US musician makes mics in Russia using Kalashnikov machinery
(World News Russia)

TULA, Russia (AP) -- Claims of hacking by the Russian state may be feeding international tensions, but they've given Californian musician David Brown a great icebreaker when selling his line of Russian-made microphones. "We give free hacking lessons with these microphones," he tells potential buyers in Los Angeles. "Watch what you say because they never turn off." Brown, who's often toured Russia with his band Brazzaville, teamed up with fan Pavel Bazdyrev in 2013 to start making top-end musical equipment in Bazdyrev's home city of Tula, which is dominated by the Russian defense industry. Though the business climate is difficult, the costs are low and they...