Guidance Software, which makes the EnCase computer-forensics software product, has announced Neutrino, a 6-inch-square hardware device that can be used to acquire evidence from cell phones for investigative purposes.

Brian Karney, director of product management at Guidance, says Neutrino allows investigators to read data off of 90 cell-phone models in a way that will preserve content, including location-based service. “This can be important from a crime-scene perspective,” Karney says.

Neutrino works with cell-phone equipment from LG, Sony, Nokia, Motorola and other manufacturers. It can capture the full data contents, including video scripts and pictures, on today’s multiuse cell phones. There is a specialized cable for each cell-phone model that connects the cell to the Neutrino hardware to collect the data.

Neutrino then can be hooked into any laptop or workstation running Encase computer-forensics software to preserve this cell-phone information in a form that can be presented in court.

Neutrino starts at $500 for the hardware device, along with a $1,000 software subscription fee.