Since Ancient Roman times, spies have used “dead drops” to pass on information to fellow agents without having to see them face-to-face. The way dead drops typically worked was that one agent would conceal secret information inside an innocuous-looking item (such as a taxidermied, hollowed-out rat) and drop it on the side of the road or in a public park. Then another agent would come by later and casually pick it up.
Spy Tech for Everyday Use
The Dropp iPhone app takes this ancient espionage technique and updates it for today’s smartphone world. The Dropp app allows you to send messages or photos to other Dropp users as soon as they arrive at a specified location. The app uses the iPhone’s GPS capabilities to deliver the location-based messages. You could use Dropp to create a romantically suspenseful secret agent-themed date. Just install the app on your date’s phone and create scavenger hunt-like clues that will appear whenever she successfully finds the locations you marked in Dropp.
Free
Free
RFID and Cell Phone Blocking Faraday Pouch
While cell phones and new RFID technology have certainly made life easier for us, they’re a double-edged sword. That same technology that allows Nebraskan tourists to navigate NYC easily and you to quickly make payments with your RFID credit card can also be used to track your location and steal sensitive financial information.
To counter Big Brother, enemy spies, and the growing number of thieves and hackers using RFID transmitters to steal credit card info, keep your cell phone and credit cards in a Faraday pouch. Faraday pouches are made from a metallically-lined fabric that blocks cell phone signals as well as RFID transmitters. The downside is that nobody will be able to call you if your phone’s in the pouch, but then again, maybe that’s actually a plus.
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Founded in January 2008, The Art of Manliness is a blog focused on reviving the lost art of manliness. With over 7 million monthly page views, The Art of Manliness represents a new kind of magazine for men, one that focuses on helping men become better citizens, fathers, husbands, friends, and simply all around better men. Husband and wife team, Brett and Kate McKay head up the up the blog. They live in Tulsa, OK.
