Horseback riding can be a dangerous hobby. One slip and your brain could be splattered over different area codes. No worries though, because scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska Institute have development a helmet that is said to reduce head and brain trauma due to spills by 40%. The helmet was inspired by nature to create the Multi-directional Impact Protection System or MIPS for short.

Simulating the brain’s own protection system, MIPS is based on a dual-layer structure that releases and compensates the rotation of the brain in the event of sudden impact.  This means you’re less likely to have your head pop off due to an awful bail. Unfortunately for bikers, this helmet only comes in a jockey design, for now.

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This basic iPhone case is the shit and I’ll explain to you why: You see, it’s modeled after a chocolate bar. And while it’s not real, delicious chocolate, it’s certainly the precursor to a prank that will be played on you constantly.

By purchasing this $30 case, you’re basically begging your friends to offer you a piece of chocolate when you’re piss drunk. You’ll accept the offer and will bite down into the cold metal of the iPhone. You will be disappointed, your iPhone will have teeth marks in it and Willy Wonka will still be a honky-ass bitch.

Of course, the real joke is that your iPhone will be worth ~$100 or less come end of July.

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What do Calvin Klein models wear on the battlefield? You think they’d be caught dead in the mandatory military wear? Ugh, as if! Camo is so last season. The Urban Security Suit, from Dutch designer Tim Smith, is a stylish upgrade to the classic camouflage look from yesteryear.

Complete with color coordinated gas mask, a stylish neoprene composition and lined with strategically placed body fit Kevlar, the Urban Security Suit is equal parts protection, ruggedness, and runway model. Sure, it’s not quite as inconspicuous as a full camouflage facade, but why hide when you look this good?

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The Nihon Uni company, a uniform producer in Chuo Ward, Osaka, has developed a meshy t-shirt that is said to be knife-proof, and could save many from suffering being stabbed or shanked. The strength of the ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber material used to create this shirt can be compared to the material used in aramid fiber body armor. It certainly beats wearing armor made of CDs.

Conveniently machine-washable, Momma won’t have any trouble cleaning out the blood stains from this shirt, not saying there would be any, because it’s knife proof and everything. Just to point something out, the model wearing the T-shirt must have some seriously diamond grade bio-engineered nips, because those things look just about ready to slice through the fabric, unless it’s an optical illusion or some severe wishful thinking. — Andrew Dobrow

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If Evel Knievel had known about something like this Lifebag, who knows how many more brain cells he’d have left. Made for those into extreme sports (and possibly for those little bus riding helmet wearers I use to make fun of in school), the Lifebag is manually deployed, much like a parachute, producing a 150-liter shield in less than three seconds after deployment. But much like the hipDisk, how can we possibly take something that looks so silly, so seriously?

Something like this could also work in an event of a disaster. If you knew a tornado was coming, you could throw this on, and the Lifebag might just give you a saving grace by protecting your head and providing a space for you to breathe (or possibly vomit) if you were covered by debris. The Lifebag will cost around $1,110 and won’t be available in he U.S. until December of 2008. — Andrew Dobrow

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Microsoft is doing an amazing job and confusing us right now in terms of where they stand with their own DRM technology. Remember PlaysForSure? And how the Zune completely snubbed that idea, and how we thought that PlaysForSure was “for sure” going to get phased out? Not happenning yet.

Microsoft has announced that they have another DRM technology that is completmentary to PlaysForSure called PlayReady. PlayReady is meant for devices like cellphones and smartphones (Zune phone, anyone?). The major network providers such as Verizon and Cingular are expected to support it in their music stores. With Steve Jobs’ recent blog post still looming over our heads, DRM is looking worse everyday. Intrusion is something that consumers cannot live with (or pay for) forever. –Nik Gomez

Microsoft brings PlaysForSure to mobiles with PlayReady [via Gadgetell]

At the Rhinoskin booth today, they we’re showing off their nice new iPod cases, but of couse, there are so many iPod cases already released that they needed something else. They definitely had that something else. The new Macbook Hardcase looks very nice with it’s hard ABS plastic outer shell that looks as if it’s an army ready to fight against the enemy that is the hard ground. It will come in both black and white colors. Gearfuse will have one of these cases in the near future to review so that you, the reader, will know whether Rhinoskin’s Macbook Hardcase is really worth its price ($59.95). — Nik Gomez

Rhinoskin Macbook Hardcase Product Page [Saunders]

It’s a daily occurrence at colleges and universities around the nation, and this USB drive might help solve the problem. This problem is of course, bike robbery. While those who have their bike seat stolen are out of luck, a new USB drive made by Duck Image has a built-in bike lock. Time to get metaphorical. Get how your USB drive keeps your data safe? Now it can also keep your physical property safe. While we are not too sure how secure a three number twist dial lock is, but it’s definitely better than nothing. Even looking at the worst-case scenario, when someone steals the bike lock for the USB drive, they still have to enter a password once the plug it into their computer to try to access your data. So whether you’re extra paranoid, a college student, or just want a bike walk/USB drive combo, this design fits your needs. Too bad no one is making it yet (it’s just a concept design). — Nik Gomez

Duck Image USB Drive [CrunchGear]