Cyborg Unplug keeps Google Glass and drones away

While we might drool over technology and gadgets that make us into virtual cyborgs or commanders of an army of flying robots, privacy advocates are more concerned about the potential risks and violations that could happen. Enter Unplug, a hand-sized gadget that may not be able to completely keep out Glass users and drones from your home or business establishment but will at least keep them off your Internet network and hinder them from uploading and spreading their spy shots.

In theory, Cyborg Unplug works by sending de-authentication signals to Google Glasses, Dropcams, drones, wireless microphones, and other similar monitoring or spying devices, kicking them off your network and potentially interrupting any upload or streaming that they are doing. Unplug identifies such devices via their hardware (MAC) addresses, which are unique per device and which these devices broadcast when trying to connect to a network. Unplug technically isn’t a jammer, which might be illegal in some cases, since it doesn’t disrupt signals by flooding it with noise. Cyborg Unplug tries to be legal in most cases.

There is, however, one use case where it might be illegal. In its default “Territory Mode” operation, Unplug can kick out suspected devices off your own network, but owners will still be able to connect to the Internet via other means, especially with smartphone tethering. In an optional “All Out Mode”, it will try to break off any other connection the device might have, which might be illegal in some jurisdictions. Unfortunately, at the moment, it can’t do that for those using Bluetooth tethering.

Cyborg Unplug’s software will be released as open source and uses a “glasshole.sh” script that was specifically developed to kick out Glass users from local networks. Pre-orders for Unplug will start on September 30. There will be two models available. $50 will get you a basic package but the $100 will have more functionality, like the ability to set alarms, like an LED flash, audible alarm, or messages.

SOURCE: Cyborg Unplug