Filed under: Gaming

While selling a PS3 soon after launch day probably paid some hefty dividends for those lucky enough to secure one, pistol-whipping someone in order to make it happen probably isn’t worth the trouble. Apparently a cash-strapped (or completely crazed) Massachusetts duo couldn’t quite weigh the consequences before taking action, and are now under arrest for “attempted murder and robbery.” One gunman, William J. Robertson, is already being held under a $1 million (or about 600 to 700 properly eBayed PlayStation 3s, whichever you prefer) bond, while his 17-year old partner in attempted larceny remains “on the loose.” While we knew the PS3 launch would potentially bring out the worst in people, unloading ammunition to get your game (or profiteering) on is just taking things a bit too far — so while camping out weeks in advance for a next generation console may surely pay off in the short-term, we’d say pulling a criminal stunt to get one probably won’t.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Sure, we’ve heard the heartwarming stories of SMS savings a boy’s life and TiVo preventing a man from heading to prison, but this round of “Gadgets Saving Lives” features none other than the token iPod as the center of attention. While Griffin has long since had the idea of using the iPod to power a flashlight-type device, a mushroom hunter (yes, they do exactly as the title describes) resorted to the backlit LCD in his Apple in order to lead rescuers to his location. While enjoying a presumably thrilling evening of picking ’shrooms from the wild brush in Vancouver, Washington with his mother, Pini Nou somehow found himself off the beaten path and lost under a cover of darkness (and wild grass, too). By phoning in authorities and faintly describing his surroundings, troops were able to get close enough to view the white glow emitted from his PMP, and 20 minutes later he was safe and sound, albeit “cold, tired, and aching.” So, there you have it kids, the ultimate excuse to get an iPod for the holidays — safety.

[Thanks, Napo M.]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

[Via Reuters]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

Police in Scotland have begun field-testing a pair of tactical gloves that sport built-in metal detectors for identifying sharp objects during routine pat-downs — and should they fail to detect a hidden weapon, they’re made out of Kevlar to protect the wearer during the ensuing knife fight. Although not specifically mentioned in the source article, it seems the Scottish cops are trying out seven pairs of the HF-1 from Adams Electronics, which are powered by regular 9-volt batteries and vibrate inconspicuously at the wrist to signify that an object has been detected. Available in either “passive active” or “dual active” configurations (depending on whether one or both of the gloves sport a detector), the HF-1s deployed for the trial cost about $370-a-pair, and are being used to supplement the 1,000 or so FriskerPRO-like handheld detectors that are already in use. Overall these seem like a good way for officers to protect themselves without getting too touchy-feely with suspects, but on the other hand, they may just encourage enterprising criminals to step up their game and begin carrying around undetectable weapons like ceramic knives and filed-down toothbrushes.

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Filed under: Culture, Handsets

We've been seeing warnings about guns disguised as cellphones for so long that we long assumed the weapons were urban legends akin to the stories about telemarketers building a database of cellphone numbers and Bill Gates sharing his fortune. Turns out, however, that the guns do indeed exist, and apparently originated in Europe around 2000. And now, according to the New York Police Department, they may be making their way across the Atlantic. According to the New York Post, The NYPD has issued a warning about the hidden weapons, and has circulated a description of them to station houses. There's no word that any of the weapons have actually been seen in NYC, but police are being told to be on the lookout for them at locations such as courthouses. So, if you're heading downtown for jury duty and don't want to endure getting your brand new Walkman phone taken apart because it looks suspicious, you may want to just leave it at home. Oh, and Bill, we're still waiting for our check.

Filed under: GPS

Thanks to some quick-thinking bank employees, robber Thomas Fricks was quickly apprehended following a robbery Thursday at the Washington Trust Bank in Spokane. He had herded three employees into the bank vault and threatened to kill their families if they didn't cooperate, asking for $40,000 in "no bait bills." One employee, on the phone with her husband, told him to call the police while another employee stuffed both the money and a GPS device into the duffel bag, enabling the police to track down the getaway minivan within minutes. The best part was the dude's response when the fuzz caught up with him: "You guys are good!"