Leeds University's School of Civil Engineering has received a £100,000 grant to work on a bullet-proof vest that is made out of cement.

The vest uses ultra-strong cement mixed with recycled carbon fibres and could work out to be up to 90% cheaper to manufacture than the current alumina-based vests.

The British army has been widely criticised for not providing the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan enough armour and protection.

Dr Philip Purnell, who is leading the research team said: "Cement-based body armour would not only create a whole new market but it would also take some of the pressure off the demand for hi-spec alumina models so that people like soldiers, who really need this kit, can get it."

I'm glad I'm not in the army. I wouldn't fancy lugging a cement vest around in the desert.

(via The Yorkshire Evening Post)

The answer you're looking for is no. No, you can never have enough Star Wars themed merchandise - certainly not in rainy old England where not even a Jedi mind trick can prevent a downpour.

Instead, equip yourself with the £19.99 lightsaber umbrella. It's got three internal LEDs, which light up the shaft when you hit the button, but, sadly, you'll have to make all the sound effects yourself - probably quite fun when you're cutting through all the pedestrain traffic.

Three AAA batteries are not included, which is a shame because that's what it require to work, and the whole thing is 84cm long. Suitable for those 12 and over apparently.

You know, I don't think I can use the word "shaft" with a straight face any more. How did you fair reading it?

IWOOT

Squeeeee! I want these more than life itself. Some enterprising Spanish Lucasarts fan has copied scenes from Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle onto Converse sneakers.

They're both one-of-a-kind and on sale on eBay for €250. Go get them, get them now. Once they're in your inventory, USE them with FEET and GOTO the post office. Then weep as no-one recognises them. That's okay. We're an exclusive club.

(via RPS)

Let's be honest about Tokyo Flash watches. They're a conspiracy by Japanese people to undermine Western culture by making sure that nobody knows what the time is - ever. The Kisai Denshoku, here, and its buddies are designed to look irresistibly appealing but completely useless as chronographs.

The Star Wars fans among you will have gasped with disbelief already just from clicking the link, but the uninitiated will be wondering "wtf?". In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is lost in the snows of ice planet Hoth, and is bloody cold, so he chops open a big hairy creature - a Tauntaun - and climbs inside to survive the night.

Now your kid can crawl into the guts of a hairy snow-creature too! Though actually, it doesn't seem to be available, which means it was probably an April Fools joke. The response seems to have been so great, though, that ThinkGeek is actually going to try and make the things. Here's what they say:

"Due to an overwhelming tsunami of requests from YOU THE PEOPLE, we have decided to TRY and bring this to life. We have no clue if the suits at Lucasfilms will grant little ThinkGeek a license, nor do we know how much it would ultimately retail for. But if you are interested in ever owning one of these, click the link below and we'll try!"

That link is on the product page, which can be found here. Go give it a click. I demand an adult-size version, too.

Product Page (via @gorocket88)

If you travel a lot, you appreciate convergence gadgets - those ones that combine two or three different gadgets into one. Is this going a bit far, though? It's a coat that also serves as a bag and a tent(!).

The product of designer Justin Gargasz, this is just a concept so you won't be able to buy it, but it's pretty well-constructed. Made of Cordura, the excess material when in jacket form is rolled into the lower back to provide lumbar support. The arms of the jacket act as a handle when you're in bag mode.

The only problem that I can forsee would come if it rained. If you've got a soaking wet tent, are you really going to want to put it on to try and keep you dry the rest of the day? One for dry weekends only, I think.

(via LikeCool)

Oh dear, I hear the rumblings of the forming of a bandwagon. The £1,000 LG G910 wasn't enough for you all? Hyundai doesn't think so, because it's making its own variant - the similarly-named MB-910.

As well as being a watch, it's a tri-band phone, with 3 hours of talk-time battery life, bluetooth (for a headset), SMS, MMS and video playback. No video calling, I'm afraid. Best feature of all? POLYPHONIC RINGTONES! Hurrah - I missed those.

Available within the next few months ("Q2"), Hyundai's watchphone will cost £200. A bit more reasonable than LG's effort, at least.

(via Reg Hardware)