Putin's Soccer Ball for Trump Had Transmitter Chip, Logo Indicates

[demmiblue]

Source: Bloomberg

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 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, “I’d check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House.”

It turns out they weren’t 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 that’s 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]

1. And I'm sure GRU/FSB didn't modify it in *any* way at all, right?

[7962]

12. I dont even know why you'd think such a thing

[ck4829]

24. Oh those scamps

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]

2. Probably sits in the Oval Office listening to everything that is uttered

You bet Putin put a bug in there.

[RainCaster]

15. He will hear no intelligent conversations

Truly

[erronis]

16. No need for a listening device when the puppet is programmed to speak pute's shit

Maybe the listening device would be useful to hear the collective gasps of the trumpolytes when it surpasses even their expectations.

[sandensea]

3. Probably filled with $1000 bills too.

Or diamonds.

[dhill926]

20. I'm thinking Viagra....

[sandensea]

21. Ah. So now we know how Cheeto's regime will end.

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]

22. I would gladly sacrifice $300 million at this point....

[sandensea]

23. I would too.

If I had $10 billion.

[jcgoldie]

4. In Trump's defense...

Maybe he asked Putin if the ball was bugged and he was extremely strong and forceful in denying it...

[colorado_ufo]

10. Scorrrrrrre!!!

[Demit]

5. I'm still grossed out at how he threw the ball at his wife.

[peekaloo]

7. " See Melanie, he doesn't have me by the ball(s)"

[2naSalit]

6. Bet that's not all it contains...nt

[unitedwethrive]

8. The perfect vehicle for a spy chip...since it already has a chip, it would be easy to replace it.

But, I'm sure Vlad would never do something like that.

[ck4829]

25. Exactly

[question everything]

9. They don't need a listening device. They get all they need directly from the horse's

ass

[colorado_ufo]

11. This!

[FakeNoose]

14. I'm sure they talk frequently on Cheeto's cellphone

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]

13. Trump and I are the same age. One clear difference, besides the fact, I'm not a Russian agent...

.... 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]

18. "Useful idiot"? He's a "very stable genius," doncha' know?

[erronis]

19. Yup - me too - same age. But I don't think the dump could operate a TI - just an iPhone.

I guess the Apple i-Devices are really dumbed down enough for even the dump.

[caballojm]

17. A soccer ball? He should have put it at the bottom of a bucket of KFC.

[MontanaMama]

26. Great idea!

Only downside is Spanky would’ve hogged down on the KFC and the listening device would have found its way to the golden throne during executive time. 🤮

[jmowreader]

27. The Russians already bugged the Oval Office