Steel wallet can protect you from virtual pickpockets
A new wallet made from stainless steel fabric promises to protect your money and credit cards from rain, sweat, spills, and even identity thieves.
New York designer Theo Stewart-Stand designed this product out of finely woven industrial steel, the kind typically used in aerospace and petroleum processing applications. The weave of the steel so tight that it is small and flexible enough to be threaded into fabric, though he says it is stronger and more durable than leather or suede.
In addition to the rugged durability of the wallet, it also offers a high tech perk -- protection from hackers! While developing the wallet, Stewart inadvertently discovered that the stainless steel used in the wallet protects the contents from identity theft from RFID (radio frequency identification) hackers.
The stainless steel acts as a shield from RFID scanners, which high tech pickpockets can use from a distance to gather your personal information from no-swipe credit cards, the newest US passports, and even your corporate id tag . . . without you ever knowing until it's too late.
The wallets are available online at http://www.stewartstand.com/ or at the Stewart-Strand store in Brooklyn.
Steel bars smash through woman's windshield
In Littleton, Massachusetts, a mother and her four-year-old son driving on the 495 South Wednesday afternoon escaped injury when steel bars flew off a truck and sliced through their windshield.
The bars came off a white box truck before smashing through Kimberly Allen's SUV, coming perilously close to injuring Alley and her young son. Luckily, Alley was able to pull over to the side of the road, and amazingly, she and her young son were unharmed despite all the tiny pieces of glass that hurtled at them when the windshield broke.
The driver of the truck which the steel bars flew off of did not stop after the incident, and has not yet been identified. Massachusetts state police are searching for the truck driver.
Men steal cemetery urns for scrap metal
Five men accused of stealing metal cemetery urns for scrap appeared in a St. Joseph county, Indiana courtroom this week.
The defendants: Robert Carlton-Brown, 18; Michael R. McDaniel, 22; Billy J. McDaniel, 24; William A. McDaniel, 20; and Daniel W. Pennington, 26, have each been charged with 10 counts of theft, a Class D felony.
Police say that the men stole nearly two thousand metal urns from St. Joseph county cemeteries on or around May 16. Officers were able to identify the thieves though crimestoppers tips and receipts from steel companies.
The judged ruled that the five men will remain in custody until their November trials. For a Class D felony, the sentencing range is six months to three years.
Steel sculpture exhibit opens in Tallahassee
If you happen to be in Tallahassee, Florida Friday night, check out Tallahassee sculptor Mark Dickson's exhibit at the Thomas Eads Fine Art museum.
The contemporary artist creates larger than life steel sculptures, bending the steel into different formations using a torch. His latest exhibit, "Steel Life: New Sculptures by Mark Dickson," opens with a reception from 6 to 9pm Friday at Thomas Eads.
According to the Thomas Eads website, the exhibit features new freestanding and pedestal-mounted works in welded plate steel, with naturally oxidized and painted finishes. Click here to see one of these works, "Man with a Guitar."Mark Dickson says of steel, his favorite medium: "Of its many varieties, steel is my love, for its possibilities are endless. Hammered, melted, heated, and welded. Though it is cold and hard, with the proper persuasion the steel becomes warm and alive."
For more information about Mark Dickson and his latest exhibit, visit www.thomaseadsfineart.com. His exhibit will run through Wednesday October 17, 2007.