Wow, as if there weren't enough reason to carry around your iPod, Kevin Garrad of the 3rd Infantry Division has evidence that an iPod can save your life. Apparently, he had the iPod in his outside pocket when he was shot with an AK-47; the iPod seems to have slowed down the bullet enough to prevent it from penetrating his body armor. Flickr user tikigod, who posted the image, says that it has been seen inside Apple, and they're working on getting Kevin a replacement.
[Via Digg]
Update: I ran across a bit more information, including links to some more pictures. I'm pretty sure this is legitimate. [via Digg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-05-2007 @ 7:05PM
ACoolie said...
Not to rain on the story or anything, but I have friends who shoot things that don't work anymore. One shot up his old Nintendo 64, another his old Xbox, and a few, their old iPods. I'm just saying that although it's a nice story, it might not be true.
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4-05-2007 @ 7:07PM
Emory Dunn said...
1,001 reasons to get an iPod: Bullet Proof Armor.
Just think, only a few thousand dollars for a full body suit.
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4-05-2007 @ 7:07PM
Leonard Nimrod said...
In a related story, Microsoft is donating to the US military the vast number of unsold Zunes to be used as body armor plates.
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4-05-2007 @ 7:08PM
sam said...
@Acoolie: So what is your reason to not believe the story? Because it could have been shot by him on purpose? That's a lame joke to play on the Internet.
Anyway, shouldn't the body armor slow down the bullet enough not to penetrate the body armor? Isn't that the point?
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4-05-2007 @ 7:27PM
derek said...
wow
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4-05-2007 @ 7:37PM
Eric Chiu said...
funni.
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4-05-2007 @ 7:37PM
Magnus said...
Listen to music in a warzone? Not to smart.. next time the should use his hearing to spot the "enemy" instead of listen to music.
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4-05-2007 @ 7:45PM
Jon said...
#7: I don't think he was listening to it at the time...
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4-05-2007 @ 7:58PM
Ahmad said...
smells like BS propaganda to me
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4-05-2007 @ 8:02PM
42 said...
@3: that'd be even funnier if it wasn't needed so badly.
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4-05-2007 @ 9:16PM
liquidmark said...
@ sam
Body armor isn't 100%.
What it is...is simply "better than nothing". If the AK had armor-peircing rounds, then that GI would need all the protection he can get, even if it were a sheet of paper.
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4-05-2007 @ 9:54PM
Calexifan said...
Maybe Apple can try to get him a discharge instead. That would beat getting a new iPod.
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4-05-2007 @ 10:37PM
adam said...
what TUAW doesn't show you however is that the iPod that did/didn't save this soldiers life is what me and my friends have termed the hPod. if you click through the read link and look at the flickr page, you can see that it is not an APPLE iPod but an HP iPod. i say good riddance whether this is a joke or not. As the owner of a 1g nano and a 5.5g video iPod (and future macbook pro owner) i can say that the HP iPod was a horrible idea from the start. the HP logo looks trashy on the back of such a great music player.
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4-06-2007 @ 12:00AM
Juan C. said...
cute story, but an AK-47 cant penetrate body armor anyway. Still got to give it up to our boys and girls out there putting their lives on the line for us though... Good job getting this soldier a replacement, Apple!
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4-06-2007 @ 12:42AM
Jon H said...
" cute story, but an AK-47 cant penetrate body armor anyway."
Depends on the body armor.
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4-06-2007 @ 2:23AM
liquidmark said...
"cute story, but an AK-47 cant penetrate body armor anyway."
Depends on the body armor and the type of rounds used.
Body armor doesn't make people invincible.
Body armor is basically "better than nothing"
Plus, AK-47's are still one of the most lethal assault rifles around
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4-06-2007 @ 3:00AM
Everyday Weekender said...
Wow... now that's cool body armor.. I'd wear that any day.. lets just hope there's no more shootings though ok?
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4-06-2007 @ 9:35AM
Stealth43 said...
Yeah,
uhh.
"cute story, but an AK-47 cant penetrate body armor anyway."
Yes it can. It depends on the class of the body armor. The AK doesnt fire a puny .223 shot like the M16, it fires a 7.62 * 39mm round at a muzzle velocity of over 2300 fps.
Unfortuanately, the class three armor spec was designed specifically to protect against the 7.62 round, but its had varying degrees of success. I'm guessing thats what this guy was wearing out in the field. So yes, the commenter who said that he needed all the protection he could get was right. This bullet may well have killed him if not for the iPod AND body armor.
evaD
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4-06-2007 @ 10:16AM
rahrens said...
Regarding the penetration of body armor;
According to the story on flickr, he was just going around a corner and encountered this gunman, and they fired on each other. they were pretty close, I'd bet, and the closer you are to the body armor, the more energy your round has to penetrate.
Short story: he was lucky to have brought his iPod on patrol with him! I just wonder if his platoon sergeant was as thrilled...
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4-06-2007 @ 12:45PM
Peter said...
"The AK doesnt fire a puny .223 shot like the M16, it fires a 7.62 * 39mm round at a muzzle velocity of over 2300 fps. "
Well in 1973 it might have done but it's more likely to be a n AKM (seeing as the last "AK47s" were made in about 1969). Guess what? AKMs use 5.56 type ammunition.
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