(Credit:
ClearLite)
Florida-based lighting company ClearLite is introducing a new CFL bulb with an unbreakable safety shell that prevents mercury from escaping, a feature that addresses some health concerns with CFLs.
The SX-4000 silicone skin remains intact even if the ArmorLite bulb inside shatters, according to ClearLite, which is rolling out its bulb in December and January.
Not everyone is aware of the danger of broken CFLs. Because of the small amount of mercury in them, current EPA guidelines call for evacuating people and pets from the area where a bulb has shattered.
(Credit:
ClearLite)
They also call for the room to be aired out for 15 minutes and the air conditioning to be shut off.
The 9-watt (40-watt equivalent) and 14-watt (60-watt equivalent) ArmorLite bulbs look somewhat like incandescents and can be used for 10,000 hours, according to ClearLite. They contain amalgam, an alloy of mercury, in solid form.
CFLs can usually be recycled at retailers or municipal hazardous waste programs, though the silicone skin in ArmorLite bulbs will require extra steps or a special program to process.
The 800-lumen bulbs are Energy Star-rated and will be available in "natural soft white" and "natural brite white" varieties, with a suggested retail price of $7.99.
The silicone skin may have some effect on the perceived color of the light. There's limited color temperature information on this page, and a bit more information about ClearLite bulbs in this video.
ClearLite plans to produce other varieties of ArmorLite bulbs such as a bathroom-use vanity globe. Samples of the A-shape bulb are already available.
(Credit:
University of Leeds)
Engineers in England have come up with a product to save a few bob for those who work in semi-dangerous occupations--cement body armor.
The vests combine "super strong" cement with recycled carbon fiber, making the vests tough enough to withstand most bullet calibers, according to researchers at the University of Leeds' School of Civil Engineering.
Currently, top-of-the-line bulletproof vests are made with alumina plates--the raw material used to make aluminum--through a costly process called sintering, which involves heating the material for up to two weeks at 1600 degrees Celsius to harden it.
The cement vest, on the other hand, would offer a cost-effective level of protection for people in semi-risky occupations short of full-on combat.
"By using cement instead of alumina we are confident we can deliver a cost-effective level of protection for many people at risk," said research team leader Philip Purnell. "It should be good enough for people like security guards, reporters, and aid workers who are worried about the odd pot shot being taken at them."
... Read more
Seagate BlackArmor NAS server next to the Maxtor Central Axis.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)I got my hands on Seagate's BlackArmor 440 NAS server and it seems different from most NAS servers I've reviewed.
The BlackArmor 440 is one of two products in the BlackArmor NAS server family that Seagate introduced last Tuesday. The other is the BlackArmor 420. The only difference between the two is the 420 ships with only two hard drives preinstalled, leaving two bays empty, while the 440 comes fully populated with four drives. Both devices are aimed at business and home office environments.
These are the first NAS servers that are truly from Seagate. The company does sell and support a few others, such as the Central Axis, but under a different brand.
The BlackArmor NAS server has a rugged and compact look for a four-bay NAS server and comes with an easy-to-use, tool-free design. It can take up to four SATA hard drives of up to 2TB of storage.
Unlike other NAS servers I've seen, the BlackArmor has four USB ports and two Gigabit Ethernet ports. The USB port can host other external USB hard drives that can be set to contain the backup of the NAS server's internal storage. According to Seagate, this allows for offsite backup rotation.
... Read more
(Credit:
Think Geek)
I cannot come up with a practical reason why I'd need these reproduction medieval gauntlets. I just want them. Think of all the people I could be! These are the last pieces I need to complete the following outfits: Destro, Sir Galahad, Drs. Klaw and Doom, and Optimus Prime (after a paint job).
No more carpal tunnel!
(Credit: Think Geek)I think, though, that I'd just keep them in my bag at all times. I imagine that next time I get into an argument with a drunk dude-bro at a bar I can get him to back down without violence simply by putting them on. They're made out of steel, for crying out loud. They also have leather finger loops that do something, though I'm not sure what.
The gauntlets, or Enforcers of Awesomeness as I'll call mine, are handmade and feature real riveting. If anyone out there is feeling generous, e-mail me and I'll send you my mailing address. They're only $59.99 from Think Geek. I need them for the +2 bonus they'll give me to my Charisma when I'm wearing them.
The Cadillac DTS Presidential Limo
(Credit: GMC)No industry is immune to Obamania marketing. Texas Custom Armoring announced last month that it is offering bulletproof limousines for sale to the public.
It's not exactly breaking news; TCA has been armoring vehicles, including limousines, for more than 30 years for the world's richest people and many heads of states. But interest in its services has dramatically increased since Cadillac debuted the president's new wheels.
TCA can bulletproof almost anything (it currently has a Bentley and a Mercedes-Benz Maybach in its shop), and its typical armored limousine is a custom-stretched SUV, such as an Escalade, that it outfits with European B6 grade protection.
What you get with a B6 grade armored-limo is protection against your garden-variety terrorist or well-equipped kidnapper armed with AK-47s or M16s. The cost: about $160,000 plus the price of the car. ... Read more
I'm obsessed with sling bags for digital SLR cameras lately. Mostly because I haven't stumbled upon one that solves all the problems I have (with my camera gear I mean).
I want one that keeps me organized of course, but also one that allows me to comfortably carry around key equipment for a day of shooting and gives me fast access to a camera so I don't miss any shots. It also needs to have some amount of weatherproofing and of course, a comfortable strap, and a good number of pockets.
Below is a slide show of four sling bags I've come across so far that are pretty close to the mark. If you have any suggestions of what other bags might be a good fit, feel free to leave a comment.
Camera Armor, a maker of protective silicone skins for dSLRs, has announced its first line of protective skins for point-and-shoot cameras.
Camera Armor's silicone protective skins are custom fit for each camera model and provide shock-absorbing protection. The compact skins allow complete access to controls and buttons, including battery and memory card access, as well as a polycarbonate LCD protective shield.
They are clear to allow the original color of the camera to show through, and have a special grip texture to prevent accidental drops. The Compact Camera Armor skins are initially available for the Canon SD1100 and Sony W-120. They retail for $14.95.
We first caught a glimpse of the Maxtor Black Armor back in January at CES 2008. Since then, we've been excited to get it into our labs for testing to see if it measures up to the rest of the market. After a few months of waiting, we finally got it and...not so much.
The Black Armor's No. 1 concern is data security. Like a little digital lockbox, everything inside the hard drive is protected by 128-bit government grade encryption that's built into the hardware itself, rendering the drive useless in the wrong hands. The owner sets a username and password, and only he or she can access the drive. Furthermore, a convenient "traveler" mode prevents thieves from completely wiping out your data. Only the host, at their home computer, has the permission to format the drive.
But the Black Armor isn't cheap in comparison to other externals out there. It's $150 and you only get 160GB, which factors out to 81 cents per GB--far more than the industry standard. In fact, in the same CES report, we also debuted a 320GB Toshiba drive for just $250.
Take a look at our full review of the Maxtor Black Armor hard drive for a more detailed description of this drive.
(Credit:
Amazon)
If you insist on lugging around a PlayStation 3 as if it's a PSP with a glandular problem, the least you can do is get some protection for it against the elements. Messiah Entertainment feels that pain, which is why it's created its "Hardwear Console Armor" for the PS3, according to I4U News.
The silver shield may add a stylish touch but looks as if it might scratch even more easily than the original finish. Still, such risks are the price one must pay for the sake of looking good under fire. And if you tend to get irrationally exuberant on occasion--or just have sweaty palms--Messiah also makes "Controller Armor" in case you treat it like a Wiimote.
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Rheinmetall)
Check out the schnoz on this one. Düsseldorf based Rheinmetall advertises its Gefas (Geschütztes Fahrzeugsystem) as the "safest, most future-proof system of its kind anywhere."
The conceptual model shown here was configured for convoy protection. Some options include a high-powered, electromagnetic, counter-IED system, an automated weapons station controlled from safely inside the vehicle, electro-optical sensor systems with downstream image processing for detecting and tracking moving targets, a 12-meter tactical radar, laser-optical sensors for detecting enemy optics, and an "instantaneously activated" smokescreen.
(Credit:
Rheinmetall)
Gefas replaces standard steering and braking with a hybrid-electric Renk "drive by wire" system. Each Timoney double-wishbone axle has its own electric drive (comes in 4x4 to 8x8) which--along with the all-wheel-steering and run-flat, auto-inflating tires--gives you a better chance of gettin' in or out of a fracas. Up to six passengers ride in a suspended safety cell attached to the roof, protecting them from landmines and booby traps.
But what really distinguishes the Gefas is its modular, building-block assembly. The modules, composed of axles, power pack, and a main building block, are held together by connectors that can break at predetermined points when damaged in battle. This allows the surviving modules to be reconnected to form a another completely viable vehicle, according to Rheinmetall.
