<![CDATA[Gizmodo: protection]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: protection]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/protection http://gizmodo.com/tag/protection <![CDATA[Odyssey's Laptop Case Looks Like It Could Survive a Nuclear Blast at Ground Zero]]> Thousands of years from now, your laptop could end up in a museum established by some future, post-apocalyptic race thanks to the super-rugged VU200711HW case from Odyssey.

As you might suspect, the case is watertight, dust-proof and impact resistant. Plus, the foam interior can be shaped to snugly fit whatever gadget you are trying to protect. Also features a carrying handle, pressure release valve and padlock loops. HW models take the overkill one step further with a pull out handle and wheels. [Odyssey via Core77]

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<![CDATA[iBand Cases For The iPhone Made With Shock-Absorbent Flubber]]> UK-based Tech 21 have devised a real-life, mailable, flubber-esque gel that becomes rigid on impact. This substance dubbed "d30" is used to safeguard an iPhone or iPod Touch from owners with buttery fingers.

According to the product page, d30 cases can offer up to "150% more protection than other cases." Of course, that protection doesn't extend to the screen, which is probably your number one concern. [Tech 21 and Recombu via CrunchGear]

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<![CDATA[Make Your Own Laptop Sleeve Out of Any Fabric]]> Ars Technica posted a guide showing how to make a laptop sleeve out of any fabric you happen to have lying around. It probably won't protect your laptop from falls, but it'll provide some style and probably reduce scratches.

Unfortunately, it does seem to require some basic sewing knowledge—that's a problem for me, since my greatest sewing accomplishment is basically strapping a button to my coat with about half a spool of the wrong colored thread (and it still falls off every couple weeks). But if you're a real human being with basic skills (which I clearly am not), it should be a pretty simple project, and a nice way to customize and protect your laptop at the same time. [Ars Technica]

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<![CDATA[Speck SeeThru Hard Cases Add a Bit of Color to Your MacBook]]> The latest offering from Speck comes in the form of these colorful hard shell cases for the new unibody MacBooks. Oooh...sassy.

A dash of color is a good thing and so is the added protection from a hard case—but there are a few drawbacks. Heat buildup might be a major concern, there are no 17-inch versions, and the $50 price tag is a bit steep. [Speck via CNET]

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<![CDATA[Chinese Interweb Is Number One Target For Malware]]> Chinese internet users have become the top target for malware, according to a new security report by Microsoft. The company said that about 47 percent of software “exploits” it found, including ones that can record keystrokes and steal passwords, in the first half of 2008 were in Chinese, while only 23 percent were in English.

Considering China surpassed the U.S. in overall internet users this June, it's probably not that surprising that the country would be targeted. Couple that with the influx of inexperienced users with freshly middle-class banking accounts, and you've got a major security problem. Microsoft recommended constantly updating to lower vulnerabilities, which probably won't happen since the newest Windows updates contain that anti-piracy black screen security measure. [Yahoo News] (Flickr credit - Kai Hendry)

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<![CDATA[Bulletproof Handkerchief: Snot-Drenched Protection For the Discerning Pimp]]> The word "gentleman" comes up a lot when talking about pocket squares, but the way I see it, only a pimp would stuff a huge handkerchief made of military-grade Kevlar into their purple suit pocket. Obviously, a square of fabric would not offer the same level of protection as a full vest, so any pimp wearing one is still taking a big risk. They can only hope that the rival pimp, john, hooker or cop that shoots them has really good aim. [Sruli Recht via Gearfuse via OhGizmo]

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<![CDATA[3D Screaming Skull Cover: Dress Your PS3 Up for Halloween]]> Halloween is going to be here before you know it, so it is time to start getting prepared. But why should you be the only one getting dressed up? Throwing this screaming skull cover over your PS3 not only protects it from scratches, it also scares children. When they come ringing to trick or treat, open the door quickly, make a lot of noise and hurl your screaming skull PS3 in the air. The cover should protect it right? Available for $11. [Sourcing Map via Chip Chick]

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<![CDATA[Speck SeeThru iPhone 3G Hard Case is its Own Movie-Viewing Stand]]> Speck's See Thru Hard Shell case for the iPhone 3G is one of the few cases I've seen that makes me go "Oh, interesting" instead of "bah, nonsense." Firstly because it's simple, just snapping in two polycarbonate parts around the sides and rear of the phone, with rubberized grips so it doesn't slip out of your mitts. Secondly, when you've snapped it in two, one half remains snugly on the phone while the other half acts as a stand, perfect for impromptu movie viewing. And that's just neat. It's in a variety of colors for $30. [Product page via Slipperybrick]

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<![CDATA[Nanotubes Could Make For Bouncy Cellphones: I'm Talkin' to You Butterfingers]]> Ah nanotubes. Is there anything you can't almost possibly do? Well, now you can add bouncy cellphones to the list because a team of Clemson University researchers have developed a way to make beds of tiny, shock-absorbing coiled carbon nanotubes which could be used to cushion objects from damaging impacts. They hope that these coiled nanotubes could be used in everything from body armor to cellphones in the near future.

Coiled nanotubes are nothing new, but the real breakthrough for the Clemson team has come in the production process. The problem was that no one had developed a way to make these nanotubes in a substantial quantity at an reasonable price. Their new method can mass produce the nanotubes in a single step using proprietary hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture. After forming, these beds can be peeled off and slapped onto an object to create an instant layer of protection. As promising as all this sounds, it will have to be relegated to the "only time will tell" pile until actual products start rolling out. [Science Daily]

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<![CDATA[Waterproof Gadget Coating is Invisible, Mystifying, Mind Boggling Witchcraft]]> Golden Shellback is a coating that lets you spill, pour, or submerge your gadget in a liquid and have it survive. Golden Shellback says it will protect against oils, water-based liquids, synthetic fluids, dust and dirt. Tekzilla's Patrick Norton shot a segment on Golden Shellback and has footage of cellphones and CB radios functioning normally under a foot of water (Golden Shellback claimed the CB sat underwater for 455 consecutive hours).

Apparently, the coating is applied in a vacuum and covers both the inner and outer components of a gadget, which doesn't conduct electricity. Golden Shellback hopes the protective coating will be available soon, and expect the service to cost between $50-$75 depending on the size of the gadget. But seeing is believing, so you should watch the video, which is borderline mindblowing. [Golden Shellback via Tekzilla via gCaptain]

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<![CDATA[US Army Selects Top Inventions That Can Take, Or Save, Your Life]]> IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices, are a sad fact of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, so you'll see the influence of these deadly weapons in this list of the US Army's top inventions for 2007. Every year the Army selects the top refinements, outright new inventions, or streamlined weaponry, and pumps out a list. This year's list features several new types of Humvee armor, GPS-guided artillery rounds, and a wheeled contraption for vehicles called SPARK (above), which sniffs out IEDs before they have a chance to do any damage.

Here is the XM982 Excalibur precision-guided artillery projectile. Soldiers are able to program map grid coordinates into an Excalibur round and use GPS to guide it to target with pinpoint accuracy.
The Objective Gunner Protection Kit (OGPK) is a motorized, rotating turret mounted on top of Humvees and MRAP vehicles. According to the Army it offers protection from IED fragmentation and small-arms fire, includes transparent armor, a sling for the gunner, and super handy rear-view mirrors.
The HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer (that's better known as "Humvee") is a mockup of a Hummer's cabin, and can be spun around to simulate an upended vehicle. Soldiers use this invention to practice disembarking from damaged or overturned vehicles before they're deployed. [CNET]

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<![CDATA[Orbino Aria MackBook Air Case: Was Rumorware, Now Real, Luxurious]]> Remember the MacBook Air case that was announced even before we knew for sure that the Air was real? Well, the Aria from Orbino is now a real product (meaning the 50% of you who voted it to be rumorware were wrong!) and it's pretty darn luxurious. Aircraft-grade aluminum, hand-folded calfskin leather... and that's just the start.

It's got a spring-loaded latching mechanism, removable leather shoulder strap, and a padded "alcantara" exterior. It keeps its Air-matching shape by having all your accessories (read: power brick) in a removable external pocket, which is a little clunky but not too bad. It's made entirely by hand, machined from a single block of aluminum, and it's in premium hand-stretched leather (with exotic skins available on special order.)

I, for one, think it's not a bad-looking way to carry your Air around, and was worth the wait to see it make it to reality. But, of course, there's just one tiny sticking point: its price. Starting at $529, it costs nearly 30% of the entry-level Air. Ouch. [Orbino]

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<![CDATA[Vaja Ivolution is Leather Protection, Not Gimp Suit for MacBook Air]]> A close-fitting leather suit, complete with cutouts for your precious Air... that's roughly what the Vaja Ivolution Leather Suit case is. Sure it adds to the bulk of the skinny Air, but it snuggles it in protective leather when open or closed and gives you access to power socket and connector drawer. I vaguely worry about air circulation inside it, since even sitting naked on the table my Air is cranking out a blaze of heat... but I guess that's why there's that mesh fabric segment where the vents are. It's a hand-crafted affair so there's over 1,000 color combos to choose, and that means the price starts at $280. [Vaja via LikeCool]

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<![CDATA[Padlock Scares Off Thieves With a 100dB Alarm]]> I have actually been looking for a decent padlock over the last couple of weeks, but so far nothing has suited my needs. While many of these locks would do a fine job of protecting my stuff, I think I was waiting for something a little different. This siren padlock may be just the ticket because it locks up property and it is liable to have a thief shitting bricks when they hear the 100dB alarm.

When the alarm is activated, the padlock will emit a blaring noise for 10 seconds every time it is tampered with. So even if they could get past the hardened steel and zinc-alloy shell, it would hardly be worth the risk. Plus, it is one of the more affordable locks at only $20. [Siren Padlock via Toolmonger via Boing Boing Gadgets]

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<![CDATA[Toyota Gosei Creates 360º Airbags, Plus One on the Front for Unlucky Pedestrians]]> We've already seen a version of this: Autoliv's hood airbag system, but Toyota Gosei (an offshoot of, no prizes for etc etc, Toyota) has gone one better. As well as protecting the pedestrian from being squished like a bug on a windscreen, it has airbags down the side of the car, both front and back, protecting passengers from injury in the event of a nasty shunt from every which way in the car.

The two cushions on the hood are supposed to protect the pedestrian's head and waist. There's no saying if and when Toyota will implement them in their vehicles. The system also includes an inbuilt radar and camera for pedestrian detecting, but my personal opinion is that too much "helping-hand" tech turns drivers into lobotomized eejits. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. [FarEastGizmos via Technabob]

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<![CDATA[Clear Armor Brings Apache-Grade Scratch Protection to Your iPhone (But Will It Blend?)]]> Case-mate has announced the release of a "groundbreaking" new product designed to protect your iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic (80GB and 160GB) or BlackBerry Curve from scratches using a military-grade Scotchgard film from 3M that was originally designed to protect Apache helicopter blades during Desert Storm. The film is also completely clear, so there are no bulky, ugly cases to contend with. But the real question here is: does it blend? Well, let's find out:

Case-mate's Clear Armor is available now for $19.99. It may not have been released in time for the iPhone case Battlemodo, but look for a review soon. [case-mate]

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<![CDATA[Backstopp Destroys Your Data When Your Computer is Moved]]> Look, I know that you're all about protecting your most sensitive of data, but a program that will destroy it if your computer is moved seems more likely to result in accidental deletion than actual protection. Sure, if you install it on a tower you'll probably be OK unless someone moves it to clean or plug something in, but the first time your kid moves your laptop into the living room and erases all of your banking info from the last decade you'll probably wish you had just chosen a really good password. [Pocket-Lint via New Launches]

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<![CDATA[IBM Brings Big Brother to the Windy City]]> A video surveillance program, similar to the one that has proven to be so "effective" in London, is coming to Chicago with the help of Big Brother Blue, IBM. The cameras, which will reportedly cost less than current city-wide surveillance methods, will also be linked to intelligent software.

For instance, the system will be able to send out an alert if it locates a stolen car or even a missing child. It's too bad this seems just a little too smart, if you ask us. Like, who gets to determine what the network tracks? Sure, right now it's just Amber Alerts and stolen cars, but what happens when it starts following people who don't particularly like the current administration or have ideas that are deemed "too" radical? While we love our technology and the feeling of being safe and protected, we also like doing as we please without being watched. [Yahoo News, Photo courtesy of the AP]

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<![CDATA[Personal Protection Launcher Lets you Powder the Nose of your Attacker]]> With a range of 40 feet—that's 25 feet more than a Taser&mdasj;the Avurt IM-5 personal protection launcher will keep away anyone you don't want near you from getting too close. It's simple to work: aim at the chest of a large, blond man in a stadium, pull the trigger and the man will be too overcome by coughing to do anything to you.


The flashlight-sized IM-5 can shoot up to five pellets containing PAVA powder. When you see the large blond man in the stadium, unfold the weapon and, using the laser bead, take aim and Bam! you bagged yourself a large, coughing mammal.

The $300 protection gadget is not just aimed at women, either, because it comes in black, red and blue as well. So, guys, if you see a large blond man sitting in your seat at the ball game, you know what to use. [Avurt via KWGN-TV]

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<![CDATA[Ballistic Bookbag, Bullet-Proof Back-Pack]]> These bullet-proof backpacks are claimed to offer as much protection from a shooting as police armor, but at one tenth of the weight. They're aimed at kids, to protect them from all the dangers that 21st-century schooling entails. One immediate problem I see is that it will only protect you if you're shot in the back, at just the right height. Check out a video after the jump.


It's suggested that they could be used as shields, but this will only work if you are faster than a moving bullet—there's only one man who is, and he doesn't need to worry about being shot. Perhaps the only way to be truly safe is for kids to climb totally into the bags. The range start from $175, and should calm even the most paranoid parents, if they can get their kids to carry the fugly things, that is. [Popgadget]

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