Blog Archives
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Live Blog: "The Unit" - It's Not a Movie - Day 2
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Saturday May 4, 2013
Like I said I planned in a previous entry ( Day 1 ), I tried the 10-7 post-shift relaxing supplement. It's mechanism is much exactly as the others: three sprays under your tongue, hold for a 10 count, swallow, go on with your day. There will not be a time post on this entry, I hope it'll be apparent why. Taste The company's product information gives me the inferrence that they spent a painstaking time on developing the formula and taste. It's almost as if they opted for the subtle rather than hoping that a small photo of cartoon berries will sway my tastebuds one way or the other. (By the way, who ever decided that it was OK to combine the lightning bolt image with "refreshing?") In my few travels to various tradeshows and... -
Live Blog: "The Unit" - It's Not a Movie - Day 1
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Thursday May 2, 2013
I'm trying something new here. I'm a freak so I'll admit that I will probably go back and edit - however I will try and keep true. This is my version of a "live blog." Meaning, I'm going to try a product and write about my experiences. Right now it's May 1, roughly 1:30 p.m. (central). I've eaten a worthless lunch around noon, had two cups of coffee this morning - which is low for me - and I'm feeling a bit sluggish: a perfect opportunity to tell you about the following: "The Unit" (their name, not mine) was officially launched the end of March 2013 by the company 7 Innovations . The release states it's "exclusively design for active-duty law enforcement officials." The concoction has been formulated by a doctor to increase muscle... -
On flying remote-controlled vehicles
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Friday April 5, 2013I thought about beginning this week's entry pointing out the semantic difference between "drone" and "unmanned aerial vehicle." Half-way through I hit the probably the same road block many others do when trying to organize this seemingly binary topic. You see, I was blessed with parents who graciously got me out of their hair by occasionally presenting a small-sized truck or race car modeled toy able to be controlled by a wireless controller. Like many children, I grew up with unmanned ground vehicles. While it did occur to me that I'd have a ton of fun if I could just attach a camera to the hood and let loose on my neighborhood, I did lack the resources to complete this technological advancement. Back to my point: even with a camera... -
Arm-chair inventions
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Friday March 29, 2013This news piece got me thinking (the typical joke here is "Scary!"). The headline, " D.C. Police Cruiser Stolen After Keys Left Inside" is pretty much what happened, but I'll provide a short synopsis: Responding to a 911 call, an officer left his keys in the vehicle which was later found crashed. I may be simplifying the issue here and possibly glossing over a failure of protocols - but that's not what I gravitated towards. While this is probably a rare siutation (however the article reports that that city has 18 vehicles stolen everyday), an officer leaving their vehicle running is probably pretty common. W hy else would they make battery management devices and protection systems? (Look for some of these in our Property Room... -
From the nephew of Invention: Innovation
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Friday March 22, 2013The latest issue of Law Enforcement Product News, still warm from the printers, recently flopped on my desk. Highlights of the edition are products for your vehicle and your training (not combined, however a few do make that crossover - EasyDrift for one). I recently came across an announcement that would have matched this issue very well. It seems to have the best interest in safety first-hand and the best part is the seemingly simple design. But I'll start with the back story first; the inventor kindly shared with me his tale of inspiration. Spoiler: With one quick mistake, this could have ended much differently. Pain, injury and/or loss of life could have been the result. I believe that fact drove the new product along. While... -
Not all bullets can go to Silicone Heaven, these can
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Friday March 15, 2013This being only my second entry into the world they call the “blog-o-sphere,” let me add to my introduction. Combining editor to someone like myself creates a very unique geek. This type of geek enjoys the science behind … everything. While also appreciating the art of nonsense this type is partial to the overwhelming sound of a turbo-charged V6, the technology behind short lightning bolts striking at the pull of a trigger, as well as a good semantic debate on grammar. I hope I made it apparent that I’m a geek – one for tech, gear, words and more. So allow me to connect the two, a word that I’ve always appreciated the confusion around: Less-Lethal. Lethal has an ultimate tone to it. It typically refers to an end. With this... -
Cruising the Streets
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Wednesday March 13, 2013As posted on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund webpage, traffic-related accident deaths are DOWN 38 percent from the beginning of the year (comparing February 20, 2013 to the same date in 2012). Many of the following products are designed to keep that score as low as possible, keeping any law enforcement officer safe during traffic stops, motorcycle patrol or driving your squad. Many even have a story to them, by image alone. There isn’t much more iconic of an image than the lit-up wig-wags reflected in a rear-view mirror. I’ll go out on a limb and say that most people aren’t overwhelmed with joy to be pulled over, but most have no idea what’s behind this controlled situation: the training, the right... -
Help! I've got a new product in my eye!
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Friday March 8, 2013Without having much - any - martial art training, from what I understand of the Judo art form is one person deflects the kinetic energy from an aggressor. While that's probably an extremely simplistic definition, it does bring up something I've pondered time and again. Something Richard Flynn, apparently, has as well. Applying a bell curve to the population that "are being arrested." (Meaning those that are being arrested at any point of time.) The majority of people may comply to varying degrees of resistance. There's one extreme side (who I'm confused about) that "want" to be slapped in handcuffs, flexcuffs or any type of restraint. Then there's the other extreme side: the difficult people fighting back. Training can only go so far... -
Trendy trends
By Jonathan Kozlowski - Sunday August 5, 2012Hello, As one of the Editors of Officer.com sister magazines, Law Enforcement Product News and Law Enforcement Technology , I come across a great number of new products. This comes with the territory – my inbox is basically a collection of what you would see if tomorrow had a police product tradeshow. Reading about so many products so often, you start recognizing specific specifications bouncing from one product to another. Often people call these “trends” and I agree and disagree with this. A trend, to me, means change. What once wasn't available is … and popular. Soon that concept runs its course and something new, something BRAND new, something innovative pops its gopher head out of the hole. (Feel free to picture...
