Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
KGB Spy Cameras Come In From The Cold
By James Grahame
Vladislav Kern recently introduced us to the USSRPhoto collection of Soviet KGB spy cameras. He also introduced us to the lovely Victoria, but that's a whole other story.
Many of the KGB's cameras were clever hacks, like the ingenious movie camera disguise that allowed users to covertly shoot photos of subjects standing directly beside them. The inner workings of a standard Super 8 movie camera were replaced with a tiny F-21 Electronic camera positioned with the lens aimed toward a window in the right side of the case.
The original viewfinder was modified so the pretend filmmaker could line up the perfect shot while pretending to shoot an innocuous object in the distance. To complete the illusion, there is a tiny battery-powered motor inside that whirs to simulate the sound of a movie camera in operation. It also masks the shutter click.
The site includes beauties like the TOCHKA-58M subminiature camera and a late 1970s cigarette box camera, along with several purse and briefcase disguises to perfectly complement Boris and Natasha's stylish-yet-socialist wardrobe.
