Spy Cameras for Home Use

Spy cameras - nothing new here, right? Embedded cameras have been around for years, but now they are becoming more affordable and in more products for the average consumer. This article will give you a taste of what's available right now.

First up is a desktop calculator spy camera. Just imagine a standard desktop calculator with a small embedded video camera. It is well disguised, because it really functions as a calculator. Look for a camera that records at least 25 FPS (frames per second) with a resolution of 320x240. These will be able to record in multiple video, audio and photo formats including MP3, AVI, and MPEG4.

Of course, we had to include a spy camera watch. These wrist watches have been inspired by spy movies like James Bond. They typically look like pricey analog watches and have the camera lens hidden in the face. One such watch, for example, has the lens neatly hidden in one of the numbers. While the video quality may not be as good as in a larger spycam, it is amazing what you can get for less than $200.

No roundup of spycams would be complete without a pair of spy camera sunglasses. These should take both video and photos. Look for a model that can shoot at least with a 1.3 Megapixel resolution. You should be able to pick up a set for under $200.

Now let's say you need to get some air to ground shots. Then get a spy plane! Perfect for recon! The best part is that most folks don't think spy plane when they see/hear a RC aircraft up in the sky.

There are also ground-based remote controlled vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.). Some will even instantly transmit video wirelessly to a headset or other screen.

Perhaps you have kids and have babysitters or nannies take care of your children periodically. Then you may want something more appropriate that would blend into a kid's bedroom or perhaps the living room. In this case, there are toys (like teddy bears!) that have embedded cameras, some of which can be hooked up to your home computer network and that can transmit real-time. You can then view that from any computer with a Web browser.

You can see a full roundup of specific examples of these embedded spy camera devices at this popular blog for electronics gadgets.