It's not a crime, it's a feature

A new class of smartphone app has emerged that uses the microphone built into your phone as a covert listening device -- a "bug," in common parlance.

The issue was brought to the world's attention recently on a podcast called This Week in Tech. Host Leo Laporte and his panel shocked listeners by unmasking three popular apps that activate your phone's microphone to collect sound patterns from inside your home, meeting, office or wherever you are.

The apps are Color

The apps are Color, Shopkick and IntoNow, all of which activate the microphones in users' iPhone or Android devices in order to gather contextual information that provides some benefit to the user.

Color uses your iPhone's or Android phone's microphone to detect when people are in the same room. The data on ambient noise is combined with color and lighting information from the camera to figure out who's inside, who's outside, who's in one room, and who's in another, so the app can auto-generate spontaneous temporary social networks of people who are sharing the same experience.

Shopkick works on both iPhone and Android devices. One feature of the app is to reward users for simply walking into participating stores, which include Target, Best Buy, Macy's, American Eagle Outfitters, Sports Authority, Crate & Barrel and many others. Users don't have to press any button. Shopkick listens through your cellphone for inaudible sounds generated in the stores by a special device.

IOS app that allows social networking while TV shows

IntoNow is an iOS app that allows social networking while TV shows. The app listens with your iPhone or iPad to identify what you're watching. The company claims 2.6 million "broadcast airings" in its database. A similar app created for fans of the TV show Grey's Anatomy uses your iPad's microphone to identify specifically where you are in the show, so it can display content relevant to specific scenes.

While IntoNow is based on the company's own SoundPrint research, the Grey's Anatomy app is built on Nielsen's Media-Sync platform.

Apps that listen have been around for years. One type of app uses your phone's microphone to identify music. Apps like Shazam and SoundHound can "name that tune" in a few seconds by simply "listening" to whatever song is playing in the room.

A class of alarm clock apps uses your phone's microphone to listen to you sleep. One example is the HappyWakeUp app. If you're sleeping like a log, the app avoids waking you. When HappyWakeUp hears you tossing and turning nearly the scheduled time, it wakes you up with an alarm.