We have all seen LEDs become more and more prevalent in our daily lives. They are as common as traffic signals in major cities (after the whole energy rate fiasco a few years ago) and power indicators on most items. They are also as frivolous as LED hats to support your favorite team.

Manufacturers and retailers are starting to see the future in LED items as well, as they realize that a lot of people are looking to save energy. People want to support being "greener," sure, but they also want to keep a few more dollars and cents in their bank accounts.

Here are a few items I have come across that demonstrate how LED products will continue to make inroads in new categories of retail.

No DIY espionage kit is complete without a long-distance listening device, and no DIY long-distance listening device is complete unless it uses a sweet laser in some form or fashion. If you agree with that statement, then you're in luck, because the following project will show how you can use a laser pointer to hear noises from hundreds of feet away (the distance will be relative to the strength of the laser).

As with any tutorial or project that has the potential to be used illegally, we should warn you only to use this new-found knowledge for good, not bad. We won't be held responsible if you get caught eavesdropping on your crazy old neighbor, and wind up being incarcerated for the rest of your life. There's a fine line between good spying (i.e. bird watching, neighborhood watch, etc.) and bad spying (*cough* patriot act *cough*), so please err on the side of caution here.