For almost 2 months, just looking at the cracked screen of my old smartphone was making me very angry... I of course take excellent care of my equipment. However I am totally powerless when accidents happen because of other people - More on that later... The phone still continues to work fine. However looking at the 5.3 inch display through a cracked screen was most annoying... So this Black Friday, I decided that it was time for me to get a new Android Smartphone. It was about time also, as I had been using this phone for almost 3 years now. Therefore it was truly obsolete by every standard, (newer apps couldn't even get installed anymore). But now the question was, which phone to pick? Black Friday Doesn't come everyday, so now was the time where prices on some smartphones was slashed up to 35% (believe it or not)... So keeping my sense of practicality, I opted not to get a top of the line flagship smartphone. But one which had the biggest battery. Because endurance matters the most to me. After which, physical ruggedness, (as I didn't want the new phone to get damaged so easily). So I picked the Chinese brand Xaiomi's Mi-Max 2 smartphone. As this has the biggest battery in the world right now, 5300 mAh!!! Plus it's screen size too is a gigantic 6.4 inches! See how big it is when placed side by side a normal smartphone... Anyway, after a lot of old fashioned real world legwork, (as thanks to Black Friday the phone was sold out on all websites within the first few hours) - I probably grabbed the last available phone in the city! However now I ran into another problem - The book case, (for physical protection against shocks, moisture, and accidental falls). But because of it's huge size, such a case wasn't available anywhere, it still isn't... Thankfully I was able to get a ruggedized back cover, and a gorilla glass front screen protector online. But a book case for ultimate protection I was still without. So last night I got the idea, to why not create one for myself! Therefore I got hold of an unused dairy, saw a few videos on YouTube, and created a secret book safe! I basically hollowed out the dairy from the inside, and then glued all the pages together. End result is an unimaginably durable smartphone case, which no cellphone thieft will even consider giving a second look to. As this is after all urban camouflage! This really is not a joke, as a lot of people have (in my city) lost their lives while trying to resist armed cellphone thieves. As well as a few robbers too have gotten killed while trying to steal from someone who they stupidly thought was unarmed. Almost a year ago I too had an encounter with 2 armed men on a motorcycle, demanding me to handover my phone. I however kept my phone, while they got injured very badly. But more on that later... Right now I am very happy with what I created today! Not only is this the best urban camouflage ever, but also is giving more physical protection then a real book case of a smartphone.
Now your new 'phone is doubly protected. No thief would know it was inside the book and it's less likely to get damaged or dropped!! Congratulations for thinking 'outside the box' and coming up with your homemade solution.
Very good to see you posting!!! Great idea for hiding your phone too. I pity the fool who tries to pull anything like that on you.
Well if you are not the smart one !! Just take a pen with you and no one would want someones stodgy old diary !! Great idea !!
Great idea S-H,..i am always aware of the damage caused by a phone dropping and have seen people drop their phone with cracked screens resulting,..i never thought of doing what you have done,..well done,..now to find a Diary to suit mine.
I am going to be needing 2 new phones very soon. So I thank you for the little special info...I have kept a note of all your info and will consider it at that time....thanks.
OK, here is the last bit of improvement that I wanted to make in this. The hole for the fingerprint scanner at the back. Which also makes it very easy for me to pop out the phone. Or better yet, I now don't even need to take the phone out from this case, as just touching the fingerprint scanner from the inside back cover makes the phone unlock instantly. So now I think it is perfect! Funny story I have to share... A few weeks ago I was at the supermarket checkout, and as I pulled the money out, I held this new case (with the smartphone hidden inside) in one armpit. Just then I overheard 2 women in the back (obviously a mother and daughter) giggle and say: Just look at this guy!? I mean who in this era of the smartphone now carries a diary??? I think we should send this guy back to the early 90s! So yes, if I clip a pen to this also, then the illusion will be even more complete! Yes, about that, I often made fun of the people who complained that they got robbed of their cellphone. I would laugh in their face and say, you people are obviously doing something wrong. Because I have never been robbed... Yeah, me and by big mouth, as in November of 2016, fate finally sent 2 cellphone thieves in my direction too. I was walking home at dusk, from the local grocery store, with some buns, as I was in the mood for some homemade burgers that day... I walked, didn't take the car, as the store is only 20 to 25 minutes walk away. Besides I had just come home from a long drive, so didn't feel like driving again. Therefore I said to myself, why not take this opportunity to stretch my legs a little. So I exited my house at about 17:45. One good thing I did was that I didn't leave unarmed (just a habit of mine). Didn't take the gun, as I didn't feel the need (it is too heavy a thing to carry for such a leisurely walk). But I did take with me a collapsible baton. Like this one: http://www.weapons-universe.com/Law_Enforcement/Batons/Expandable_Baton-16_inch.shtml However when I had almost reached back, it was about 18:30. And in November, days are short, so it was dark now - Just then 2 men on a motorcycle came from behind me, On my right side, while I was walking on the left side of the road. Unlike USA, we have a right hand drive system, exactly like in the UK, so pedestrians often walk on the left side... Anyeway the driver of the motorcycle was doing nothing, but his passenger grabbed my neck from behind, with his left hand. And soon pushed a gun in my right kidney from his right hand. It all looked like in this picture, (please excuse my near total lack of artistic abilities today)... I of course wasn't armed with a gun, I only had my collapsible baton in my right hand, (mainly to scare away any stray dog), with bread and buns in my left hand. But now I had a gun pushed in my back, while the thief shouted: "Mobile daay!" (meaning give me your mobile phone, now)! In a split second I got a thought, it's only a mobile phone, beside, I will remotely have all the data locked in it. So nothing personal of mine will get misused. So not at all worth risking my life over... Also, majority of such low level street thugs are often on drugs, (to gain courage for thievery). So it is not at all uncommon, where the person resisted, and these trigger happy sons of %#*@&# end of shooting and killing the victim... But just as he shouted at me to give him my phone, he pushed the gun harder into my back - Which instantly made me realize, that it was a plastic toy gun (as it rattled and just didn't have the mass of a real handgun)... So I now immediately twisted to my right as well as lowered by stance a little, which made him lose his grip on my nick - As he was of course seated on the back seat of the motorcycle, while I was firmly standing on solid ground... But just as I twisted, I also swung my right hand and tried to poke his eye out with the back end of my collapsible baton! It sure did hit him (very hard), but on the nose ridge, unfortunately not the eye, (which I had aimed for)... However as he was startled, (as he didn't expect to get hit like that), I flicked the baton open, and it now was deployed to it's full length! So in less then a second I hit him again! This time talking a full swing, and smack in the middle of his head, I gave it to him with all my strength! Sensing this, that they now have a serious fight on their hands, the driver of the motorcycle in a panic sped away, taking his friend with him, still seated on the back seat, (but now injured very badly)... 5 minutes later, I was safely back home. But when I tried to close my collapsible baton, it wouldn't close... It had become bent after the impact on the thief's head, (which now made me extremely angry). See the damage below. However, in this whole fight, my old phone was safe. Screen too wasn't cracked - Because that happened later, in the most idiotic way imaginable... Anyway, this is why I now carry my new phone secretly in a diary, and also now carry a fake shopkeeper's dummy phone too. See this fake phone.
You at least came out better than they did. Was laughing because thieves are just not known for their intelligence. Your fake phone should work fine. Sorry about your baton.
good for you. I think we live in a too timid world. being told to not fight back... "just hand it over ... it isn't worth your life".... I understand that but so do the thieves! worthless oxygen burners. GET A JOB or go MAKE A JOB. thievery isn't an occupation.
No no, no need to feel sorry about the (now bent out of shape) baton - As this real world street fight actually taught me a few lessons. For example, the baton is basically hollow steel pipes which fit into each other, (making it collapsible). However this although makes it concealable and so easy to carry, it is also less heavy (as it is not solid). Also, deploying the baton to it's full length took about a second and a half - Which is an unbelievably long time in a street fight, (where the matter should be decided in a quarter second or less). Which is why at close range, knives are more deadly then guns... However above a certain length (hinting knife class) they are illegal to carry. One can easily get a carrying permit for a gun, which i do have. But knives (above 4 inches long) are completely illegal to carry. Anyway this street fight taught me that I do not need a long telescopic or extendable weapon like a baton - What I need is something about 8 inches long, and it needs to be heavy, plus legal to carry too! So I remembered hearing the mention of a few such weapons from the days when I was a very young student of martial arts, at Grand Master Mohammad Ashfat Tai's school, (way back in the late 80s and early 90s). https://www.facebook.com/Grand-Master-Mohammad-Ashraf-Tai-129560480447149/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashraf_Tai So I searched for the Yawara and Kubotan designs online. As these are perfectly legal to carry in most places, and ideal for urban close quarter combat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yawara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubotan I even found something new and very interesting, the tactical pens (with a DNA catcher) and penlight torches. http://www.reviewdots.com/best-tactical-pens/ However, I didn't find anything which suited me perfectly. Kubotans and tactical pens were too small and light weight, and Yawaras not of solid steel... So I hit upon the idea, to why not create something of my own design?! So this is what I made! It is solid steel, about a kilogram in weight, roughly 8 to 9 inches long - Took some lathe and milling work, but I am very happy with the end result (made it out of a 1 inch diameter hexagonal steel stock)! The basic idea is to have one blunt yet pointed end, so it can easily break the sternum or easily damage the internal organs (by blunt force trauma) as it pushed through the rib-cage, by cracking and spreading them apart as it goes. And also have a DNA catcher type of a crown at the other end too, so that it gets caught in the flesh, and doesn't slip off the round bone of the skull. Thus causing maximum amount of damage at the point of impact, without wasting any kinetic energy of the thrust! Plus it is about a kilogram in weight, which makes it to about 3 to 4 times as heavy as an average hammer of a carpenter - So no bone will be able to withstand such an impact. And I don't mean to boast, but I too am of slightly above average size and strength. So a hit from this tool, yes tool, not weapon (as my lawyer says that I MUST call it a tool at all times), will cause an unbelievable amount of damage... But this is not a weapon, therefore please parish the thought! Is not a weapon, it is just a tool, which I designed to as a handy object to escape from an accidented car, or rescue anyone else from a road accident. As it can effortlessly break car windows and pull anyone out to safety... Yeah right, damn lawyers... However to establish the fact (and become able to carry this on my person at all times in public) - My lawyer says that I now have to put it down in writing, that this indeed is designed as a rescue tool, (and therefore is not a weapon under any circumstances) - I now must also sell at least a 100+ pieces in the open market, as a "rescue tool", and donate just as many to my local Fire Brigade (as an emergency rescue tool), free of cost of course, my God-damn civic duty as a "responsible citizen"... Anyway, I next cut 6 grooves in the 6 sides just before the pointed end - So even in the dark I can tell by feel which is the pointed "emergency car window glass breaker" side, and which is the end with the crown, (with will in an emergency break the laminated glass of the front windshield). After this I painted it a glossy gray, (which is the color of the anti-corrosion epoxy paint), and put black heat shrink tubing in the middle. Thus giving it a very comfortable ribber type of grip. You are being very polite, as we over here don't call them useless oxygen burners - We instead call them worthless human excrement makers - However we use a shorter 4 letter word for excrement... By the way, anyone who is interested in learning how to defend yourselves with Yawaras and Kubotans, just look at any one of the thousands of videos posted on YouTube! Ladies especially, must always carry a tactical pen or a tactical flashlight with a DNA catcher. Electrical shocking devices may be cute, pepper spray too is not bad. But these things either are a headache to always keep charged up, or the chemicals in pepper spray decay with time - And so are not always so effective in the real world. So always carry a Yawara, Kubotan, or a tactical pen as a backup. As these things never fail! Also see these pages below, regarding what happened recently to 2 other cellphone thieves who tried their luck in the city center... 3 armed thieves basically thought that they would have an easy walkover when they tried to rob a few shops in the main wholesale market of cellphones. But one young shopkeeper offered resistance, because of which they shot and killed him - Which in turn sparked anger, and so the remaining shopkeepers of the area quickly formed a mob, and butchered to death one thief why they caught. While his partner soon died nearby as police opened fire upon him, (as he was trying to escape the area). the 3rd one however was successful in running away. https://dailytimes.com.pk/177098/shutter-saddar-traders-murder-robbery-bid/ https://www.dawn.com/news/1381651/e...losed-to-mourn-death-of-shopkeeper-in-karachi
