Jan 312008

My office (and especially my desk) usually looks like it’s been in the middle of a war zone. With all the paperwork, manuals, books and guides piled up on my desk, it’s probably the last place I’d consider hiding under for protection from severe weather or big heavy things that go boom.

Until now…

Gunnar, a furniture company in Calgary, AB, has created the Personal Protection Pod (or PPP). While their primary focus has historically been on high end office furniture, the PPP has been designated as “anti-terrorist technology” by the Department of Homeland Security.

If nothing else, check out the videos on the Gunnar website to watch the PPP being subjected to bomb blasts and attempted crushings.

It might even stand up to all the SharePoint manuals I have strewn across my desk.

For the past month or so, I’ve been using the Deuter Dry Shield Bike 18 backpack on my daily rides to work.

For years, I’ve been searching for a good waterproof backpack that will keep my stuff dry during the nasty wet Calgary winters. While a good drybag, or even a garbage bag, can usually keep things dry inside a regular pack, the pack itself will still end up soggy and smelly, and it’s a pain to dump everything into a drybag.

The Dry Shield line from Deuter is a waterproof line, which includes a cycling-specific pack — the DS Bike 18.

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