To Protect - and Detect
WHAT'S TRENDING AT SPY WORLD
Steven Gonzalez, Owner
It seems an unlikely store for fashionable Miracle Mile, but Spy World on the corner of Galiano Street gets a steady stream of customers. And what are they looking for in this emporium of devices that range from night vision goggles to palm-sized Tasers?
Tiny Microphone
“Hidden cameras are the thing right now,” says owner Steven Gonzalez, who is an expert in both surveillance equipment and counter intelligence products. “When you have visible cameras, they can act as a deterrent. But hidden cameras provide a higher level of security.”
Screw Camera
They also let you spy on employees who might be stealing, or on nurses in grandma’s retirement home. And the cameras as so tiny that they can fit into the head of a screw, let alone disappear inside a clock or the eye of a watchful Teddy Bear ($125 to $550).
The other big trend is to avoid detection. One way is to sweep your office with anti-bugging devices ($99 to $1,200). But the latest? A wallet-sized purse where you can put your cell phone. It blocks all signals, so no one can track your whereabouts ($99). And if you want to locate your kid (or his/her car), GPS tracking devices come in all sizes ($99-$399).
And the most expensive item in the shop? The full-body radiation suit for $2,500. Guaranteed to protect you from a melt-down at Turkey Point.
Full radiation suit - $2500
