PC Magazine reviews the iPad 2 and gives it a very good rating.

We have a feeling that no matter what type of glass is used, the iPad2 will prove to be a winner in the market.

British Columbia, Canada, recently passed a law making bulletproof glass in automobiles illegal.  The move targets gangs and organized crime in the province.

The law also covers secret compartments and armored vehicle plating.

In a quote included in an article on the news site Metro, Solicitor General Rich Coleman explained, “The only reason … to add (these things) is to evade police or other criminals, or to hide guns, drugs or money.  This law establishes significant penalties and will work to discourage gang activity and organized crime.”

The penalty for breaking this new law?  Fines of up to $10,000 and up to six months in jail.

According to Lansing, Michigan’s WILX news, “police are looking for thieves who walk in with a gun and out with cash.”  Nearly three dozen mid-Michigan restaurants, convenience stores and other businesses have been hit by the armed robbers since November.

WILX reports that only two of the 30 total armed robberies were unsuccessful.  Last week, a robber at Alternative Medicine in Lansing was thwarted by bulletproof glass.

According to the news report: On Christmas Eve a woman walked into Alternative Medicine and slipped a note under the partition. According to employees, the note read, “Give me all your money, I have a gun.” But the dispensary employees say they aren’t afraid of thieves because of the store’s security measures and bulletproof glass.

Anyone with information on the robbery attempts should contact the Lansing Police Department at (517) 485-1700.

According to an article in the Canberra Times, the vehicles will be capable of withstanding M16 fire and a blast from some smaller explosions, too.

Earlier this morning, a police officer from Grand Rapids, Mich. was shot during a standoff. The officer credits his bulletproof vest with saving his life.

More from WSAW on the shoot out.

The London Daily Mirror reports that, “the Popemobile vehicle was first made famous by Pope John Paul II, who used a modified truck on his first papal visit to his Polish homeland. The current Popemobile is a Mercedes equipped with the latest security measures. The side panels and undercarriage are armored, and a bulletproof glass enclosure has been built on top of an M-class chassis.”

Bulletproof glass and other security measures were put into place after a failed May 1981 assassination attempt by sniper Mehmet Ali Agca on Pope John Paul II, who was shot four times.

KGTV San Diego reported that bulletproof glass thwarted an armed man’s attempt to rob a Bank of America branch last week. Read the recap of the story here. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the robbery attempt and the would-be robber walked away empty handed.

The San Diego Police Department and FBI released photos of the robber and are asking for assistance in his capture. Anyone with information is urged to call the FBI at (858) 565-1255.

As reported in the Great Lakes IT Report, Pietro learned he had a brain tumor the week before a school math competition called Math 24. The surgery Pietro needed couldn’t be delayed, but his doctor “made him a deal that if he was doing well the day before the competition, he would allow him to be discharged from the hospital.”

Pietro was discharged five days after his surgery — the day prior to Math 24 — which he won on Jan. 28. He went on to win first place in the recent state math competition.

Today, Pietro will receive the Young Heroes Medal of Honor at the 21st Motor City Golf Classic.

Maybe there are some things (or people) tougher than bulletproof glass.

Photo courtesy of GM

Presidents are no strangers to top level security details and protection. In fact, Obama’s usual ride is a bulletproof, armored vehicle dubbed by some as “The Beast.”

For a video of Obama’s Volt drive, check out this article on WashingtonPost.com.

More info, and a poll where you can vote in support of Bay City utilities department employees, can be found on the Connect Mid Michigan site.  Click through and vote yes!

One of the world’s most famous religious artifacts, the Shroud of Turin, is on display to the public at Turin’s St John the Baptist Cathedral.  Thanks to a protective layer of bulletproof glass, it’s being kept safe while thousands of visitors view it.

The shroud is went on display April 10, its first public display in a decade.   It’s estimated that two million people will view the shroud over the next month.

The Shroud of Turin was discovered in the French city of Troyes, southeast of Paris, in the mid-14th century.  The showing is the first since the shroud was restored in 2002.

 “PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG!” is what the thief abruptly told the bank teller through the bullet resistant barrier separating him and her. The teller (while behind the bullet resistant enclosure) noticed that the crook had no weapon on him at all, making the decision to tell the crook that ““We don’t do that here” and turn him away a lot easier on her and her co-workers.

The man, Brian Patrick Marlin, left the bank in anger with no money and no chance of being a free man after this stunt. The police found him later that day just a couple blocks away from the attempted heist, he was charged with attempted bank robbery.

Read: Portland bank employees, confronted by robber, just say no by Bryan Denson clicking by on the title.