Damn. And I was all ready to start dodging bullets, too. Then IBM had to go and withdraw its patent for bionic, ammo-avoiding body armor, just days after it came to light.

IBM had put together a two-part patent that would spot incoming sniper fire, and then trigger "muscle stimulators," which would force the intended victim to move out of harm's way. According to the company, the system would be perfect for "high ranking politicians, clerics, successful industrial entrepreneurs, and military personnel" who "publicly addres[s] large crowds, making them easy targets for snipers."

But when the rest of us found out – through* Slashdot* and TechFragments – the patent was suddenly yanked. *Now *how are we supposed to bend and twist out of bullets' paths?

Ah well, at least The Firearm Blog had the foresight to post this handy figure from the patent. Maybe it'll help us come up with a new bullet-dodger:

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