Well, the little black 'phone' in the article is actually a spy device. If you put a SIM in it to give it a number, you can then call it at any point, and it will silently answer and you can listen in to what's happening.
Which is really too bad. Make one with a button that calls a single number programmed in via the usb connection and it would be a sweet little communicator. Parents would love to strap one on their kid(s).