is sold as a hearing aid. It’s a directional mic that boosts audio; simply point the small microphone toward someone speaking and the small box amplifies any sounds the microphone picks up. In “spy” circles, this same device is marketed as an eavesdropping device, useful for listening to conversations just out of earshot. <\/p>\n