Thanks to Edward Snowden, The Guardian Project, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Haven app transforms your old smartphone into a security device. Using the phone's motion, light and sound sensors, it can detect activity near the device and locally records images and sounds when sensors are triggered and, once configured to work with your current phone, it will send secure alerts if anything is detected.

Haven is designed first and foremost to detect snooping, or as the developers put it: “for unexpected guests and unwanted intruders”. So, it might be a good idea to place this decoy phone next to your laptop or valuables in your hotel room, on your desk in work (wait, is that legal?), even near the fridge if you suspect your significant other is picking at the roast or a housemate is swiping your milk.

On a non-snooping note, Haven might make for an ideal and budget-friendly baby monitor. Just don’t leave it outside your house as a burglar alarm because, you know, the phone will probably get stolen, which defeats the purpose.

[ https://guardianproject.github.io/haven/Opens in new window ]