(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
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
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EPISODE 110 |
iPhone heart monitor by John Ballinger
What the hell?
Share secrets with interactive plant from Sega
Fug
Ladybud earrings
Gender Gap
2009 Dodge Ram
Pink Watch
Third space-gaming vest now in pink for the ladies
Tool Time (Golf crap edition!)
Bulletproof polos make golf course assassinations a thing of the past
Hello Kitty Watch (Thanks, SuperGenius!)
Hello Kitty USB Webcam sees all
Bulletproof and fashion-forward coats are among the products by designer Miguel Caballero.
(Credit: Miguel Caballero)Bulletproof vests are so 1990s. Sure the vests save lives, but sometimes police, diplomats, and general targets of gunfire and knife fights need something a little more fashion forward. That's why Miguel Caballero's bullet-resistant clothing line exists at the crossroads of style and security.
The Colombia-based designer boasts actor Steven Seagal and the president of Colombia as wearers of his designs, which started selling in London's upscale Harrods department store this month. His products include polo shirts, blazers, raincoats, and suede jackets for women and men. Unlike bulky vests, Caballero says the attire is light, flexible, and comfortable. Some of the garments also come with stab-resistant lining.
But, as should be expected with any designer dress, the shirts and coats come at a high price. Some items start at about $2,000, though Time magazine said the clothing can cost as much as $9,800. Customers can choose from three levels of protection, and the highest level is claimed to resist shots from 9mm handguns up to mini Uzis.
Though the clothing is not yet available in the U.S., celebrities can probably get a hold of some of Caballero's life-saving garments. And if they have any doubts about the products' integrity, Caballero may offer to shoot or stab them just to prove his point.
Like the GPS-enabled school uniforms we wrote about earlier this month, the notion of bulletproof backpacks for students is sure to provoke mixed reaction.
Some people will call the invention an overreaction, while others will view it as a wise protective gadget. It's sad--and sobering--to think that a bulletproof backpack could prove a practical back-to-school purchase, but it's not so far-fetched an idea in these days of campus violence.
These backpacks contain a 20-ounce bulletproof panel.
(Credit: MJ Safety Solutions)MJ Safety Solutions, a Massachusetts company run by three dads, has developed what it says is the first full-size, lightweight ballistic protection backpack that's affordable and practical for kids. The $175 My Child's Pack contains a 20-ounce bulletproof panel that the creators say can ward off 97 percent of bullets. The packs can be used to offer upper torso coverage on the back or as a shield for frontal protection of the head and upper body.
A video ad on YouTube shows the bags undergoing tests at the shooting range--to the tune of Neil Young's "Four Dead in Ohio."
(Credit:
Spycatcher)
Much of the clothing that's appeared on Crave has focused on technologies like music or communications gear sewn into the fabric. (Except for those dorky ties that Caroline McCarthy is so fond of.)
But if you're looking for a truly urban outfit, this may be for you: the bulletproof raincoat, which Spycatcher claims will resist everything from a pocket knife to "9mm Full Metal Jacket Round Nose projectiles." But Gizmodo notes that the $2,000 garment still leaves your neck exposed, so don't expect it to be of much help against vampires.
If you're really paranoid--or really unpopular--you may just want to stay locked inside your bulletproof Mercedes S600.
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