Do-It-Yourself Espionage

Pssst. Want a briefcase that conceals a tiny video camera? How about a mini tape recorder that has a pinhead microphone disguised as a tie tack? You don't have to buy this stuff in a back alley. Just head over to your local CCS Counter Spy Shop, a chain with retail outlets in New York City, Houston, Miami and Washington that specializes in high-tech snooping gear. According to Tom Felice, sales manager for the New York City store, clandestine recording devices are the biggest sellers. "The more discreet they are, the more popular," he says. "There are a lot of paranoid...