I don't know if they have been released in any other countries (I would assume so), but Australia has recently witnessed an introduction of "Spy Toys". These are nifty little 'toys' that kids can play spy games with. One of the 'toys' is a listening device that has an earpiece you put in your ear and point the receiver in the direction you want to hear.
It's basically a simple amplifier but when put flush up against a surface, you can hear vibrations, etc. It retails for $7 AUD and is amazing (ie. it can be used to hear for gate clicks and wheels touching.)
The reason I'm using the quotations around the word toy is that some of these devices are unbelievably tech for a kids toy.
