Bringing out the small guns...

The company Seecamp makes some very small guns of very high quality. Their semi-automatic pocket guns measure only 2.06 inches across. The pistols are available in .25, .32, and .38 caliber yet the form factor is the same small size. Rather charming for a firearm.




More info via the somewhat neglected Seecamp website:
seecamp.com


An excellent comparison PDF of pocket semi-automatics via Mouseguns:
www.mouseguns.com

The New Q...

The US government is forming a new agency, similar to DARPA - but specifically for developing 'intelligence technologies'. The agency, called IARPA, will be headed up by a Stanford Phd. called Lisa Porter, whose background is in applied physics. Looking forward to zany press releases on cutting edge research, robots, and general mayhem.




Until then, here's a short blurb via Wired:
www.wired.com

Lost and Found...

It seems like every week you read about some poor soul that gets lost while tromping around the back country. If you are adventure prone, maybe you might like one of these: A PLB (personal locator beacon). This little device sends an electronic request for help to the frequencies that the search and rescue folks use - including your GPS information. If it can't acquire that - the rescue people can still use a doppler technique to find you. You'll be back to civilization in no time.


An example PLB (the Microfix 406) via REI:
www.rei.com

Classic Bullets...

Many years ago, the Enfield company made rifles. As part of their military contract, they also made motorcycles. Then they stopped. OR did they? The Royal Enfield factories in India are still making sport bikes - some of them are pretty much the same as at the turn of the century. The Bullet 500 is an awful lot of retro fun for about 5000 USD.


The Bullet 500 via Enfield Motorcycles:
www.enfieldmotorcycles.com

Looking for trouble...

The ability to quickly scan your surroundings is a very good skill to develop. Here's a short but useful article on how to become more aware of what's going on around you while developing a security mindset.


'007 Style Operational Awareness' via our brothers at 'James Bond Lifestyle':

www.jamesbondlifestyle.com

Spun up...

Possibly the best looking foosball table made will be on display at Milan Design Week this month (16th thru 21st of April). A cooperative effort between GRO design and TIM modeling, this game is sleek, minimal and chromed out. Sadly, it's not currently slated for production, but if enough people pester them...


The 'Eleven' foostable via 'Eleven the game':
www.eleventhegame.com

Unchartered territory...

Europe, North America, and Outer Space are just the beginning. Now, Richard Branson wants to help you charter a plane. On the heels of the other Virgin enterprises (Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, and Virgin Galactic), there's now 'Virgin Charter'. Virgin Charter is a service to help you charter air travel to anywhere in the world. It sounds a bit spendy, but compared to owning and maintaining your own jet, it's actually a pretty good deal. The site works as a hub for charter services to bid on your flight.


Here's a link to a brief cartoon describing how the whole thing works:
www.virgincharter.com

Who's the winner?

Last year, as you'll recall, the defense department sent a bunch of robots to drive through the California desert. Teams were competing for a prize, sending a driverless car about 300 miles through hostile territory. This year, it's all about speed. After the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach is finished, two more cars will be taking the track. But there won't be any drivers in the cars. There are those that would argue there are many driverless cars in Southern California but these are different.


Read a bit about it via CNET:
www.news.com

Working with a net...

Need to subdue a bad guy, wild animal, or door-to-door salesperson? The Net-2000 netrod might be just what you're looking for. This pneumatic device can throw a net almost 50 feet to entangle your target in a very dramatic way. If the net is undamaged, it can be reloaded into the tube and pressurized for reuse. Currently on sale for about 430 USD.

Technical info, action videos, and order via China Grabber:
www.chinagrabber.com

Time in space...

You might be ready to go to outer space, but is your wristwatch? Always thinking ahead, Seiko has built the 'Spring Drive Spacewalk' for those quick jaunts into space. Built to withstand vacuum and temperature extremes, the watch also sports other features like oversized space-suit-friendly controls. Which is a really good thing, since you wouldn't want to miss that shuttle.


Review from 'The Watch Report':
www.watchreport.com


and the product page from Seiko:
www.seikospringdrive.com

Listen to the bed...

Akava waterbeds offer you a different way to experience your music - using your entire body. With bass plates installed strategically in the bed podium, the water pulses in time with you favorite tunes. All this wrapped in sensible danish design.



The Akava Sound waterbed:
www.akava.com

Haute air balloons...

The madcap folks at Maison Krug have been arranging some rather expensive hot air balloon rides around the world. The luxury rides have been arranged for Tokyo, Hong Kong, Tuscany, various locations in France, and Gloucestershire. For about 50,000 EUR, you can be pampered with seven of your friends. And of course, there will be copious amounts of champagne...


Read a narrative of one man's experience via The independent:
www.independent.co.uk


The homepage of Maison Krug:
www.krug.com

The kindest shotgun...

The tricky thing about LTL weapons (less than lethal) is getting them to have just enough force. The Beretta LTL 7000 system has a new twist - a laser range finder that sends feedback to a firing mechanism that will bleed off some of the force. The projectile always has enough force to be very painful, but it won't kill you. Very thoughtful.



Here's a video segment from the American TV series 'Futureweapons' demonstrating how it works (via YouTube):
www.youtube.com

Very fitting...

Sometimes mistakes happen. Imagine the horror of getting the wrong ashtrays or glovebox liner in your new Ferrari. To avoid these sorts of tragic problems, Ferrari has instituted the new 'One-to-One Programme'. Under this new pilot programme, people purchasing the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti will fly to the factory. In a special area, they will select customized options and be measured for interior modifications to their new car. Problem averted.



Announcement, details, and photos via Autoblog:
www.autoblog.com

Making a strong case...

Halliburton is famous for making very hard to tamper with cases. Recently, they've started making cigar cases. Now your aged cuban cigars can enjoy the same level of protection as your important business papers. It seems only right, doesn't it? Available in black, gold, and silver for about 500 USD.



Details and order info via Zero Halliburton:
www.zerohalliburton.com