Putin's Soccer Ball for Trump Had Transmitter Chip, Logo Indicates
Source: Bloomberg
Russian President Vladimir Putins gift of a soccer ball to U.S. President Donald Trump last week set off a chorus of warnings -- some of them only half in jest -- that the World Cup souvenir could be bugged. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham even tweeted, Id check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House.
It turns out they werent entirely wrong. Markings on the ball indicate that it contained a chip with a tiny antenna that transmits to nearby phones.
But rather than a spy device, the chip is an advertised feature of the Adidas AG ball. Photographs from the news conference in Helsinki, where Putin handed the ball to Trump, show it bore a logo for a near-field communication tag. During manufacturing, the NFC chip is placed inside the ball under that logo, which resembles the icon for a WiFi signal, according to the Adidas website.
The chip allows fans to access player videos, competitions and other content by bringing their mobile devices close to the ball. The feature is included in the 2018 FIFA World Cup match ball thats sold on the Adidas website for $165 (reduced to $83 in the past week).
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-25/putin-soccer-ball-for-trump-had-transmitter-chip-logo-indicates
ck4829
(35,091 posts)7962
(11,841 posts)ck4829
(35,091 posts)Giving polonium to dissidents and blowing up their own people in 1999... but putting their own transmitter in a soccer ball, now that's just plain silly I suppose. Maybe.
kimbutgar
(21,195 posts)You bet Putin put a bug in there.
RainCaster
(10,916 posts)Truly
erronis
(15,335 posts)Maybe the listening device would be useful to hear the collective gasps of the trumpolytes when it surpasses even their expectations.
sandensea
(21,670 posts)Or diamonds.
dhill926
(16,358 posts)sandensea
(21,670 posts)Like former right-wing Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha, who famously died after taking Viagra for one of his orgies.
But not before stealing over $300 million form the treasury.
Gen. Sani Abacha. Nigeria's anwer to Trump.
dhill926
(16,358 posts)sandensea
(21,670 posts)If I had $10 billion.
jcgoldie
(11,646 posts)Maybe he asked Putin if the ball was bugged and he was extremely strong and forceful in denying it...
colorado_ufo
(5,737 posts)Demit
(11,238 posts)peekaloo
(22,977 posts)2naSalit
(86,794 posts)unitedwethrive
(1,997 posts)But, I'm sure Vlad would never do something like that.
ck4829
(35,091 posts)question everything
(47,535 posts)ass
colorado_ufo
(5,737 posts)FakeNoose
(32,767 posts)Why do you think he's up at 3 in the morning? He's talking to Pootie in Moscow, where it's about noon or 1 p.m.
usaf-vet
(6,209 posts).... is I have advanced my technology skill where as he is still lives in the Texas Instrument hand held calculator stage. He is such a narcissist that he believes he and only he understands the world. He is a true useful idiot.
He won't take advice from any of his advisors and now wants to eliminate intelligence clearances for most if not all former intelligence professionals.
Bringing Russian agents into the oval office. Taking the word of Putin over the US intelligence sources. And now possibly carrying a Russian bugged device into the oval office. Shows just how useful the idiot really is.
Fritz Walter
(4,292 posts)erronis
(15,335 posts)I guess the Apple i-Devices are really dumbed down enough for even the dump.
caballojm
(272 posts)MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)Only downside is Spanky wouldve hogged down on the KFC and the listening device would have found its way to the golden throne during executive time. 🤮