In Philippines, the President, Gloria Arroyo, has a team of bodyguards using the wackiest secret weapon ever: an unbreakable umbrella.
According to Wired, the Arroyo’s bodyguards use what is known as a fighting umbrella. It is said that this umbrella cannot be broken even when someone steps right on it!
This crazy weapon’s official name is “the unbreakable walking stick umbrella” and is about $180 USD. A retailer of this item notes that the weight is about 775 grams and is about 85 cm long, making it look like a normal umbrella, but is different in that it is sturdy because of the material that it is made with. Wired released a video of the umbrella cracking open a watermellon, showing the item’s strength.
However, people have raised some questions about this. Some have questioned whether it can block bullets, while others have noted that it would look a bit awkward on a non-rainy day. Overall, people seem to agree that it isn’t an ideal item to be used as a weapon.
Popularity: 9% [?]
For those who need to use the Internet while your on a vacation, fear no more! Well… assuming that you get a Tech Chair from PC World. While relaxing on the sand, you can access your favorite gadgets with the Tech Chair.
So how does it work? The Tech Chair’s energy is sourced from no other than the sun. Yes, it uses solar energy to function. It also has a few sockets to charge up your MP3 player or your notebook, along with a built-in monitor and a sound system.
If this idea was to really be produced, people will be able to be connected to the Internet world while they’re enjoying a nice sun tan!
As the Tech Chair also emphasizes mobility, it is meant to be very light and also small (when folded).
Popularity: 7% [?]
Recently, a song that takes 639 years to fully play through it once, was partly played at a Church in Germany. This song is the “Organ2/ASLSP”.
The Organ2/ASLSP is a work by an American composer, John Cage, back in 1985. The original song began back in 2000 in a German church. Depending on the part of the song, a note can last, at short, a few months, to a few years!
A thousand people from all over the world came to watch this bizarre performance. A “portion” of the performance can be seen on YouTube. Having performed six chords so far in the last seven years, the next performance will be in November 2008.
When John Cage first composed the piece, the song was to only last 20 minutes. However, musicians have always tried to “fight against” or have tried to help loosen the tension within the busy lives of the people today. Cage’s work is an example of one of the many practices.
For reference purposes, ASLSP stands for As Slow As Possible.
Source: John Cage Orgelprojekt
Popularity: 7% [?]
