Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

One of you guys pointed out in the comments that a bulletproof handkerchief in your pocket may not be quite enough to save you from getting shot in the heart. Fair enough. If you’re looking for something equally low-key that offers more protection, designer Miguel Caballero has this invisibly bulletproof polo shirt. The thin kevlar core has a linen covering on both sides, so that the shirt might be a bit heavier than normal, but it’ll look and feel like a regular polo shirt. It comes in three colors (blue, red, white) and three levels of protection (9mm / .357, .357 Magnum / Mac 10 / 12 gauge, .44 Magnum / MP5).

While the shirt may stop the bullet itself, you can expect severe bruising, probably broken bones, and a just a generally unpleasant experience. You’ll still be alive, though, which is generally considered to be a good thing by everyone except for the guy who is wondering why his rounds are being stopped dead by your polo shirt.

The shirts are also waterproof and fireproof, and start at $12,000, but I bet if you’re important enough to need one of these, 12 grand is probably chump change to spend on something that could save your life.

[ Miguel Caballero ] VIA [ Born Rich ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, while I’m not exactly thrilled with having to deal with Customs lineups and random security searches whenever I fly to the U.S., I’m more than willing to take the ‘just suck it up’ approach, instead of the ‘let’s poke the bear’ approach. So in the future I probably won’t be traveling with these custom etched steel plates created by Evan Roth which are designed to show up whenever your luggage passes through an x-ray security machine. I’m sure 1 out of 1,000 Customs officers might find them amusing, but the other 999 who’ve been dealing with travelers all day probably won’t.

[ MAKE: Blog - Metal plates send messages to airport x-ray screeners ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Check out this new Mobile ID Reader from 3M that you might soon see in use at a major event or other public gathering where security and safety is a big concern. It looks similar to the portable credit card machines you see the employees at Apple stores now carrying, but instead of taking your money, it’s used to scan your passport or Visa and check your credentials against a local or international ‘watch’ list. The scanner runs Windows Mobile 6 and is able to wirelessly check your ID thanks to built-in Wifi and GSM/GPRS EDGE, and it even features a capacitive fingerprint sensor should you not have any printed ID on you. It’s also got 8GB of storage onboard for keeping detailed logs of who’s been scanned, but all of that info is supposedly encrypted to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

[ Wired Gadget Lab - Give Away Your Identity Faster Than Ever, in a Single Swipe ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Have you been looking for the perfect way to combine your passion for Disney with your passion for overly elaborate home security setups? Well even if you’re not, it seems someone out there is, which is probably what led to the development of the M30P Magic Mirror system. At first glance it looks like a regular old mirror hanging on your wall, but the mirror finish actually hides a 30 inch LCD display that features a CGI character known as “Basil of the Mirror” who magically appears to alert you about any problems around your home. The Mirror does require you to have an already existing security setup, but a collection of over 100 different messages make it seem as if Basil is actually monitoring your surveillance cameras, motion detectors and other security sensors. Some of the more popular messages include:

• “Hmmm…most curious… it seems that we have a pedestrian approaching up our driveway”
• “For your information… a motor car has departed”
• “It appears that a pedestrian is exiting out of our driveway”
• “May I inform you that the motor car garage door has just been opened”
• “Pardon me, this is merely a reminder, but the motor car garage door is still not secure”
• “Will someone please greet our guests at the door!”
• “Ahh yes….. it seems the Jacuzzi is now at the selected temperature”
• “Pardon me, but isn’t it time to leave for practice”
• “Alarm! Alarm! The pool gate has been opened”

The Magic Mirror can also be used to monitor the video feeds from your surveillance cameras which will automatically be displayed whenever Basil is notifying you about one of them. And if for some reason you’re not a fan of Basil’s personality, the company (Themeaddicts Inc.) can even create a custom character for an additional fee.

[ M30P Magic Message Mirror ] VIA [ Popgadget ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While I don’t advocate relying on a piece of technology to ensure your kids don’t wander off when you’re out in public, these Lost Me Find Me Alarms seem like a good idea if junior manages to escape your watchful eye. The transmitter worn by the kid is hidden in a plush tiger or rabbit wristband, while the receiver carried by the parent is small enough to serve as a keychain. The sensitivity can be set between about 3 feet to about 65 feet, and when your child wanders out of that proximity an alarm on the parent’s receiver will sound. But instead of just panicking about the missing child when the alarm goes off, the receiver can be switched into a ‘Locate’ mode that will instead cause the alarm to sound as soon as it gets close to the transmitter. While they’re definitely no replacement for vigilance, at just $37 from I Want One Of Those they might provide some extra peace of mind.

[ Lost Me Find Me Child Alarms ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s been a while since we’ve featured any spy crap, and I think this calculator fitted with a miniature video camera more than fits the bill. Given its design and the position of the actual camera lens, you’re pretty limited as to where you can actually do your spying (”hey! why is there a calculator taped to the wall of the changing room?”) but if you have a problem with office theft, or would like to covertly record a business meeting, it’s got you covered. It uses a 1/3 inch CMOS color sensor that provides a usable resolution of 320×240, and it will broadcast the video image up to 15 meters away allowing it be monitored with the included 2.4 inch LCD display. The 128Mb of storage is upgradeable via SD cards (though there’s a 2GB limit) and it also features a basic microphone with a usable range of about 4 meters. Oh, and the calculator really works, if any one actually tries to use it for calculating.

The whole spy kit pictured above is available from Chinavasion for about $200.

[ Calculator Videocamera ] VIA [ Geeky Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Business has probably been a bit slow for the nuclear fallout and bomb shelter industries ever since the Cold War ended, but in recent years I’m sure things have picked up thanks to a resurgence in paranoia. And that paranoia might also explain why someone would be willing to trust their family’s lives to a $1,500 fallout shelter that’s made from 10-gauge cold-rolled steel. It’s just large enough to accommodate an average-sized American family (46 inches in diameter and 12-feet long) with enough water to survive for a couple of days. Now I know you’re probably skeptical about the whole idea, so let this encouraging piece of PR from the company’s website reassure you.

This shelter would afford fairly good nuclear protection for a cost of about $150 per person. The shelter stay would be very unpleasant, but the occupants would probably survive. It is not at all comparable to a proper civil defense shelter, but it could save the lives of many Americans in a nuclear emergency.

Is someone really going to settle for ‘fairly good nuclear protection’? It’s like they’re comparing radioactive fallout to a chilly breeze, and as long as you block most of it, you should be relatively comfortable. It reminds me of that $15 bullet-proof vest I bought from a guy in a trench coat who assured me it provided fairly good protection from bullets. “You know, one or two might slip through, but it’s a good deal.” Anyways, if movies have taught me anything, the safest place to be if you happen to find yourself at ground zero of a nuclear blast is inside a circa-1950’s refrigerator. If it worked for Dr. Jones, I’m sure it would work for me.

[ Mini Blast & Fallout Shelter ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Luke Anderson

We love that technology advances mean that gadgets are always being made smaller and smaller. While that does mean you’ll be able to tote around more stuff, it also means that there’s a better chance you will misplace your gadgetry. USB flash drives are probably the most easily lost of the common gadgets. I’ve probably lost a dozen or more of the little things, which is why I never put anything sensitive on them. So how does one keep the data on their flash drive safe even when it is in the hands of someone else? You could encrypt it, or you could put a physical lock on your drive.

Yes, this interesting contraption is a simple combination lock for flash drive. It could be put on any USB cord, but I don’t think it would be quite as useful (unless you’re just wanting to mess with people in the office). The theory is that without the code, you would have to break the USB connector in order to get the lock off. Unfortunately I don’t think a three digit lock is going to stop anyone that’s determined. With something that small, they could simply pocket it and figure out the code later. One of these simple locks will run you around $9.

[ Thanko ] VIA [ EverythingUSB ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The ImmobiTag is a lot like the Trace Me Luggage Tracker I wrote about back in April, but instead of being used to find your lost luggage, it’s designed to help you retrieve a stolen bicycle. It basically consists of a plastic sleeve that uses a one-time-installation approach to attach to your bike’s frame. Once the ImmobiTag is on there, the only way to remove it is to actually cut the bike’s frame, rendering it useless. Each tag features a unique ID number that you register (along with your contact information) on the Immobilise website. (Which now features a US version as well.)

If and when your stolen bike is recovered, the police can scan the tag and identify you as the rightful owner using the Immobilise database. With a price tag of about $25 it’s not a bad investment, particularly if you rely on a bike but live or work in an area where bike theft is a common thing. And as an added deterrent the Immobitag also includes a set of warning stickers to let potential thieves know they might have a tough time selling this particular bike. (In other words, steal someone else’s bike instead.)

[ ImmobiTag ]