When I was younger, Harriet the Spy was one of my favourite films. For my birthday I got a special edition copy with invisible markers – I wrote a lot of secret messages that summer.
I love spy films and TV series about espionage and international adventure – Alias, Spooks, Burn Notice, and of course, James Bond being some of the most notable. Beyond the jeopardy and jet-setting, the things I found really exciting were the gadgets they had.
Eighteen years after Harriet the Spy, technology has evolved leaps and bounds. That means inconspicuous voice recorders and invisible markers are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to spy tech. Check out some of the coolest pieces of spy tech that you can actually buy today (or will be able to in the near future):
Shoe Phone (Get Smart)
This may have been adapted into a film in 2008, but Get Smart was originally a TV programme that debuted in 1965. Today, phones can fit in a toddler’s hand, but fifty years ago, a phone that fit in your brogues was pretty cutting edge.
From Google Glass to Nike FuelBands, today more companies are playing wearable technology. Here, Sean Miles of Designworks integrated a mobile phone into a shoe.
It’s pretty cool, but if I’m honest, I don’t fancy putting something that’s traipsed around the floors the London underground next to my face.
Spy Contact Lens (I Spy)
In the film, Owen Wilson uses his contact lenses to take photos, record audio and, naturally, get advice while on a date. Also, when the lenses are on, the film duo can see what the other sees.
Smart contacts are becoming more a reality than a cinematic concept. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, US start-up Innovega revealed the prototype for its iOptik system. The contact lenses enhance the focusing ability of the eye so that the wearer can see images at a number of distances with greater clarity.
Google is also working on a smart contact lens with a wireless chip and glucose monitor for patients with diabetes. It would measure glucose levels in tears, allowing the wearer greater control over managing their illness – without all of the painful finger pricking.
Document Scanner (GoldenEye)
Every film and TV series had some sort of device that could scan documents and transmit them to a remote associate. PlanOn Systems Solutions is a company that manufactures the SlimScan – a credit-card sized scanner that can be carried around in a wallet. However, that requires the desired information to be visible.
In GoldenEye, Q has a very useful tea tray that doubles as an X-ray document scanner. Is that possible yet? We definitely have the components. Plastic electronics company Plastic Logic has created a material that can integrate electronics into a thin and flexible plastic sheet. In theory, by using sensor material this could include X-ray devices which would enable mobile document scanners.
Spy watches (Spy Kids)
These watches may not have told the time, but the kids had watches with lasers, satellite television and access to the internet. The film may not have been released as long ago as Get Smart, but when I was a kid, I definitely never thought I would see the day.
In 2014, we have more connectivity in a smaller package. These Smartwatches have the same capabilities as a Smartwatch – internet access, GPS, message notifications, and Bluetooth – but are worn around the wrist. Oh yeah, and they tell the time, too.
About the author
Alyssa James is a freelance writer with over four years of research and writing experience. Her work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Travel + Escape, Matador Network, peer-reviewed journals and local newspapers. For more information, check out her website Alyssa Writes.