OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: A cheeky spy gadget for the First Order
- Image Source: x | OfficeDepot.com, edited by me in the header
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Black Lotus
- Affiliation: The First Order
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: First Order - Enhanced Audio Reconnaissance Bug and Ultrasonic Defense System | FO-E.A.R.B.U.D.S.
- Modularity: No
- Production: Minor
- Material: Plastic, metal, woven fiber (for the cord), active noise-cancelling components, audio recording components, mini datacard reader/recorder, standard wireless audio comlink transmitter, rechargeable battery.
- Functional earbuds, usable with compatible comlinks and datapads for "wireless" conversation, listening to music, podcasts, etc.
- Active noise-cancelling provides minor protection against some sonic attacks meant to disorient or injure humans and near-humans.
- Harnessing existing connectivity technology, the FO-EARBUDS can be used as a listening device, and can record (if equipped with a mini datacard) or transmit to a paired comlink or datapad with a range of up to 100 meters (although this range is significantly decreased if multiple physical barriers are between the transmitter and the paired device).
- Premium construction of woven-fiber cord covering, means device can be used as a garrote or restraint in a pinch.
- Comes in a range of attractive colors, including rose gold (pictured), silver, gold, black, white, grey, red, blue, green, purple, brown, and tan.
- Subtle: by functioning as a commonplace device, FO-E.A.R.B.U.D.S. can be carried almost anywhere, and may not be noticed or draw attention if deployed as a reconnaissance device.
- Premium: a durable, quality device, it is not prone to breakage or excessive wear, and the premium components make for clear audio when used in its apparent or clandestine capacity.
- Easy to Use: a simple press of the 'up' and 'down' volume controls at once triggers 'espionage mode' and begins the recording and transmission of audio through the microphone.
- Multifunction: implementing premium build elements resulted in incidental secondary and tertiary functions in limited sonic protection (with the active noise canceling function turned on) and strong cable
- Limited Range: the audio transmission feature has limited range of 100 meters, and significant less depending on the physical barriers between the device and its paired comlink or datapad. Barriers that would negatively impact the transmission of comlink call signals like lead or concrete would have a similar impact on this device. Additionally, the device must be manually triggered, so the user has to be within the area they wish to surveil at some point prior to the surveillance, or arrange to have it delivered after activation, which would cut into the limited time allowed by the battery capacity (see below).
- Limited Capacity: the mini datacards for use with this model offer only limited capacity for recorded audio -- approximately 30 minutes of time. After that, the device will stop recording, but will continue to transmit to a linked device. Recorded audio has to be retrieved by manually removing the tiny datacard from the embedded reader. This is somewhat mitigated by an automatic sleep/wake function, wherein a device not hearing sound for thirty seconds will suspend recording unless a sound is heard to 'wake' it and resume recording.
- Limited Protection: the active noise cancelling (ANC) feature of the earbuds isolates the user's ears from outside sounds, which provides some protection against sonic-based audio attacks. Its protection is limited, providing protection of low- to mid-grade handheld sonic weapons, but would not provide adequate protection from larger, higher-powered sonic weapons.
- Limited Battery: when used for only its apparent reasons (i.e. as comlink/datapad earbuds) the battery life can last up to twenty hours. However, when in 'espionage mode', triggered by pressing the up and down volume controls at once, the recorder and transmitter devices quarters the battery life to about five hours. The battery is rechargeable using a standard power port.
Always on the lookout to expand the repertoire of her fellow First Order intelligence operatives, Isobel Nakano (upon losing her third pair of earbuds in as many weeks) decided to turn her frustration into something useful. She designed a listening device that could be left behind casually and in a way that was not likely to arouse suspicions. She wanted something that would be useful in social stealth environments, and something that would be commonplace enough that seeing one out of context would not be alarming. She started with a pair of regular, albeit premium-quality consumer earbuds, and set about to expand the capability. The result was the FO-E.A.R.B.U.D.S., which in addition to the advertised and apparent abilities of audio transmission from a comlink or datapad, also contains a tiny datacard reader so that audio captured by the device when in espionage mode (triggered by pressing the up and down volume buttons at once) can be recorded, up to approximately thirty minutes of audio. Simultaneously, if a compatible comlink or datapad device is paired, the data can be transmitted to it for recording or live monitoring using another listening device.
A secondary function was implemented when the device adopted an active noise canceling technology (ANC) which isolates outside noise from the user. In field tests, with slight modifications, this proved to have a limited use as a defense against weaker sonic attacks. A tertiary function was the result of the premium build quality Isobel insisted on. She mandated that it mimic other high-end brands that feature a woven fiber cable covering. This had the happy coincidence of producing a strong cord that in field tests proved capable of being used as a garotte or a restraint in a pinch.
The device is offered exclusively by the Black Lotus Private Collection.
I would say that it could be broken with enough force, particularly around the plastic control housing (with the volume controls). It would likely take some working to loosen the restraint enough to give enough leverage to pull it apart by brute force (if it's pulled tight) but with enough force the control housing would be a weak point (or it could even be smashed by something hard and the cables would then be much more vulnerable to being pulled apart).