Chevy Chase landlord used tiny cameras to peep on tenants, police say

Manufacturing is up, prices are down and demand is growing,” said Michael Peros of bugged.com, which sells the devices. “It’s kind of like anything in life. It can be used in a good way, or it can be used in a bad way.” Today’s tiny video and audio recorders, which can be hidden in smoke alarms, clock radios and even calculators, can sell for as little as $49, plus about $35 for the memory card, Peros said. The devices, equipped with motion sensors and tiny batteries, can capture a week’s worth of video and audio. That kind of technology five years ago, he said, would have cost about $5,000. Ten years ago, the price would have exceeded $25,000.About 15 percent of his firm’s cyber- and bug-sweeping practice, Peros said, involves tracking down peeping-Tom cameras.