Okay, the flashlight machine gun was alarming enough, but now there's also the Pentagon Porcupine weaponized flashlight. A kind of all-in-one gadget for the frightened, it can help you find your car keys if you drop them in the dark, and/or blind and wound an attacker. Or victim, for that matter.

The eye-dazzling power comes from a 70 lumen xenon bulb, which is powerful even while it's no maxablaster, while the spiky bezel is sharpened "more than ordinary crenellated bezels" for slashing and stabbing action. The spikes are retractable, so you can safely slip this into a pocket, we guess. In olive drab, for that extra "military" chic, the 4.8 oz 5-inch flashlight will give 60 minutes of continuous light from its batteries.

I've got no idea who'd carry this creepy thing around: I guess you'd have to be pretty scared indeed if something like this in your bag made you feel safer. But, if you're really into personal protection, it's available for $129. [Pentagonlight via Wired gadgets]

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