SECurity Enhanced Audio Resourcer
(SEC-EAR Model 2712)

Wireless communications are at the heart of Conglomerate society. But with the constant over-air presence of data, the need for secure channels to prevent casual (and commercial) eavesdropping and/or manipulation of these messages is paramount.

Daral's cross-dimensional channels (used for inter-Kelheim Gate communications) revolutionized the medium. Ships and, perhaps more importantly, Watcheyes, could now send messages with confidence they would not become hacker victims. However, unless the critical Secure Data Decryption Pods (SDDPs) were available by the recipient, real time Watcheye transmission was impossible. SDDPs were, out of necessity, cumbersome.

SEC-EAR was developed by Conglomerate Communications under the careful design and direction of Daral to bring portable, secure, cross-dimensional communications to the 28th century. Two relatively recent innovations made SEC-EAR possible.

Modern nanite machining processes allowed for the miniaturization of the complex hardware needed to decrypt heavily encrypted information from across the galaxies. More importantly, personalized audio-codecs could now be implanted in the SEC-EAR recipient allowing only that individual to understand the decoded messages coming through the SEC-EAR's in-ear speaker. This safeguard was created at the behest of Level One shareholders fearful of being spied on by another of their own.

At no more than 20g, SEC-EAR is the end result of decades of research in interstellar subspace EM dynamics. It is also prohibitively expensive for the average Conglomerate citizen.

In recent years, a collectors market has arisen from decommissioned SEC-EAR units. While a secure discard protocol is recommended, casual disposal is not a concern due to the personalized audio-codec (engrained in the intended user’s brain). If the recipient codec signal is not received for 24 hours, the internal circuitry simply ceases to function and the power cell discharges immediately. Only the outer shell remains intact and is sought as something of a fashion statement by those who cannot afford a functioning unit.