Who Says the iPod Bricks Are Crap?

[Swifty]

For all of you who are still using those 1st and 2nd generation brick iPods and are also going through the shame of getting laughed at for your old purchase we now have a reason why you should stick by your trusty MP3 :)

It could well save your life (if you find yourself in Baghdad in a firefight)

The music player stopped a 7.62 mm round from an insurgent's AK-47.

Flickr has photos of the 20GB pod. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiki/445618364/in/pool-appleusers/)

Here's the accompanying text:

My wife’s uncle works in a military hospital and told me about this. Its pretty amazing. Kevin Garrad (3rd Infantry Division) was on a street patrol in Iraq (Tikrit I believe) and as he rounded the corner of a building an armed (AK-47) insurgent came from the other side.

The two of them were within just a few feet of each other when they opened fire. The insurgent was killed and Kevin was hit in the left chest where his IPod was in his jacket pocket. It slowed the bullet down enough that it did not completely penetrate his body armor. Fortunately, Kevin suffered no wound.

Yesterday, the poster said that an Apple engineer had passed the photos around and that Apple folks want to help Garrad get a new iPod.

Meanwhile, the folks over at DefenseTech picked up the story and have started "a little Good Friday contest": How many more tactical uses are out there for the ever-popular iPod?

Join in. Here are some of the entries so far:

• Use the chrome side as a tac mirror for looking around corners.
• Use it to listen to Arabic/Farsi language tapes. English track listings for Arabic phrases, choose an appropriate phrase and share the earbud with person.
• Don't have an interpreter? Plug your ipod into a bullhorn and you're all set!
• Hook up a speaker for that Ride of the Valkrie effect before hitting a zone.
• Turn it on and use it as a tactical light when entering a room
• Turning the ipod on and off so the light can be used for signalling
• Something to keep the POWs entertained....
• Take the old ipods, as an all out last resort, and just throw it at 'em

[bingo83]

lol they have to be useful for something. Style over substance. My Creative player sounds far better, dont know whether it would stop a bullet but it sure does bang out the tunage :D

[Dcontrol]

I'll have to remember, next time I go into a war to remember to get myself an Ipod. I suppose it could prove useful in other ways too. Capture someone and force them to tell us everything they know or I'll play Gareth Gates to them :D.

[WACCOE]

I'll buy 15.
And put one in each pocket.

[Scotty Boy]

lol they have to be useful for something. Style over substance. My Creative player sounds far better, dont know whether it would stop a bullet but it sure does bang out the tunage :D

Yeah never been a fan of the iPod myself. I've got a creative Zen Xtra 30GB and this thing is what you really call a brick. It's a couple of years old now but with the size of it -think just under cassette walkman size- I wouldn't be too surprised if it could stop a bullet.

[Blaze Lord]

My Creative player sounds far better, dont know whether it would stop a bullet but it sure does bang out the tunage :D
*cough*placebo*cough*

[Killer 57]

iBlaze is at it again.


lol they have to be useful for something. Style over substance. My Creative player sounds far better, dont know whether it would stop a bullet but it sure does bang out the tunage :D


Considering the size of the Zen, I bet that ---- could stop an Anti-Tank round.

[Killer 57]

Oh and guys, the iPod didn't stop the bullet. It was his body armor.